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Post by Beth on Mar 25, 2013 2:36:54 GMT -5
I realised there were some interesting questions in the Team Cat Q&A I thought might be good to ask you too. I'm pinching these from various people.
How important is this multimedia/multisocial approach to Cat?
How do you deal with Cat existing in 1990s, but having a presence in 2013?
I'd love to see you writing about the process of creating MSCSI. And I guess that ties in to a question I asked Lucy the other week: How have you found working on MSCSI as an academic? Has it given you ideas for how fan studies might adapt and change to the convergence of fans and academics?
What do you see as the biggest challenges in keeping up with social media technology and trends? What are the biggest advantages of it?
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Post by Will on Mar 25, 2013 5:29:43 GMT -5
Thanks, Will. I find the process you describe really fascinating. One of the most obvious things to say about adaptations is how easily images in the mind are replaced by “concrete, drawn” images. I never considered how the same might be true for an author. I find it interesting how common it is for us to say that ‘reality’ replaces what’s in the mind though. When we usually aren't referring to 'reality' are we? (but that's an even bigger question!). It’s a terrible thing about the underwear – perhaps there could be an interactive element in the webcomic that allowed a click of the mouse to reveal it. Done in a tasteful way, obviously. Agreed, I hadn't thought previously about how the author is in the same position as a reader here -- when you read a novel and then see it adapted, your mental image is often replaced by the film version. But I've never seen an author saying that their own internal sense of characters and space is replaced by the visual adaptation. I remember some examples to the contrary, where authors state that a certain actor doesn't match their own interpretation of the character. Perhaps as this isn't a novel, but a script, which is written explicitly for Sarah and Suze to draw, I don't feel so precious or possessive about it. To me, the script is only one-third of the finished product. Funnily enough, I received Sarah's colours today and she has made the boxers magic light-up ones! So there's an example of colourist shaping the final image. We are discussing whether to switch the effect back to his t-shirt. |
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Post by Will on Mar 25, 2013 5:32:54 GMT -5
I realised there were some interesting questions in the Team Cat Q&A I thought might be good to ask you too. I'm pinching these from various people. How important is this multimedia/multisocial approach to Cat? How do you deal with Cat existing in 1990s, but having a presence in 2013? I had always wanted a twitter aspect to MSCSI, because I'm interested in cross-platform, interactive fictions and would like people to feel more involved with and engaged in Cat's world. I also wanted, and I hope we can include in future, more fictional websites along the lines of Urbanite's STAYING HARD. The social media aspect has really helped in building a fanbase and reaching out to people who can feature and promote us. We're still discussing the best ways to provide for and support fan activities, and we will be unveiling a new mind-map on the Community page in future, which includes the message boards and twitter on a broader canvas along with comic recommendations, further readings, music, art and multiple cross-references to the culture that influenced Cat and MSCSI. |
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Post by Will on Mar 25, 2013 5:38:03 GMT -5
I'd love to see you writing about the process of creating MSCSI. And I guess that ties in to a question I asked Lucy the other week: How have you found working on MSCSI as an academic? Has it given you ideas for how fan studies might adapt and change to the convergence of fans and academics? What do you see as the biggest challenges in keeping up with social media technology and trends? What are the biggest advantages of it? I don't really see Cat as having a presence in 2013. The Cat on social media is more like Brand MSCSI, to me -- the voice of the project -- rather than Catherine Abigail Daniels, the person. I can't really say how academia will change and adapt to the convergence between fan and scholar, practitioner and researcher. I think fan studies does already incorporate these different approaches pretty well, and that journals like Transformative Works and Cultures are admirably fluid and embracing in their inclusion of fannish material alongside more traditionally scholarly work. I am considering writing some kind of article or book about the process of MSCSI, and the shift from academic criticism to practice, and the relationship between the two, so we will see if that idea is well-received. I have the sense that it would still seem quite an unusual topic for an academic book, and that publishers would need quite a lot of persuasion. As for keeping up with social media, I am at a depressing point now where I'm finding that not only am I guessing how to use Google Drive, Dropbox etc, but I'm tending to leave it to younger people than myself to do the work for me -- kind of like the way my dad approached technology in the 1980s. So, having been quite computer-tech whizzy since I was about 8, I'm now finding myself turning into a grumpy old man about it. |
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andie
Cat People
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Post by andie on Mar 25, 2013 8:41:51 GMT -5
Agreed, I hadn't thought previously about how the author is in the same position as a reader here -- when you read a novel and then see it adapted, your mental image is often replaced by the film version. But I've never seen an author saying that their own internal sense of characters and space is replaced by the visual adaptation. I remember some examples to the contrary, where authors state that a certain actor doesn't match their own interpretation of the character. Perhaps as this isn't a novel, but a script, which is written explicitly for Sarah and Suze to draw, I don't feel so precious or possessive about it. To me, the script is only one-third of the finished product. Funnily enough, I received Sarah's colours today and she has made the boxers magic light-up ones! So there's an example of colourist shaping the final image. We are discussing whether to switch the effect back to his t-shirt. Yes I suppose it’s a bit of a tangled web of collaborative versus solo production techniques, mixed up with considerations for different formats and a generous dose of all sorts of other things. I wonder if there is heightened sense of contest between imagination and ‘reality’ for the author than there is for the audience? Or a different type of contest? And then there’s the added complication of multiple authors as you describe. Thanks for your thoughts, it’s given me lots to think more about. I’m slowly building up the courage/justification to approach George R R Martin about an interview for my research. I can’t decide if it’s just because I want an excuse to contact him, or because I’ve got something intelligent to ask. I can’t decide which topic has me gripped more, boxers or adaptation? You’ll have to make sure to keep us informed, or would that be a spoiler? |
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Post by Will on Mar 25, 2013 9:19:24 GMT -5
The boxers/t-shirt question has been resolved and will be revealed on MSCSISunday!
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