jbenedict pro211 week5 presentation v02.0

8/14/2019 JBenedict PRO211 Week5 Presentation v02.0

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THE POROUS MULTIVERSE: PRACTICAL

APPLICABILITY, INTANGIBLE RESOURCES,

AND VIABILITY DEMONSTRATION OF A NEW

NARRATIVE SETTING

by

Joel D. Benedict

University of Advancing Technology



TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of contents..............................................................................................................................3

Table of contents..............................................................................................................................3

About the Innovation .......................................................................................................................4

Innovation .................................................................................................................................... 4

Today’s Situation ........................................................................................................................ 6

Innovation Timeline ....................................................................................................................8

Innovation Inquiry ......................................................................................................................9

Review of Related Materials ..........................................................................................................10

Learning Process ...........................................................................................................................20

Results ............................................................................................................................................21

References ......................................................................................................................................22

Appendix A. Add title ...................................................................................................................24

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3



ABOUT T HE INNOVATION

Innovation

This senior innovation brief plans the invention of a new fictional story setting: the

porous multiverse. A multiverse is a set of universes that originate from common traits. The

current story models feature closed multiverses traversable by a limited set of lead characters.

Porous multiverses are open to travel by any lead or non-lead characters without a plot

explanation for each trip. The porous multiverse differs from current multiversal story settings by

virtue of decentralization.

The goal of the invention is to support the story with a finished short series developed by

diverse content creators. To support the invention of a new story device, a short film series will

demonstrate the story possibilities offered by universal freedom. The brief will fully develop a

treatment, script, screenplay, storyboard, animatic, and finished short movie series. Due to the

high concept idea, explanations of the transportation technology, and target audience, the genre

of the shorts is science fiction.

The development and staff structure of the project will demonstrate the open possibilities

of a porous multiverse. The alternate possibilities presented by multiverses demand imagination

from content creators. To develop the goal of a finished short series, experts from diverse fields

in the arts and sciences will work together in segmented production departments. To help lead

developers in simple tasks and idea generation, the project will be open to temporary guest

volunteers in the style of a moderated forum. Ideas do not need approval from supervisory lead

developers to be created, but can be included in the project at the discretion of lead developers.

Long-term expert supervision supported by temporary amateur contributors will give new and

diverse ideas to the project.



With a clear description of the proposal, goals, and structure of the innovation, a

comparative analysis of the current state of multiversal stories can begin.



Today’s Situation

The closed multiverse story device is currently used in science fiction and fantasy to

expand the central universe of lead characters. Porous multiverse fiction differs from

contemporary fiction in flexibility of travel, decentralization of embarkation, and freedom of

movement. Everyone can go anywhere, anytime without restriction. The porous multiverse

allows travel between alternate realities and past and future times with no central or “prime”

universe. DC, Marvel, and Image comics provide literary examples of not only an unrestricted

universe, but permeability between multiple universes. The porous multiverse differs from

television science fiction such as Sliders, Andromeda, and Stargate SG-1 by virtue of

decentralization. A central nexus or transit station has been shown, but omni-dimensional, freely

available travel between dimensions has not.

The structure of the project is a moderated supervisory system. The traditional movie

studio model is hierarchical, with departments controlled by successively fewer and more

powerful leaders. This project is led by expert developers that do not have direct control over

amateur contributers. Contributions will be evaluated and included based on lead approval, like

online forum moderation.

The style of this project differs from contemporary series. Online series of shorts such as

Red vs. Blue, Happy Tree Friends, and Homestarrunner.com are comedic animated series

representative of the current independent content online. Dramatic science fiction serials are

confined to networks with studio-backed budgets. This project differs from both network and

online serials—it is both a dramatic science fiction series and freely available user-created

content.



The three series show the viability and profitability of freely available web content. Input

into this project comes from experts and a community support base to create a central series. Any

profit from the project would be distributed based on performance and level of contribution.



Innovation Timeline

This section will be completed in the next PRO series course.



Innovation Inquiry

To accomplish the goal of a new fictional story setting, this project will develop an online

series of short science fiction movies based on the porous multiverse. Research will cover the

requirements of development and completion. Inquiries will continue until completion of the last

PRO course in a hybrid model of incremental development.

Interviews with experts in the field of animation, literature, games, and television will be

conducted by a small group of hosts to give personal examples and objectives to project leaders.

Experts from professional employment fields as well as independent online content producers

will be involved short term in the project as consultants. Traditional industry successes will be

examined for emulation by the project and to avoid simple beginner errors.

