The Story Lab – Project Brief 4B: Project Reflection

Creating The Barlow Enquiry was an experience I was very apprehensive to begin because of the size of the task that was presented to us. The very nature of an immersive and creative transmedia story is the complexity and death of the core narrative. These initials feelings quickly subsided as I was teamed up with Aidan, Bec and Holly who took my idea and helped to create a project we are all proud of.

At the project shopping market, Aidan and I talked about wanting the mystery to be the key to our project but we introduced the mystery through a personal journey for a character currently living. This is where our fictional character of Atticus Barlow stemmed from, a 20-something man who had just lost his grandfather and in an attempt to feel close to him again, begins investigating his family tree and discovers the mystery of The Right Hand Man serial killer from the year 1901.

Atticus was used as the emotional component of our transmedia story to provide a more compelling reason to become involved in the investigation. The story became more than a murder mystery, it now was a personal journey of family secrets and discovery. One of my roles for the project was to build up the character of Atticus through the use of social media and so I created accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and even before the story had begun, I used them to create a life for the character outside of the mystery. We decided to cut down on the social media and so we removed the Instagram account from the project and I used Twitter the same way any twenty year old would to cement Atticus’ personality for the audience. This was mildly successful as it made it seem as if the character existed in our real life yet only a small percentage of the audience saw the Twitter posts.

Our story became much larger than we originally anticipated through the creation of a secret society called ‘The Hands of the Many’ and having ten main characters from 1901. The most challenging aspect of our project was the creation of evidence for players to use to piece together the identity of our serial killer. To develop a convincing mystery, we had to make a lot of documents that formed a cohesive narrative while also littering clues across them all so the players were not spoon fed information. This was challenging and I think to fully realise each component, we should have spent more time in the early weeks of the project focusing on our story so we could map out exactly how much we needed and how the evidence would connect.

Our project followed our statement from week seven rather closely as throughout the project we remained dedicated to creating Atticus as a three-dimensional character. We wrote his blog updates from his perspective and used Twitter to build a life outside of the investigation.

We also created the anonymous character Elizabeth Oshiro who had been investigating the same case during the 1980’s for different reasons. She is the source behind the planned dead drop who wishes to remain anonymous so she uploads files to USBs and places them in Melbourne for the players to find to create our ARG component.

I enjoyed creating The Barlow Enquiry and working with my fantastic team and this project provided in-depth insight into the creation process of a transmedia story.

The Story Lab – Project Brief 3: The Barlow Enquiry

The direction we aim to take with Project Brief 4 is to create an Alternate Reality Game (ARG) around the mysterious identity of a long dead (fictional) serial killer named ‘The Dead Ringer’ who was active in the year 1901. Named for the way the his victims were found, the killer murdered five people and was never brought to justice, yet a few suspects were believed to have been ‘The Right Hand Man’ and our main character Atticus Barlow will provide the clues for the game as he begins investigating in the year 2016.

Based around the personal journey of Atticus Barlow, The Barlow Enquiry will allow players to follow the journey through his blog and social media platforms as he researches the events of 1901 surrounding the five deaths of prominent social figures in early 20th Century Melbourne. The character of Atticus Barlow will be the audience’s connection point to the story as he details his progress through the case and his personal life. The central focus of the project will be the creation of an in depth and three-dimensional person in Atticus Barlow as this will help the audience connect to the game. Allowing the players to have insight into Atticus’ emotional journey will provide a way for them to invest in the game. After the death of his grandfather, Atticus has retreated away from the outside world and began researching his family tree until he came across his great-great grandfather, William James Barlow, who died under mysterious circumstances in 1901. When Atticus makes the connection to the infamous serial killer, he tries to get the public to help solve the mystery to gain peace and acceptance of his current situation, if he achieve this he can find the confidence to move on.

Another entry point will be the mystery of who is ‘The Right Hand Man’ a serial killer who murdered five people in the year 1901 but was never caught. Players will have clues laid out for them over the course of a few weeks through Atticus Barlow’s blog. As he discovers them he will post the information for the followers to help them piece together the mysterious identity.

To further the ARG elements of the game, we will create another fictional user of the blog who will also have a vested yet unknown interest in the cold case. They will comment on Atticus’ blog, adding further evidence from their own investigations and will be the catalyst for the real world component of the investigation. They will have some documents that will aid the audience’s investigation but remain anonymous, providing clues to lead players to a location in real life.

My role in the group will be to manage Atticus Barlow’s blog and social media accounts, creating a real persona. To do this I will not only focus on the case but build up his social life, posting pictures on Instagram and tweeting about how he is feeling about the break up and the case. I will also manage the calculated release of information to provide enough clues for players to mull over, riding the line between too little information that they lose interest and too much that they solve the case too early.

My group for this project are really dedicated to creating a fully immersive and well put together experience and  we are all clear on and are comfortable in our roles and we are excited for The Barlow Experience to take shape.

