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THE POROUS MULTIVERSE: PRACTICAL
APPLICABILITY, INTANGIBLE RESOURCES,
AND VIABILITY DEMONSTRATION OF A NEW
NARRATIVE SETTING
by
Joel D. Benedict
University of Advancing Technology
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of contents..............................................................................................................................3
Table of contents..............................................................................................................................3
About the Innovation .......................................................................................................................4
Innovation .................................................................................................................................... 4
Today’s Situation ........................................................................................................................ 6
Innovation Timeline ....................................................................................................................8
Innovation Inquiry ......................................................................................................................9
Review of Related Materials ..........................................................................................................10
Learning Process ...........................................................................................................................20
Results ............................................................................................................................................21
References ......................................................................................................................................22
Appendix A. Add title ...................................................................................................................24
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3
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ABOUT T HE INNOVATION
Innovation
This senior innovation brief plans the invention of a new fictional story setting: the
porous multiverse. A multiverse is a set of universes that originate from common traits. The
current story models feature closed multiverses traversable by a limited set of lead characters.
Porous multiverses are open to travel by any lead or non-lead characters without a plot
explanation for each trip. The porous multiverse differs from current multiversal story settings by
virtue of decentralization.
The goal of the invention is to support the story with a finished short series developed by
diverse content creators. To support the invention of a new story device, a short film series will
demonstrate the story possibilities offered by universal freedom. The brief will fully develop a
treatment, script, screenplay, storyboard, animatic, and finished short movie series. Due to the
high concept idea, explanations of the transportation technology, and target audience, the genre
of the shorts is science fiction.
The development and staff structure of the project will demonstrate the open possibilities
of a porous multiverse. The alternate possibilities presented by multiverses demand imagination
from content creators. To develop the goal of a finished short series, experts from diverse fields
in the arts and sciences will work together in segmented production departments. To help lead
developers in simple tasks and idea generation, the project will be open to temporary guest
volunteers in the style of a moderated forum. Ideas do not need approval from supervisory lead
developers to be created, but can be included in the project at the discretion of lead developers.
Long-term expert supervision supported by temporary amateur contributors will give new and
diverse ideas to the project.
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With a clear description of the proposal, goals, and structure of the innovation, a
comparative analysis of the current state of multiversal stories can begin.
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Today’s Situation
The closed multiverse story device is currently used in science fiction and fantasy to
expand the central universe of lead characters. Porous multiverse fiction differs from
contemporary fiction in flexibility of travel, decentralization of embarkation, and freedom of
movement. Everyone can go anywhere, anytime without restriction. The porous multiverse
allows travel between alternate realities and past and future times with no central or “prime”
universe. DC, Marvel, and Image comics provide literary examples of not only an unrestricted
universe, but permeability between multiple universes. The porous multiverse differs from
television science fiction such as Sliders, Andromeda, and Stargate SG-1 by virtue of
decentralization. A central nexus or transit station has been shown, but omni-dimensional, freely
available travel between dimensions has not.
The structure of the project is a moderated supervisory system. The traditional movie
studio model is hierarchical, with departments controlled by successively fewer and more
powerful leaders. This project is led by expert developers that do not have direct control over
amateur contributers. Contributions will be evaluated and included based on lead approval, like
online forum moderation.
The style of this project differs from contemporary series. Online series of shorts such as
Red vs. Blue, Happy Tree Friends, and Homestarrunner.com are comedic animated series
representative of the current independent content online. Dramatic science fiction serials are
confined to networks with studio-backed budgets. This project differs from both network and
online serials—it is both a dramatic science fiction series and freely available user-created
content.
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The three series show the viability and profitability of freely available web content. Input
into this project comes from experts and a community support base to create a central series. Any
profit from the project would be distributed based on performance and level of contribution.
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Innovation Timeline
This section will be completed in the next PRO series course.
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Innovation Inquiry
To accomplish the goal of a new fictional story setting, this project will develop an online
series of short science fiction movies based on the porous multiverse. Research will cover the
requirements of development and completion. Inquiries will continue until completion of the last
PRO course in a hybrid model of incremental development.
Interviews with experts in the field of animation, literature, games, and television will be
conducted by a small group of hosts to give personal examples and objectives to project leaders.
Experts from professional employment fields as well as independent online content producers
will be involved short term in the project as consultants. Traditional industry successes will be
examined for emulation by the project and to avoid simple beginner errors.
Recruitment methods will be researched based on projects similar to the short movies as
well as unconventional sources, like independent game developers. Feasibility will be researched
by feedback from social media hubs. Ways to measure popularity and correspondent demand will
be discovered through traditional library database research. With data measures of interest,
recruitment interviews will be conducted based on performance and level of potential
involvement.
