This won't be a video. I don't have the time to do it justice.

Instead, I'll take photographs of university crests (containing a book) and will put them into a rolling slideshow, as I've just been testing out for the Observation section...

If time allows, perhaps I could still try to create a single crest that is more multimodal (or digitally multimodal). That would be quite interesting.

Or perhaps I re-form one or more of the original crests to represent the multimodal university? Again though, I need to be conscious of time so this idea is probably unrealistic.

I've been thinking about how I could use this. Will there be room for it Witihin the main body of the dissertation? How and where will it fit in, without going over ground that has ready been covered? How much space should be allocated to it?


I could try and be quite imaginative with this. In my head I'd been thinking that this would be text and photographs. There's an opportunity though to do something more interesting. I could make the write up quite an interesting multimodal artefact in itself, as follows:

• text
  
• photos (people, work)
  
• some of my own hand written notes/comments where appropriate (photos)
  
• my own diagrams sketched during observation e.g. Layout
  
• close up photographs of relevant sections of text
  

Another quite interesting idea...

I could create some form of image (annotated photograph, manipulated photo, my own creation) to demonstrate the different modes being employed. This would almost be a scientific e.g. Medical, biological diagram.

Maybe do this in thinglink: by hovering over different parts of the diagram, text appears naming the mode. THe pop Up text would be a combination of descriptive dialogue interwoven with literature, for instance a direct quote or a 'see for instance Kress 2001'.

A bit like the maps for the NG project, I should take the original photo and do something interesting with it, not least as my own 'people shots' from the observation aren't particularly strong. AS this is in Eca/architecture, maybe I take an artistic or architectural approach to the image. Actually, the idea of architecture is good, although it could cause confusion with the constellation map if it ends up looking like a plan. Maybe just go for something interesting and artistic.

It might be difficult to depict the artwork on a people image therefore maybe i create a composite in PowerPoint, with a 'model and sketches' image inset, which I then import to thinglink to make interactive.

As per the use of videos within this dissertation, I don't want lots of accompanying explanatory text - this implies a lack of faith in the artefact. This image should work as a stand alone, therefore I'll have the smallest amount of text (as part of the wider text) and then have - 'see image' or perhaps not even that.

A reply from Sian in response to my question about the use of video. I can't disagree with any of the below. Basically, it would be good, but its not necessary, and my priority should be the writing.

The video idea was already on hold until I get the writing out of the way, however it has been useful to have this reaffirmed.

I know I'm not supposed to be working on this until the writing is out of the way, however I had half an hour in a cafe over lunch so thought I might as well put it to use. Some thoughts on how the 'campus exploration' video might work:

• Outside of university entrance. Sound of the outdoors. The door opens, with pseudo effects (but not hackneyed or forced).
• We've now gone through the corridor. There's the sound of footsteps, possibly echoing. The impression given is of moving down the corridor. This might be by zooming forward or perhaps merging photos - a bit like google maps street view - that progress further down the corridor. There's the distant sound of speaking, through an open or closed door, that gets progressively louder as we move down the corridor.
• We arrive at a door that says 'architecture crit room'. The door is either open or closed. The sound is louder again.
• We enter the room and see students participating in an architecture crit exercise. Or perhaps it isn't architecture and is a different area of art. In fact it doesn't need to be a crit room, it could be students producing some other form of multimodal work. Anyway, we can see and hear what they are doing, perhaps across a couple of different photos, perhaps an image that shows students working followed by a close up showing an example of multimodal work for assessment e.g. sketches, model, notepad, photos.
• We exit the classroom and move out into a different corridor this time. As we make our way along the corridor (signifying a different part of the campus and a different discipline) the sound from the first class fades and instead we begin to hear the sound of music playing. The sound of footsteps is constant, however.
• Now we enter a studio or music practice room or space. The music is louder now. Across the two images we see a student composing (on sheet music) and then playing music. Or perhaps the other way round, to be consistent with the previous visit i.e. activity/still work. When he is writing, the sound of music is replaced by pen or pencil on paper (or perhaps nothing).
• We exit the music room and the music gradually begins to fade as we make our way down a third different corridor. Again we hear the sound of footsteps. We begin to the hear the sound of a student speaking in a more formal way. This time we enter a more typical classroom or seminar room where students are delivering a presentation. Across the two images we see the team presenting and then a close up on the computer screen, with PowerPoint slides displaying text and image (or maybe text is enough). Perhaps their cue cards or slides are also in shot, although that's purely aesthetic. They are also communicating through their formal dress and their body language. The content of what they are saying is relevant to the subject of my dissertation and maybe I select the relevant slide from their presentation to feature as the second image.

