The feedback I received for the presentation component of Project Brief 3 was commendable. I did prepare relatively well for this and believed I delivered enough to really flesh out the broader components of my world-in-progress.
Both Michelle and Lucy seemed to like the atmosphere I created, and I believe it wouldn’t have been possible without the visuals I supplied ahead of time. One particular comment I received was the cleanliness of the images and how that established a world that was both clear and engaging – the decision to incorporate the SpacePort Earth® logo in the opening sign really seemed to resonate with both the panel and the audience.
An important piece of information I received from both the special panel and my classmates was the fact that, due to it being set in space in a futuristic timeline, the possibilities for narrative, development and character were essentially endless. The amount of scenarios I could concoct, the humour I could weave in, it was all, relatively speaking, limitless. I also recall the warm reception to my idea of deciding to hone in on the mundane instead of the epic and grand.
‘Imagine waking up one morning, groaning and saying you’ve gotta go to the Spaceport”. I did find that comment intriguing as I hadn’t gone as far as fully developing a completely unmotivated employee or traveller. That also, highlights the strength of an ensemble cast – you can explore the world from so many different facets and viewpoints that nothing feels unnatural or repetitive, and I have to attribute that to the flexibility of the spaceport environment.
Again, this was only possible with the way I approached the presentation itself. Due to the nature of my project and its episodic, mockumentary format, I was able to pull myself away from the trap of grand narrative and focus on, well, the world itself.
I think a large part of what makes The Office so successful is its ability to develop humour in a very well-pronounced world, and that was the route I took in constructing my ‘pitch’, building a frame out of the familiar interactions of an airport, repainting it completely in science fiction and adding two central characters to provide perspective.
All in all, though, I was stoked with my presentation and thought it went forward in perhaps the best way it could go: towards the stars.