Final Project Pitch (Ali Ismail)

Ali Ismail
Convergence
10-21-15

       If there's one thing the advancements of technology such as television, radio, Internet, and the birth of social media has proven about our society is that we all desire a voice that can be heard by an audience larger than we expect. This especially hits close to a lot of us in this class because many of us are Video Production or Journalism majors who all seek to specialize their voice through their content to stand out amongst the crowd. If you look back at moments in history such as the Civil Rights Movements which spiked in recognition in the 1950s and 1960s, people had their voices heard by forming their collective opinion and voice all into one sound voice that represented a large group of people.

Although the picture here is about many voices
coming together for climate change, it is a visual representation
of many people coming together to voice one idea.
Picture taken from this website

While these were definitely effective, being a single cog in a large machine prevents your own ideas on the same subject from sprouting out. Even in politics people who share similar interests that they want to convey to the government through their Lobbyists are called Interest Groups. Moments of a singularly voice in history before the age of social media are generally reserved for the highest of historical names such as Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr. However now with the power of the Internet, anyone can say anything about any subject to a large group of people and be met with agreement, the more common disagreement, or eloquent "kill yourself" responses.
       The subject of my video is going to be on the social level of discord of how Internet anonymity affects our behavior drastically in a conversation or debate compared to in person. The idea of getting away with what you would normally not be able to get away with is very tempting, and if an opportunity arises where a person can get away with it they may take that opportunity. This leads to both the minor cases such as Internet Trolls, and the bigger cases like Cyberbullying which can cause people to commit suicide. However to say Internet anonymity is used only by people who want to hide behind a computer screen to get away with saying a couple nasty things would be wrong and biased. I want to keep a neutral viewpoint on Internet anonymity because being biased on one side won't engage the audience and leave them with a lasting impression. My goal is to give this information in new different light that sticks with the audience because it leaves them with a lasting thought, and has just enough humor to keep the average non-intense movie/film goer engaged.
       Currently as far as research is concerned I am researching a large chunk to be able to speak neutrally on both sides, although information regarding Internet anonymity being harmful is more abundant to find. I am researching the psychological aspect of the mind that is involved with doing an act and not being associated with said act such as how identity is an important part of how we look at ourselves. I'm also looking into cases such as Cyberbullying because a counter argument I plan to have a character in the film bring up is "Why take words on the Internet seriously? Just walk away from your computer screen". Cyberbullying is a great piece of evidence that shows how far harassment on all cylinders from words and rumors can lead to somebody ending their life. Many articles I've found shows Cyberbullying can have equal or usually greater impact on a person that more often that traditional bullying leads to suicide. I also am doing research on Gamergate as before I did not know much about the Gamergate incident, but as I look more into it, it can be a great point of reference for knowledge to make sure what I portray in the film is accurate.
       Regarding production of the film I am currently brainstorming and going through first cuts of the screenplay of my film, as well as gathering both friends and potentially fellow students as actors for my piece. I am in the Pre-Production phase as it is called and once it is all settled, I will begin Production of the film sometime during early November, while having Post Production in Editing happen in the 2nd half of November to ensure there is enough time for reshoots if necessary and to have a solid concise piece.
       I want to make a Narrative piece that is informative through the fictional world I will create, but will use slight moments of humor in its delivery to engage audiences and stick out. My view of the world is that if there is understanding of the subject, it can lead to the odds of a brighter more peaceful future. When there is misunderstanding of a subject small or big it leads to fear, and as Yoda has said that fear will lead to anger, which will lead to hate, and eventually suffering. I am making the piece a Narrative one in order to have characters that drive the story. The premise is the piece takes place in a fictional world where Internet arguments are taken place in what is called "The Social Fight Pit" where two people duke it out with the speed of their fingers with their typed messages, and then revealed face to face to each other, which through visuals alone and no expository messages will show that attitude changes once a face is put with a message. Two or three characters acting as spectators will drive the narrative as one finds the act of the "Social Fight Pit" repulsive, while the other enjoys watching the chaos unfold. This will be done so that it's not "Good vs Evil", but rather one viewpoint versus a neutral viewpoint that will serve to be a Devil's Advocate.
       I always strife to be different in some way to my piers when it comes to videos whether it be in their editing style, or how the message is delivered. While this can be done differently as say a Documentary or just a straight up Informative piece, doing it as an Narrative piece with bits of humor will not only engage the average viewer, but entertain those wanting to seek more in film with the information and delivery. The research is vital because if a viewpoint is misrepresented or delivered poorly, it can ruin the integrity of the piece. I always believe it is important to understand both sides of an argument, and doing so with a topic that has very one sided arguments will highlight the importance of understanding both sides. I wish not to tell the audience how to think, but rather give them enough information on both sides of the argument so that they are more informed and can see things in a different light than what they normally did before. What I wish to create is a video that will be a vessel of the idea so that I may have my voice heard that will hopefully stand out on a familiar topic many will know.



UPDATE 11-1-15
So regarding new information I have I've pulled some strong examples of social discord from Tumblr that will either be points I focus on, or inspiration in other ways. Here are a few of those links. I'm not copying these word for word of course but they can serve as inspiration or a basis for a part of the film.

