MORE deliveries!

Got my headphone splitter and biz cards! *sigh of relief*

the biz cards are more vibrant than in this photo. They turned out more orange and less pink than I wanted, but that's ok. Many thanks to D&K printing in Boulder.

Some deliveries

Show promo cards - check!

Video promo custom condoms - check!

UPS f'ing up my order of headphones and splitter for the show - yes, sadly, yes. They have been redirected to Kansas (literally).

Business cards? Yeah, up against the wire on those too unfortunately.

Nothing has gone WRONG yet... just on the verge of it... a little anxiety.

I have cut a lot of my video out and inserted some motion graphics and sound. It's feeling a lot better now but has a ways to go.

Guerilla marketing

I completed design and ordered these mini cards to promote the gallery show. The reverse side has event details. The facing sides above are intended to create buzz. I ordered 200 and expect to leave them around campus and wherever I go.

Tangible happenings

In the last few days, I've ordered:

• business cards
• custom printed condoms
• 3 headphones
• headphone splitter

...oh, and a yoga mat carrier, which is tangentially related to thesis progress. Amazon makes it hard to just get what you go there for... kind of like Whole Foods.

Anyway, I'm now designing promo postcards for the show, which makes this all feel very real and urgent.

Mood boards for motion

For the motion titles.... exploring ideas. I want to do animation, potentially something that's silly, cool, eye catching, sophomoric, irreverent, pop culture, guy-ish. Here are four mood boards exploring options.

LOGO!

Ta da!

Mood board for "You're the Man" logo

I've been using a temporary logo for my project, but I want to refine it for my promotional materials and the final video. Here is some creative exploration of MAN stuff. It's remarkable how much black, red, and white are used. They are strong and powerful colors. Also - fonts are blocky, san serif, bold, "in your face", and sometimes suggest speed with oblique styling. As you can see, I investigate "guy stuff" related to fashion, power tools, automotive, pop culture, entertainment, food/beverage, personal care, and sports.

On examining the iconography of the logos, I find these ideas:

flag

claws

shield ****

stop sign / red hexagon

eye

button

celtic symbol

plaque

bent arrow

plane

steel texture

stag

cross

sunrays

belt buckle

stamp/brand

sticker

circle with line through it

The shield comes up most. On John Deere, Tesla, Motocross, Ducati, NFL.

I think a shield icon would be appropriate to apply to the "You're the Man" logo because it is used so frequently in other masculine-oriented product logos, it indicates strength, ego, identity, power, and because it actually signifies protection. Makes sense for a responsible-sex campaign!

There are a lot of shields to choose from...

I don't want it to look like a highway route sign! Should be more like a Viking!

Notes to self

When you feel like a fool, you know you are right

After a week of spring break, I am still on track... I converted and reviewed my footage, and have a rough cut. I need to sift through some of the audio from the Zoom recorder to match up with specific scenes.

I am pleased that all the footage came out, but I realized in my review that I feel kind of crazy for taking on this project. I have never worked with actors before. And we were filming in uncontrolled, public areas. Why was that not a red flag to me when I was creating the script and storyboards? And then I threw in a live animal... REALLY SMART!

I started doubting my work during the first rough cut. There are definitely moments that shine - that even make me laugh out loud on review. But I kept thinking, how am I going to make this look polished? Can I get it from here to where I need it to be? It got scary.

Today, I went to see Stacy Peralta speak - he is a well known documentary filmmaker of Dogtown and Z-Boys, Riding Giants, and others. In answering student questions and talking about his process, he said exactly what I needed to hear at this stage in my thesis production.

Some excerpts: (may not be verbatim)

"As an artist, you are in a constant state of loneliness and insecurity, wondering why you are doing what you are doing, and doubting your idea. You spend so much time in the netherworld of insecurity."

at the beginning of an edit:

"Don't expect anything of yourself. And don't expect it to make sense. When you feel like a fool, you know you are right. You should feel like a fool."

I loved both of these comments. The second idea emerged when Stacy talked about coaching one of his friends who was making his first film. The friend had 30 hours of footage and told Stacy "I don't know where to begin". Stacy told him to just dig in. That taking the footage and starting the edit is the hardest part, but it is the process.

I feel so much better when I learn that most of the problems I have as a creative are the same problems confronted by seasoned professionals.

The goat likes my storyboards

The goat kindly "reviewed" my storyboards. I had no idea they were so delicious.

Good expressions

One of the scenes shot last weekend. I really like the expressions on the guys' faces in this one.

