Volunteer's drive

How would donating your time as a student to the intellectually disabled sound, as an extra curricular activity? While one would normally search for mental or physical forms of enrichment in their academic pursuits, there are some which would very much like to share their moments with the less fortunate.

Coal story, bro; narrative content and the format

Really? You too?

Journey To The End Of Coal allows you to uncover the grave story behind millions of Chinese coal miners. Everyday these people risk suffocation, gas poisoning, roof collapse and many other mining hazards in order to pay for China's economic success. The cost of which, is often undermined; rivers are polluted, land is destroyed, and safety practices as well as human rights are neglected. It is a miracle which did not happen without much sacrifice.

This interactive web documentary places you as a freelance journalist, who is on a mission to investigate the living conditions of these miners. The introduction is simple, with a text narrative describing the context, before dumping you off on a train platform in Datong, which is a couple of hours away from Beijing. Text, pictures, sound and video are all utilized when presenting the travel the around the surrounding landscapes. Places of interests include the major coal mines, which range from the “best” state-funded complexes to the worst private coal plants. And it is in this journey, that you can get the story first hand from the various settlers and their families.

For most parts, a photo occupies the screen, as a soundscape of the environment plays in the background. A map of travel locations is included, but mainly the story is navigated through several dialog choices with the people that you meet, which have fully voiced responses. There is some amount of linearity to the questions, which gives insights into topics such as neglect safety procedures and the dwindling quality of life. I feel that this kind of probing and immersion into their personal lives lends a humanistic side to the the issue.

One scene which I felt was interesting, features the initial reluctance of a miner to reveal his story. I guess that the creators have chosen to weave their difficulties in making the story part of the experience as well (he lets out abit if you used a more indirect choice of words). Later on I was referred to his boss, which was when I got this feeling that I was going places where I shouldn't be poking, like an encounter with the Chinese mafia or secret police, which was eerie creepy. This sequence of introduction also highlights the sharp contrast of working standards that these 2 individuals have.

..or pieces. Your choice. "mUAHAHHAeehaehaeeeh."

In a documentary film, the spectator views a sequence of images in time without any control over the outcome. Inversely, web documentaries require participation and interaction in order to function. As such, the role of the spectator is transformed into that of a seeker, exploring the data presented through a series of connected spaces, through engagements with a virtual interface. The neat thing about the format is that people may choose only the topics which interests them. Additionally, I would say that the outcomes that storytellers choose to depict can add extra weight to the moves made by the user, which would help create a more personal bond with the subject.

Above - Journey To The End Of Coal
Below - 428: In a Blockaded Shibuya

While web documentaries can be seen as an extension to traditional forms, the format which the stories are presented is borrowed from computer games. The system of branching narratives used in the above example is one which has been present through the adventure games of old, up till the visual/sound novel games which are popular in Japan. Likewise, the idea of using multimedia (sound, music video blah blah) to enhance the experience has also been part of gaming's bag of tricks.

Screencap of an interactive adventure game, Heavy Rain
Personally I feel that these interactive elements can help drive the story. But it's not going to replace traditional documentaries though; it has it's place, on the web, accessible at any time & place. That said, there also needs to be a careful balance of the amount of interactions available. Too many choices would make navigating the documentary a headache, while too few a choices would make it appear linear. The architecture of the contents must be well mapped, lest the user becoming lost and losing interest.

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Protip: Check out http://www.klynt.net/, they got an interactive editing & publication tool which was used to make Journey To The End Of Coal.

Visualization much?

Slagsmålsklubben by Tomas Nilsson

xxx

Data becomes uninteresting when we're unable to make any sense of it, lost without directions or a purpose, in a mashup of numbers and words, only raw values. Yet, it is this pureness that is beautiful; Conveying facts without distortion, it is an objective representation of life.

Innately data has it own set of stories to tell, though these are not immediately distinguishable, often requiring some amount of effort to sort, and a context provided for them to exist in. The use of statistics & visualization helps this storytelling, by making all these information easily relatable, through the use of graphical elements.

Aesthetics is visualization's main strength, yet, one must be mindful when designing & consuming these representations: integrity of data and the inherent story must still come first. This additional layer of storytelling could be slighted with inconsistancies, or have misleading points added through human bias, making it stray from the initial story. It is important to remember that the function of visualization is secondary, seeking to inform, and it is when these two successfully overlap, that the clear feeling of enlightenment is felt.

