Assignment 

Aim

On completion of this activity, you will have begun to establish a series of options and also reflect on ideas for your MA Project Proposal through tutorial dialogue.

Objective

During this activity, you will consider options for your MA Project Proposal and you will produce a written and visual communication of these for sharing thorough discussion with your tutor.

Duration

The suggested time allocation for this activity is 8 hours.

Guide

In this important activity, I would like you to begin to establish a series of ideas and options for your Project Proposal. Please ensure that you read the support documents associated with this section as they will provide you with valuable advice to help you guide this task. I would like to to complete the following activities:

• Establish three to five different potential project ideas
• Identify research areas linked to your potential ideas
• Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each idea
• Request feedback on your ideas from your tutor

You may use a range of methods to explore and communicate your ideas in both written and visual form.

Upload

I would like you to upload your work-in-progress at each stage for tutor review and comment. Ensure that you document and incorporate feedback received within the analysis of your ideas.

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Realisation

Introduction

I apologise for the length of this document, but I’ve been researching elements of this for several years now, and it all adds up, and not all of it is as important as it seems.

Doing the research for this assignment I feel increasingly out of my depth, and yet this is where the research is drawing me, so I’ll put my faith in something I have learnt while doing it:

“You enter the forest

at the darkest point,

where there is no path.

Where there is a way or path,

it is someone else’s path.

You are not on your own path.

If you follow someone else’s way,

you are not going to realize

your potential.”

Joseph Campbell, The Hero’s Journey: Joseph Campbell on His Life & Work

Presentation

Whatever form my main project eventually takes, I would develop the presentation as a cascade, like a layered cake, each layer built on previous layers.

1. Final images would be prepared for printing on suitable paper using a calibrated monitor.
2. Develop an online presence, including a website and supportive social media network – this could be regarded as a type of digital calling-card, and work on all levels: local, national and international.
3. Develop an online gallery on the website  to present and display the final project, providing relevant background information.
4. Thinking in terms of the COVID crisis, and that many people are now largely confined to their homes, it could be interesting to develop a VR – virtual reality – version of an online gallery, a linked series of 360˚ photo-spheres into which the final project images could be photoshopped, the photo-spheres could also be integral to the story line.
5. Maybe use the project images and texts as a basis for a book project, which could then be offered on the website and sold on Amazon etc. – Again this would work on all levels: local, national and international.
6. Use the online presence to help create interest in a real world exhibition.

Main Project 

The project would be in two parts

1. Develop an online VR gallery experience with comprising of series of interconnected 360˚ photo-spheres.
2. Develop an exhibition of images as a secondary project, which can be exhibited in the VR Gallery.

Project – A: online VR gallery

The covid-19 pandemic has confined many people to their homes for extended periods of time, depriving many the opportunity to visit real galleries and exhibitions, this project will investigate the online VR possibilities of developing immersive, online cross media exhibition spaces.

Webpage:

https://blog.chromographix.com/06-experiment-with-youtube-2

YouTube VR Version: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCl9QlGTalU&feature=youtu.be

Use the mouse to navigate around the photo-sphere.

 

Project – B: Exhibition

IDEA – 1: An Odyssey

This idea would represent some sort of photographic journey, and that the project wouldn’t just be a collection of visually appealing, but largely unrelated images.

I would like the viewer to be left with the sense that there is an intended narrative pinning everything together, and that there is an emotional arc to the story being told.

I am as yet however still undecided upon the best approach, which will probably only become apparent when I know exactly how much time is at my disposal.

1. A Journey

An episodic journey through a given idea, a three act narrative structure, exploring different aspects of an over-arching theme.

These episodes, at least three, and depending on the scope of the project hopefully more, progressively hung on the framework of Homer’s Odyssey, each episode could have its own distinct style.

The Odyssey is the story of the hero’s journey, a tale of growth, overcoming challenges and adversity, and it’s universally relatable to, because ultimately, we are all on a similar journey, each the hero of our own story.

2. A Personal journey

Much as I would theoretically like to, I think that such an approach would be emotionally extremely difficult, as it would require me to visits places that repeatedly signify only loss, and there would almost certainly be no closure to be achieved, only a reopening of old wounds. 

3. A semi-fictionalised journey

This I believe would be a far better approach as it would enable me to explore more universal themes, and yet still draw on personal experience.

4. A wholly fictional journey

This would almost certainly be the easiest option, but from a creative point of view, probably not quite so important, but depending on the time-frame still an option.

THE PROS

This project is one I have been thinking about for a long time now, and I seem to have found solutions for most of the main problems, and I’m very excited about it.