Animal talent

The star of the show on set last weekend! Acting like a diva, of course.

That's a wrap

Just got done with 2 days of the shoot. 4 actors, 1 actress, 2 camera assistants, 1 wrangler, and 1 goat.

We were blessed to have a gorgeous summer-like day yesterday as we shot on a basketball court down by Sloan's Lake. Today was an indoor shoot - and we were blessed with a very cooperative goat!

Photos, behind-the-scenes, and more to come.

YOU'RE THE MAN!

Today I've had a few enlightening conversations with guy friends and faculty that have helped guide my message. I've been taking their perspectives combined with factual information gathered from National Organization surveys of teen boys and my own creative ideas.

The phrase "You're the Man" seems to resonate with everyone I talk to. Today, faculty Michael Mages reacted to it, saying that it's affirmative, presents a positive idea of masculinity, and ties into responsibility well.

The research I've done suggests that teen boys respond well to messages that affirm their masculinity and paint them in a "hero" perspective as a male. I feel like this phrase "you're the man" is adaptable for my purpose, as it is something guys already say to each other, but can have added meaning regarding personal empowerment and responsibility when it comes to healthy choices (i.e. sex and contraception). It is more positive and less heavy-handed than other key messages which seek to influence behavior.

Gratitude

In the spirit of the Oscars and my own immense gratitude - I'd like to thank people who have helped me out so much recently on my thesis project!

Brian Camarena, creative inspiration + spontaneous beers!

Austin Colby, my brother! creative inspiration + moral support!

Jake Ginsky, creative inspiration across time and space!

Roxy Davison, moral support!

Michelle Carpenter, UCD - creative, strategy, moral support!

Bryan Leister, creative + strategy!

Brian DeLevie, UCD - creative + strategy!

Michael Salamon, UCD - creative + strategy!

Lauren Baker - Nurse Family Partnership - creative + strategy!

Joey Torres - Colorado Youth Matter - creative + strategy!

Using existing data instead of polling minors

I reached out to the University of CO -Office of Research Development and Education to find out the protocol and legality around polling underage people about sexuality.

I was referred to the CU Colorado Multiple Institutional Review Board (COMIRB), an administration "made up of 25 individuals whose responsibility is to ensure that all research activities involving human participants are conducted in a way that promotes the rights and welfare of the subjects. "

Ita Leitner of COMIRB promptly responded to me, suggested I assemble an "Expedited Submission with all the applicable attachments and materials."

I asked where to find these documents - and she directed me to a web page with a dizzying number of forms, and kindly wished me luck on my project.

I was already feeling uncomfortable about distributing my survey to schools, but now I really felt like I was in over my head.

I zeroed in on two forms "Application-for-Protocol-Review" and "Attachment-H-Children". The forms are written in such a way that they suggest use for scientific studies, especially those involving administration of drugs, or psychological research.

While my research would require these forms since I am studying sexual behavior and values of minors, it is more of a sociological study.

In any case, I continued digging deeper in my research on the internet. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy (which I've mentioned in prior posts) is an incredible source of information, and I was fortunate to find a study administered in 2009 which closely parallels the survey I had developed. Here is the survey:

That's What He Said; What Guys Think About Sex, Love, Contraception, and Relationships

There are a few differences between the National Campaign survey and mine:

• National Campaign study is a little older than I was aiming for (15-22, segmented to 15-18 and 19-22); I was planning to poll 13-17
• questions parallel, and sometimes improve upon, my questions
• this is a national study, not exclusive to Denver
• my questions focus more on teen pregnancy and parenting than on sex alone

The age difference is not too much of an issue because they did segment their responses, and regardless, the work I create for this project is intended to influence ideas of all these ages. Just because the lower bracket is excluded from the poll does not mean they cannot be a valid part of a target audience.

I spoke with Bryan Leister about my concerns for administering a survey on my own, with an audience COMIRB calls "vulnerable" (children) and on a sensitive, personal matter. Bryan argued that I am not prepared to be a good survey administrator - that there are very specific ways that polls should be structured/worded/conducted, and I do not have experience with that. He strongly supported that I use existing research to build my message. He also noted that any legitimate national study of teen boys shouldn't demonstrate any big differences in teen boy beliefs and behavior; those would probably apply to Denver boys as they do nationally.

So, at this juncture, I am redirecting my efforts towards developing powerful messaging from existing research, instead of orchestrating a survey myself.