Recruitment methods will be researched based on projects similar to the short movies as

well as unconventional sources, like independent game developers. Feasibility will be researched

by feedback from social media hubs. Ways to measure popularity and correspondent demand will

be discovered through traditional library database research. With data measures of interest,

recruitment interviews will be conducted based on performance and level of potential

involvement.



REVIEW OF RELATED MATERIALS

The review argues three points related to the SIP: communication of real world ideas

through experiential narratives have practical application, narratives produce intangible practical

resources, and organization of production of the SIP is feasible. The practical application for the

SIP demonstration narrative is argued in the first section.

The first section of this essay argues that narratives have practical application for real

world industries. This review will argue that narrative is a central message delivered in the

context of a storyworld told with story logic that enhances perspective by use internal fictional

frames described with general schematic properties. This section will describe the five elements

of narrative as applicable to real world innovation: the basic definition of narrative, the explicit

environment of narrative, the overall schemas that define narrative elements, the interpretive

discourse models of narrative, and the interpretation of external real world issues told by the

story logic of a narrative.

Narrative includes both fictional and non-fictional events because the most basic

definition of narrative as a medium is “a form of communication which presents a sequence of

events caused and experienced by characters” (Jahn, 2005). The “form of communication” can

be oratory, the written word, or audio-visual presentation used inside and outside of fiction to

relate historical markers lived by one set of fictional or non-fictional people to another set.

Narrative is separated from documentary reports by experientiality, or central message emulated

via a story: “narrative is a perceptual activity that organizes data into a special pattern which

represents and explains experience” (Jahn). Environment is communicated better through

narrative than through documentary reports due to the experientiality of narrative environments.



Narrative content can be divided into sub spaces to define explicit, literal environmental

embeddedness.

Environmental embeddedness is the context that frames the story in terms of time, place,

and environment. The specific descriptions of embedded environments are what makes narrative

a form of communication suitable for conveyance of real world ideas in a fictional setting. The

three divisions of literal narrative environmental embeddedness are literary space, story space,

and discourse space. Literary space is “the environment which situates objects and characters;

more specifically, the environment in which characters move or live in” (Jahn). Literary space is

the entire setting of an environment beyond the story told in a single episode or book. Story

space is a finite point within the relative chronology of a narrative where actions take place.

Discourse space is based on physical location, and varies with the descriptions of the narrator.

The three contextual frames are a foundation of literal, direct context for abstract, indirect

context. All narratives contain environments to place a story in context, whether the stories are

fictional or non-fictional. Environments describe what a narrative contains, while schemas define

what the properties of individual content elements.

Schemas define the properties of story elements: “broad, abstract structures that give

general conditions for the object in question. We have schemas for genres, for characters, for

imagery, for dialogue, and so on” (Hogan, 2003, p. 71). Every element of a narrative is defined

by the value held by a correspondent abstract structure. Environment, discourse models, and

story logic all have a schema to define properties. Narrators create schemas from multiple

prototypes and other works: “There are several ways in which authors may specify schemas. One

is through the combination of elements from other works” (Hogan, p. 72). Narratives that

overlap genres result in more specific genres. Specification of schema will happen in any



narrative, regardless of genre or reality. Schemas define elements of a topic, as any practical

technical blueprint does. Narratives of real events have a schematic genre, as well as other

schematic elements such as discourse.

In contrast to discourse space that describes setting in a narrative, discourse models are

an abstract discussion and interpretation of literal concepts framed indirectly by the story. As

practical inventions are aware of design complications, flaws, or implications for further

development, so too do discourse models interpret the environment, schemas, and story logic of

a narrative. Discourse models provide contextual cues by indirect explanations of the events of

the story: “Discourse models can be defined as emergent, dynamic interpretive frames that

interlocutors collaboratively construct in order to make sense of an ongoing stretch of talk”

(Herman, p. 19). The “emergent, dynamic interpretive frames” translate recollection or dialogue

from absolute occurrences into the relative point of view of the author or character. Discourse

models give interpretation within the narrative. Story logic, however, gives interpretation of

extra-narrative, real world issues via the narrative.

Story logic gives perspective to real world events. Story logic is an the logical knowledge

an author has of the real world transferred to story format: “Story logic, in this sense, is the logic

by virtue of which people (including writers) know when, how, and why to use stories to enable

themselves and others to find their way in the world” (Herman, p. 24). Story logic means that

stories are consistent with internally logical events and are logical arguments for real world

issues: “In using the phrase story logic in the first part, I mean to suggest that stories both have a

logic and are a logic in their own right” (Herman, p. 22). The “logic in their own right” means

narratives form logical arguments for real world views, expressed by the internal logic of story

schemas. The interpretations of story logic give perspective to real world events not offered by



documentary reports. The practical equivalent is an application assessment of a technical

invention. Story logic places real world logic into story, discourse gives in-narrative

interpretation, schemas define individual story objects, and contextual frames set literal context.

