I, Cinna OnlineDr James Morris

Subject Leader, BA (Hons) Web Media

Ravensbourne

RSC I, Cinna Project: The Context

• Surprisingly few films of Shakespeare made by the RSC itself

• Constant need to find contemporary relevance for The Bard

• Educational imperative• Desire to “skip a generation” and create something cutting

edge• Aim to work with educational institution as part of the

process– Young people know best what young people want

RSC I, Cinna Project: The Proposal

• Use Web 2.0 technology and philosophies• 50-minute one-man play written by Tim Crouch

– Author of The Author and my arm– Growing series of I, xxx plays inspired by

Shakespearean cameo characters– Julius Caesar as seen from a minor character

• Audience interaction during stage version to be replicated by viewer participation during Web stream– Students write poems and submit them

Three-part project

• Film of I, Cinna (The Poet) play• Website to host promotional

materials and as focus for event• Live studio event

http://icinna.org.uk/home-livestream/

I, Cinna online• Film live-streamed to 9,000 schoolchildren on July 2nd,

10:30am• Students aged 11+, English or Citizenship classes• Live Q&A followed film, chaired by Konnie Huq, with Tim

Crouch, Jude Owusu and Mallory Blackman• Opportunities for students to contribute poems and Q&A• Over 500 poems submitted in first 10 days after event• Partnership between:

– Cisco, Ravensbourne, Ja.net and The Royal Shakespeare Company, LOCOG (part of the Cultural Olympiad)

www.icinna.org.uk

I, Cinna is just the beginning…

Technological enablement

• Web 2.0 context provides culture of user participation in media– Blogs, social media, instant messaging, user-generated content

• HTML 5 allows much tighter integration between media and page– Popcornjs.org shows some advanced examples– Popcorn Maker: http://mozillapopcorn.org/popcorn-maker/– Popcorn Macbeth

• Future projects will use HTML 5 implementation to link user participation directly with video content

Technological inspirations

• Groundbreaking music videos– OK Go’s All Is Not Lost– Arcade Fire’s The Wilderness Downtown– Rome’s “3 Dreams of Black”

• New interactive documentaries– National Film Board of Canada’s One Millionth Tower– Bay Area Video Coalition’s History In These Streets

• Tech showcases:– http://cspdev1.csp.uwa.edu.au/temp/sample.htm

http://soundcloud.com/imogen-heap

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWyO7uJdGQA&feature=plcp

Bite-size narratives

• Dickens– Pickwick Papers serialised in 1836

• Comics– Graphic novels such as Watchmen

• Gamification– Writer supplies a backstory; gamer provides the

linear narrative by interaction

Transmedia Challenges

• Create a strong, engaging story• Create a story users want to

participate in• Create a story that can mutate with

user interaction– Whilst also maintaining a strong

narrative drive

thank you

any questions?

www.icinna.org.uk

@cyberwest