 

Probability of death by Flowing Data

Journalism aims to provide objective data that is accurate, and the emphasis on finding solid reports, makes the storytelling and graphics good. The above is a simple line chart, which displays the increasing probability that you'll die within a year, given your age. It is free from fancy graphics or other kinds of chart junk: The data is presented in a clear & concise manner with choice design elements that make the story better. Labels are used inform, and important points are highlighted on the axes, providing context to help us see why this data is interesting. The use of line widths and color help make it easy for readers to understand the story readily. Finally, the story is properly based, with the data's provider listed at the bottom.

The seemingly impossible is possible - Hans Rosling

Ideally, each data set should already have a form best suited for them already, be it a info-graphic, a map, or a timeline. In addition, good narration can be used to provide a compelling story-telling experience and well designed interactive components aid people in their task of looking for data. In 2007, Hans Rosling, a professor of International Health and director of the Gapminder Foundation, gave a talk titled The seemingly impossible is possible. Early on in the show, he used a data plotting applications, the Trendalyzer, which turns complex global trends into lively animations. Financial data of countries appear as colorful bubbles, and dance to a timeline which advances, in relation with Rosling's enthusiastic voice and conviction lends a humanistic element to the data, which brightens as the data float across the grid – toward better national health and wealth. The same Trendalyzer is available on the Gapminder site, which is interactive, with filters for each country, allowing users to toggle the data for comparisons.

Having said this, data visualization can be viewed as a powerful storytelling aid which artists, journalists & programmers can make use of to highlight trends and changes. It's purpose could be to provide an objective report, to evoke emotions, or as a form of entertainment. Yet designers must be careful when shaping data into these aspects, leaving personal views outside of the visualizations. With that, well-designed visualizations have data which show naturally, letting it telling a story that will provoke thought & action for many.

20XX - when robots have ruled the world

In the US, algorithms are already reporting the news
 - 30 Mar 2010

This kind of automated aggregation however..

Algohohohoho

A world designed for, and increasingly controlled by algorithms? Most definately a scary notion, quite like a sci-fi dystopian novel. In the video, Kevin listed several examples: espionage tactics, stock prices, movie scripts and architecture, as areas which complex computer programs have been used to aggregate information and decide outcomes, automatically, without human moderation. Outcomes which any normal human being would find surprising/baffling. A kind of reverse-serendipity, if you will (more like "What the sh*t?").

Algorithms are shaping our world; Yes, but only if we allow them to. Kevin makes a point to highlight that the technological-world is pretty much active, and is capable of producing consequences that have advanced beyond our designs. The Flash Crash example which he cited, revolved around the trading of cyber intelligence on Wall St. and the the high-speed computation frequencies between blackbox algorithms, all operating without human interventions.


No shenanigans, k?

... Thankfully, our local web new aggregators are much dumber, and function OH SO MUCH differently from business intelligence; In contrast, they run at a snail pace, reason being that THEY ARE GENERALLY RELIANT on the inputs of many netizens and in-house regulators, PROVIDING DATA TO HUMANS (mostly).

Take Digg for example: News contributors posts links of news content from the web, and it's algorithm ranks them for display based on the amounts of user diggs/votes, with some degree of randomization. The latest and most highly voted links float up the list, and is seen by more visitors.This gives us a snap-shot of what the citizens of the internet are thinking about at the moment.

Other forms of online news aggregation: Delicious allows registered users to share and tag links, assigning subject matter which can be searched by others. Reddit's approach let users cut/paste extracts of articles, providing a quicker read. There is also the aggregator-of-aggregators, Popurls, which displays top stories of the above sites.

Personally! The best thing about social-algorithm-aggregation, as opposed to traditional mainstream syndications, is that it offers an alternative insight, of pop-culture, collected/shared by the internet... which sometimes prove serendipitous.

Track on successful surival check, DC10

Transparency & accountability through technology: Track the money gives US citizens a report on the $787 billion "Economic Recovery" stimulus spending program. It faces the challenge of bringing the huge amounts of data centrally, in order to answer questions such as "Where is the money is going?", "How is it being spent?" & "How many jobs it has created?" etc.

Still, even if all the data is out there, would people be able to make sense of it?

"I want you to say it with you, with meaning, brother!"

To help visualize all these, several tools are made available on the site. Example: this view for the global breakdown of funding utilizes simple bars and charts to convey the scale of distribution for each of the 3 funding categories, and their various programs, all in relation. No chart junk. Also, these views make use of interactive components, such as rollovers, which help layer the information, and reduce the initial complexity of each data set, like Tufte suggests.

