creative journal by ewan nivall

initial thoughts

ewan_nivall — 2020-03-07 22:59:02 UTC

I genuinely did not have a single clue what this course would entail when I enrolled in the Media Arts program; I was not necessarily nervous but I wasn't confident either. "tentative" may be an apt word for how I felt before the first lecture. following the first lecture, however, I was intrigued, eager, even, to undergo the course and its assignments. I'm also always slightly cautious when meeting new people but meeting those I did throughout the week eased those anxieties significantly.

as a writer, I have some experience in brainstorming and journalling, and have undergone various research projects in my previous years of school. I have dabbled in video making on youtube in the past, and website coding on various blogs in the past eight years using tumblr.com. all this in mind, I don't feel nervous about undergoing this assignment or the next two.

assignment initial thoughts

ewan_nivall — 2020-03-07 23:04:15 UTC

on pondering this assignment during the first week I thought of various subjects I could engage with, including, but not limited to: mental health, animal welfare, philosophy, the LGBT community, ballet, writing, as well as various creative hobbies such as crocheting, gardening, nail art, cooking, and reading. however, it struck me that there is one thing in my life that has been a secure constant comfort and that I am perpetually attempting to promote: "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley.

why "frankenstein"?

ewan_nivall — 2020-03-07 23:35:20 UTC

my mum bought me the Margrete Lamond and Drahoš Zak illustrated adaptation of "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley (pictured below), when I was eight; nothing had ever been so captivating to me.

the story is genius and the knowledge that my mum truly understood who I was, enough to know this was the book for me, are why I contain endless love for "Frankenstein".

[photograph credit: Ewan Nivall]

first copy

ewan_nivall — 2020-03-07 23:49:53 UTC

it is truly well-loved. for my first two years of high school it rarely left my school bag outside of being taken out to be read.
[photograph credit: Ewan Nivall]

collection

ewan_nivall — 2020-03-07 23:51:46 UTC

though I started collecting copies in 2012, I didn't think to document the changes until 2015

[photograph credit: Ewan Nivall]

current state

ewan_nivall — 2020-03-07 23:53:33 UTC

photograph taken on the morning of March 8th 2020 of my current collection of "Frankenstein" merchandise.

pictured: copies of the standard text with variant covers from various publishing companies, an illustrated adaptation, a 200th anniversary edition, an official annotated edition, children's adaptations, graphic novel adaptations, a comic book adaptation, a play, a spark notes guide, a collection of character journals, vintage editions, and a collector's edition, as well as a set of the original Universal Pictures films, two Pop!Vinyl Funko figurines, three enamel pins, and a halloween mug.
not pictured: a pillowcase for a cushion, a security blanket copy, and a personally annotated copy.

[photograph credit: Ewan Nivall]

a hobby

ewan_nivall — 2020-03-07 23:55:18 UTC

pictured below are:
- my "security blanket" copy of "Frankenstein", bookmarked with sticky notes at various important points. this copy goes with me whenever I travel or undergo anything that promotes excessive anxiety (like my first day back at University, for example).
- my personally annotated copy of "Frankenstein". I started working through this copy in January of 2020, marking favourite quotes and plot points, as well as important sections of the novel.
- my personal ""Frankenstein" Journal". here is where I began documenting my experience with "Frankenstein" in January of 2020. I wanted to write my thoughts on the novel down and document how they change over time; how I felt about "Frankenstein" at eight years old is not entirely how I feel now, and I wanted a place to express such things in writing. I also realised I wanted a place where I could document my thoughts on the adaptations of "Frankenstein" I engage with, since there is such a multitude of them.
- the stationary I use to annotate and journal.

[photograph credit: Ewan Nivall]

tutorial brainstorm

ewan_nivall — 2020-03-08 00:02:35 UTC

80+ possible ideas for this project
[photograph credit: Ewan Nivall]

on the subject of adaptations

ewan_nivall — 2020-03-08 00:03:16 UTC

part of the reason I adore "Frankenstein" to such an extent, even more so than I did first reading it as a child, is the multitude of ways that people can engage with the concept and the narrative: audiobooks, digital books, abdriged adaptations, children's adaptations, illustrated adaptations, graphic novel adaptations, comic book adapations, film adaptations, stage adapations, stage musical adaptations, and a ballet! there are so many ways to enjoy "Frankenstein" that there is truly something for everyone.

