VideoString

So this is it - I've bought domain space at www.videostring.net, and am moving on over there. Check it out, you can read all sorts of stuff about the project and other similar projects there as well as see the latest and greatest version of the project. yes - even better than the one hosted here. dont forget to send me videos!
Thanks for your support!
Serra

User Input Survey #2: Click Here

New version, once again. New features include replaying new random versions of your movie and sending movies you have created to a friend or saving them for your own repeated viewing at a later date. Please send your movies to people and spread the excitement.

As you know, I need more video clips to make this thing good! Because what's the point of the project if its only my perspective? To help, click on the "contribute" link in the top right menu and follow the instructions to add your videos (and your perspective on our language) to this project! Thanks again for your support and your feedback! Keep it coming!

-serra

This is a list of all the words that are to be included in videostring. The list came from the "original magnetic poetry" box set. If you are interested in taking part in this project before I actually present it to my thesis comittee, and helping me illustrate the different ways in which people see and use language, please consider submitting your videos clips! To do so, simply post them online at the internet archive, ourmedia, blip.tv, your own server, or whatever free and copyright-free service you know of. Send the link to videostring at lanugo dot org. Its getting towards crunch time, and I want each word to have as many alternate videos as possible!

& a about above ache after all always am an and apparatus are arm as ask at away bare be beat beauty bed behind beneath bitter black blood blow blue boil boy breast but butt by can car chain chant chocolate club cook cool could crush cry d day death delicate delirious diamond did do dream dress drive drool drunk

easy eat ed egg elaborate enormous er es essential est eternity fall fast feet felt fiddle finger flood fluff for forest frantic friend from from ful garden get gift girl go goddess gone gorgeous gown hair has have have he head heave her here him his hit honey hot how I if in incubate ing ing iron is it juice knife

lake language languid lather lazy leave leg less let lick lie life light like live love luscious lust ly mad man manipulate may me mean meat men milk mist moan moment moon most mother music must my near need ness never next no none not of on one only or our ous out over pant part peach petal picture pink place play please

pole pound power produce puppy purple put r rain raw read recall red repulsive rip road rob rock rose run rust s sad sag said sausage say say scream sea see shadow shake she shine ship shot show sing sit size skin sky sleep smear smell smooth so soar some some sordid spray spring stare still stop storm summer sun sweat sweet swim symphony

take tell the their them then there these they think this those though thousand through time tiny to together tongue top trip trudge true TV two ugly under up urge use use vision void want want was watch water wax we weak were wet what when whisper white who why will wind winter with woman worship would y yet you your

Version 2 is now available for your enjoyment!

Whether or not you filled out the survey for Version 1 please feel free to fill out a survey for this version of the project. We fixed most of the bugs, and added the features that were most popularly requested, from the Version 1 survey, including a Clear button, and a feature that moves the word tiles off the video while it plays. The only thing I know is wrong is that sometimes the second or third video flashes on before the first video plays, and the first video still plays roughly. But we're working on that as we speak. Just gotta figure out how to tell the amount of bytes that have been downloaded so far (if anyone has a hint please feel free to let me know!) In the meantime - how about that lack of black flashes between clips??? Thanks so much for your support and your feedback! Keep it coming!
-serra


User Input Survey #2: Click Here

Please take some time to fill out my survey and help me develop this project into the fun and interesting program that it should be! I REALLY need your input! Even if you think you "dont know anything about it" or "are not a media maker" or any other excuse - you're the ones that I want to enjoy it so let me know what you think! It will only take a few minutes of your time and you'll feel good knowing you helped a worthy cause ;-)

Click for Survey

Here it is, the very rough version of my thesis project. I advise that you turn down your sound before playing, because currently all the videos play with a static soundtrack. Yes, there are bugs. Let me know what you think. I will have a more official set of questions soon so you can help me make the interface as good as it can be. Thanks everyone!

Mass communication is evolving and expanding as new technologies and/or techniques become readily available. As video production becomes widely accessible, it is important to consider the possible changes that will allow us to make the most out of this new form of mass communication. This project will demonstrate, in a very literal way, some of the differences between written language and video by attempting to create video messages using written syntactical structure.

Superficially, this will be a tool that allows you to create a unique, short video message. On a deeper level, it will assist users in examining the implications of a shift to multisensory video communication. I propose to develop a limited “vocabulary" built out of a bank of short videos. Users will then effectively be able to write syntactical messages using video clips.

The Flash application will display a blank screen surrounded by a couple hundred small tiles with words on them. The tiles can be dragged and dropped onto the screen in an order determined by the user. Through this familiar interface, the user will feel comfortable creating a statement, or message, using a limited vocabulary.

Once they have constructed a satisfactory message, the user will have the option to play back their message. This will draw up the video clips associated with each English word and play them back in the order predetermined by the user. What results will often be somewhat absurd, and often incomprehensible. But the process will illustrate the fact that video can be used in ways that have remained largely unexplored at this point in our evolution.

Video communication typically manifests in one of a few traditional ways. It is common for a narrator to relate a story, either on screen as in a newscast or off-camera as in a nature documentary. It is also familiar for actors to step in, portraying scenes in a linear fashion. I’m interested in exploring how, in the hands of the public, video expression may break away from this model into something entirely unique. I am not proposing that video will literally be transformed into a multi-sensory syntactical vocabulary in the future, but I hope to illustrate the possibility of unexpected evolution in a poignant and entertaining fashion.

I believe that by illustrating how confusing and clunky it can be to approach new mediums through an old structure, I will force people to consider the difference between new and old methods for expression more dynamically than if I were to simply create some informative videos in a traditional fashion.