Thesis paper outline, v1

Ideas for show promo

BFA SHOW PROMO IDEAS

DIVIDE AND CONQUER

• poster
• postcards
• biz cards
• email blast
• website - showcasing artists and link to each of our websites (a Wordpress site? a site with a crazy homepage?)
• guerilla flyers - with tabs to pull off -stuff on lamp posts
• Facebook event
• stickers
• DJ
• Get a bar to sponsor an after party and publicize that too

distribute postcards to

• ad agencies
• art stores,
• galleries,
• cafes,

NOTIFY

• agencies
• westword
• 5280
• The Creative Group
• other hiring-entities

Busy week

I have a busy week... meeting with Lauren Baker of Nurse Family Partnership, Joey Torres of Colorado Youth Matter, as well as Michelle Carpenter and Bryan Leister, my mentors.

I deeply hope to have a better plan by Friday...

Surveying the boys

I woke up this morning thinking about my thesis, and began to take notes furiously before I started my day.

I am nervous about how I will pool an audience to draw information from. I began to consider how I would poll teen boys.

First, I believe it is absolutely necessary to tell teens exactly what I'm doing and why - have trust & transparency.

I want to get this research done in the next 7-10 days! Yikes.

Where to approach teens?

-org's, i.e. Girls Inc. CO Youth Matter, Aurora Teen Pregnancy Project

-McDonalds (I know Travis was kidding, but it's actually not a bad idea)

-on campus

-on the street

-skate park

-sex ed program at a school

-set up survey website / put on craigslist?

The really tricky thing is that these are quite intimate questions, and I'm not sure what is the best platform to get good answers. Accosting kids on the street is sort of sudden and intrusive; if I conducted an online survey, I'd want to make absolutely sure it is truly teen guys who are answering (not girls, and not random other people).

Maybe I can pass out the survey with a website code, and there is an incentive to completing the survey? Uggh… I can't afford to spend money on incentives… (maybe they get free condoms?! a code for mail-order Trojans :-)

Then I asked - is there any forum online where GUYS (teens) talk about sex? I feel like there are tons of sites for girls.

A short, simple survey on paper - anonymous - seems like a decent idea. I explored some potential questions I could ask, to get a read on what teen guys think about sex, birth control, and their personal responsibilities.

Here are some of the questions I came up with - VERY rough, just ideas.

================================

An anonymous questionnaire for teen boys.

Have you ever bought condoms?

Have you NOT bought condoms because you:

a) are embarrassed

b) don't have money for it

c) don't know where to get them

d) don't believe they're important

e) other ________________________

Do you think birth control is the responsibility of

a) girl

b) guy

c) both

d) neither

Who do you think is usually the one who does take responsibility for birth control?

a) girl

b) guy

If you decide not to use a condom, is it because you:

a) were unprepared (did not have one)

b) got caught up in the moment

c) don't know how to use it

d) don't think it's important

e) it is insulting to you or your partner

f) it causes suspicion between you and your partner

g) other ________________________

Do you ever worry about getting your partner pregnant?

a) no, never

b) sometimes, but chances are slim

c) a little, I should probably take more precaution

b) yes, definitely

If you answered "no" to the above, why are you not concerned?

______________________________________________

Have you ever considered how your life would change if you became a teen father?

a) yes

b) no

When you hear of other teen parents, do you think: (check all that apply)

a) that won't happen to me

b) they must have wanted it

c) they didn't take precautions

d) other ________________________

Did you know that 3/10 girls become pregnant before they turn 20?

Does this change how you feel about the importance of birth control?

a) yes

b) no

Do you think it's important to use a condom during sex because

a) it's a proven way to prevent pregnancy

b) it's a proven way to prevent STI's

c) you've been told it's important

d) not really sure why it's important

I choose NOT to wear a condom because:

a) takes away from the pleasure

b) don't like how it feels/looks

c) makes me feel like less of a man

d) it's awkward to put on

e) it kills the moment

Do you get most information about sex from

a) girl friends

b) guy friends

c) the Internet

d) school educators

e) non-school programs/educators

f) parents

g) siblings

h) TV & movies

i) other ________________________

If your partner became pregnant, would you

a) commit to fathering it, regardless of school/future plans

b) explore options besides parenting

c) leave it to the mother, it's her problem

d) no idea, I can't imagine that happening

e) that wouldn't happen to me

Thesis presentations

Thesis presentations occurred last Friday 2/10. I am overdue in reporting here.