What follows?

• It would be nice to have arty style notes included at the end explaining the significance of each scene, for instance that the music student completes Phd assessment without accompanying text. This would be small white type on black background but maybe with a different image from that scene  in the bottom right corner of the screen (almost like end credits). Within this I would refer to specifics i.e. the programme and university, just to show that its real rather than conceptual. I'll have to think about what the background noise would be over the credits - if there's any at all.
• But why would I go from shots around campus to graphics on a black background? Maybe it would be more interesting to continue with the idea of photos on campus. Maybe I reuse idea from the SWOP video and have them as notices pinned on a board. Although why would this information be pinned on a board? it might though appear on screen. That's it! In each of the venues where I set one of these multimodal scenes, I take an additional image of a computer screen with limited accompanying text displayed. For instance, I would take a photograph of my laptop displaying the explanatory information for the musician, with the musician in the background out of focus. Or maybe just his empty chair and music stand can be seen in the background. And this would the same for the other scenes - an empty lecture theatre with spoiled presentation notes and a references slide. An empty studio space, perhaps no longer with any work on display. In each case the background will be blurred but still identifiable - achieved either using the close up function on my camera or in photoshop. 
• Do I include a quote from the literature to be a part of each explanation. Hmm, danger of overlapping with the multimodal definition video?
• Maybe the video ends with the lights being switched off in the final classroom, as used to good effect in the SWOP video. This will be distinct from my final technologies video where I will log off or shut down.

[Lunch ends]

As it stands, I could create the following videos:

1. Defining multimodality, where I include images of different modes as well as appropriate sound. This would be interspersed with short quotes from the literature and linked to together by my own take on this, in the form of captions. This video will take a critical approach to defining multimodal, not purely descriptive. It will appear either in the Literature Review or in the Introduction.
   
2. University crest, where I explore how multimodality has been a part of the academy. This will use stills, sound and text in the form of captions. It will include reference to Land, but also to other literature. The plan will be to show that there's a long standing tradition of multimodality, however the book has been privileged, but this now needs to be rethought and thus perhaps so should the university crest. This will be short, punchy, highly visual and end in a thought provoking way. Not sure about how to use sound in this - maybe fragments of mediaeval music (can I create this) which then adapts into digital form. Could include the sound of writing, printing press, reading. If any other the key voices - Land for instance, can be heard on podcast or recorded lecture, I could use samples of this, perhaps overlying relevant era or ambient sound. This would be within the Literature Review.
3. Multimodal campus exploration (as discussed elsewhere in detail). My current thinking is that this would be included with the literature review.
4. Summary of themes, as it suggests would collect the key conclusions drawn from the dissertation and present them in the style of my manifesto video. This would include images, sound and my own text (in succinct captions). Perhaps I would also draw key quotes from the data to sit alongside my own captions. This would be within the conclusion. 

Another possible idea - interesting and but not essential and definitely extra work - rather than listing the different technologies used in the dissertation (within the Acknowledgement), this could be in the form of a video where I have very short clips of the different technologies/spaces being used for the purpose of composition. Actually, I really quite like this and will come back to it. Rather than screen shots which aren't always that effective, it could HD video of me (well, my hands) using the stuff. There's room for a bit of humour here - maybe I also have some written or sketched note. Yes, I'll look forward to revisiting this when time allows.

Distribution: what I've proposed above would see the inclusion of video in the Literature Review, the Conclusion and the Acknowledgements sections.

Right then.

I won't create a soundtrack for the whole dissertation or any of the major component parts.

Instead, I'll create a unique audio track for each of the videos that I propose to make. These currently consist of: 
1 defining multimodality; 
2. evolution of the university crest, and; 
3. a walk around the university.
4. conclusion video

Each of these videos will be short, therefore I'll be looking for short audio soundtracks.

I could still continue with the idea of the Eno-esque ambient background (for some at least - not sure if that would suit the 'crest' video) but this would be complemented by other (relevant) sound effects, audio or music. I would match the audio to what's on screen, rather than the 'music to read by' approach I was previously favouring (albeit uncertainly).

