Spring 2002:: ENG 1131: Writing Through Media
On all projects: A printed copy is due to me the day the final version of the project is due. I will keep this copy.
Project 1: Website Beginnings
Due (before class begins) Feb. 1, Friday
We will do the peer review in class, so the project must be finished before class.
This is the beginning of your website and should be carefully thought out because it lays the groundwork for the rest of your website and the rest of the semester.
1. You need to have at least 5 hypertext pages:
*The index page (the index.html page is your homepage) which should facilitate interest in your website without being cluttered, confusing, and certainly without requiring a long load time.
*A page about yourself.
*A page describing your work at the University of Florida, and mentioning your final project for this class and how it pertains (if you have decided on a final source).
*A page with your explanation for all your choices on design: colors, graphics, layout, and how these choices will aid you in building the rest of your website. This page should be 750-1000 words covering in detail the reasons for all of your choices, and covering what you intend to change as your skills grow and as more time becomes available.
*Another page that can be part of project 2 or whatever you decide you want it to be.
2. Your homepage (index.html) must contain: your name; your primary email address; images and colors which set the tone for your site; intuitive links to your other pages - here you should also begin planning your website for the entire semester, don't have a webpage that's going to be difficult to add on to or that will have to be drastically revamped for each section of the course
3. Every page must:
Have a link back to your homepage, unless you have a good reason on why not and this should be included in your explanation
Use standard correctly coded HTML
Follow recommended conventions of web design
4. Have citations for anything not your own that you use. See the NWE's information on copyright.
I suggest using a horizontal rule at the bottom of your page and then putting in copyright information because it's easy and won't interfere with the overall look of your page.
Be sure to print a hard copy, with your name on it, and have this printed before class begins, not during class or after.
Project 2: The Medium and the Message
Due (before class begins) March 1, Friday
We will do the peer review in class, so the project must be finished before class.
You can pick the same topic for this and for the final project and just approach the material in different ways, or the final project could build on what you begin here.
This project will discuss one of the texts we have encountered in class (or another which must be preapproved by me) in terms of content and medium. For this, we will draw on what we've learned about writing spaces, Marshall McCluhan, and The HoneyMooners as a television show that took it's content and portrayal from radio and theater (the single room presentation, heavy emphasis on sound and noises, heavy overdone facial expressions). Using what we have learned, you will write an analysis of how the content and medium of your source blend, conflict, and their relationship to past sources and newer sources - their influences and what they've influenced. You will write the analysis with the understanding that you are using a medium to do this analysis and so you should be reflective and exploratory.
The point of this project is to further your website, to further your understanding of how a form both constrains and frees the subject material (content), and to get you to illustrate the mutual dependence and interaction of the content and form of at least one source. An example of a project idea (could be - writing about System Shock 2 as being a horrific video game. System Shock 2 is clearly a pc video game (medium) and the form is partially that of a video game. The form is also that of a work of horror (here form and content blend) - dark poor lighting, hard to see - the vision is clausterphobic. The sounds are eery, haunting, and foreboding. The narrative is sort of a mystery and sort of a thriller - the player character is here and he or she has to kill to survive and continue. The player character is trapped on a space ship so it isn't like there's some way to just leave. The space within the game becomes clausterphobic too - the lighting is dim so sight is greatly reduce, the noises seem like something unfriendly is getting closer, or just lurking about, there's no ultimate escape - notice how all of these elements build tension. Also notice how these same elements are used in horror films - trapped can't escape, not knowing the true enemy or even what happened - confusion leads to fear.
This project must:
- Cover at least 4 new hypertext pages
- All pages must be linked back to your homepage
- All pages should continue the color and design scheme you have chosen, or should develop a new, yet consistent and complementary design scheme
- You must have at least 750 words on your analysis.
- One of the pages should have your reasons (a minimum of 250 words) for the webpage design and what you're attempting to do: aid the reader, confuse the reader (to a very limited extent), create and sustain a mood throughout the pages..
- You should introduce the source or sources with some background so the analysis is grounded.
- Then discuss the medium, form, genre, content - these are often blended together in a variety of ways.
- Answer why? What are you trying to show or prove? What or how does your analysis help the reader understand one or more of the following:
- the text or texts you chose.
- The medium, content, genre, or form of the chosen work or works
- The way the content, form, genre, medium interact.
- The significance of any of these with another work.
Be sure to print a hard copy, with your name on it, and have this printed before class begins, not during class or after.
Project 3: Image and Text
Due (before class begins) April 9, Tuesday
This project will utilize what we have learned about images to communicate and sequential art in terms of comic books, film, video games, and hypertext to construct an essay that explores one of these media through text and images.
This project must:
- have at least one piece (more is fine) of original artwork made or manipulated into creation using one of the NWE's graphics programs (or one you have access to- be sure to write which program you used and if you use one not in the NWE, you will need to ftp your work over).
- You must write on each art piece on why you chose to use the image you did, how you made it (this will be a big portion of your writing), and how it works with your overall website (or if they don't, then explain why).
- You can do a collection of images with text then write about the overall image collage, comic, or whatever you make, but you still must write at least 1350 words overall for this project - however you divide that 1350 words - that explain: why you chose to use the image(s) you did, how you made them, and how they work with your overall website.
- This project should cover a minimum of 2 web pages and for any images occupying the same page, you must explain how they work together; for images that are linked together, you must explain why you made the links as you did.
Be sure to print a hard copy, with your name on it, and have this printed before class begins, not during class or after.
Project 4: Final Exploratory Project
Due (before noon) April 29, Monday
We will do the peer review in class, so the project must be finished before class.
This project will utilize all that we have learned about media, hypertext, the web, sequential art, and reader/viewer/player interaction. These will vary greatly depending on the type of project you have chosen and the source that you are: writing about, using as a jumping off point, making a parody or rethinking of... We will have discussed your options and ideas in conferences and in class with your introductory presentations, if not earlier.
This project will include:
- A minimum of 4 new web pages, linked in some format, with a thoughtful and clearly planned design scheme. OR You may do a project building and developing objects and bots in the MOO. If you decide to do this, you will still be required to write an explanation of your work - the explanation can be posted in the MOO or on your website.
- One page about what you are trying to do and how you are trying to achieve your goal: this could vary from 500-1500 words depending on how graphically oriented your project is and how difficult it may be to understand.
- You should have words of text outside of the explanation for a total of 750 words (per person if you are in a group).
- The other requirements will also vary and we will discuss the requirements for each individual project and for the group projects for those that choose to do a group project.
Be sure to print a hard copy, with your name on it, and have this printed before class begins, not during class or after.