My brain dump:

Leister's comments: (the MOST INSPIRING to me)

do something unorthodox

don't rely solely on the organizations

go my own way to keep the freedom to do something unique

an organization relies on grants and financials support / hinging on "acceptable" communication

make some waves

the org's aren't necessarily experts

Leister wanted to know if the decrease in teen pregnancy really was a result of the organizations' efforts over the last 15 years. I said I didn't know if it was directly related.

Tamara's comments

focus on boys instead of girls?

Girls are always the focus of these campaigns

Take a different approach

other feedback

Delevie asked again about a specific audience

-get the info FROM THE TEENS not from the organizations

I'm thinking I could employ motion design as well… for fun animation

Do something that gets the attention of boys

How to get the message across?

Speak their language

but appeal to their empathy for girls?

could be your sister, your mother

something scatological? dirty humor? but serious? something memorable

Perhaps just use the orgs as a mean to poll kids.

should I poll friends families who have teen kids?

approach kids on the 16th st mall?

Travis: at McDonalds?

craigslist?

revise my timeline

start polling teens ASAP

start crystallizing a message

examine if there have been any campaigns specifically targeting young men / boys about preventing unplanned pregnancy

"it's YOUR responsibility too"

make an anonymous questionnaire?

have different strategies to get the teens voices / input, i.e.

-in person, in random, public

-via anonymous questionnaire - craigslist - a survey?

-via questionnaire given to org's

-contact blog writers / managers - especially teens

-contact sex educators at schools?

I want to do something honest / unorthodox that influences people's behavior

maybe have a motion and print component. make it cool. make it SOMETHING PEOPLE WILL TALK ABOUT. THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT!

examine boys style

skater-y stickers?

a name and branded logo for the campaign?

adult-swim-style but with a serious message?

Girls, Inc.

[UPDATE: I am meeting with Girls, Inc. tomorrow, Thurs. 2/9)

Heard back from Girls, Inc. Denver who I wrote last week. They are interested in partnering with me. Trying to set up a meeting with them next week, they have a location on West Colfax.

She also asked me if I'd do some video work for them in March... I would love to but I don't know if I have time.

Jeslin Shahrezaei

Development Manager-Grants and Communications

Every year Girls Inc. provides over $50,000 in college scholarships to teens... so amazing.

Girls, Inc. "inspires girls to be strong, smart, and bold". Their mission includes this "Girls Bill of Rights":

Girls have the right…

• to be themselves and to resist gender-stereotypes; • to express themselves with originality and enthusiasm; • to take risks, to strive freely, and to take pride in success; • to accept and appreciate their bodies; • to have confidence in themselves and to be safe in the world; • to prepare for interesting work and economic independence.

Get local and specific. Chattin' with Delevie...

Met with Brian Delevie today. Had a very good conversation.

I told him that I'd spoken with a few organizations and was having a difficult time figuring out what I can effectively produce that an organization isn't already doing.

Brian encouraged me to get really specific about:

-Who I need to address [SPECIFIC COMMUNITY]

-How I need to address them [SPECIFIC PROBLEM & APPROACH]

How can I be effective in what could be compared to a "saturated market" in sex ed resources?

He recommended that I speak to church groups and community organizers as an alternative to reproductive rights organizations, who already have initiatives. I need to do more local research to make a realistic project.

I'm interested in researching teen pregnancy prevention among Latina teens. This is a big issue that already has received a lot of attention. There are already numerous movements to address the problem.

This doesn't mean it's not still a problem, or that it shouldn't be approached.

I need to get local and more specific.

Researching specifics...

Delevie encouraged me to get my research from other places besides the Internet… to get offline.

He suggested that I investigate specifics - such as if the target audience is generationally affected - i.e., is teen pregnancy affecting first or second generation Latinas in the US?

The teen pregnancy rate dropped until about 2005, and it has increased again since then. Delevie asked if it might have anything to do with Bush's policies, and his cutting funding for sex education in schools.

Campaign Fact Sheet

I am doing more research to fully develop my project goals.

This fact sheet is a good example of what I want to assemble for my vision (from Euro RSCG and the National Campaign to Prevent Teenage and Unintended Pregnancy)

It has a:

1. Campaign Sponsor
2. Volunteer Advertising Agency
3. Campaign Objective
4. Background on the subject matter and why it's important
5. Campaign Description (the PSAs, website, treatment, goals)
6. Target Audience
7. "Did you know" (relevant statistics)
8. Contacts for campaign info

I like how straightforward this sheet is, like a press release.