this idea of there being so many options played a significant role in my deciding to use "Frankenstein" as the product for my promotional video. when I try to encourage people to engage with "Frankenstein" this is always a vital part of my pitch.
reading classics, gothic novels and those of the romantics especially, can seem a daunting task to most people, particularly in this modern age of digital convenience where the hobby of reading dwindles more and more.
presenting alternative options to reading the text of novels like "Frankenstein", specifically without also presenting judgement for needing that alternative, can be the deciding factor in whether or not someone ever engages with such.

notes for research

ewan_nivall — 2020-03-12 03:17:59 UTC

youtube:
BBC Studios (via Horrible Histories), Horrible Histories - Shouty Man | Compilation, video, Youtube, 26 September 2019, 18 March 2020,

Capel, C. Naptime!, video, Youtube, 31 May 2012, 18 March 2020,

Douglas, J. (via jacksfilms), The WTF Blanket (Snuggie Parody), video, Youtube, 22 January 2009, 14 March 2020, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h05ZQ7WHw8Y>.

Pickar, J. and Prietov, S.,

Everything you need to know to read "Frankenstein" - Iseult Gillespie, video, Youtube, 25 August 2008, 14 March 2020, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDgu25Dsv34>.

Gillespie, I. (via TED-ed), , video, Youtube, 23 February 2017, 14 March 2020, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDgu25Dsv34>.

google scholar:

audience:
Jenkinson, A.J., 2018. What do boys and girls read?: an investigation into reading habits with some suggestions about the teaching of literature in secondary and senior schools. Routledge.

Zagidullina, M.V., 2016. Teenagers: reading and the Internet in everyday life. Sociological Studies, 5(5), pp.115-123.

Rutherford, L., Waller, L., Merga, M., Mcrae, M., Bullen, E. and Johanson, K., 2017. Contours of teenagers’ reading in the digital era: Scoping the research. New Review of children's literature and librarianship, 23(1), pp.27-46.

Merga, M.K., 2016. What would make them read more? Insights from Western Australian adolescents. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 36(3), pp.409-424.

Earp, J., 2017. Infographic: Teen reading habits.

Davidovitch, N., Yavich, R. and Druckman, E. (2016) “Don’t Throw Out Paper And Pens Yet: On The Reading Habits Of Students”, Journal of International Education Research (JIER), 12(4), pp. 129-144. doi: 10.19030/jier.v12i4.9799.

Rutherford, L., Merga, M.K. and Singleton, A., 2018. Influences on Australian adolescents' recreational reading. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, The, 41(1), p.44.

Rutherford, L., Singleton, A., Derr, L.A. and Merga, M.K., 2018. Do digital devices enhance teenagers’ recreational reading engagement? Issues for library policy from a recent study in two Australian states. Public Library Quarterly, 37(3), pp.318-340.

frank:

Frankenstein, E.O., 1979. The Endurance of Frankenstein: Essays on Mary Shelley's Novel. Univ of California Press.

Shelley, M., 2012. frankenstein. Broadview Press.

Sherwin, P., 1981. Frankenstein: Creation as catastrophe. Publications of the Modern Language Association of America, pp.883-903.

O'Flinn, P., 1983. PRODUCTION AND REPRODUCTION: THE CASE OF" FRANKENSTEIN". Literature and History, 9(2), p.194.

Bann, S. ed., 1994. Frankenstein, Creation, and Monstrosity. Reaktion Books.

Bloom, H. ed., 2009. Frankenstein. Infobase Publishing.

Davison, Carol Margaret & Mulvey-Roberts, Marie 2018, Global Frankenstein, 1st ed. 2018., Springer International Publishing : Imprint: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.

Weiner, Jesse, Stevens, Benjamin Eldon & Rogers, Brett M. 2019, Frankenstein and its classics : the modern Prometheus from antiquity to science fiction, Bloomsbury Publishing, London].

Gigante, D., 2000. Facing the Ugly: The Case of" Frankenstein". Elh, 67(2), pp.565-587.

Dorn, S., 2007. Accountability Frankenstein: Understanding and taming the monster. IAP.

Hoeveler, D., 2003. Frankenstein, feminism, and literary theory.

unisa library:
Finn, Ed, Guston, David & Robert, Jason Scott 2017, Frankenstein, The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Davison, Carol Margaret & Mulvey-Roberts, Marie 2018, Global Frankenstein, 1st ed. 2018., Springer International Publishing : Imprint: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.

