framingthesubject

What were your thoughts about your research topic going into the first week of the semester?

I expected to follow the plan set during pre-capstone: make a music video.

What are your thoughts now about your research topic and your project/practicum?

It feels full circle to me because I had thought about doing a website before deciding on a music video. It's also SO COOL because I've never made a website before and now I've not only made one but actually published it. I'm really glad I was able to gain experience making a website--had fun with the graphs--and incorporate the branding made and survey data collected prior.

What did you learn about yourself as a creative through this journey?

Gained more experience with project management and adapting to media change.

What did you learn about the creative and production process?

Mock-ups are essential to production. Take the time to agonize over them during pre-production and then start creating. Once you inevitability hit a roadblock, you'll see just how useful they are.

What advice would you give new senior capstone students?

Have a plan, but be open to change and be able to adapt to it. Trust yourself and the process. The most essential part of capstone is to just keep moving and making progress, bit by bit.

Where to now?

How it’s been going: It's been crunch-time. The housekeeping items of the course (senior capstone bio, project's BTS footage, etc.) have been completed or gathered. I've been finishing the mockups as I build the website. Also been adding files to my google drive folders so everything is updated. It's all coming together.

What’s coming up: Final touches for the website, recording a walkthrough of it, and making my final reflection video. Plus, double-checking that everything is in the drive.

Hiccups, hurdles & AHA moments: I did decide to go with Google Sites for the reasons listed in my previous post. Using Google Sites has had benefits and struggles. Other Google products are well-supported for including into the website. I used a Google Form for my survey and was able to add it to the site with no problems. The struggle I had was that available website options are minimalistic, but it does seem like I can make it more complex by embedding code. I've been coding graphs to host the data from my survey on the site.

^ Embedding coded charts into website from survey data.

Deliverable drafts:

^^ BTS building mockups and taking notes for webflow + survey outline.

Visual documentation of progress:

Added brand theme and logo to website. ^

^ Very helpful to immediately be able to see if there's a mistake in the code. The graph wasn't showing up so I knew something was wrong.

Resource for coding on google sites^^

^ Looking into how to add comments to google sites.

Timeline position: Final build into post-production wrap-up.

Another double update because...

I got sick 🤧

but better now so we're back at it, full speed ahead!

How it’s been going: Finalizing the mock-ups for my website and categorizing the survey responses! I looked through different websites that featured male gaze as their topic for references to how they present information. I've learned from past projects that it's much easier to put the time in outlining everything rather than go into building without that mock-up so I've been working in Figma to create my mock-ups. This will cut back time when actually building where I'd need to try and change the whole layout--I can do all that arranging and editing during the mock-up stage.

What’s coming up: Making the website! There's tons of website options, but I've narrowed mine down to Google Sites and WebPress. Google Sites isn't as good for SEO, but it depends on the future of the project. I want awareness to the topic, but it may be more important to have the info hosted on a site that can be evergreen. In previous discussion with Sharla, the speed at which technology grows means that past tech quickly becomes obsolete. If I don't update the site after graduation, I want it to be preserved as is. Google Sites is also free, unlike WebPress where I'd need a domain.

Hiccups, hurdles & AHA moments: In group discussion with others, we've shared about biases in our work. Because this project is research-based, it's been a struggle at times because as artists, those biases can never be fully removed. My style is present in the project, even as I adapt it to the message and audience. With my main goal being to bring awareness and clarity to these concepts that can be hard to understand, something highlighted even in the survey responses, I feel this project will help viewers come to their own opinions from the info.

Deliverable drafts:

For reference, I've found a very simple website that explores male gaze examples within media. I'm channeling its simplicity to impart my own message. Because it's so minimalistic, it allows the viewer to take in the info presented page by page and control the pace in which they read and explore the site.

Visual documentation of progress:

BTS working on the mock-up.

Timeline position: In production = time to speed build. Will also be putting out socials for the finished project...

Double update today! ✍️

How it's been going: Things are on track. I got the survey made, reviewed by Sharla, sent out and have been receiving responses. I was also able to get the Instagram account made and a post for the survey put up. There have also been changes in the Tumblr and social media to stay on brand with each other.

What's coming up: Photographing the survey participants, interviewing people in-person, and creating a website to contain the content.