Bedsider Campaign

Cute PSAs about birth control options.

http://bedsider.adcouncil.org/television/

Stay Joven (Stay Young)

Inspiration:

STAY JOVEN

http://www.stayteen.org/youtube-channel-video/2113335FBA6D0777/0

This is the program launched by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.

It seems a lot like EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED TO DO.

*sigh* well... I wonder if I could do something similar and launch it locally. Make it work specifically for a local partner organization. Do some special broadcast/outreach efforts for Denver schools.

It occurred to me also to create some loose style frames for what I want to do... which may help organizations have a better picture of my vision, and how it could benefit them.

Prevention First and Planned Parenthood

Last Thursday, I spoke with individuals from Prevention First and Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains.

I was referred to Sommai Pham, the social media intern, at Prevention First. She asked me about my project and was certainly interested in having a bigger discussion about partnership - she is trying to set up a meeting with us and Toni (?) the political director for Prevention First. Sommai brought up an interesting question - she was concerned with the issue of getting permission from the girls' parents - to get their participation, film and broadcast them. She was also concerned about the potential efficacy of using their organization as a conversation loop - another organization might be better suited to handling response and resources. Sommai said she would try to organize a meeting for us after 2/8.

I also spoke with Rebecca Sunshine, Marketing Coordinator at Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains. She told me a few really cool social media outreach efforts that PP is already making.

First, PP is trying to form a partnership with a group call The National Campaign, who developed a program called "Stay Joven" whose goal is to reduce the rate of pregnancy (50%) among Latina teens. The program handed out flip cams to the teens, captured the conversation and questions among them, and and then produced PSA spots for broadcast from the content. Rebecca emphasized that studies have shown that broadcast is the most effective method to get messaging out. PP is trying to get authorization to air the spots in Colorado, but noted that advertising space is very expensive, and poses a barrier to this kind of outreach.

Planned Parenthood also provides a "Texting program" called ICYC (In Case You're Curious). Teens can anonymously text questions about sexual health to PP and have them answered within 24 hours. I was really impressed with this idea and wished that I was the one who came up with it!

Rebecca encouraged me to check out these existing campaigns, and consider how my creative vision could complement these existing efforts. At first I was discouraged because I thought the existing campaigns are so great, what can I do that is as valuable?

But I circle back to my idea of smartphones as a powerful tool to access information privately... and video as the ideal format to capture teens' attention. I still feel like combining these is a solid direction. Perhaps my next step is to find out if this has been done before, and what would make it successful. Maybe I don't need to exclusively tape teens talking... maybe it could be other content/footage produced and edited interestingly. It could be a combination of video and motion graphics, depending on the subject matter.

I want to find out what the most pressing questions teens have - and what the most effective ways of empowering them to make responsible decisions about birth control or delaying pregnancy. Then maybe I can figure out how to present the content. Ultimately I want to provide another channel for an organization to connect with the teens, and for the teens to have a resource for learning and self empowerment.

Made some contact...

I reached out to four organizations today:

-Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains

-Colorado Youth Matter (CO Org on Adolescent Pregnancy, Parenting, and Prevention)

-Prevention First Colorado (Associated with NARAL Pro-Choice Fdtn.)

-Colorado Coalition for Girls

I have a phone meeting set up tomorrow morning with Sommai Pham at Prevention First Colorado.

I still need to reach out to MCPN/Aurora Teen Pregnancy and Prevention Project and The Healthy Colorado Youth Alliance.

I also am starting to realize that specifically in the marketing part of my project, I will need to reach out to as many schools as possible to spread the word to student groups and educators.

Contacting organizations for partnership

Today I drafted a letter to send to organizations who I could potentially partner with. I plan to email and call these organizations tomorrow. I have a self-imposed deadline of this Friday 2/3 to secure a partnership... which now seems too soon. How did February sneak up like that?

LETTER: (perhaps a bit long?)

Dear _____________,

I am a student at University of Colorado (Denver), in the BFA Digital Design program of the College of Arts and Media. I specialize in video production and design (animation and interactive).

I am working on a thesis project that is aligned with the goals of your organization. I would love to talk with you about the project and opportunity for collaboration! I strongly believe this project can be a great asset to the right organization, and could have a positive impact on the community.

My vision is to partner with an existing organization (such as yours) whose focus is helping teenage Colorado girls prevent unintended pregnancy, thereby increasing their health and self-sufficiency.

I will produce a series (~10) video shorts (2-4 minutes each) featuring diverse teenage girls speaking directly to their peers about sexuality, responsibility, personal freedom, peer pressure, and wellbeing. The voices will be from young women, for young women. Current topics in sex, pregnancy, and empowerment will be addressed.