Link 1
Link 2. Some really strong back and forth here
Link 3
EDIT: Found the said pictures the artist was criticized for.
A current example I can now talk about is the recent drama going on in the fandom for the children's show "Steven Universe", which is a show that tackles many controversial topics most children shows don't. To sum up the controversy, an artist was attacked on large fronts from multiple people because she did not draw a character the "proper" way, whether it was too thin or not black enough. This resulted in her attempting suicide, being taken to the hospital, and is now being bagged on for being an "attention whore". These may be tackling bigger subjects, but it's definitely falls under my topic of Internet anonymity.

Regarding my film I have the foundation of it solid and can give a brief plot summary. In a fictional world, arguments over the Internet take place in a stadium/arena location called "The Social Fight Pit" [The name of the piece] where two people duke out their flame wars in over the top dramatic fashion verbally like a gladiator fight, accompanied by 2 commentators that narrate the battle as it goes. At the sidelines/spectator area are our main characters that will be the vessel that drive the narrative forward. It will be a protagonist named Empa, an anagram for empathy, and his/her friend that serves to have the opposite viewpoint named Apa, an anagram for apathy. There may be a potential third character that will help ease tension when it rises too high named Sympa, an anagram for Sympathy. Throughout the film Empa and Apa will go back and forth on why one believes flamewars and anonymous attacks are vulger and evil while the other states its a necessity, along with action from the battle going on and examples played through short skits to help drive a message. There will be other characters that represent actual tropes that will interrupt a battle such as the "Flame Baiter" whose sole purpose is to say something for the sake of a response. The ending is a work in progress regarding what action leads into it, but I want the film to end with Empa stating what is important is to simply "think before you act", and establish the positives of both arguments in order to reach a better understanding in the hopes that this understanding could stop one pointless argument on the Internet and lead to acceptance or friendship.

My hurdles right now in Production is finding time to write the script as well as finding a location. I desperately need to find a good location for this to take place and I'm having a hard time to think of one. If you know any PLEASE let me know by commenting on this post.
I may also need actors for certain roles. You don't need to be a professional; I'm just looking for someone whose interested in this idea and is willing to be invested in the character they play to give the best performance possible.

If you're interested shoot me an email at aai27@scarletmail.rutgers.edu or leave a comment or speak to me in person if the opportunity arises.

UPDATE 11-12-15
Here is my resource list and bibliography

-Resource List

These are to name informal resources that I will be utilizing, but cannot properly cite formally as they are just dilemmas and conversations across the ocean that is the Internet.

1.     Tumblr. Many times tumblr has moments of social discord, bullying amongst fandom’s, and anonymity being played with, so topics like this will draw great inspiration to the scenarios and messages I wish to convey. These links were posted in my updated Pitch on November 1^st, 2015
http://catti21234.tumblr.com/post/132129488206/midopyon-i-might-get-a-ton-of-hate-out-of-this

http://catti21234.tumblr.com/post/132239090171/codykins-blogs-stuff-afterpartyhq
http://catti21234.tumblr.com/post/132296652066/safesketchys-collectivecreaux-some-points-to

2.     Any kind of Youtube comment and Twitter back and forth. We’ve all seen these at some point in our life, and it’s from this is where I got the idea to base my short film on in the first place. Observing how actual people act in the comment space with their “second identity” is where my research will stem from dissecting.

                                                                 Works Cited

Adams, Rebecca. "Trolls Threaten Women Across The Internet. Here's Why It's So Hard To Stop Them." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.

Ahmado, Nisan. "With Awareness and Education, Online Anonymity Does More Good than Harm." With Awareness and Education, Online Anonymity Does More Good than Harm. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.

Bannink, Rienke, Suzanne Broeren, Petra M. Van De Looij – Jansen, Frouwkje G. De Waart, and Hein Raat. "Cyber and Traditional Bullying Victimization as a Risk Factor for Mental Health Problems and Suicidal Ideation in Adolescents." PLoS ONE. Public Library of Science, n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.

Blaszczak, By Agata. "Sadist Behind the Screen: The 'Internet Troll' Personality." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 03 Oct. 2014. Web. 1 Nov. 2015.

"Cyberbullying 'causes Suicidal Thoughts in Kids More than Traditional Bullying'" Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, 11 Mar. 2014. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.

"Dark Side of the Internet." Dark Side of the Internet. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2015.

Fox, Jesse, PHD. "Why the Online Trolls Troll." Psychology Today. Psychology Today, 12 Aug. 2014. Web. 1 Nov. 2015.

Johnson, Lucas L. "Students Urged to 'make Their Voices Heard' for Civil Rights." The Big Story. N.p., 17 Sept. 2015. Web. 19 Oct. 2015.

Messieh, Nancy. "Online Anonymity: A Gateway to Freedom or Abuse? - TNW Middle East." TNW Network All Stories RSS. N.p., 14 Aug. 2011. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.

NEWCOMB, ALYSSA. "Teen Charged in Fatal Cyberbullying Case of Rebecca Sedwick to Remain in Jail." ABC News. ABC News Network, 15 Oct. 2013. Web. 17 Oct. 2015.

"The Top 6 Unforgettable Cyberbullying Cases|NoBullying|." NoBullyingBullying CyberBullying Resources. N.p., 23 Apr. 2013. Web. 17 Oct. 2015.

Trulioo. "How Anonymity Affects Cyberbullying." Trulioo Global Identity Verification. N.p., 25 Oct. 2013. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.

Turkle, Sherry. "Connected, but Alone?" Sherry Turkle:. Ted Talks, Feb. 2012. Web. 3 Nov. 2015.