Lights-On map, Edward Tufte

Speaking of Tufte, the Lights-on map, which was designed by him, gives viewers an overall sense of the project's coverage over time. It overlays fund recipient information with geographical data, and shows the distribution over a period from February 17, 2009 to December 31, 2010, by having nodes appear gradually on a map, with a graph on the side plotting the total amount spent over this time. Really neat.

.. and because of the open nature of this project, maps like the above can be created by any developer, an aspect which I find really interesting! The Recovery API is made open to public, and allows all these data to be queried by custom applications. This allows writers, programmers & artists to craft out stories and tools to help make further sense of all these data, in a journalistic format.

Check: http://www.propublica.org/tools for more stories and apps!

//TODO: Food in video games?

Sight, sound & scent: Old airport road

Soundscape and visuals, on location @ Old airport road

Here in a nostalgic place once again, on a Sunday when I should be sleeping in. The Goodman Arts Centre, and Singapore Biennale 2011 Open House: I seem to be coming around here a lot, recently, though never actually stopping to dine. Now I wonder.. when was the last time?

A short distance from Mounbatten MRT station, this wonderful place is home to many stalls & is famous for it's hokkien mee, char kway teow, satay, plus other kinds of local dishes. Hawker food, seems to be a part of Singaporean culture, and to her people, eating is often considered an enjoyable past time, so much so that they would travel far & wide to satiate their tastes.

Old airport road food center is just a hive of activity; While the crowd changes, the same noise and chatter remains. Everywhere, it is loud and full of life: smatterings of dialog and dialect. Elsewhere, at the neighbouring food centres, tables are empty, the atmosphere cold, even as the sun continues to beat.

The food culture of this sunny island is diverse. Unlike how.. say a, burger, can be associated with American cusine, or sushi, to the Japanese, it is difficult to have a dish which would represent the various ethnic groups of this land. But it is this diversity that allows the people here to create dishes which are cross-cultural, mixing styles and creating foods such as fish head curry, laksa and satay bee hoon.

I've been transformed into a tourist; Slinking around, camera in hand, I'm an observer, a stranger to this land. As I pass by these people, I snap photos. Yet, no one pays attention: their gazes stay focused, utensils an extension of their body.

It's at places like hawker centers that Singaporeans from different backgrounds can dissolve and enjoy food together. Food can be seen as an important factor to the unifying the identity of the nation.

Options: decisions. Anticipation: satisfaction. With only stomach for so much, maybe next time would be different.

Actual content! And Cartoons, people!

When talking about cartoons, one brings to mind the various colorful characters and situations that bring laughter to children everywhere. Entertainment is the purpose of such shows, and even cartoon violence can be be used to comedic effect. Yet, these exaggerated expressions and sounds remove their viewers from the reality and consequences of such actions.

Excerpts of work by Sheila M. Sofian.

Sheila M. Sofian creates stylized films using a mix of animation and narration, portraying social issues in a way similar to documentaries. She has up to date produced, directed and animated 6 independent works which have won international awards, and are distributed both educationally and in home video markets.

Ms.Sofian's graduate work @ Rhode Island School of Design was Mangia! (1985), a 2mins film with visuals created by photographing blurry paint-on-glass. It depicts swirly motions of landscapes & figures of her overseas exchange program to an Italian family, overlaid with dialog from each member, creating a sort of documentary to their daily lives.

Later she made Survivors (1997), featuring a similar graphic style, but tackles the much darker issue of domestic violence. The work journals the research and interviews she had with women & child victims, creating a visualization of their suffering through fluid paintings, real voice overs and music. It was extremely well received, winning several awards across many countries. Perhaps the highly expressive yet, subtly abstract visuals show, as well as allow viewers space to imagine the issue, in a manner more effective than real life interviews with DV victims (whom have their identities covered).

Thinking back to the Three Women video by Eric Maierson, despite having having different presentation styles, both contained a fake: fictional visuals - Survivors & scripted audio - Three Women. However, the meaning behind these 2 works are strong & undeniable when it is able to move & stop people, as well as change lives for the better.

I'm glad to have had the chance to attend the joint sharing session by Ms.Sofian and her husband, Mr.David B. Fain today, on a synopsis of the past 25 years of their respective careers in the animation industry. It was extremely nice of them to talk from their student projects (using archaic animation methods) to the differing types of work that these 2 wonderful people receive today, despite having graduated as animators/film makers from the same school!


Bio:
Sheila M.Sofian is an associate professor at the University of Southern California, where she teaches a popular Documentary Animation Producion course. She holds a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA from the California Institute of the Arts.

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