Here’s the slide to my thesis defense: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1v8TV3-kxv545FNoY194ty0ZJdzO_kly1/view?usp=sharing
My thesis draft: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G0XIKOK5yXSJUpuVXuZ6mbwxEyEn3E-8/view?usp=sharing
And the latest trailer:
Recently, I have been building up my own avatar and my initial space on Zepeto, which is a Korean social media app that lets users create 3D characters of themselves.
Screenshot from Jude’s avatar created by Zepeto
Jude in virtual home
Jude takes selfie in the tunnel that connects to other storyteller’s planet.
Jude jumps into the rabbit hole.
Jude’s story hub
Screenshot of Zepeto’s 3D editing software
I’m also collaborating with artist friend to create a set of poker card that helps creators to choose the best medium for their stories. Here’s a mockup:
Mockup of the Know Your Medium poker card
Feedbacks
Some feedbacks I received from advisors are:
Showcase the actual talk show episodes
Hear from the interviewees
For paper: add analysis of how to use future medium, how future medium shape the talk show, history of chatbot and virtual spaces, be critical about avatars
Iteration of the project
Make the project more vivid
More thinking about what’s next?
Brainstorm with Dan
How is this specifically a VR talk show, vs a VR documentary, a VR short film, or something else?
The production for this started by understanding this medium - that led to what kinds of conversations should be conducted in these environments. When I get into these worlds, I’m not documenting my journey, I’m documenting the journey that me and my interviewee are creating in this virtual world.
The conversation matters - the conversation is the medium of the story, not really the virtual spaces.
How are you showing the conversation as a medium of the story through the trailer / actual film?
For the next update, I will include more voices from the interviewee. I thought it was good to change the PUBG into a monologue, but it cut off the voice from Hailey. I will add more conversation from animal crossing. I will also make more analysis on why this conversation at that specific moment.
The episode is not a summary of their story, but a story being told at that location for a reason. The reason is: to fight against these intense pressure from a society that she doesn’t belong to, she learned ways of coping to this situation related to how this game works.
What are the stories being told at PUBG / Animal Crossing / Replika, and most importantly, what are their reasons?
PUBG is a military shooting game. For each session, you and 99 other people are being dropped onto this lonely island and you are supposed to gather all the survival resources you have - weapons, medical supplies, etc. Sometimes you are competing with your friends, or you are on the same team. You don’t know where the enemies are coming from. This is really related to Haileys’ personal story - she also got on a plane, landed on nowhere on a strange island. She might have some friends to help her out, but all she needs is to find the survival resources as soon as possible and trying to figure out the situation and fight back.
Story: It’s a journey of an immigrant girl who was left in a country all by herself. In her past, she has been fighting against loneliness, being an alien living on the edges. You have this goal, you have a weapon, sometimes you are trapped by the enemies around you but you still have the weapon to figure your way out and maybe become the winner of the game.
How could you show this in the trailer/episode? How could you tweak what you have to show the connection between Hailey’s story being told in PUBG and the game itself?
In the episode: when Hailey was in a similar situation, the footage shows us trapped and on a rooftop and being bullied; we got hit, and there’s nowhere to hide, and we don’t have weapons, and we died during that game. When we were re-spawned, we got more familiar with the situation. We got on a car, got into an inner circle, tried to survive and hit the people who hit us. That was when Hailey was saying: during all these years, she has been learning how to cope with this situation. She was lonely but she was not alone. She can deal with similar challenges by herself now - that’s how she can survive the quarantine. She can stay social with this game, and stay mentally healthy even though she was trapped in the city again.
If this isn’t clear to people who weren’t playing with you, how could you make it clear for viewers?
I will make less cuts and will make actual footage from the game.
Maybe make cuts on the podcast.
Collage of Hailey’s real life footage with the game - on the left you see the game, on the right you see childhood photos?
Break in the game so that people can read
What you’re seeing is not a regular recording but a metaphor of someone’s personal life journey - “this is a battle in the game but this is also a personal struggle”
What are the ways of coping to this situation she learned that is related to how this game works?
Jude, “Why do you like this game so much?”
“To play this game is not about winning the game, it’s about hanging out with friends - because the game has the function of talking with your teammates, she says it’s always nice to hang out with your friends, and winning is a bonus.”
The way she learned how to cope is to not fear being attacked by enemies. That’s what the game is about: you're supposed to be hit and fight back. you're’ also not alone and have friends watching out for your back, and you can fight back together.