Repurposing & Evolution

As I find most of my general discussions happening on Google+, I'm planning on re-purposing this blog into an online writing portfolio.  The majority of my work here will be of a creative nature, meant to showcase my own particular style of writing as well as demonstrate my versatility.

That said, all creative works are to be considered wholly owned creations of myself unless otherwise noted.  There will be some work based on the creative work of others, primarily as a means to showcase the ability to work within another person's work or a licensed property.  At no time do those works imply a challenge to the holders of those rights, and credit will be listed for the work that is not my own.

Project Promotion - Using social networking without being annoying or evil

Alright... so, now that my finals are done for my first year leg of my degree, I want to share some thoughts that never were possible to discuss in classes. Simply put, it's the slowly growing trend of using the Internet to promote and even test various media projects. If you have not yet read about Slingers, Iron Sky, or Pixels then you should keep your eyes glued to the screen for just a bit longer.

When most people hear about "internet circulated videos", they usually think of the random little home videos put up on youtube or movie trailers put up for established "real" films coming to theaters soon. However, what if you promoted and got a production contract based on your following and hype before you started production or got your contracts?

While I'm sure there are more people out there doing this than I have here (and if you somehow come to read this post and know of others, please post that info in the comments), my first exposure to this is for the proposed sci-fi show Slingers.

This sizzle reel in the past might have been shown only to studio execs or network programmers in past eras of promotion. However, the folks at SleepyDog wanted to see how it tested with the real people that make shows live and die; the fandom. So they distributed the video through various social networks, blogs, news feeds, and webzines and sat back to see how far it would spread. Within a few weeks the company got an article in print magazines and were in talks with undisclosed parties for the show's future, and still are getting circulated by friends linking friends and chatting it up on "how cool it would all be". Seriously, it's numbers and feedback like that that most places spend tons on through focus groups (though it by no means is as reliable as the refined data you can get from a well run focus group).

Then there's the feature film project Iron Sky, an alternate history story about Nazis attacking from a hidden moon base.

Ironsky.net has taken their production process one step beyond just promoting their proposed film through the internet, but also using the internet to see what people might want in the movie. Now, this isn't some hobo soup method where the writers and producers will use everything, but instead they are looking into the insight of various armchair writers that might have extremely valid and creative ideas, thus allowing them to keep a steady flow of concepts that keeps their main staff from getting too married to concepts that might kill the film to viewers. Yes, there is a danger of getting piles of junk with those good ideas, but how often have we all gone to movies and said, "I could have improved so many parts of this if they had only asked"?

Finally you have the film short Pixels which came out onto the net not long ago.

While not an official project for promotion, this particular film gained such attention through networking and linksharing that Patrick Jean has been meeting with large media companies for possible future projects. Consider how this sort of short film would have to tour in expensive and/or obscure showings and contests in the past to get attention, while now we have a way to boost up those who we feel have talent just by talking about them in the right places.

The conclusion I came to, and what I hope others see, is this; web promotion does not have to be about stupid Facebook games or pages that require you to share with others for a "chance at a prize". These methods of internet promotion are in fact steeped in a mindset that you have to trick your audience into liking what you want to put out there. Instead, work to make something that people find compelling and interesting and trust them to do your work for you on a voluntary basis. In the sci-fi/fantasy genre this can be easy, because that target demographic is the one that is so highly intermeshed with the internet. But if other media start putting as much thought into gaining interest, then they might see a growth in quality projects coming from channels they never thought possible.

Advertising Class - Blog Marketing

With our studies in internet marketing and advertising techniques, we are asked to make a sample blog entry about a product. Professional bloggers are becoming an important part of the social network marketing concept, so here's my sample blog post for the urbanspoon.com service/site.

With all the top ten lists that Madison makes, it sometimes escapes many of us that Madison is the number one city for the amount of restaurants per capita. We have an international cuisine that many might find unexpected and might hold the best meal that many haven't tried yet. But how do you know what might be a culinary adventure, and what might just be a new dish to refuse due to a "bad experience"?

Consider trying Urbanspoon.com next time you have the question "Where can we go that's not the same old place?" While there are plenty of food review sites out there, Urbanspoon works to base it's ratings and opinions on people in your community and not just a select group of reviewers. Registration is easy and private, and not even required if all you wish to do is read what others think. Add in the ability to filter listings by food choices, special features (such as Free Wi-Fi or Late Night Dining), price ranges, and popularity, and you have an amazing tool to find that new favorite restaurant.

Future of "Clutter in the Attic"

At this point, I suppose I could just abandon this as yet another portion of cyberspace that I once inhabited. I've had a few other blogs in the past that were stopped for one reason or another, but I think that with this account I'm going to try something new.

I started this as a requirement for my Leadership course through Madison College (Formerly Madison Area Technical College), with the blog working as a record of thoughts and assignments for my professor. This class is one step towards me getting a new future with a two-year degree in Marketing (with possible continuation towards a 4 year degree at UW Madison). So, to keep my eyes on the prize, I'm turning "Clutter" into my blog on thoughts about modern marketing and my passion for small business action. What does that mean you can expect?