A key communication strategy is that teenagers can watch the videos on their smartphones. Video is the visual media of choice for today's teenagers - they prefer to watch rather than read. Smartphones are also an effective way to reach an audience who may be low-income and not have internet access at home.

This subject matter can be sensitive (or embarrassing!) for teenagers, who often look to their friends as resources instead of parents and educators. Video on smartphones is a great way for a young audience to access information privately. Teenagers share information via social networks and personal texts. This is an excellent way to disseminate information discreetly related to a very personal topic.

In terms of execution - video content will be housed on a YouTube channel and also embedded on a one-page microsite associated with the partner organization. YouTube provides a ubiquitous existing platform for reaching a large audience, and a microsite allows the audience to personally connect to a valuable community resource.

If you would like to work with me, this is what I would need from you:

-help me identify the key issues for our audience

-help develop the basic messages for the videos

-connect me to teenage girls who are advocates for sexual health, comfortable talking about it, and willing to be on camera

-permit me to work with your marketing staff to develop a one-page microsite that permits a conversation "loop" so viewers have a resource for questions and concerns

-respond to communication that results from the project (i.e. teenage girls who need a resource)

Please let me know if you are interested in working with me on this project. I would be grateful for your time and insight.

Best wishes,

Alison

Alison Colby

415-699-0202

colbyalison@gmail.com

Status widget

Only took me two hours to figure out how I was going to make a green/yellow/red status widget on my page.

I think I'd like those two hours back. But after spending one I just couldn't bear defeat.

Practicing our pitches, saving the world

The last few days I've gotten together with gals from the DD thesis classes. It's been a great opportunity to practice our pitches - trying to nail the statement of what our projects are about.

When people can't really explain their project, it leads me to believe they don't know exactly what their project is. A lot of people are stressing about how to make very abstract concepts executable for a thesis project.

Thesis teachers ask why so many projects have intensely ambitious goals - world-peace type stuff. The thing is, we've had all these incredible examples shown to us - as a group of design students and as a culture - of how to save the world with design. IDEO, gadgets to clean water in Africa, Tom's shoes, the advent of Facebook...

...the last 10 years have been a perpetual frenzy over being the youngest / most talented / creative / entrepreneur / to change the world for the better.

It's kind of intimidating. And it is definitely psyching people out as we try to nail down our thesis projects.

Pitch - Delevie feedback

Last night I made my thesis pitch to Brian Delevie. I am pleased that it was well-received.

Brian's main response was regarding demographics/"power dynamics" - issues of race and ethnicity - that might complicate the way my audience receives messages.

For example, will a young Latina population be reluctant to listen to African American teenage girls talk about sex and pregnancy, even though the issues may affect them similarly?

I'm not sure this is something I can necessarily control. However, I can explore the issues of race and communication with my partner organization, and find out if there is a suggested way of handling it. Will my videos feature racially diverse groups of teenagers? Or will some feature only same-race? I can't do anything about other people's biases. I can create an inclusive, color-blind resource for teenage girls from all backgrounds.

I feel like while it is a potentially delicate/politically charged area (talking about race divisions) - I'm not sure how relevant it is to my videos. I would like to think that messages about pregnancy prevention transcend race dynamics.

Then again, different ethnicities & cultures do have very different notions about sex, pregnancy prevention, romance and relationships, and standards for discussing intimacy.

This is definitely an area for which I need some third-party insight, hopefully from a partner organization.

Something they want to use

Howard Cook from the DAC gave me some more very good advice -

"Looks like you have built a solid foundation and are planning well. ...while there are teen pregnancy resources out there I believe delivering the content where it can and will be used, smart phones, has real merit and is important.

The key will be to make something they want to use not have to use.

It will need to have audience appeal ...Research? Focus groups? Perhaps that can be added in your plan..."

thank you Howard!

Pitch - Salamon/Bowers feedback

Met with Salamon and Bowers at Effective UI today. Did a quick pitch for my new idea, and got some good feedback:

Most importantly, I need to focus/decide on:

• quantity of video shorts
• quality of video shorts (they are filmed well - good technically - high quality - good design)
• integrity of the message/content

Other things to create / keep in mind:

• get stats about teenage pregnancy to backup the importance of the project
• get stats about smartphone use to backup reason why it is best tool to reach audience
• make a microsite for the partner organization that has all the videos on the page
• allow for a feedback loop/conversation - permit a way for viewers to respond to the videos and contact the organization / drive questions back to the organization
• make motion graphics at front and back of video branded for the organization
• make a shot list / animatic / storyboard
• 2-3 minute shorts. Make 15-20 to have at least 10 really good ones.
• display at BFA thesis: microsite, videos, possibly a teenage representative for the show

I will prepare some stats and visuals in the case they are useful for my pitch to Brian Delevie tomorrow.