THE CONS

The project is relatively complicated, and will require sufficient time to finish to a satisfactory standard, but as of yet I have no idea how much time is at my disposal, or when the final submission date is, as these are curiously not to be found on either the UH or ICI websites in any tangible form.

And experience tells me that that it’s unwise to plan a project until these important details are clear.

And so, although I would prefer to tackle a complete Odyssey, maybe it’s wiser to develop just 3 – 5 episodes first, as a proof of concept, and then depending on time-constraints, only then attempt to complete the project, when everything is clear.

IDEA – 2: Three cubed – 3³

A group of triptychs arranged in a square, each exploring one aspect of an overarching theme.

In total 9 triptychs, or 27 images.

THE PROS

It would be easy

THE CONS

It would be maybe too easy?

IDEA – 3: Missing

Using a variety of techniques including collage, photoshop, multi-media etc including previously shot photographs, scans etc, visually explore the phenomena known as “estrangement” and try to instil in the viewer a sense of what it’s like to be a victim of it, and what it’s like not belonging. 

No one knows more about this subject than I do !!

Due of the nature of breakdown, I have very little material to work with, and so I would have to be very creative in order to express time, event, and significance, and photography offers a far better storytelling solution than documentary film ever could.

Presented as series of images in a linear filmstrip style, some big, some small, most missing, as though burnt out of the negative strip, some under-exposed , some over-exposed, very episodic.

This would not be an investigation into the hows, whys, and wherefores of breakdown, that’s of no interest to anyone, it would just be a visual representation of what it feels like.

THE PROS

I feel unexpectedly positive about this idea, as I feel that I could do it justice, even the lack of any significant material, such as family photos etc, I don’t feel is much of a hindrance, and necessity is often the mother of invention, I will just have to be very creative in plastering over any gaps.

This isn’t supposed to be a documentary photography project anyway, and the lack of any material goes with the territory.

THE CONS

Unfortunately however, after a little research . . .

I would never get the permission to use any family photographs, as firstly I wasn’t the photographer and therefore don’t own the copyright, and secondly I have either no contact, or am in an acrimonious legal dispute with the people who do, and they would never give it to me.

STATUS

Non-Starter.

Research

Themes

At the moment this is an area that I’m still in deep thought about, deciding on which type of theme to investigate and whether it would be possible to do it justice in the given timeframe, because if not, a rather more unimaginative project would probably be the only other alternative, because it’s extremely important that the project does get finished.

Research Sources

ART INSPIRED (2018). Themes to Explore. [Online] Available at: http://artinspired.pbworks.com/w/page/13819720/Themes%20to%20Explore. [Accessed: 15 November 2020]

CONTEMPORARY ART

On my quest for inspiration, I thought it wise to start with the visual creative process itself, and explore the world of contemporary art.

But on a personal level I have huge problems with it, because listening to most artists, almost every second word is either “art” or “artist”, it’s almost as though they were all part of a huge cult, and this is just a mantra used to self-reaffirm a higher purpose to their mundane endeavours.

. . . that dangerous looking, old, rusty, nail sticking out of that roughly sawn piece of wood, straight out of the timber merchants, is, in my opinion, rarely a true artistic or design decision, if ever, it’s actually incompetence, it only demonstrates a chronic lack of technical knowledge and manual construction skills.

If that is “art”, everything is art, but to paraphrase Syndrome from the 2004 film The Incredibles, “if everything is art, nothing is”.

Art in its true form is therefore incredibly difficult to find, because it is often obfuscated by well-meaning, but self-deluding cult-members themselves.

My search therefore continues . . .

Research Sources

Art21 is a celebrated global leader in presenting thought-provoking and sophisticated content about contemporary art

ART21 (2020). Art in the Twenty-First Century. [Online] Available at: https://art21.org. [Accessed: 13 November 2020]

Documentary video series about art in the 21st century.

ART21 (2020). Art in the Twenty-First Century. [Online] Available at: https://art21.org/series/art-in-the-twenty-first-century/. [Accessed: 13 November 2020]

Documentary video series about art in the 21st century: Series 9 – Berlin.

ART21 (2020). Season 9 of Art in the Twenty-First Century – Berlin. [Online] Available at: https://art21.org/watch/art-in-the-twenty-first-century/s9/berlin/. [Accessed: 13 November 2020]

CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY

As I wish to take my photography beyond just the purely documentary form, I think it important to concentrate some of my research on areas with a more contemporary orientation.

 And yet just as with much contemporary art, I am often left wondering if the questions the artist/photographer is attempting to explore, are worth asking in the first place, particularly as confusion on the part of the viewer often seems to be the primary goal.

I however persevere  with my (re) search. . .