• Food reviews that I do for the social network site "Urbanspoon" (A site that I feel displays social marketing as a real positive force)
• Links to articles I find on Marketing Trends, and my personal thoughts on the matter
• Personal reflection on good and bad marketing
• Possible future class assignments (who knows, another professor might want a blog format again)

What not to expect:

• Random personal life stories
• Propagation of Internet Memes
• Venting of social woes
• Intense political debate

If you find this blog, or already have found it, then I hope you'll find what I have to say to be of value. I also will want to hear back from people that are open to discussions.

Thanks!

---Abe

Leadership Final extra - "Course Evaluation"

1) Indentify elements of the course which helped you learned or impacted you positively, e.g., team work, presentations, gradebook, interactions with other students and or teacher, course format, instructor’s teaching techniques/approach, blogs, assignments, readings, other, etc.

I felt that the overall class interaction worked very well in bringing a lot of the lessons to a more personal level, and it kept me from feeling I was just reading through one of a million self-help books. I also appreciated my instructor's efforts a great deal, and it was his efforts and his dedication to our class that kept me putting in extra effort as well.

2) Identify elements of the course that can be improved and/or eliminated, e.g., team work, presentations, gradebook, interactions with other students and or teacher, course format, instructor’s teaching techniques/approach, blogs, assignments, readings, other, etc.

I felt that the team aspect of the class did not have enough time to develop, especially as many of us were attempting to get a hold on the class dynamic as well in the start of the semester. In my opinion, I think the formation of teams would work better in the second half of the class, after students have gotten a hang of the work and who others in the class are.

3) Discuss your level of participation and effort in the class, e.g., fully engaged, somewhat engaged, not at all, did your best, etc.

I did what I could to stay fully engaged in the class and lessons, and feel that through the entire course that our instructor did what he could to keep us engaged and involved.

4) If you were the instructor, how would you have taught the class?

To be honest, I'm not sure. This is a topic I do not feel I have enough experience on to plan an entire course.

Leadership Final pt. 2 - "The Grade I Deserve"

I want an A.

I want an A because I feel that even where I might have fallen short at times, that I came back with other efforts that went beyond what might have been expected. I tried as hard as I could to push past my bubble of comfort and I was honest with both my teams and with the class as a whole.

I cannot say that I deserve an A based on the completion of every assignment, because I know there are some I missed or some that I did not get in on time. But I hope that I showed growth and results that are hallmarks of a student that came to learn and took lessons away that will make him a better leader.

I want an A not for the prestige of my GPA, or for my education grants. I want an A because I want to know that I deserved it based on what I learned and what I gave back.

Leadership Final pt. 1 - "My Life in the Rearview Mirror"

It's so difficult for me to think about what it would be like to have my life at an end right now. In many ways I'm restarting my life with my time here at MATC, or perhaps it's more accurate to say that I'm starting a new life. I do not feel that my life so far has been without accomplishments or some form of legacy, but I cling to the thought that I have so much more to give the world than I already have. So with that knowledge, I hope that any who decide to read this will understand that I reflect on hat I have been able to give and do, as well as regrets that very well may be changed in the future.

What I have Given

At the age of 29, I feel that my contributions are so small compared to others. There is a very valid school of thought that there is no such thing as a small accomplishment if it has enriched the life of another, but I wonder if others see what I give as enriching.

I first would say that one of my greatest accomplishments of the past has been how many have stopped to consider alternatives based on my words and thoughts. I know that I have caused personal growth in a number of people I've known based solely on how I have watched them play games, as strange as that may sound. But before you dismiss that, consider this; Games have been a part of human history since the first signs of civilization, designed as both entertainment and teaching tool. A truly good game requires all concentration and attention to be given to it, and ending with a hint as to how to play better next time. However, I've known many young people that used to shop or play against me that would not see a game as more than a situation to win or lose, and would give up on the games they would lose at. They did not see the game as experience, just an obstacle. But for a number of them, I showed that a game you always won never challenged you to see new things.

Chess was always my favorite, as it teaches patience, logic, and the ability to look at your opponent with respect. But there are games for teaching teamwork, self reliance, understanding resources, flexibility in planning, and even the ability to accept a loss of control. And at all times, it taught how important good rules are and how bad rules just caused failure. I saw many of these kids go on to thinking less about to get an easy win and more in how to appreciate a worthwhile victory. And if there is ever a life philosophy I think we should all live by, it's that.

Regrets

Even as of last night, I am still bothered with my own self doubts. I have issues that may never be overcome fully, and they often manifest as bitter grudges, irrational overpowering fears, and a loss of confidence. My regrets come that even with my self knowledge about these issues, I still fail to prevent them from slowing down where I could be in life. I know that some of these problems cannot just be overcome with willpower and strength of character, but I have to accept responsibility for what I can control before I look outwards at the other causes in my life.

How Others See Me

I am told many times how intelligent I am. It is a comment that always makes me feel better about how often I speak up, or offer advice. It is a comment, however, that I feel needs to come with personal humility. As smart as I am, I know there is so much I have to learn. And if there is anything I do that others may see as intelligent or smart, I hope it is my actions I take to learn more by speaking up and bringing my own views or thoughts to light. I don't do this because I want others to look at me or share my ideas, but rather I want others to talk with me and to feel that I'll listen to them as much as they might listen to me.