Pitch prep

I am doing a 5-minute pitch of my thesis tomorrow to Michael Salamon, and again on Tuesday to Brian Delevie. Here is what I've prepared.

PITCH

I want to create web videos about current topics in sex, pregnancy, and empowerment for access via smartphones as a positive outreach tool for teenage girls in Denver.

I am especially interested in communicating ideas about sexuality, responsibility, personal freedom, peer pressure, and health, in an effort to curb unplanned pregnancies.

My vision is to partner with an existing organization whose focus is is helping Colorado women and girls reduce unintended pregnancy, thereby increasing their health and economic self-sufficiency.

====================================================

SPECIFICS

I want to make video shorts of young women talking about current topics in in sexual health and wellbeing. The voices will be from young women, for young women.

The videos will be mounted on a YouTube channel associated with a parent site (i.e. Planned Parenthood) dedicated to audience outreach. YouTube provides a ubiquitous existing platform for reaching a large audience.

Design of a related unique web page may or may not be necessary depending on the partner organization.

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WHY VIDEO AND SMARTPHONES?

Video and smartphones are particularly relevant tools for the audience I am trying to reach.

Specifically, video is the visual media of choice for today's teenagers - they prefer to watch rather than read.

Smartphones are the best way to reach an audience who may be low-income and not have internet access at home.

It is also a great way for a young audience to share messages and information easily via social networks and personal texts. This is perhaps the best way to disseminate information related to a sensitive topic - allowing girls to relate information among trusted friends, instead of depending on adult educators and parents.

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BACKGROUND

I was inspired this fall working with Nurse Family Partnership, an organization that provides personal nurses for low-income pregnant women (some as young as 13 years old). I also have a lot of compassion for the challenges teenage girls face.

The project meets a number of my own criteria for a compelling project:

• inspires me
• has a human connection
• is local
• provides an opportunity for partnership (with businesses/organizations/communities)
• can actually make a positive impact and help people / contributes to society
• utilizes tools/media I enjoy and want to get better at (video, motion, web)
• incorporates the element of storytelling

and it also fits characteristic of a good digital design thesis endeavor:

• executable in allotted timeframe
• presentable
• solves a design problem
• evocative, timely, & relevant
• distinct approach through the use of design
• has some degree of quantifiably measured success

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Timeline

Took me about 3 hours to produce this in Apple's "Numbers" program, perhaps the clumsiest bit of software from Apple.

Getting things in order

Rough production schedule.

JANUARY

• research the issue
• specifics related to teenage girls in Aurora, sexual health resources, teenage pregnancy
• gather resources
• people, articles, SME, organizations

FEBRUARY

• partner with an organization
• interviews & exploration with organization
• determine the best web-based "home" for this communication. A very simple micro-site? Probably a YouTube channel that is linked to from an existing website. All it needs to be is a place to house videos which will ultimately be viewed on phones.
• decide how this will be presented at the BFA thesis show. iPad- YouTube? Get actual people from the partner organization or representing teenage girls to be present?
• determine how to market this tool to girls. social media? classroom? health organizations? school educators? the best tool is word of mouth. How can this be trusted, "cool," and for lack of a better word, viral?

• video production - talk with girls and educators

MARCH

• edit
• create web "home" if required
• mount to selected/created website

APRIL

• market/promote to the teenage audience as determined above
• assemble for BFA thesis presentation

MAY

• BFA thesis presentation

Lists, time, and INSPIRATION

I have started tracking my time for thesis. I intend to put time in everyday. I'm using an app called TimeKeeper - which is new to me. I've used Freshbooks and MakeSomeTime in the past, but for some reason opening a browser is too much for me. TimeKeeper has a gadget in my top toolbar that I can access really fast and watch all the time. It helps prevent me from forgetting to log time, and allows me to switch projects almost effortlessly.

That said, I am putting together a project schedule. I am fired up about this video idea and feel more personally committed to it than I have other ideas.