In summary of the first section, narrative consists of real world ideas translated to fiction,

framed internally and specifically described by schemas. The passage of real world ideas through

fiction and back into reality are addressed by the next section.

This proposal proves in the first section of related materials that real world ideas

communicated through experiential narratives have practical application like any technological

invention. In the second section, the proposal proves the practical demand for a creative story

setting. This project will create a series of short movies to put the setting innovation into

practice. The specific narrative format demonstrated by this project is the animated short.

The medium of movies is chosen for this project because of the story logic and discourse

not possible in other narrative media. Films and the animated cartoon in particular distill

schemas to basic prototypes. Animation “is a metaphorical and metonymic art at one and the

same time” (Calvino, p. 80). Film, literature, and games are narratives that use story logic to

convey a message. The abstract narratives provide imaginative perspectives not possible in real

life. Stories therefore have real world application.

While film production does not contribute practical goods to the world of industry, films

produce intangible resources. The legislature of Trinidad and Tobago funded a government film

company because of the intangible resources: “The film industry is of national importance on

four levels, social, cultural, political, and economic” (Trinidad, 2005). The intangible resources

were an investment in the development of the country. The government proposal outlined the

specific advantages brought by the movie industry in the four areas of growth: “social:



communicating ideas, information and ideology; cultural: preserving and promoting cultural

traditions; political: providing the forum for debate and discussion as well as information to the

public; economic: the industry generates both revenue and employment: $172.5 billion in 1997

worldwide” (Trinidad). The proposed innovation project will focus on the social arena of movie

production, to communicate the idea of a new story setting. The movie industry distributes ideas

faster than practical goods industries, so the project will distribute the idea by the media of

movies. While movies do not produce practical innovations, movies do produce intangible

innovations, like the story idea distributed by this project. Distribution of the idea of this project

will be faster than distribution of practical innovations.

This project will spread creative competency innovations throughout the industry faster

than practical inventions spread. The film industry innovates faster than practical goods

producers due to new real world technologies: “For the film industry, the changing technological

environment requires production houses to constantly re-invent themselves in order to survive

and prosper” (Wong, 2007). Film and animation make use of technology, but do not develop new

practical assets like other industries. Instead, film producers apply technological innovations to

the movie context: “the challenge is how to adapt and extend thinking about innovation systems

to the creative industries like the film and animation industry and to extend technological

competencies to innovative creative competencies” (Wong). This project will collect the

“technological competencies” of contributors to apply them to the creative context of the project.

The distribution of the idea will innovative creative competencies along with story setting.

While this project advances creative competencies, the main goal is to advance an

innovation in story setting. The most important element of film production remains the creators,

not new technology: “Despite any emphasis that is placed on the impact of new technologies and



technological convergence, it is peoples’ creative imagination and craft skills that are the ‘core

competence’ of a thriving film sector” (Wong). Technology can be used to enhance the creative

abilities of contributors. However, the main goal of this project is apply the creative abilities of

contributors to the new story setting. While the story setting innovation is not a technological

invention, this project will use modern technology and creative contributors to demonstrate the

effectiveness of the story innovation.

The innovation of the new story setting innovation of a porous multiverse is viable due to

collaboration of creators. The film medium chosen by this innovation project is ideal for the

dissemination of the idea among creators due to a level of collaboration not seen in practical

goods industries: “As an art form, filmmaking is also a highly collaborative effort involving a

combination of many diverse creative and specialized skills” (Wong). The diversity and

specialization of contributors will spread the idea throughout industries outside of the film

industry. The idea is viable due to the diversity of collaborative creators.

The second section of this proposal proves that movies are unique narratives that produce

practical, intangible resources. The second section also proves this project will advance creative

competencies and distribute a viable innovation in creativity through collaboration. The third

section shows how contributors will organize to demonstrate the innovation of the porous

multiverse.

This third section describes the organization of the project in three topics: the

development plan, the developer structure, and individual contributor selection. The project in

pre-production is diverse in ideas with phases that overlap, but after pre-production is finalized

in ideas with sequential phases. First, the project producer and contributor community that form

the developer structure will first select a core group of executive leaders. Second, executive



leaders will complete the hierarchical development structure with selection of assistant

contributors. The model of development schedules goals and departmental activity.