Research Sources

Source publishes emerging photographic work and engages with the latest in contemporary photography through news, thoughtful features and reviews of the latest exhibitions and books from Ireland and the UK.

SOURCE – THINKING THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY (2020). What is conceptual photography. [Online] Available at: https://www.source.ie/feature/what_is_conceptual.php. [Accessed: 15 November 2020]

Narrated tour around the San Diego Museum of Art

ARTSTOP (2012). Identity in Contemporary Photography. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRZD-IjjD2M. [Accessed: 13 November 2020]

Online lecture by Eileen Rafferty about contemporary photography

B&H PHOTO VIDEO (2014). Contemporary Trends in Photography – Eileen Rafferty. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tL4ZHSMqWqQ. [Accessed: 13 November 2020]

FRAMEWORK – THE ODYSSEY

Life is a journey, and nothing symbolises this more than Homer’s Odyssey, an ancient text whose origins date back to the late bronze age, a story which still resonates today because of the way it deals with much the same issues we still confront.

It’s the classic hero’s journey, a tale of self-discovery and growth, whose structure has often been adapted and retold, and even subverted, as with James Joyce’s Ulysses, a 10 year voyage home condensed down to one day in Dublin, the protagonist an anti-hero, the retelling itself now a classic of modern literature.

Research Sources

Understanding Homer’s Odyssey

TED-ED (2017). Everything you need to know to read Homer’s “Odyssey” – Jill Dash. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z9FQxcCAZ0. [Accessed: 13 November 2020]

Understanding Homer’s Odyssey – Themes

COURSE HERO (2017). The Odyssey by Homer | Themes. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaBdVSDSrSE. [Accessed: 13 November 2020]

Rewriting Homer’s Odyssey – James Joyce’s Ulysses

TED-ED (2017). Why should you read James Joyce’s “Ulysses”? – Sam Slote. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7FobPxu27M. [Accessed: 13 November 2020]

Novels inspired or influenced by Homer’s Odyssey

https://earlybirdbooks.com/8-novels-inspired-by-the-odyssey

• • Ulysses – James Joyce
  • Don Quixote – Miguel de Cervantes
  • The Penelopiad – Margaret Atwood
  • The Time Traveler’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
  • As I Lay Dying – William Faulkner
  • Cold Mountain – Charles Frazier
  • Big Fish – Daniel Wallace
  • The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien

Films inspired or influenced by Homer’s Odyssey

• • O Brother, Where Art Thou?
  • Cold Mountain
  • Apocalypse Now
  • Paris, Texas
  • The 7th voyage of Sinbad
  • Pirates of the Caribbean, At World’s End
  • The Wizard of Oz

Or even the Pink Floyd version, “The Dark Side of the Rainbow”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6HHA4y6G5g&t=1041s

STORYTELLING – THE THREE ACT STRUCTURE

Storytelling is a key feature of any photograph, and only becomes more important as the number of images involved in a series increases. 

Known in the world of photography as sequencing, knowledge of the principles of storytelling is fundamental for the creation of any visual narration.

In it’s most basic form, every story is hung on the  framework of a three act structure: 

Act I: Setup

Act II: Confrontation

Act III: Resolution

Although it is possible to successfully break with convention, a good working knowledge of what is being broken and why is always essential.

Research Sources

Sequencing

B&H (2020). Tips for Editing and Sequencing Photos. [Online] Available at: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/tips-and-solutions/tips-for-editing-and-sequencing-photos. [Accessed: 13 November 2020]

Understanding storytelling

PROGRESSIVE AD COUNCIL (2019). Freytag’s Pyramid and Story Structure ~ Jessica Blank. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiRoZ6fZx5w. [Accessed: 13 November 2020]

Understanding Freytag’s pyramid and the 3 act structure

VIDEOMAKER (2020). Freytag’s pyramid and the 3 act structure. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REma28Zg7r8. [Accessed: 13 November 2020]

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF STORYTELLING

The art of storytelling is about far more than just stringing exciting scenes together. 

A story is always working on several layers at once, deeper themes such as greed, jealousy, religion are explored, often with the use of symbolism, the universal hero’s journey frequently deals with the fundamental questions of life itself, of growth, of death.

As does much art too.

Art is often just as much about the created, as it is the creator, and the journey.

