Final Presentation-Berlin Project

SLIDE 1--Premise

• Background/Introduction: How comics mean, what components comics share, comic theory thus far, points of contention amongst theorists, etc.
• Hypothesis: Comics, as a medium, has formal qualities that differentiate its representational methods from any of its nearest relatives in the arts: literature, film, drawing, et al.
• Materials: original text: Berlin, Prologue, by Jason Lutes; supplementary texts on media studies and comics theory; digital tools

SLIDE 2--Experiment

• Experiment: Objectively model medium-specific formal qualities:
  • Textualization--Because comics are "books," and often grouped in as a subgenre within literature, we will attempt to create a text-only version of the prologue of Berlin by Jason Lutes
  • Visualization--Because comics, by definition require some use of imagery or iconography, we will attempt to create two visual representations, one that statically presents each panel separately, and one that draws upon the sequential nature of comics to envision an animated filmic adaptation
  • Denaturing--Because comics rely on juxtaposed images to create narrative or aesthetic effects, we will try re-juxtaposing panels to create a different sequence

SLIDE 3--Textualization

• Utilizing very basic textual models, we attempt to objectively model a text-only version from only the words written in the prologue
• Due to the description-less, dialogue-based text of this section, our second model is very much like a script, with minimal panel description and dialogue attributed to the speakers
• We will not try to create a full-text version with lusher descriptions of the images due to limitations in the approach
• For every image, there are infinite beginings of a description, rendering most attempts utterly subjective
  • evidence: 5 single-panel full-texts
• Experimental limitations, errors, practical considerations
• Textual interpretation

SLIDE 4--Visualization

• Panel by panel
• Film strip: single strand of de-gridded panels
• Film: (w/and w/out audio track?)
• Experimental limitations, errors, practical considerations
• Visual interpretations

SLIDE 5--Findings~Unique Aspects of Medium

• Word balloon
• Gutter
• Temporal map: page~film
• Sequence + Network

SLIDE 6--Conclusion~Presentation of the work itself with our interpretation

• Inverse experimentation to coroborate our hypothesis: we first restructured the work outside of its form and made interpretations, so that once we examined the work we could reasses its formal qualities
• Interpretation of work

SLIDE 7--Extensions: Future Modes of Interpretation

• Project could be extended to create new methods and vocabulary for the study
• Future use of digital tools and their elaboration