Assessment Task 1 – Short Story Reflection

When I was set with the task of writing an 800 word short story I knew that I wanted to it be from the perspective on a single character using an inner monologue as a way of showcasing their mental turmoil. Having just watched a section of James Whale’s Frankenstein (1931), the concept of a scientist undertaking tests outside of the law sprang to mind. As we discussed in class, based on the Manovich reading ‘The Database’, film as developed throughout history and certain tropes have been established. The trope of the ‘mad scientist’ is recognisable to most audiences because of its continued use in stories of all mediums which allowed me to create a character that played off these tropes.

My short story is a of character piece as a man tries to stand by his principles in the face of unwavering evidence and opposition. I drew inspiration of this trait from The Substance of Story (McKee, Robert, 2007, pg. 138) in which it is stated that “fascinating characters tend to have not only a conscious but an unconscious desire. Although these complex protagonists are unaware of their subconscious need, the audience senses it, perceiving in them an inner contradiction.” Everett Irving is convinced he is what is right with the world, that the acts he has committed are for the benefit of humankind, yet as he grows to anger in the face of the charges against him, the audience can sense he is battling against himself. Having his death be such an omnipresent figure through the use of the church bell counting down his life, the rising fear ensures the lies he uses to justify the murders he has committed will crumble.

The 800 word limit was actually not a challenge to achieve as I structured the story around the bell tolls to create a framework to limit the word count. I felt as if my first draft rushed towards the end in terms of Irving’s revelation about his guilt but as I was editing I realised that it worked for his character, the unconscious need to suppress his guilt finally arrives in his last moments, befitting a character whose whole life revolved around justifying his existence.

 

The Story Lab – My Short Story

A low, solemn note reverberated around the square as the bell tolled in the high tower. He begins walking down the gravel path, people jeering either side of it, their faces filled with derision.

I am innocent. I am not a bad man. I provided for my family, I helped the community, I am integral to the evolution of science and mankind alike. Nothing I did was ever against the betterment of humanity; scientific research to aid progress. For what of the world’s inner workings would we understand without the crucial information I gleaned from everything I did?

The church bell rings for the second time. He pauses at the foot of the wooden steps, apprehension freezing his body in place. Red droplets stain the coarse stones beneath his feet as they bleed freely. He turns around to scan the citizens who line the path, a seemingly endless crowd of unanimous conviction.

There they stand, leering at me like I am a rabid dog that needs to be put down before it attacks one of the virtuous followers of justice. How hard it must to stand amongst a mass of unassuming peers and pass judgement onto someone labelled guilty without truly knowing all the facts. I heard them all, whispering about the graves. But do any of them know what was buried in the earth? They were only animals, sick and dying, on their last legs and perfect for experiments. Close to the end, what could be a better way to spend the final hours of your life than helping future generations learn more about the grand scope of things?

The church bell rings for a third time. The two guards simultaneously push him forwards, making him climb the three wooden stairs to the wide platform in the middle of the throng. He winces as a splinter pierces his toe, drawing more blood from his tattered feet. He looks up to the swathe of angered faces, holding his head high, dignified and proud.

They knew he was innocent. They heard him screaming it to the police as they led him away from his home, his solitude from the stupidity of those outside, where he could investigate the natural world in peace. Away from the incessant pleas of the people, begging to be cured of a simple sniffle so they could go back to work on Rennie’s Bridge and provide for their families. I am a scientist, not a doctor to aid those in “need” whenever they summon me. I am a man out of his time and the simpletons of this century cannot understand the breakthroughs I have and will continue to make.

The church bell rings for the fourth time. The guards push him into position and he can feel the trap door give slightly beneath his feet. The officer raises his hands for silence from the unruly crowd.

“Everett Newton Irving, you have been found guilty of thirty-seven counts of murder…”

Lies.

“…including the death of Lord Wilde and his two daughters.”

A dying man and his feeble offspring.

The church bell rings for the fifth time.

 “You have been convicted through the evidence found by the City of London Police which include, but is not limited to, the thirty-six graves found in the garden of your residence…”

A fitting tribute for those who contributed to the future of mankind.

“… the illegal surgical equipment used to torture your victims…”

MY LAB YOU BLIND APE! An operating theatre dedicated to uncovering the mysteries of humanity in order to ensure a better future for every drooling buffoon on this rock!

“…and the most damning fact being the discovery of yourself in the midst of torturing your wife, Veronica Irving.”

An intrusion into what would have been my greatest discovery, I am sure of it.

The church bell rings for the sixth and final time. The executioner grabs his hair, placing the rope around his neck and throwing a sack over his head to wild applause from the restless horde. He then walks to his station, his heavy footsteps sending vibrations through his feet and up to his skull.

In time, with the coming generations, they will finally understand my noble work. They will praise me as the greatest mind of my time and weep over my wrongful death.

The trapdoor suddenly gives way. The rope constricts around his neck, immediately cutting off his breathing. He gasps for life as his body swings in tandem with the cheers of the London public. He feels death approach, the final light bringing an unfamiliar sensation with it. It grabs his heart and grips it tight. Fear has finally pierced his soul.

I am guilty.