Work whinges & Final Module planning

So much has gone on at work recently - lots of redundancies - my Curriculum Manager took voluntary redundancy which has split the Media and Interactive Media team up and ended up with me having to run the BTEC Diploma courses next year. I have no knowledge of running FE courses and have had no wish to be so embedded in FE - I wanted to get more involved in HE - not sure how this has happened! He left yesterday at such short notice, so there is so much for me to plan and do, and there I am trying to free my brain up to complete the MA....... help! 

Yesterday, I finally pinned myseself down to get on with some Uni work and it really is about time. I must now prioritise totally if I have even the minutest chance of completing this module.  I have now got a more concrete plan and I am about to get this down on paper, from my scribbly notes.  I have been frantically searching this morning for a large sheet of paper to get the plan written out.  

I went back to look at Ed Bains personal interactive project called the Devils Tramping ground and also re-visited Donna Leishman's work to try to re-invigorate my creative juices... and this worked!  I finally feel that I am focusing on this project and making a good attempt to banish the constant nagging in my head regarding College work and preparation. 

The Bloody Chamber

The Devils Tramping Ground

I am now going to go and attempt to get the branching narrative plans drawn up :)

Research on Interactive animations

I had originally planned to create an animation around the poem 'The Door' by Miroslav Holub and have started a website based around this: The Lockless Door; but I have long been intrigued by interactive animations and this has been heightened by coming across some interactive films recently. They are classed as part art video game, part immersive entertainment. Touching Stories is an app featuring four interactive films made for the iPad. Touching Stories link. 

I think I can still incorporate the theme of the Door, but maybe make it interactive, the user could enter into other environments through different doors maybe.... 

Here is a link to Donna Leishman's interactive animation based around the theme of Red Riding Hood. I find this inspiring too, but would like to incorporate a mixed media style within my animation I think. 

Screenshots from Donna Leishmans Red Riding Hood (2000)

During my research around the Touching Stories app, I came accross a review which reads: Was very excited about the idea and it is definitely forward thinking, unfortunately the interaction is pretty banal and not really adding to the story. Also had a hard time figuring out how to navigate it. This is something I would need to be careful about. The interaction has to work effectively and although you want the user to have to think about how to navigate, it cannot be so difficult that they give up and don't bother immersing themselves into the world where the interactivity may lead them.