Nahil Sharkasi

Analysis of things I carry with me

for CTIN 532

• Appearance – 23 items of clothing, make up, accessories. 4 kinds of lipstick, gloss, balm, etc. 3 perfumes, 2 scented lotions. Might need to change or refresh appearance throughout the day. Indicates that society has standards and expectations for ornamentation and appearance.

• Just in case items – band-aids, shout wipes, pain killers, tampons, etc…. it’s necessary to carry things that there is only a slim likelihood that we’ll need or use. This indicates that there are certain minor dangers in our environment that might be harmful, and these items offer protection and remedy.

• Money – the wallet is full of club cards, items with little to no utility or purpose. They serve as a reminder of where to spend money. I also carry 5 different kinds of money (cash, credit, debit, etc..), as there are many opportunities to spend money, and each may accept only certain kinds of currency.

• Supplemental memory – laptop, iphone, USB drive, business cards, journal all store information that we might need to recall at any point in the day.

• Weather – glasses, sunglasses, cleaning kit, sweater. We need light protection from the elements. These items are more about comfort than about protection from danger, Although the sunglasses protect from harmful UVA/UVB rays.

• Sustenance – tea in travel mug, granola bar, gum. We are mobile creatures and carry food with us. There might not be places or opportunities to stop and eat.

• Variety – there are at least two of every kind of thing, signifying a glut of choices and things; also 2 kinds of id, 5+ kinds of money may signify a lack of security or confidence in our society. When we're asked to identify ourselves, we're often asked for 2 forms of id. We carry extras in anticipation that things might not work.

• Garbage – Almost every item, or daily transaction has a disposable element that generates waste – chewing gum, food wrappers, receipts, parking tickets, disposable containers, etc. There is an overwhelming amount of disposable waste in our daily lives. It’s only appropriate to dispose of these things in designated trash or recycling bins, which is not always convenient. Hence, this garbage ends up in my bag.

World Declaration for CTIN 532
"2010"

It seems that science and technology has advanced to a point beyond what our current social and moral frame work can deal with. We see the disintegration of the family, genetically and chemically corrupted materials surround us, and our destination-obsession with “the American Dream” leaves us perpetually unfulfilled.

The broad intention of this world is to envision existing technologies as the manifestation of a Sci-Fi dystopian future as described by Aldus Huxley, Marge Percy, Margaret Atwood, with particular emphasis on basic human needs and interactions – sex, love, family, motherhood. In other words, we’ve arrived at the future, now what? This interactive narrative will be a work of satire/social commentary meets Science Fiction/Fantasy in the vein of Johnathan Swift and the above mentioned authors.

The center of the “2010” world is the place many today view as the bonifide center of the world – Manhattan. This isolated island seems to function under it’s own rules that have developed by the nature of the people who live there. The “2010” Manhattan is a seat of wealth, power, and status. So many people have come to Manhattan to follow their dreams, that they’ve forced the cost of living to astronomical levels, forcing anyone earning below a six figure salary off the island. The result is a wealthy, but homogenous society, and increasing commercialization and privatization of public resources. The island is driven by money, greed, status.

Beyond the shores of the island of Manhattan lie a few other small islands, and the rest of the mainland USA. There is little regard for the inhabitants of these distant lands, referred pejoratively as Bridge and Tunnel people. The bridge and tunnel people still live by traditional rules, they have quaint manners, and subscribe to traditional familial and gender roles.

The island is oriented along three axis: North/South, East/West, and elevation. Where the North/South (Upper, Lower) and East/West were the primary axis delineating wealth and class in the 20th century, Elevation is the primary axis of status in 2010. The higher floor you live on, the better. You might over hear people saying things like “I don’t stop below floor 20 after dark.”

2010 will be a solitary experience designed to give viewers a space to reflect on and consider the underlying moral questions the 21st century world.

The Vertical Axis

As the global warming persists, and ice caps melt, and water levels rise around the world, scientists project the shape of our borders and coastlines will shift dramatically. A favorite anecdote I’ve heard is that water levels will rise in lower Manhattan, burying the site where the World Trade Center stood. I found this image of Manhattan underwater and was struck at how serene and alluring it was. I’ve decided to incorporate this idea into my world.

Water levels have risen, perhaps not as much as in the photo, but enough to make descending from the high rises to sea level prohibitive, or at least a major hassle. Interestingly enough the water hasn’t made Manhattan any less desirable, in fact people are excited about having more water-front property, and less traffic noise. The mayor has launched a world wide media campaign painting the city as Venice for the 21st century, the center of art, business and science. Tourism campaigns pit the new Manhattan against the world, palm, and script islands of the Arabian Gulf, not failing to mention that the ‘new islands of Manhattan’ were created naturally, unlike those garish islands in the Emirates (The city locked in a heated rivalry with Dubai).

As the city is now surrounded by even more water, ‘outsiders’ have to use bridges or boats to get in. The cost of crossing is pretty high, and set specifically to prohibit those who can’t afford it from entering.