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REVIEW OF RELATED MATERIALS
The review argues three points related to the SIP: communication of real world ideas
through experiential narratives have practical application, narratives produce intangible practical
resources, and organization of production of the SIP is feasible. The practical application for the
SIP demonstration narrative is argued in the first section.
The first section of this essay argues that narratives have practical application for real
world industries. This review will argue that narrative is a central message delivered in the
context of a storyworld told with story logic that enhances perspective by use internal fictional
frames described with general schematic properties. This section will describe the five elements
of narrative as applicable to real world innovation: the basic definition of narrative, the explicit
environment of narrative, the overall schemas that define narrative elements, the interpretive
discourse models of narrative, and the interpretation of external real world issues told by the
story logic of a narrative.
Narrative includes both fictional and non-fictional events because the most basic
definition of narrative as a medium is “a form of communication which presents a sequence of
events caused and experienced by characters” (Jahn, 2005). The “form of communication” can
be oratory, the written word, or audio-visual presentation used inside and outside of fiction to
relate historical markers lived by one set of fictional or non-fictional people to another set.
Narrative is separated from documentary reports by experientiality, or central message emulated
via a story: “narrative is a perceptual activity that organizes data into a special pattern which
represents and explains experience” (Jahn). Environment is communicated better through
narrative than through documentary reports due to the experientiality of narrative environments.
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Narrative content can be divided into sub spaces to define explicit, literal environmental
embeddedness.
Environmental embeddedness is the context that frames the story in terms of time, place,
and environment. The specific descriptions of embedded environments are what makes narrative
a form of communication suitable for conveyance of real world ideas in a fictional setting. The
three divisions of literal narrative environmental embeddedness are literary space, story space,
and discourse space. Literary space is “the environment which situates objects and characters;
more specifically, the environment in which characters move or live in” (Jahn). Literary space is
the entire setting of an environment beyond the story told in a single episode or book. Story
space is a finite point within the relative chronology of a narrative where actions take place.
Discourse space is based on physical location, and varies with the descriptions of the narrator.
The three contextual frames are a foundation of literal, direct context for abstract, indirect
context. All narratives contain environments to place a story in context, whether the stories are
fictional or non-fictional. Environments describe what a narrative contains, while schemas define
what the properties of individual content elements.
Schemas define the properties of story elements: “broad, abstract structures that give
general conditions for the object in question. We have schemas for genres, for characters, for
imagery, for dialogue, and so on” (Hogan, 2003, p. 71). Every element of a narrative is defined
by the value held by a correspondent abstract structure. Environment, discourse models, and
story logic all have a schema to define properties. Narrators create schemas from multiple
prototypes and other works: “There are several ways in which authors may specify schemas. One
is through the combination of elements from other works” (Hogan, p. 72). Narratives that
overlap genres result in more specific genres. Specification of schema will happen in any
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narrative, regardless of genre or reality. Schemas define elements of a topic, as any practical
technical blueprint does. Narratives of real events have a schematic genre, as well as other
schematic elements such as discourse.
In contrast to discourse space that describes setting in a narrative, discourse models are
an abstract discussion and interpretation of literal concepts framed indirectly by the story. As
practical inventions are aware of design complications, flaws, or implications for further
development, so too do discourse models interpret the environment, schemas, and story logic of
a narrative. Discourse models provide contextual cues by indirect explanations of the events of
the story: “Discourse models can be defined as emergent, dynamic interpretive frames that
interlocutors collaboratively construct in order to make sense of an ongoing stretch of talk”
(Herman, p. 19). The “emergent, dynamic interpretive frames” translate recollection or dialogue
from absolute occurrences into the relative point of view of the author or character. Discourse
models give interpretation within the narrative. Story logic, however, gives interpretation of
extra-narrative, real world issues via the narrative.
Story logic gives perspective to real world events. Story logic is an the logical knowledge
an author has of the real world transferred to story format: “Story logic, in this sense, is the logic
by virtue of which people (including writers) know when, how, and why to use stories to enable
themselves and others to find their way in the world” (Herman, p. 24). Story logic means that
stories are consistent with internally logical events and are logical arguments for real world
issues: “In using the phrase story logic in the first part, I mean to suggest that stories both have a
logic and are a logic in their own right” (Herman, p. 22). The “logic in their own right” means
narratives form logical arguments for real world views, expressed by the internal logic of story
schemas. The interpretations of story logic give perspective to real world events not offered by
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documentary reports. The practical equivalent is an application assessment of a technical
invention. Story logic places real world logic into story, discourse gives in-narrative
interpretation, schemas define individual story objects, and contextual frames set literal context.
In summary of the first section, narrative consists of real world ideas translated to fiction,
framed internally and specifically described by schemas. The passage of real world ideas through
fiction and back into reality are addressed by the next section.
This proposal proves in the first section of related materials that real world ideas
communicated through experiential narratives have practical application like any technological
invention. In the second section, the proposal proves the practical demand for a creative story
setting. This project will create a series of short movies to put the setting innovation into
practice. The specific narrative format demonstrated by this project is the animated short.
The medium of movies is chosen for this project because of the story logic and discourse
not possible in other narrative media. Films and the animated cartoon in particular distill
schemas to basic prototypes. Animation “is a metaphorical and metonymic art at one and the
same time” (Calvino, p. 80). Film, literature, and games are narratives that use story logic to
convey a message. The abstract narratives provide imaginative perspectives not possible in real
life. Stories therefore have real world application.
While film production does not contribute practical goods to the world of industry, films
produce intangible resources. The legislature of Trinidad and Tobago funded a government film
company because of the intangible resources: “The film industry is of national importance on
four levels, social, cultural, political, and economic” (Trinidad, 2005). The intangible resources
were an investment in the development of the country. The government proposal outlined the
specific advantages brought by the movie industry in the four areas of growth: “social:
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communicating ideas, information and ideology; cultural: preserving and promoting cultural
traditions; political: providing the forum for debate and discussion as well as information to the
public; economic: the industry generates both revenue and employment: $172.5 billion in 1997
worldwide” (Trinidad). The proposed innovation project will focus on the social arena of movie
production, to communicate the idea of a new story setting. The movie industry distributes ideas
faster than practical goods industries, so the project will distribute the idea by the media of
movies. While movies do not produce practical innovations, movies do produce intangible
innovations, like the story idea distributed by this project. Distribution of the idea of this project
will be faster than distribution of practical innovations.
This project will spread creative competency innovations throughout the industry faster
than practical inventions spread. The film industry innovates faster than practical goods
producers due to new real world technologies: “For the film industry, the changing technological
environment requires production houses to constantly re-invent themselves in order to survive
and prosper” (Wong, 2007). Film and animation make use of technology, but do not develop new
practical assets like other industries. Instead, film producers apply technological innovations to
the movie context: “the challenge is how to adapt and extend thinking about innovation systems
to the creative industries like the film and animation industry and to extend technological
competencies to innovative creative competencies” (Wong). This project will collect the
“technological competencies” of contributors to apply them to the creative context of the project.
The distribution of the idea will innovative creative competencies along with story setting.
While this project advances creative competencies, the main goal is to advance an
innovation in story setting. The most important element of film production remains the creators,
not new technology: “Despite any emphasis that is placed on the impact of new technologies and
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technological convergence, it is peoples’ creative imagination and craft skills that are the ‘core
competence’ of a thriving film sector” (Wong). Technology can be used to enhance the creative
abilities of contributors. However, the main goal of this project is apply the creative abilities of
contributors to the new story setting. While the story setting innovation is not a technological
invention, this project will use modern technology and creative contributors to demonstrate the
effectiveness of the story innovation.
The innovation of the new story setting innovation of a porous multiverse is viable due to
collaboration of creators. The film medium chosen by this innovation project is ideal for the
dissemination of the idea among creators due to a level of collaboration not seen in practical
goods industries: “As an art form, filmmaking is also a highly collaborative effort involving a
combination of many diverse creative and specialized skills” (Wong). The diversity and
specialization of contributors will spread the idea throughout industries outside of the film
industry. The idea is viable due to the diversity of collaborative creators.
The second section of this proposal proves that movies are unique narratives that produce
practical, intangible resources. The second section also proves this project will advance creative
competencies and distribute a viable innovation in creativity through collaboration. The third
section shows how contributors will organize to demonstrate the innovation of the porous
multiverse.
This third section describes the organization of the project in three topics: the
development plan, the developer structure, and individual contributor selection. The project in
pre-production is diverse in ideas with phases that overlap, but after pre-production is finalized
in ideas with sequential phases. First, the project producer and contributor community that form
the developer structure will first select a core group of executive leaders. Second, executive
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leaders will complete the hierarchical development structure with selection of assistant
contributors. The model of development schedules goals and departmental activity.
The developmental model chosen for this project is a hybrid iterative and linear model,
where sequential phases overlap. Web designers Lynch & Horton describe the hybrid model in
practice: “many design iterations are encouraged early in the process but are strongly
discouraged later in the development and testing phases (2009, Ch. 2, p. 6).” Early in movie pre-
production, diverse creative ideas frequently change. Once production begins, ideas are
developed into a final product. The model of this project develops by emergent management of
assistant contributors by lead executives.
The project consists of lead and assistant contributors in an emergent management model.
In pre-production, goals are defined by leads with the input of assistants. After pre-production,
assistants will decide how to meet the previously defined goals. Leaders will grant final approval
to the decisions of decentralized assistants. The advantage of emergent management is dynamic
innovation: “Enterprise architects must decentralize decision making to enable innovation [...] In
decentralized organizations innovation is dynamic and change is organic” (Burke, 2008, Table
1). The “decentralized decision making” to assistants chosen based on their abilities still allows
the crew meet the previously defined goals and create a vision in the best way they see fit. Valve
corporation is an example of central leaders with assistant contributors that create finished
projects. Valve provides the original project resources and goals, which are then developed by
community contributors. For example, game map source files from Team Fortress 2 were
released so that map developers could independently create new maps based on the source:
“When we released Team Fortress 2, we also released the production tools that we made our
maps with” (Valve, 19 June 2008). Valve leaders then improve upon assistant contributor maps
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and grant final approval for inclusion of the maps in product updates: “After seeing the large
number of these maps, and the high quality work contained within them, we decided it’d be great
to get some of them out in an update” (Valve). The management model of this project will act in
the same way as Valve contributors—as independent assistant creators who develop elements
approved by project leaders.
The traditional studio industry method of recruitment begins from the top down, with
lead department positions chosen first by an executive producer. Writer-producer-director
Gregory Goodell says the hierarchical studio model begins with a script or idea proposal pitched
by a producer or director to a studio development committee: “the fundamental decisions that
define what the movie will become, including the direction and tone of the story and screenplay,
and the selection of the screenwriter, cast, and director, will be subject to committee approval at
the studio” (1998, p. 7). The core group of lead developers is the screenplay writer, the producer,
and the director. In a studio, crew is allocated by a studio committee. The crew structure of
independently funded films is hierarchical, like studios. This project will select the core group in
the same way studio the producer structure leads crew hierarchies.
Once an independent film producer has secured finances for production of a story, the
producer selects core lead developers—the screenplay writer, the director, the unit production
manager (UPM), and first assistant director (first AD). Goodell says the similar roles of logistics
and creative management are what necessitate the early hire of both: “The production manager's
work is closely coupled with that of the first assistant director (first AD), and both should be
hired as early as possible” (1998, p. 104). The UPM will complete the production hierarchy with
the selection of department leads. The production company structure of online shorts is not
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hierarchical, but individual allocation based on organizational demands and previous
performance.
The hire model of online shorts is based on proximity and a preexistant base of friends.
Matt and Mike Chapman, producers of the online animated series Homestarrunner , are the only
full-time content creators, in addition to their immediate family. “Our sister does all of the
business,” says Matt Chapman, “She runs the online store, um, and that's, that's it. Four of us,
basically...So not much on our staff” (2007). Recruitment was not needed, as the small four-
member, family exclusive company is self-sustained and independent of additional assistants.
Rooster Teeth Productions (RT) is an online short series made of a group composed of
coworkers, acquaintances, and two industry professionals. Online short production organizations
are similar in size and contributor pool to RT and to the Chapman's. Because the structure of
online short producers selects fewer contributors than studio heirarchies select, online short
producers hire based on familiarity and contributor experience prior to pre-production. This
project will use the online short method of well-known contributor selection for leaders, and the
studio hierarchy model to approve creations completed by assistant contributors.
In summary of section three, this project will develop iteratively in pre-production, but
linearly afterwards. The overall developer structure is made of executive leaders and creative
assistants. The project will select individual leaders in an hierarchical independent studio model,
and will select assistant contributors based on peer performance evaluation and repute. The
organization schema proves the viability of the SIP.
In summary, this review argues three points: real world ideas translated to narrative have
real world application, the intangible resources narratives produce are practical, and organization
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of the SIP narrative production is viable. The execution of the development structure will take
place in the learning process in the next PRO series course.
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LEARNING PROCESS
This section will be completed in the next PRO series course.
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RESULTS
This section will be completed in the third PRO series course.
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Future as Clear as the Past?, pages pp. 1-36, Warwick, United Kingdom.Retrieved 28 November, 2009 from First Search database.
http://www.hrwiki.org/wiki/Georgia_Tech_-_26_Apr_2007
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APPENDIX A. ADD TITLE
This section will be completed in the next PRO series course.