I'm not sure this will save time, however it will feel like I'll be creating a soundtrack with purpose, both in the sense that I will have a sense of purpose, and also in that the the soundtrack will serve a clear, rather than abstract, function.

First day back at work after the summer holidays and I had some thinking time in the car. At the time it felt like a had a rush of reasonable ideas, but we've been before.  Nevertheless, it was good to have the space to think creatively and imaginatively about things with only She and Him and fellow traffic as distractions. 

Once again, I began to question the format I'm taking in representing my ideas within this dissertation. A website is fit for purpose but isn't particularly interesting. It could prove to be polished, but it won't be clever. I just keep coming back to the fact that however imaginative the different components within the website might be, I'm stuck with the same -largely conventional canvas. It's still a website, even it includes video, photography and sound. 

I started then - just for a bit of fun - to think about how, in an ideal world, the presentation of ideas could be really imaginative. A thought flickered for a moment of making the whole thing a film. This wouldn't be 15,000 captioned words pasted over photographs. It would rip up the conventions of a dissertation: the images would stand alone, rather than needing detailed explanation. The soundtrack would be an genuine soundtrack, not some music to listen to whilst reading text on the page (and the more I think about that idea, the less convincing it becomes). It would be playful, personal, engaging.

That would be great. In an ideal world. 

Back on the road in EH14 - without the luxury of time the above approach would require - it struck me that this is one of the challenges (for the student/author/composer) of taking a digital multimodal approach to the representation of ideas. Here's the cold reality of the situation: I could have had this dissertation finished and submitted some time ago if I'd decided to present it in traditional format. I could have gone on holiday with the anxiety about needing to submit and the compulsion to spend time writing ideas (enjoyable as this was). The thousands of words within this blog that are dedicated to the form of my dissertation are testament to the time penalty of taking an alternative approach to the presentation of my ideas. Without question I've spent hundreds (and counting) of hours thinking, drafting and experimenting with how I might represent my dissertation ideas: these aren't concerns for the student who elects to put their ideas in the form of a traditional text-based dissertation. 

So maybe there's a point here to feed into my dissertation at some point. Taking a non-conventional, digital approach offers greater creative and communicational freedom, but it also poses some difficult questions. By abandoning a traditional representational form I'm taking on more responsibility and putting myself under more pressure. If I'd gone for a straightforward essayistic approach, where the format is predetermined, I wouldn't have to make decisions about how the dissertation should look (or sound) and how best to represent my ideas. Taking a traditional text-based approach would be easier, but it would also be less interesting (for author and audience).

Here's an idea that came to me today.

Rather than simply using words in an attempt to describe and define multimodality, I could make a short video that would be an multimodal way of doing so.  If I think this is any good in the morning, I'll explore it in greater depth in due course. Maybe later in the week. It would be embedded either within the literature review or in the introductory section where I'm defining terms. It would make use of text (including quotes), photography and sound.

Actually, here's a thing: maybe I could try and use a few short videos across the the dissertation. This would include the 'defining multimodality' video above, the exploration of existing multimodal practice in the form of a walk around the campus (as described unsatisfactorily in the Lit Review) and perhaps also the idea of an evolving university crest (building on Ray Land's work) to reflect changing literacy within the academy (that I've been toying with for a while). In each case, this is a more authentic way of covering those particular areas of content (rather than in text alone).

Each video would need to be embedded in the text, although with little fuss - if they're good enough they should work in their own right, without the need for explanatory text. They should stand alone as artefacts, while also working as part of the assemblage on that particular screen.

The videos will complement and, to an extent, reproduce some what's in the surrounding text. But they'll also go further. The use of sound, colour and design will add richness. By including these videos I'll be exploring how digital multimodality can extend beyond 'words on page or screen' and I should acknowledge this in the rationale and also put a short explanation in the 'user information' that will be linked on the front page of the website. 

In taking this approach, I'm taking a digital multimodal approach to themes within the dissertation that cannot be adequately described solely through words. 

Assuming I do this at all, I'll need to do it sparingly, not least as each video will a take fair bit of time to prepare (much more so than would be case for text on the page/screen).  I like the idea of maybe having up to three videos within key sections of the dissertation, if that's possible.

Another side effect of this is that this might replace the need for a 'soundtrack' for the wider dissertation. That's quite attractive, actually, as it makes more meaningful use of sound than simply a 'something to listen to whilst reading/viewing this stuff. 


I'll write about how this might be practically/technically realised at a later date.