Research Sources

Online documentary by Béa Gonzalez analysing the psychological meaning and themes found in Homer’s Odyssey

SOFIACYCLES (2018). The Odyssey — Homer [via Joseph Campbell and Star Wars. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFrQVVNA7iA&t=103s. [Accessed: 13 November 2020]

More from Sofia Cycles aka. Béa Gonzalez

SOFIACYCLES (2018). Sophia Cycles Video Essays. [Online] Available at: https://www.sophiacycles.com/sophia-in-action. [Accessed: 13 November 2020]

Understanding the hero’s myth

TED-ED (2012). What makes a hero? – Matthew Winkler. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhk4N9A0oCA. [Accessed: 13 November 2020]

MANOFCREATION (2018). Jordan Peterson – The Hero’s Myth. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMwNUqBYn3M. [Accessed: 13 November 2020]

ACADAMY OF IDEAS (2016). Joseph Campbell and the Myth of the Hero’s Journey. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4288NRq1vVc. [Accessed: 13 November 2020]

RAW SPIRITUALITY (2017). The HERO’S JOURNEY – Joseph Campbell. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNPcefZKmZ0. [Accessed: 13 November 2020]

VISUAL STYLING

Of great importance to me is the visual styling of the project, and what can be achieved with it.

Most of the following is taken from my original project proposal, which was more researched based, and which quickly became clear was totally unsuitable for this, a more visually based project.

Certain elements of it are however still of great interest to me, and will almost certainly find there way into whatever project I finally decide upon.

Research Sources – YouTube

THE LOYALTY LOOP (2018). How to Earn Attention in a Noisy Online World | Marketing Using the Curiosity Gap. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEyQ4N-EpAU. [Accessed: 06 October 2020]

TECHNOLOGY CONNECTIONS (2020). Brown; Color is weird. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh4aWZRtTwU. [Accessed: 02 November 2020]

Research Sources – Internet 

THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (2016). Curiosity Has the Power to Change Behavior for the Better. [Online] Available at: https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2016/08/curiosity-behavior. [Accessed: 06 October 2020]

CASSANDRA TANG (2019). The Curiosity Gap. [Online] Available at: https://cassandra-tang.com/the-curiosity-gap/. [Accessed: 22 January 2020]

SKYWORD (2018). The Curiosity Gap: How Consumer Psychology Is Driven by What’s Missing. [Online] Available at: https://www.skyword.com/contentstandard/the-curiosity-gap-how-consumer-psychology-is-driven-by-whats-missing/. [Accessed: 06 October 2020]

DEMAND GEN REPORT (2018). Minding The Curiosity Gap: Brightcove PLAY 2019 Shares Insights To Engage, Retain Buyers With Video Content. [Online] Available at: https://www.demandgenreport.com/features/industry-insights/minding-the-curiosity-gap-brightcove-play-2019-shares-insights-to-engage-retain-buyers-with-video-content. [Accessed: 06 October 2020]

Research Sources – Books 

R.L.GREGORY (1966). Eye and Brain, The psychology of seeing. New York: World University Press

Research Sources – Photographers 

JOSHUA K. JACKSON (2020). Homepage – www.joshkjack.com. [Online] Available at: https://www.joshkjack.com. [Accessed: 15 November 2020]

CHRIS FRIEL (2020). Homepage – www.cfriel.com/home. [Online] Available at: https://www.cfriel.com/home. [Accessed: 15 November 2020]

Research Sources – Other

Has no ending, but does reference a very good IKEA TV advertisement

CONTENT MARKETING INSTITUTE (2018). The Curiosity Factor – Andrew Davis. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KfiTqVoxdI&t=5s. [Accessed: 11 October 2020]

This is very good and informative, several very good ideas.

TEDx TALKS (2012). The Case for Curiosity: Mario Livio at TEDxMidAtlantic 2012. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_ojyXVVFKA. [Accessed: 11 October 2020]

Some very good ideas.

BRAINCRAFT (2018). The Power of Curiosity. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc5IFNpi43A. [Accessed: 11 October 2020]

The usual blurb.

INTERNET MARKETING KICKSTART (2019). how to use the curiosity gap to drive your readers into a click frenzy. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_dLaqDmKYE. [Accessed: 11 October 2020]

Very good !!

TEDx TALKS (2015). After watching this, your brain will not be the same | Lara Boyd | TEDxVancouver. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNHBMFCzznE. [Accessed: 11 October 2020]

Interesting talk, also regarding Hitchcock.

42COURSES (2020). The Curiosity Gap – Rory Sutherland. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrnKSu9gUso. [Accessed: 11 October 2020]

JOE SCOTT (2020). 3 Ways Your Mind Lies To You | Answers With Joe. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pyu7HAjjmJ0. [Accessed: 11 October 2020]

Assignment

Aim

To identify and evaluate a series of creative themes and ideas for your Masters project.

Objective

During this activity, you will produce the first visual representation for your Masters project themes and ideas for discussion.

Duration

The suggested time allocation for this activity is 5 hours.

Guide

In previous activities in this module, you have reflected upon your aims and your expectations of postgraduate study and considered how your previous experiences and interests might inform your creative work on this programme.