Hiccups, hurdles & AHA moments: I'm transitioning away from my original concept of a music video. The process of formulating the questions for the survey and the responses received highlighted the importance of defining what female gaze is. Going into this, I had my own idea of what female gaze is. But having framed the topic in an unbiased way, it's so interesting being able to gauge the collective opinion of female gaze's definition. Having a website be the culmination of my project, instead of an experimental music video, feels more true to what I'm trying to achieve with my capstone: to define female gaze.

The website would allow me to frame all the different definitions and possibilities of what female gaze is, and have that grounded with a section on the definition of male gaze. This would let me present, as unbiased as I can, what these gazes are to people who may not know so they can come to their own opinion on the merits or validity of either gaze. Another plus of having it as a website is that it more clearly demonstrates the importance of understanding these concepts and how they're applied to all mediums in which people create, not just music videos.

Deliverable drafts:

For the in-person interviews, I want to do it in this style. Ask multiple people the same question(s) then edit it all together.

Visual documentation of progress:

The survey was made in sections to break down different aspects of gaze: empowerment, representation, sexualization and objectification.

Social media post on IG @framingthesubject. If you haven't already, please check it out! I'd love to follow other projects as well :)

Snippet of the survey responses.

Brand document for framingthesubject.

Timeline position: Done with pre-production, onto production! I'll have a mockup for the website concept to share for the next post.

How it's been going: Finished the work back plan! 🥳 I expected to already be into production by this update, but research for pre-production had me combing through possible references and considering different ways to frame the context videos/content. I've been looking at other surveys that focused on male gaze and female sexualization in media to see what I could incorporate or leave out of my own. I'm also in the process of finalizing the lyrics of my song and have started on a style guide for socials.

What's coming up: Next up on the to-do list are the calendars for content posting to socials. I've listed the deadlines in my work back plan, but I want to keep track of the dates in a separate calendar. It's vital that the surveys get sent out these next 2 weeks so I have time to receive responses. My hard deadline for sending out the surveys out is next Thursday 10/10. <- The surveys will need to be ready and the participant list confirmed prior.

Hiccups, hurdles & AHA moments: I need to just continue moving forward instead of circling around and around in pre-production. The only way I can test my concepts is through iteration, which requires me to "just do it." AHA moment for this post is the importance of scheduling time to work, while also remaining flexible to the setup, research style, organization, etc. that works best for you in that moment. It's about consistency and maintaining momentum for the whole process. If I start with a simple task or little step forward like writing down tasks in my notes first, it's easier for me to stay in the flow and build toward larger progress like a full calendar with my organized deadlines.

Deliverable drafts: No drafts yet.

Visual documentation of progress:

First post to socials is happening today. Will come back to update with the post and social media account. :)

(Left) Snippet from lyrics in the songwriting doc. (Right) Happy to be adding to the folders!

Timeline position: Still in pre-production. I'm working on socials and their calendar. Priority is for the survey(s), any context needed for them, and finalizing the song.

How it's been going: Since the start of the semester, I’ve been filling out my work back plan and finalizing the timeline. Discussion with Sharla led to an expansion of my original concept to include aspects of a social media campaign. I'll have more details to share once I have my concept files in order.

What's coming up: These next two weeks focus on the development of the first of two analysis videos which will provide context for the music video I create. I’ll be making a survey to go along with the video and prepping promo for social media.

Hiccups, hurdles & AHA moments: While the end goal of the deliverable has not shifted from being a music video, I've had hiccups regarding the way I can contextualize the music video itself. There's some self-doubt but as I explore the feasibility of certain milestones in my calendar, it's clearing up. (<- Using my calendar to visually see the project timeline has been very helpful.)

Another "aha!" moment has been the decision to shift the audience survey from the post-production phase to pre-production. Having the surveys be completed by participants prior to the music video's creation will allow me to better incorporate and take audience feedback into consideration for the music video.

Deliverable drafts: No deliverable drafts to share at the moment.

Visual documentation of progress:

The first set of milestones to complete in my work back plan doc.

A snippet from my mood board for the end deliverable.

Timeline position: I’m still in the pre-production phase. September is set for pre-production and the production of the analysis videos. October will finalize the analysis videos and social media content, as well as focus on collecting and organizing data analytics from the survey participants. November is for the music video and posting of the pre-made content from the month prior.

Intro Vid

Emma Lake’s (Fall 2021) capstone on how online participation has impacted interactive art was interesting to me. Lake conducted research using TikTok to see how virtual audience interaction and participation with art was reduced in comparison to an in-person exhibit.