It has numerous qualities that make it a project I can stick with:

• inspires me
• has a human slant/connection
• is local
• provides an opportunity for partnership (with businesses/organizations/communities)
• can actually make a positive impact and help people
• utilizes tools/media I enjoy and want to get better at (video, motion, web)
• incorporates the element of storytelling

and it also fits characteristic of a good digital design thesis endeavor:

• executable in allotted timeframe
• presentable
• solves a design problem
• evocative, timely, & relevant
• distinct approach through the use of design
• makes connections - relates to trends & context
• has some degree of quantifiably measured success

Voice memos

Over the last few months, I have periodically noted thesis ideas with voice memos while driving. Here are a few of them.

Video as a tool for reaching teenage girls - January 2012

Evolution of the Electronic Storybook - January 2012

Internet Love & Identity, part 1 - December 2011

Internet Love & Identity, part 2 - December 2011

Self Exploration - October 2011

Teenage girls, video, privacy, outreach; a new direction

I think I shall treat this blog as though it were for my eyes only... because I feel compelled to write as a stream of consciousness...

I am compelled to change my thesis idea yet again... and I am circling back to an original idea I had.

perhaps my original ideas were closer to my heart?

I just met with Howard Cook, my mentor from the DAC (Digital Animation Center) where I was a student 2 years ago. He is very good at identifying ideas that work and don't work - and pushing me to question "why" - and helping me be the creative that I want to be (or already am).

The digital storyboard is not a new idea, and as he says, it may be an idea that is bigger than me. Bigger than I can tackle this semester. And perhaps not something that I am really fired up about.

I do want to do something more human. And I do want to incorporate video. I recognize that the thesis committee recommends that we do not start with our medium. And while one advisor has encouraged video, another has advised against it, and so the bottom line is that I decide for myself.

I believe video is a great vehicle for communication. And so I am circling back to an original idea I had of working with people - teenage girls - and using video as a resource for them to learn.

The conduit is cell phones - video on cell phones - which is a modern tool for intimate experience. We have private conversations, read articles, and watch movies, exclusively by ourselves on these devices.

Cell phones are a great tool for conveying sensitive ideas -- information that someone would seek or ingest personally, privately.

I didn't believe that my thesis project might be a platform to actually help people. I have felt like "changing the world" is a tall order. But maybe that's not true...

This fall, I had the opportunity to create a PSA for a national organization called Nurse Family Partnership. NFP provides personal nurses for low-income pregnant women (some as young as 13 years old), who educate and aid them through prenatal until the child's 2nd year. It was amazing to meet young women who benefited from this program, whose children get a positive start in life, and the women are able to learn healthy habits and make better lives for themselves as well.

I've always had a special interest in the struggles of girls as teenagers... it's a very difficult time in life, and hard to know how to be happy, or social, or confident.

I see an opportunity to use video on mobile devices as a positive outreach tool for a teenage girl audience.

I am especially interested in communicating ideas about sexuality, responsibility, personal freedom, peer pressure, and health.

This could be done via a YouTube channel or a section of another site (like NFP, or Planned Parenthood) dedicated to audience outreach.

Resources and Recollections

By Shel Silverstein

Books/authors to reference

Nick Bantok

Griffin & Sabine

Freubal gifts

I miss my pencil

Some of my favorite old stuff

Shel Silverstein

Roald Dahl

Go Dog Go (PD Eastman)

Horrible Hepzibah (Edna Mitchell Preston)

Start small / Evolution of the electronic storybook

Snow White is one of the first books I remember reading by myself.

Now, children learn to read on iPads.

I attended a workshop last summer at Boulder Digital Works (BDW) called "Making Digital Work". It was about adapting new workflows and mindsets for a world that increasingly relies on digital creative.

Many of the ideas were actually very basic, and could be applied to all threads of work and entrepreneurism.

One of the ideas was "Start small." With that idea, I'm circling back to one of the first questions I asked when considering thesis:

How do we feel about babies growing up without books?

How will it feel to tell our grandchildren, "Once upon a time, people made books out of TREES!"

Books, to our grandchildren, will be what they absorb in a digital reader. Already babies use games on their parents iPhones as much as plastic toys and wooden blocks.

I am interested in the evolution of the electronic storybook.

Picture books will inevitably employ elements of motion; electronic children's stories already incorporate interactivity as babies swipe their tiny fingers to "turn a page."

How can motion be incorporated effectively to a storybook to enhance the experience, promote imagination, learning, and entertainment? Can motion in storybooks add value instead of dumbing down storytelling? When does it cease to be a book and become a movie instead?

Starting over

After about 6 months of writing on napkins, I'm still trying to pin down a thesis. Here is a sampling of some of my chicken scratches, accumulated and at last digitized.