Picart, CJ 2003, Remaking the Frankenstein Myth on Film Between Laughter and Horror, State University of New York Press, Albany.

message + target audience initial thoughts

ewan_nivall — 2020-03-12 03:53:57 UTC

in this is current era of digital ease, the hobby of reading is a dying one, with even those who love the practice neglecting the activity. the effect is especially present among those classified within the Millennial, Zillennial, and Zoomer generations. as much as I want to promote the story of Shelley's original novel, most younger individuals are averse to reading at all, let alone reading a classic novel from the era of gothic romanticism.
however, younger people (ages 15-25) are generally those who i believe can benefit significantly from the practice of reading. in particular, a story such as "Frankenstein" which covers themes of fate and choice, and success and failure, can be pivotal ideas for young people to be exposed to.

infomercials

ewan_nivall — 2020-03-14 07:51:44 UTC

I was thinking of my general pitch when I remembered these parody infomercials from years ago and was struck with my first solid video concept: an infomercial parody.

target audience + message

ewan_nivall — 2020-03-17 22:42:04 UTC

young Millennials/Zillennials and Zoomers may find difficulties in settling in to reading a gothic romantics novel but I focus on them as a target audience because they are a group that can gain a great deal from doing such.
though they can reap huge benefits from engaging with novels like "Frankenstein", reading the novels themselves in their traditional form can not only seem daunting due to processing challenges or lack of practice in reading, but can also seem like a waste of time, given everything else that's always waiting to be done.

considering this is why my message is not simply: "Read "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley!", but "Engage with Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" by whatever means suits you best." Whether that means is something more traditional, something abridged or adapted, or something audial one can engage with while completing menial tasks, is no matter, it's just the engaging part that's important, not the how.

and so with the target audience of young Millennials/Zillennials, and Zoomers, the message is:

Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" is a classic that everyone should engage with it by any means they can, and as there are so many variations and adaptations there is truly something for everyone to be their perfect window into this timeless tale of choices, consequences, life, and destiny.

or, for a quick tagline:
choices. consequences. corpses.
"Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley

"Shouty Man"

ewan_nivall — 2020-03-17 23:53:53 UTC

when thinking about infomercial parodies, the ones I was actually thinking about were the "Shouty Man" infomercials from the BBC's "Horrible Histories" series.
though I don't intend to be a "Shouty Man", I appreciate the general tone and delivery and may replicate such in my own video.

annotated bibliography

ewan_nivall — 2020-03-23 00:04:19 UTC

Within my research I focused on studying the relevance of "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley, but also wanted to find at least once source on reading habits of young people.

_________________________________
Davison, Carol Margaret ; Mulvey-Roberts, Marie 2018, Global Frankenstein, Springer International Publishing, Cham.
-

A collection of essays by enthusiasts of the novel dissecting its global relevance over time. The first section of essays covers the novel’s relationships with science, technology, and the nature of life. It then moves on with the second part where it investigates personhood and existence within human, mortal bodies. The third division examines cinematic adaptation and interpretation over time, while the fourth surveys those of literary and illustrated forms. The final segment inspects significance of the novel within the present and the future in relation to modern technology.

-
Particularly for its essays covering a variety of adaptations, this was a valuable source to find analysis of the kinds of presentations “Frankenstein” has taken. As it was published more recently than other sources to coincide with the novel’s bicentenary, it provided much more updated information than the essays in my other source of a similar nature.

_________________________________

Frankenstein, E.O., 1979. The Endurance of Frankenstein: Essays on Mary Shelley's Novel. Univ of California Press.
-

A collection of essays by enthusiasts of the novel exploring its endurance throughout popular culture. Within the first division are essays exploring tradition and the novel’s heritage. The second section discusses women in relation to gothic literature. The third segment inspects society, self, and monstrosity while the fourth investigates the nature of the grotesque within language and literature. The final part examines adaptation of drama and film.
-

This was an exceptionally helpful source in giving me vision of the scope of “Frankenstein”’s influence throughout popular culture from a less modern perspective. However, the essays were limited as the collection was published over fifty years ago and so could not cover more modern adaptations like comic books and graphic novels.
_________________________________

Mcgeown, SP, Duncan, LG, Griffiths, YM & Stothard, SE 2015, ‘Exploring the relationship between adolescent's reading skills, reading motivation and reading habits.’, vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 545–569.
-

This study was an investigation on the reading habits, skills, and motivations of adolescents in the UK, outlining the variances in vocabulary, reading speed, comprehension, and summation in relation to affect and behaviour. The study discusses motivation and reading skill, frequency and reading habits, group differences (including gender, reading ability, and age), different literacy types, and continues to outline the tests they underwent to investigate. With this analysis, it documented that motivation to read and the habit of reading predicted variances in other aspects of reading like speed, comprehension, and summation.
-