Now that the streets have turned to canals, people tend to stay in their buildings. “Work” is a state of mind in the new Manhattan, it is ubiquitous, not a place that needs to be traveled to. Everyone telecommutes, and therefore is pretty much working all the time. High Rises have become increasingly mixed purposed (business, residential, entertainment) to accommodate. This is reflected in present day architecture and city planning – from mixed use complexes like “The Americana at Brand” and McMansions with home offices, home gyms, bowling alleys, movie theaters, etc....

The higher up, the more prestigious, the more expensive. Rooftops are social spaces, the top floors are residential, the middle floors are commercial, and the lower floors are utility, storage, and housing for service workers.

Because of the new vertical orientation of society, elevators have been reprogrammed to jet straight to the top floors first, then drop everyone else off on the way down. This way the top floor-dwellers who pay the highest rent have the shortest commute, and people who live on the lower floors will be prohibited from taking the elevator because of the long wait.

**ps Movable Type isn't letting me upload another file. I'll post the map in the morning.

CTIN 532

First, Assignment #5 --

1) Experience Goals:
To have viewers face the pressing moral and ethical questions of our age. Viewers will explore emotionally provocative situations and environments, where they can project themselves into the ‘decision makers’s’ position.

An ensemble narrative will be embedded in the 'world' environment. The relationships between the various inhabitants of one high rise building will express and enact the moral dilemmas we’re dealing with.

Viewers will assume a “fly on the wall” voyeuristic position, with the ability to witness scenes between characters happening in the environment, as well as explore the environment itself and discover more about the world and the characters.

2) Atlas/Table of Contents

The Atlas to this world will be in the mode of a website for a tabloid newspaper (a la New York Post) with articles, art, and advertisements. Sections as follows:

I. Persistent news ticker
II. NEWS, Local
a. Crime
b. Renewable Energy
c. Biometric ids
d. Terrorism & Security
e. Rich get Richer
III. NEWS, foreign
a. Includes the rest of the country + other
b. President Sarah Palin
c. Hurricanes, tornados, floods, and fires
d. Poor Get Poorer
IV. BUSINESS
a. Privatization of necessary public infrastructure (hospitals, schools, roads, parks, etc…)
b. Government intervention of Big Business
V. HEALTH
a. Technologies that cause cancer & other problems
b. Fertility rates
c. GM Food
VI. LIFESTYLE
a. Pets: the new babies
b. Local: the new import
c. Single: the new married
VII. OPINION
a. Blogs from residents of the building
VIII. SPORTS
a. Cheetah Legs
b. Doping
c. Selective genetics for athletes
IX. CLASSIFIED
a. Seeking donor sperm/eggs
b. Seeking partners
X. ENTERTAINMENT
a. Sex, sex, sex
b. Gladiator’s Arena: Dr. Phil, Springer, Montel, etc…
c. Violence, snuff
XI. ADVERTISING
a. Pharmaceuticals – Antidepressants, Viagra
b. Sex Commerce
c. New New York re-branding campaign puts a positive spin on Climate change and

Assets to produce:
Map of the island/islands
Elevation scheme
3D Model highlighting set pieces where principle character interaction will take place
Characters (settings and moral conflicts for each)
Content for the news site/atlas

3) Other Observations --

Speaking of maps, I love this image of "How Americans See The World"

It might seem trite, but check out this TED video of Alisa Miller visually illustrating how much information Americans get about the rest of the world through the news media. Disappointing but informative...

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/alisa_miller_shares_the_news_about_the_news.html

The overall plan is to have a "News" style website with 5 section pages. On each there will be articles or advertising that link appropriately to other areas that model specific 'set pieces' of the world.

For example, on the main News page there will be an advertisement for the re-branding of the city and the development of new water-front property into self-sufficient, mixed use, residential/comercial spaces. The link from the banner add on the website will take you to either a 3D model or 'virtual tour' of the building and the model home.

Also, an "About Us" page will contain any addition documentation or research.

The Schedule:

Website containing the following pages, each with articles, news ticker, advertising and polls
• News
• Health
• Money
• Lifestyle
• Classified

Models of
• The Building
• Model Unit/The Penthouse
• The Clinic
• The Dock

Oct 5 – All research complete, all articles found and All written content complete
• Fictionalized articles
• Characters
• Scripted interactions
• Descriptions of key set pieces
Oct 12 – Draft structure and layout of website Complete
Oct19 – Drafts of set pieces complete
• Draft 3D model of or “virtual tour” of building
• 2D Floorplan of key set pieces

Oct 26 – ATLAS DRAFT DUE

I really like the visual style of the recent redesign of Interview Magazine, so I would like to emulate that in the website/Atlas. I particularly like the use of black&white photos washed with these vivid swaths of color. Also the serif font gives it both a classical and modern feel. See Images, fonts and color palette below: