Even if your not not 'tweeting' every fifteen seconds like your the center of the universe, its a pretty safe bet your aware of the phenomenon/craze/thing that has met and matched Facebook, as a social networking behemoth. Its been used to promote sites, help people stay in touch, and pretty much announce every detail of their lives to world, from what they ate last night to who they fucked and in what position. Like all social networking sites, there's a huge capacity for stupidity and blinding shallowness, but there's also a very positive side.
Twitter is increasingly being utilized as a creative tool and is being used in a wide variety of ingenious ways. I've come across a number of excellent tweets that are genuinely well thought out. One guy in particular is posting as Jason Voorhees, and always puts a smile on my world-weary mug. Another gentleman is using Twitter in a wholly artistic manner and is regularly tweeting as a serial killer. The fact we don't actually know this persons true identity makes it all the more intriguing. Its very easy to imagine someone pretending to pretend he's a serial killer, when in fact he's actually IS a dribbling sociopath!
The Internet has made artists and stars of us all, and that's no bad thing. It certainly keeps the ego's of your 'stars' in check. But all that aside, it allows us to express ourselves to the world at large in whatever arena we so choose. In short, if you can stomach the sour with the sweet, its fucking great.
Where am I going with all this nonsense, you ask? Well, hang fire, troops. As you all know I rarely post a news articles unless specifically dealing with independent horror, (as much as I would love to, there are plenty fully staffed sites out there, to sail that ship). This story I believe fits the bill....
Its come to light that screenwriter Kristi Barnett has decided to use our beloved/hated Twitter to create a multimedia event that will run for three weeks, and it sounds very interesting. Here's the press release..
Screenwriter Kristi Barnett is taking on the world of convergence media to tell her latest story and it involves the social media phenomenon. Transmedia is a technique of telling stories across multiple platforms and formats. As new forms of internet communication evolve, more and more film makers and writers are taking the opportunity to get their stories out to the masses. Social networking has provided a platform for transmedia projects to flourish, allowing new and diverse ways of storytelling to emerge. Kristi has discovered a way to visually tell a story that no one else has tried and the key… is Twitter.
"As a writer, I am constantly stuck with a dilemma; how do I get my story telling abilities out for the world to see?" Barnett said. "To have their screenplay actually filmed and released to the public is a huge achievement but very difficult to realize.”
With this in mind, Barnett has decided to use a different approach to getting her stories in front of the public. She will be using Twitter, its third party applications like Tweetdeck, YouTube, Facebook and transmedia utility Conductrr, to tweet out the first Twitter movie over a three week live period, using pre-filmed footage and photos to supplement the story.
In fact, the production has just wrapped. The actors filmed themselves using a 1080p Kodak Pocket Zi8 Cam (shooting in 720p mode for online) and a high quality smart mobile phone; the HTC Desire Z. The HD phone is perfectly adapted for social networking sites and is a key part of the story as Karen Barley uses the phone to tweet. And it’s a creepy story to follow!
The Story of Karen Barley
Something strange is happening to Karen Barley...
Karen is convinced by her sinister Boss to take on an outdoors project in an ancient Bronze Age woods in Surrey. Her boyfriend Darren is excited about the mysterious legend of the Hurst and can’t wait to find a hidden path he’s heard of.
On first appearance the Hurst seems mundane, with traffic and people close by. But gradually they begin to experience strange sounds and druid like signs. When Darren discovers the path, he opens a portal that lets in his Other.
Convinced that her boyfriend is trying to frighten her, Karen slowly spirals into a deadly paranoia that result in tragic consequences. And all the while her madness is played out for all to see as she uses Twitter to tell everyone “what’s happening”.
Barnett says: “This is an experiment in storytelling that has not previously been done. Let’s show all the struggling writers & filmmakers who are trying to get their stories seen and heard that there is a way to push through the gates. I hope they’ll use our example to try it themselves”.
So there you have it. A truly unique multimedia event that could change the way we think of telling stories. Don't know about you lot, but I'm in.
You can follow Karen Barley on her Twitter page right here: @KarenBarley on twitter
Now I gotta get off and chat with that 'Jason Voorhees guy'. He cracks me up every time....
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