It was difficult to find studies on youth reading habits of post-adolescent groups (those older than eighteen years of age) which I was interested to investigate as they were my primary target audience and my only experience with such is anecdotal. This article gave me a glimpse into the reading habits of adolescents which allowed me to make hypotheses on how older youths would progress with their reading. Though it was the best, most recent study I could find on reading habits in youth, it is extremely limited in its scope and sample size and does not factor in influences of the internet and social media which are significantly more relevant five years on.
_________________________________

Similar Videos

BBC Studios (via Horrible Histories), Horrible Histories - Shouty Man | Compilation, video, Youtube, 26 September 2019, viewed 6 April 2020, <https://youtu.be/R7ZkNvMMAfw?list=PLRlbIiRJTXx_reLX78G0Rpwxkp1vD1pq1>
-

This is a compilation of parody infomercials from the CBBC comedy series “Horrible Histories” where a man shouts a promotion of historical items used for various activities. Though I intend to have the “call and response” method featured in these parodies, I intend for the calling character to be a voice-over addressing an on-camera character, as opposed to an on-camera character directly addressing the audience. You could argue that my product is historical, but I do not intend to advertise it in the same way the items in this parody are advertised.
_________________________________

Capel, C. Naptime!, video, Youtube, 31 May 2012, viewed 6 April 2020, <https://youtu.be/AF_nfazQaek>
-

This is a near three-minute infomercial parody advertising a fictional version of chloroform. Within the video a voice-over asks the on-camera characters about their struggle that the product will fix, which is essentially the idea I wish to emulate. This parody is long enough to include testimonials and feedback from the consumer characters, which is not something I will be doing with my thirty-second video. My product is also not fictional.
_________________________________

Douglas, J. (via jacksfilms), The WTF Blanket (Snuggie Parody), video, Youtube, 22 January 2009, viewed 6 April 2020, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h05ZQ7WHw8Y >
-

This is a parody made specifically for the “Snuggie”, an actual infomercial product advertised in the 2000s. This was the first parody I remembered when thinking about the “call and response” design I wanted to use, however, I remembered the video poorly and it only has a “call” without a “response”. The video also makes fun of both the product and its users, neither of which I intend to do.

infauxmercial

ewan_nivall — 2020-03-23 00:08:34 UTC

when looking for the "Shouty Man" parodies, i found this exceptional infomercial parody

mind-map

ewan_nivall — 2020-03-23 00:11:10 UTC

within the mind-map I explored the different areas of approach by exploring the different associations people have with "Frankenstein".
I could make the pitch from an angle of science, personal affections, philosophy, pop culture, or literature.

through the subject of the original novel within the literature bubble, is where I find most adaptations which is the core of my promotional pitch.
this stands out as it presents excessive variety so that every individual can find something for themselves.

[photograph credit: Ewan Nivall]

treatment

ewan_nivall — 2020-03-23 00:12:00 UTC

In a loungeroom sometime in the afternoon a young person lounges on a couch, scrolling through their phone. A disembodied voice is heard, asking if the young person is in a funk about their life choices and is in need of some perspective, to which the young person nods their head. The voice suggests the youth tries “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley, a story about mortality, choices, consequences, and corpses, as the words appear on the screen and the novel appears in the youth’s hands, but they grimace and shake their head in response. The voice asks if they aren’t keen on slugging through 300 pages of gothic romanticism, and the youth nods pointedly to affirm.

The voice then becomes more enthusiastic, telling them that’s no problem because “Frankenstein” comes in a multitude of forms, and begins to suggest various options which also appear as text on the screen.

A digital tablet appears in the youth’s hands as the voice continues to suggest a digital copy for convenience. The youth is still unconvinced, until a small novel appears in their hands while the voice suggests an abridged adaptation and their curiosity is ignited. Large, more colourful books appear in the youth’s hands, as the voice suggests illustrated adaptations. Graphic novels and comic books are quickly added and the youth is now excited when the voice suggests them as options.

But, as the youth looks at the now daunting pile of books, they sigh and cringe, hesitance returning. The voice asks if it’s too much reading and as the youth nods the books are replaced in the youth’s hands by a mobile phone with earphones in the youth’s ears. The voice suggests an audiobook, emphasising there is no eyestrain required and you can simultaneously complete chores and housework. The phone then disappears and is replaced by a set of DVDs/blu-rays, while the voice suggests film adaptations as an even more relaxed option. The DVDs/blu-rays are then replaced with a laptop as the voice goes on to suggest a play, a musical, a ballet, and dozens of YouTube summaries and analyses. The youth is interested again and investigates their piles of options while the voice continues to say that everyone can benefit from engaging with “Frankenstein” and it comes in so many forms, there’s something for every kind of person. The youth smiles at the camera and gives a thumbs up, content.