Now, I would like you to begin consideration of potential themes for your Master’s project and the initial creative ideas and directions you may have.

I would like you to use the allocated time for this activity to produce visual outcomes (which may include sketches, models, drawings, images, photographs) you feel appropriate to articulate your initial project themes and ideas in a practical way.

There is no right or wrong response to this activity and you are not expected to produce any refined piece of work by the end of the activity.

You should consider this activity as an opportunity to transform your previous reflections and critical thoughts into visual outcomes. This is the first opportunity to produce creative work-in-progress related to your project ideas. Think about your past work, your aims and ideas and feel free to experiment with your practice.

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Thesis Idea: The Curiosity Gap

Brief description

A curiosity gap is created wherever crucial information is missing, it’s a technique used in many different creative situations, as it easily promotes increased user participation and involvement.
It’s a device used in all thrillers, the consumer is given just enough information to pique his or her interest, this creates a strong desire for resolution, it promotes curiosity as to the final outcome, and therefore leads to far greater consumer involvement. 

The consumer stays until the very end, until the solution is finally revealed, promoting a strong sense of satisfaction, the reward. 

But not all information gaps are equal, the case of the thriller is binary, “do I have the information or not?” , whereas a absence of information in a photographic image can be more subtle, maybe due to a lack of definition caused by insufficient focus, or careful framing, whereby key features are partially missing or obscured. 

I propose to investigate the psychological phenomena of the curiosity gap and advocate its significance and potential use as it relates to photography and the process of seeing.
Careful use of focus, motion blur, shadow etc, can create information gaps in an image, promoting curiosity, which due to the nature of vision, the interaction between the eye and the brain, context is self generated and meaning created within the mind of the viewer, and that the viewer is unaware of this process, as it utilises the same process that masks the presence of the punctum caecum, the eye’s blind spot. 

And I put forward the argument, that awareness and mastery of these techniques, leads to far more compelling photography. 

Artistic and academic significance of the project

A few years ago the psychologist Professor Ewan Polmann decided to run a very interesting experiment, he wanted to know if he could influence people’s behaviour by the process of awakening their curiosity. 

And so, at the bottom of an office stairwell near an elevator he posted a simple trivia question, and below this another note: 

“The answer is at the top of the stairs.” 

It led to a 10% increase in the use of the stairs, a healthy change of behaviour which is notoriously difficult to achieve using other more traditional methods.
What was surprising was the strength of the effect, that once curiosity has been piqued, that people experience a need for closure, there is a strong desire for the missing information, something to fill the curiosity gap. 

This phenomena is however not just restricted to cryptic messages written on post-it notes in office complexes, it can actually be observed almost everywhere, in art, design, film, fiction, and online as click-bait: “You’ll never believe what happened next…“. 

Utilising the curiosity or information gap can lead to far greater creativity, particularly in the field of photography, as demonstrated when taken to the extremes of abstract photography, where all meaning is lost, and the image derives meaning on a purely emotional level. Modern photography often relies on technical perfection, as lenses become ever sharper, and cameras ever more powerful, but this often leads to cold, emotionless images, whereas slightly less technical perfection is often more pleasing on a subconscious level. 

A potential case for the utilisation of the curiosity gap would be German Street Photography.
German Street Photography suffers greatly because of the country’s rather strict laws governing the rights of the individual to their own image. 

It has led to a situation whereby a large proportion of German Street Photography is now just images of individuals, taken from behind, as they struggle home with their weekly shopping, or totally over-exposed in an attempt to disguise an individual’s identity, by casting them into artificial shadow, or even more worryingly, often just taken abroad on holiday, in countries where laws are not quite so strict, and the risk of legal action is very much reduced, and as such can be seen as a modern form of exploitation. 

And yet this is not actually directly a problem of the law, it’s a problem of perception, the law has inadvertently created a general lack of creativity, as photographers worry far more about being harassed on the streets by irate pedestrians, hell bent on defending their rights, rather than concentrating on the artistic merit of their images, particularly as Street Photography is not actually synonymous with Street Portraiture, there’s no demand that a face has to be visible, pin sharp in-focus, no one even needs to be recognisable. Especially because there are various techniques and tools available to the photographer, to ensure that interesting and relevant images can still be created, without resorting to the mundane and tedious. 

Possible methods

Not everything about a good photograph has to be available to see, the act of leaving some of the desired information or context missing, by prudent use of the following: 

• Soft focus
• Shallow depth of field effects, including tilt/shift lenses
• Movement: Slow shutter speeds, causing motion blur
• Framing: The use of unusual cropping and framing
• Composition: The use of unconventional compositions
• Negative space
• Lighting: The use of shadow to obscure features
• Silhouette
• Geometry
• Reflections
• Glare
• Multiple exposures

These can create a sense of intrigue, and thereby a deeper involvement on the part of the viewer. 