The developmental model chosen for this project is a hybrid iterative and linear model,

where sequential phases overlap. Web designers Lynch & Horton describe the hybrid model in

practice: “many design iterations are encouraged early in the process but are strongly

discouraged later in the development and testing phases (2009, Ch. 2, p. 6).” Early in movie pre-

production, diverse creative ideas frequently change. Once production begins, ideas are

developed into a final product. The model of this project develops by emergent management of

assistant contributors by lead executives.

The project consists of lead and assistant contributors in an emergent management model.

In pre-production, goals are defined by leads with the input of assistants. After pre-production,

assistants will decide how to meet the previously defined goals. Leaders will grant final approval

to the decisions of decentralized assistants. The advantage of emergent management is dynamic

innovation: “Enterprise architects must decentralize decision making to enable innovation [...] In

decentralized organizations innovation is dynamic and change is organic” (Burke, 2008, Table

1). The “decentralized decision making” to assistants chosen based on their abilities still allows

the crew meet the previously defined goals and create a vision in the best way they see fit. Valve

corporation is an example of central leaders with assistant contributors that create finished

projects. Valve provides the original project resources and goals, which are then developed by

community contributors. For example, game map source files from Team Fortress 2 were

released so that map developers could independently create new maps based on the source:

“When we released Team Fortress 2, we also released the production tools that we made our

maps with” (Valve, 19 June 2008). Valve leaders then improve upon assistant contributor maps



and grant final approval for inclusion of the maps in product updates: “After seeing the large

number of these maps, and the high quality work contained within them, we decided it’d be great

to get some of them out in an update” (Valve). The management model of this project will act in

the same way as Valve contributors—as independent assistant creators who develop elements

approved by project leaders.

The traditional studio industry method of recruitment begins from the top down, with

lead department positions chosen first by an executive producer. Writer-producer-director

Gregory Goodell says the hierarchical studio model begins with a script or idea proposal pitched

by a producer or director to a studio development committee: “the fundamental decisions that

define what the movie will become, including the direction and tone of the story and screenplay,

and the selection of the screenwriter, cast, and director, will be subject to committee approval at

the studio” (1998, p. 7). The core group of lead developers is the screenplay writer, the producer,

and the director. In a studio, crew is allocated by a studio committee. The crew structure of

independently funded films is hierarchical, like studios. This project will select the core group in

the same way studio the producer structure leads crew hierarchies.

Once an independent film producer has secured finances for production of a story, the

producer selects core lead developers—the screenplay writer, the director, the unit production

manager (UPM), and first assistant director (first AD). Goodell says the similar roles of logistics

and creative management are what necessitate the early hire of both: “The production manager's

work is closely coupled with that of the first assistant director (first AD), and both should be

hired as early as possible” (1998, p. 104). The UPM will complete the production hierarchy with

the selection of department leads. The production company structure of online shorts is not



hierarchical, but individual allocation based on organizational demands and previous

performance.

The hire model of online shorts is based on proximity and a preexistant base of friends.

Matt and Mike Chapman, producers of the online animated series Homestarrunner , are the only

full-time content creators, in addition to their immediate family. “Our sister does all of the

business,” says Matt Chapman, “She runs the online store, um, and that's, that's it. Four of us,

basically...So not much on our staff” (2007). Recruitment was not needed, as the small four-

member, family exclusive company is self-sustained and independent of additional assistants.

Rooster Teeth Productions (RT) is an online short series made of a group composed of

coworkers, acquaintances, and two industry professionals. Online short production organizations

are similar in size and contributor pool to RT and to the Chapman's. Because the structure of

online short producers selects fewer contributors than studio heirarchies select, online short

producers hire based on familiarity and contributor experience prior to pre-production. This

project will use the online short method of well-known contributor selection for leaders, and the

studio hierarchy model to approve creations completed by assistant contributors.

In summary of section three, this project will develop iteratively in pre-production, but

linearly afterwards. The overall developer structure is made of executive leaders and creative

assistants. The project will select individual leaders in an hierarchical independent studio model,

and will select assistant contributors based on peer performance evaluation and repute. The

organization schema proves the viability of the SIP.

In summary, this review argues three points: real world ideas translated to narrative have

real world application, the intangible resources narratives produce are practical, and organization



of the SIP narrative production is viable. The execution of the development structure will take

place in the learning process in the next PRO series course.



LEARNING PROCESS




RESULTS

This section will be completed in the third PRO series course.



Future as Clear as the Past?, pages pp. 1-36, Warwick, United Kingdom.Retrieved 28 November, 2009 from First Search database.

http://www.hrwiki.org/wiki/Georgia_Tech_-_26_Apr_2007






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