Synopsis: Join the police in a search to find Jay's brother. Using the clues gathered in your search (and a riddle from Jay Hall himself), interpret and follow your instincts to try and solve the mystery of the 'missing man'.
How the audience will be engaged:
-Facebook and Twitter pages (linked)
-Geocaching aspect (GPS -
-Clues given gradually;
-Address to drive to (eg: National Park Road, Kinglake)
-Using natural environment (walk 20 steps from tree, etc.)
(walk in a south-easterly direction, etc.)
-Upon the finding of an object, more clues are divulged
-You Tube video can end with policemen giving a choice as to which direction he'll go. Pause in front of screen (directly in middle of camera) with an arm outstretched to either side (left or right). An annotation will be shown on each side (unlisted video). To which the audience can pick. The next You Tube clip will correspond to their choice.
This idea is kind of inspired by children's shows like 'Dora The Explorer' where the kids are given time to talk and answer a question. Old DVD-rom games like the one on 'Dinosaur' is another example, where its interactive but users only have a few defined paths they can use, in contrast to a truly interactive open-world experience like 'Grand Theft Auto V'. The video experience is limited to these few paths, but if audiences were to actually follow the clues physically, the possibilities are endless.
The networked storytelling task was something I encountered many difficulties with. Not in the actual expectations itself, but the limitations of technical equipment, time constraints and availability of actors. My ability to gather actors was severely compromised by my placement commitments. This meant that large chunks of film were produced and filmed on the same day... Good for continuity purposes, but not so good for cameras lacking on battery life.
Having to undertake the production as an individual, affected my ability to create a video that would replicate one made in a group environment, with four different actors being focused on in one clip. This didn't mean I wasn't working with others cooperatively - it just meant I had to take more of a directorial role than I would have if I was working with a group of other students. Luckily, a few high school friends and I have experience in making films together. While our acting skills are rudimentary at best; Andrew Mayne (Jay's conscience), Rahul Sankappa (the policeman) and Daniel Thorne (Jay's brother) all understand filming basics and the creative choices and decisions that can enhance a film's message.
Despite our good intentions, difficulties did follow. Two of the scenes were filmed on the same day in Kinglake, which was encountering blustery northerly winds and isolated showers. Whilst the slight fog that settled over the town was a great stroke of luck that enhanced the quality of the images in the film, the wind basically rendered any dialogue indecipherable. Keep in mind I already had scheduling difficulties prior to this day of filming. I was happy with the quality of the shots and was loath to replace them when such an eerie atmosphere was created by the weather conditions - so I had to think of an alternative option.
In the past I have observed a few videos which use spoken word aligned with music. I enjoy them - I believe they provide good artistic values. Whilst my initial intent wasn't to create a film primarily based around this troupe, the technical difficulties forced my hand. I tried to give an insight into the main characters emotions and misgivings, but also to write poetically.
The composition of my film is up to the viewer. The first video is the flashback, establishing the background of the story. At the culmination at the clip, viewers are given the choice of two paths - Jay's return to Kinglake, or his plea for help to a police officer. Whilst these are the last two videos of the film, viewers who have chosen the first path, are still able to watch the second option. If viewers have chosen Jay's plea to the police first, they are appealing to his sense of civil duty. However if they view the clip after observing his return to Kinglake, the mood changes. His meeting with the policeman takes on a desperate front, a last chance saloon meeting. He already expressed his guilt when he returned to Kinglake in search of his brother; he was unable to find him. Although much time had passed, he wanted to make one last roll of the dice in the hope of reuniting with his brother. These paths prove how a viewer's choice (even with a limited portion of three videos) can have a great influence on their media content and how it is interpreted.