In fact, the brain will automatically start to fill in the missing information, creating its own narrative, its own reality, which can be an effective tool in creating empathy. 

Test instruments

A photography project and/or exhibition including all the different methods of creating a curiosity gap, together with similar versions of each image, but with all the information intact, as a method of testing the theory. 

Qualifying results

The appreciation of art is very subjective, and therefore surveys can be very misleading, as participants are rarely aware of their lack of objectivity, and so it is suggested that two complimentary methodologies be used in attempting to quantify the effect of the curiosity gap, or the lack of one: 

1. A quick survey (scoring 1-5) containing questions regarding the different aspects of each image, to be filled out by the participants as each of the different images is viewed. 
2. To obtain a more objective set of results, the presentation of the work will be filmed and the amount of time each participant lingers in front of the different images will be recorded. 

All results, the answers to the written survey and recorded times, will be collated in a spreadsheet, and the results then analysed. 

How curious are you?

https://blog.chromographix.com/curiosity

Research: Bibliography

Youtube 

THE LOYALTY LOOP (2018). How to Earn Attention in a Noisy Online World | Marketing Using the Curiosity Gap. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEyQ4N-EpAU. [Accessed: 06 October 2020]

TECHNOLOGY CONNECTIONS (2020). Brown; Color is weird. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh4aWZRtTwU. [Accessed: 02 November 2020]

Internet 

THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (2016). Curiosity Has the Power to Change Behavior for the Better. [Online] Available at: https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2016/08/curiosity-behavior. [Accessed: 06 October 2020]

CASSANDRA TANG (2019). The Curiosity Gap. [Online] Available at: https://cassandra-tang.com/the-curiosity-gap/. [Accessed: 22 January 2020]

SKYWORD (2018). The Curiosity Gap: How Consumer Psychology Is Driven by What’s Missing. [Online] Available at: https://www.skyword.com/contentstandard/the-curiosity-gap-how-consumer-psychology-is-driven-by-whats-missing/. [Accessed: 06 October 2020]

DEMAND GEN REPORT (2018). Minding The Curiosity Gap: Brightcove PLAY 2019 Shares Insights To Engage, Retain Buyers With Video Content. [Online] Available at: https://www.demandgenreport.com/features/industry-insights/minding-the-curiosity-gap-brightcove-play-2019-shares-insights-to-engage-retain-buyers-with-video-content. [Accessed: 06 October 2020]

Books 

R.L.GREGORY (1966). Eye and Brain, The psychology of seeing. New York: World University Press

Photographers 

• Joshua K. Jackson
• Chris Friel

Alternative ideas

A photograph is but a representation of reality

• What is reality?
• How do we perceive reality?
• Are all realities equal, or are some more equal than others? 
• Synesthesia
• The curiosity gap 

Entropy

• 2nd law of Thermodynamics
• Everything always gets worse
• The universe must reach a point of maximum entropy
• This applies to everything, even life itself, everything is mortal. And yet life is only possible because of it.
• Reality vs Hope
• Hope = Driving force behind the will/struggle to survive 

Colour theory

• Something about colour theory
• Magenta as a colour doesn’t exist 

Language

• You watch a film, but look at a picture 

Berlin Odyssey

• Homer’s Odyssey set in Berlin 

Psychology, learning to see

• Title: The mirror of illusion
• How do Namibian Himbas see colour? 

GONDWANA COLLECTION NAMIBIA (2016). How do Namibian Himbas see colour?. [Online] Available at: https://www.gondwana-collection.com/blog/how-do-namibian-himbas-see-colour/. [Accessed: 06 October 2020].

• Earthrise

WIKIPEDIA (2020). Earthrise. [Online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthrise. [Accessed: 06 October 2020]

• Magenta isn’t a real color? 

BOINGBOING (2009). Magenta isn’t a real color?. [Online] Available at: https://boingboing.net/2009/02/16/magenta-isnt-a-real.html. [Accessed: 06 October 2020]

Interest

I get the feeling that I’m maybe already too far ahead with this project, but it’s always been quite obvious to me in which direction my interest lies, as is probably quite obvious, as all my ideas center around the same field.

My main interest lies mainly with the psychology of seeing and how the brain makes sense of its surroundings, this sort of thing has always fascinated me. but exactly what my project will be, will hopefully crystallise itself over the coming weeks, but any suggestions and/or guidance would be very much apprieciated. 