The screen fades to black. Text fades in, reads: Choices. Consequences. Corpses. "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley. You’ve Got Options, Engage Today!

aida

ewan_nivall — 2020-04-06 01:11:16 UTC

Attention
using inclusive language ("you", "your" etc) to address the actor through voice over sets them up as a proxy for the audience. having seen similar advertisements in their lives before, they understand the actor is a stand-in for themselves and are therefore paying attention to how the product will fix the actor's, and so their, problem.

Interest
people enjoy cultural phenomenons and most people want to engage with them but find some difficulty or another in doing such, so, by presenting a way, without judgement, for people to enjoy a classic novel that doesn't entail sitting with a physical novel and slogging through romantics prose their interest is piqued and they want to know more

Desire
following the ignited interest, presenting an option that sounds ideal within the list of options gives people the opportunity to see the possibility of them engaging with this classic story, and so actually want to try to

Action
in ending with a call to action, suggesting the audience proxy try their ideal version and implying that it will change their life in some capacity incites the viewer to do the same

tone

ewan_nivall — 2020-04-06 01:11:37 UTC

I've covered that most people are hesitant or averse to reading gothic romanticism because of perceived difficulty, and how this alone can discourage people from doing so, but I have neglected to mention that, because of "Frankenstein"'s status within popular culture, and its image being most recognisable through iconography of the original Universal films, there is also a certain judgement passed on those who are more familiar with that version of "Frankenstein" as opposed to the original, which also contributes to reluctance in engaging with the concept as a whole.
i want to alleviate or even erase this judgement through the video and present an acceptance of and love for the various forms "Frankenstein" takes, in order to encourage excitement and enthusiasm.

to do this i will have to convey a joyful, encouraging tone.

suitable colours for this could be oranges and blues, though green might be an interesting inclusion due to its associations with "Frankenstein".

ideas for fonts could be something simple, or something evoking classic horror films.

fonts

ewan_nivall — 2020-04-06 01:11:53 UTC

i knew i would be searching for a serif and sans-serif combination, but I was specifically looking for a serif font that evoked the idea and feel of "Frankenstein", and two sans-serif fonts that worked in harmony with that.

I recognise the Marcellus font as one I have seen on vintage "Frankenstein" book covers, and there are many similar fonts like it. there were also many fonts reminiscent of the various film adaptations but they had issues with readability that Marcellus does not.

I then needed two sans-serif fonts to match, as I only want to use Marcellus for emphasis, and would like to use one font for general text, and another to specify the variations of "Frankenstein".
Nanum Gothic is a clear sans-serif typeface, designed to be read well on digital spaces which makes it ideal for a font for general text.
Josefin Sans is a slightly more stylised sans-serif typeface, and evokes to me similarities to fonts used in old horror films, which is why I was drawn to choose it for the font that will display the kinds of variations that "Frankenstein" exists in.

these fonts are clear and readable but also have personality that make them fun, which helps convey my message of "engaging with "Frankenstein" can be easy and fun if you find the right way for you!" visually.

colours

ewan_nivall — 2020-04-06 01:11:58 UTC

though i also intend for a focus on black and white, for the timelessness and simplicity, when it comes to colour palette and colour theory, considering green's popular culture associations with "Frankenstein" and the fact that it is calming like blue while still conveying uplifting properties of yellow, i figured it was ideal as a an analogous palette.

as told through vines

ewan_nivall — 2020-04-07 00:20:42 UTC

something my sibling sent me that was a very good laugh

crash course

ewan_nivall — 2020-04-07 00:21:53 UTC

crash course is an engaging and entertaining way to learn about a variety of subjects. they have a series breaking down "Frankenstein" which i appreciate

spark notes

ewan_nivall — 2020-04-07 00:25:53 UTC

for those who may not want to read summaries, sparknotes provides videos

TED-x

ewan_nivall — 2020-04-07 00:28:15 UTC

this was a fantastic look at "Frankenstein"'s history and the novel itself

the dream

ewan_nivall — 2020-04-07 00:31:26 UTC

if i had a million dollars and everyone i love had their debts paid and lived in security i would buy every vintage copy i could but, alas, a girl can only dream

a deserted blog

ewan_nivall — 2020-04-07 00:58:10 UTC

i set up a blog on tumblr.com where i thought i was going to document my engagement with "Frankenstein" and then realised i didn't actually want to share it with the internet and wanted it just for me in my physical journal and decided against posting. i might change my mind in the future and for now at least it is an appropriate host for me to document my collection