RESEARCH
I have sifted through what feels like piles and piles of information in order to find the important points I have now. Here you will find some of the information I have collected regarding my project.
I have learned a lot about a new genre of theatre called “geek theatre”. There are actually many note-worthy geek theatre projects that have become successful, and the projects that are scrapped before they hit the stage are usually due to the director or the producers not understanding the content they are handling. Plays written by geeks are better than plays written by those attempting to take advantage of the “geek theatre” trend, and as a result of the audience and those working on the project having an intense passion for the content they produce, they have strict expectations to meet and a honed ability to spot someone who does not know the first thing about the subject. The goal is not to alienate geek theatre from theatre as a whole, but it is to convey messages that range from heroic to heart-wrenching in creative ways that any theatre-goer can connect to and enjoy. This research demonstrates that there is an up and coming wave of content that is unique and could potentially flourish from an industry expansion into different, more accessible platforms.
During my research, I went through a phase where I became incredibly interested in the ways industries intertwine. I learned that theater and video games alike have been working to change traditional concepts of the narrative. Player-interactive video games such as Gone Home and stage productions like Sleep No More, showcase the different ways theater and video games are becoming more interactive and player-decision based. The progression of audience involvement within dramatic plays and player involvement in video games has also been changing. This information showcases that even within a technological age, tech-based and stripped-down content alike flourish and expand to different ways of presenting themselves in order to keep the demand for that content alive and well.
I am also interested in film and television technologies, so naturally these interests crept into my research. I found that the motion picture industry's transition from film to digital formats has change in store for both the production and viewing of movies. Debates between advocates of 35mm film and those who have made the transition to digital filming run rampart nowadays. Digital filming is almost 90% cheaper than shooting with film, and high quality digital cameras are extremely accessible. This means that theaters seeking to film live performances could produce high quality, low budget tapings that require minimum post production and easily generate substantial profits. The transition from film to digital represents the industry’s evolution into a more web and streamable content based industry. I mean, there is one hit for “Broadway DVD Bootlegs” on Google for every thirty-five hits for “Broadway DVD Buy”, which showcases the strong demand for Broadway content, even if people must resort to unconventional ways of viewing it. With the film and television industries taking advantage of new technologies to improve cost, quality, storage, and production of films, Broadway is left behind to eat the pioneering dust of these evolving industries, as said by Tim Sarnoff, the head of the digital productions division for Technicolor “You have to be very pragmatic in this business – move with the times and provide what your clients need”.
I have learned a lot about a new genre of theatre called “geek theatre”. There are actually many note-worthy geek theatre projects that have become successful, and the projects that are scrapped before they hit the stage are usually due to the director or the producers not understanding the content they are handling. Plays written by geeks are better than plays written by those attempting to take advantage of the “geek theatre” trend, and as a result of the audience and those working on the project having an intense passion for the content they produce, they have strict expectations to meet and a honed ability to spot someone who does not know the first thing about the subject. The goal is not to alienate geek theatre from theatre as a whole, but it is to convey messages that range from heroic to heart-wrenching in creative ways that any theatre-goer can connect to and enjoy. This research demonstrates that there is an up and coming wave of content that is unique and could potentially flourish from an industry expansion into different, more accessible platforms.
During my research, I went through a phase where I became incredibly interested in the ways industries intertwine. I learned that theater and video games alike have been working to change traditional concepts of the narrative. Player-interactive video games such as Gone Home and stage productions like Sleep No More, showcase the different ways theater and video games are becoming more interactive and player-decision based. The progression of audience involvement within dramatic plays and player involvement in video games has also been changing. This information showcases that even within a technological age, tech-based and stripped-down content alike flourish and expand to different ways of presenting themselves in order to keep the demand for that content alive and well.
I am also interested in film and television technologies, so naturally these interests crept into my research. I found that the motion picture industry's transition from film to digital formats has change in store for both the production and viewing of movies. Debates between advocates of 35mm film and those who have made the transition to digital filming run rampart nowadays. Digital filming is almost 90% cheaper than shooting with film, and high quality digital cameras are extremely accessible. This means that theaters seeking to film live performances could produce high quality, low budget tapings that require minimum post production and easily generate substantial profits. The transition from film to digital represents the industry’s evolution into a more web and streamable content based industry. I mean, there is one hit for “Broadway DVD Bootlegs” on Google for every thirty-five hits for “Broadway DVD Buy”, which showcases the strong demand for Broadway content, even if people must resort to unconventional ways of viewing it. With the film and television industries taking advantage of new technologies to improve cost, quality, storage, and production of films, Broadway is left behind to eat the pioneering dust of these evolving industries, as said by Tim Sarnoff, the head of the digital productions division for Technicolor “You have to be very pragmatic in this business – move with the times and provide what your clients need”.