Further Research

YouTube

CONTENT MARKETING INSTITUTE (2018). The Curiosity Factor – Andrew Davis. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KfiTqVoxdI&t=5s. [Accessed: 11 October 2020]

Has no ending, but does reference a very good IKEA TV advertisement

TEDx TALKS (2012). The Case for Curiosity: Mario Livio at TEDxMidAtlantic 2012. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_ojyXVVFKA. [Accessed: 11 October 2020]

This is very good and informative, several very good ideas.

BRAINCRAFT (2018). The Power of Curiosity. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc5IFNpi43A. [Accessed: 11 October 2020]

Some very good ideas.

INTERNET MARKETING KICKSTART (2019). how to use the curiosity gap to drive your readers into a click frenzy. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_dLaqDmKYE. [Accessed: 11 October 2020]

The usual blurb.

TEDx TALKS (2015). After watching this, your brain will not be the same | Lara Boyd | TEDxVancouver. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNHBMFCzznE. [Accessed: 11 October 2020]

Very good !!

42COURSES (2020). The Curiosity Gap – Rory Sutherland. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrnKSu9gUso. [Accessed: 11 October 2020]

Interesting talk, also regarding Hitchcock.

JOE SCOTT (2020). 3 Ways Your Mind Lies To You | Answers With Joe. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pyu7HAjjmJ0. [Accessed: 11 October 2020]

Assignment

Aim

On completion of this activity, you will have generated a Visual Project Map to communicate your direction and research intentions for your MA project.

Objective

During this activity, you will employ a range of individual visual communication skills to devise and present a Visual Project Map.

Duration

The suggested time allocation for this activity is 5 hours.

Guide

I would now like you to consider the visual communication of your MA project intentions. You are now asked to develop a Visual Project Map. The approach to this activity is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your creativity and visual skills by taking an individual and innovative approach to the communication of your project.

Your Visual Project Map should provide a clear illustration and explanation of your project intentions, with reference to each of the programme modules and semester timeline. It should include your planned areas of research, identified debates, articulation of context, expected innovation and output that you intend to explore during your postgraduate study.

Your map may be developed using any combination of creative techniques, and may focus on those relevant to your own specialist subject area but may also be experimental and progressive. The resulting Visual Project Map may be a size of your choice, created as a single layout or series of pages in a linear or other sequence.

To accompany your Visual Project Map, I would like you to write a short (500 words approximately) written statement. This statement will provide a clear description of the map and the content contained within.

Upload

I would like you to upload your developing Visual Project Map and short statement for tutor review and comment.

Guide: Framing – Defining Elements

1. Project Title – This may be a temporary or “working title”, to be developed, adjusted or modified at a later date as the focus is sharpened.

2. Project Introduction – This should be a brief summary of the main purpose of the project, setting out the main catalyst and the intentions.

3. Project Scope – The task or problem to be solved. This should contain statements of fact about the problem. This may itemise or list exactly what is required, like a detailed scope of works, or simply contain a general outline of what needs to be produced.

4. Project Client – Who would commission such a project and who would fund the work to be carried out? This is of course hypothetical but it informs the differing interests of the various parties involved.

5. Project Audience – Who are the intended users or audience? Who is the output, product or service actually for and how are there requirements and needs identified, and their views to be gathered?

6. Project Context – The story behind the problem, including the narrative and history. Is the location relevant? Is the problem specific to a place? There may be archived information, market research, brand standards or published data which is relevant to the project. This may include a review of competitors, innovation, current design topics and relevant trends.

7. Project Manifesto – The underpinning creative mission or statement of intent, manifesto or vision. This should be aspirational and an inspirational statement which generates both engagement and motivation.

8. Project Aspiration – This might be a philosophical discussion about what the finished design should achieve and the reasons why the project should be tackled in a specific way. What does the designer wish to achieve? What might the client want to gain from the project? This may also contain references to inspiration and influences through selected imagery.

9. Project Outcome – This is a more detailed list, identifying the exact items to be produced at the specified stages of the project.

10. Project Timeline – It is essential in any professional project to have clarity on timescale and completion dates. There may be interim deadlines, sign-off meetings and key dates for individual tasks prior to a final completion date. The brief should highlight the key dates and deadlines to be achieved.Realisation

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Realisation: Framing – Defining Elements

1. Project Title

A Berlin Odyssey

2. Project Introduction

The project would use Homer’s Odyssey as a framework on which to hang an episodic journey through Berlin, much in the same way that James Joyce used the epic poem as the framework on which to hang his novel “Ulysses”, set in Dublin.

There would be an emphases on the “Hero”, as yet still to be developed.

It would be presented primarily as an online exhibition, a complete website, individual images could be collected in a book.

The episodic adventure would be in the form of separate 360° photo-spheres, each at specific locations, as per Google Street View.

These photo-spheres would be photoshopped in such a way as to incorporate other images in the form of a virtual gallery or installation, which the viewer could then investigate by navigating around the photo-sphere.

The galleries and/or installations would be many images depicting and combined in such a way as to enhance the story. 

The photo-spheres would be linked together to form a journey.

Photo-sphere example:

https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/100359283502552823629/photos/@52.5204565,13.3759487,3a,90y,120.99h,80.07t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sAF1QipPDNSeNmPJrVl2faNdoD_svFc1rHqQ13mJDEBWR!2e10!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPDNSeNmPJrVl2faNdoD_svFc1rHqQ13mJDEBWR%3Dw365-h260-k-no-pi-10-ya155.75-ro0-fo100!7i12144!8i6072!4m3!8m2!3m1!1e1?authuser=1

Photoshopped example: 

https://blog.chromographix.com/test

In essence the project would be an extremely involved Pecha Kucha, but in 3D, and its realisation wholly dependant on good organisation.

https://blog.chromographix.com/pecha-kucha-berlin

Wearing a virtual reality headset, each photo-sphere would offer an immersive experience.

3. Project Scope

• The project would require photo-spheres from specific locations around Berlin – I am a qualified, registered Google Street View photographer, and can easily capture the required photo-spheres.
• Some installations, frames and galleries would have to be constructed and photoshopped into the location photo-spheres – I have more than adequate skills as a furniture maker to construct these and photograph them accurately.
• My photoshop skills are adequate enough to construct photo montages of the required photo-spheres etc. to generate the illusion, that they are real.
• I have sufficient WordPress, CSS and HTML programming skills to easily construct a suitable website.

4. Project Client

In the real world:

Client is the ICI, University of Hertfordshire.

The university is awarding the MA, and so this academic title can therefore be seen as payment received for completion of the project – if the project isn’t finished to a satisfactory standard, the MA will simply not be awarded.

With this in mind, it’s extremely important to satisfy the scope of this extremely vague brief.

In an alternative reality:

Client could be the city of Berlin, or a gallery in Berlin, maybe even become part of the EMOP itself – European Month Of Photography

5. Project Audience

• The primary audience would be online, and therefore global, and from my research COVID-19 is here to stay, new forms of viewer participation will therefore have to be developed. Any views and opinions could be gathered digitally, built into the website
• Any spinoff book project would be largely national.
• Any real-world spinoff real-world constructions and exhibitions would be local. 

6. Project Context

This is a project that I’ve wanted to tackle since listening to an unexpectedly interesting episode of “In Our Time” on Radio 4 with Melvyn Bragg.

It concerned James Joyces novel, “Ulysses”, and having an interest in Homer and Greek mythology, I found that I could relate to it, and the idea instantly occurred to me, that it should be possible to use the same device, and make a street-photography project out of it.

However, this proved to be almost impossible, as street photography relies mainly on spontaneous, un-choreographed events, with an ever-changing cast of characters, and such an Odyssey would require some form of stable protagonist and location, not forgetting capturing an almost specific series of images to underscore the narrative.

Which is where the visit to the recent Foam Talent 2020 exhibition solved one of the main problems, the artist Gao Shang:

http://www.gaoshangmx.com

showed me that it’s possible to evoke a strong sense of narration using just images themselves.

But how to exhibit it all?

Because of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic ‘If the mountain will not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain‘ 

I could exhibit digitally on a website and bring the exhibition to the people.

But how to make it more like a real gallery? One that has to be navigated around?

Which is where the idea of the photo-spheres suddenly came from, and the photo-spheres themselves could be the actual locations of the various adventures, with virtual but highly realistic galleries photoshopped into them.

Another problem solved, and my dream of creating “a Berlin Odyssey” project suddenly looks to have huge potential.

The project requires meticulous planning, and waste amounts of creativity, but there are no real unsolvable problems left.

7. Project Manifesto

A journey through Berlin, an Odyssey of discovery.

8. Project Aspiration

This would be an experiment in presentation, to ascertain whether a digital 3D virtual gallery were more immersive and therefore offered a more compelling experience for the viewer.

But above all, the project should raise my profile and show any prospective clients what I’m capable of.

9. Project Outcome

Required elements include:

• Story, plot and narrative written
• Website design and construction
• Photo sphere captured
• Instillations and galleries constructed
• Photo series for the individual photo-sphere galleries captured
• Photoshop to merge and digitally construct the different required final elements 
• Advertising

10. Project Timeline

This still has to be worked out

Visual Project Map

Mind map of a project

Mind map of the creative process

Timeline of proposed project