caitlinchu_project2

=**Project 2: Scriptwriting for Theatre**= Caitlin Chu

ELECTRONIC PROCESS:** CLICK HERE
 * MANUAL PROCESS BELOW
 * FINAL WEB SITE:** [|CLICK HERE]

(Corresponding descriptions are beneath photos. Click for full view.)
 * Finding A Focus**


 * [[image:http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/Thumbnails/100_6587.jpg link="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/100_6587.jpg"]] || [[image:http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/Thumbnails/100_6588.jpg link="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/100_6588.jpg"]] ||
 * [[image:http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/Thumbnails/100_6589.jpg link="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/100_6589.jpg"]] || [[image:http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/Thumbnails/100_6590.jpg link="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/100_6590.jpg"]] ||
 * [[image:http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/Thumbnails/100_6591.jpg link="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/100_6591.jpg"]] || [[image:http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/Thumbnails/100_6592.jpg link="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/100_6592.jpg"]] ||

First, I had to find a particular branch that I wanted to focus on. To start off, I began looking at different areas of my concept map from the first project and elaborated on an existing branch of interest. I chose to focus on the art of acting at first, because I felt that it was a major part of theatre. However, after delving in on it, I noticed that this focus would force me to focus on a relationship too similar to my first project, which had been primarily the relationship between the actors and the audiences. Wanting a new focus with this in mind, I looked into other branches to find another important part of theatre. In the end, I decided on the art of writing and plays in particular, since there was a substantial amount of interaction and relationships between the writer, the actors, and those who receive the written literary form.

Research Summary
A play, also known as a script or stageplay, is any literary form that is written by a playwright. These plays always contain various different characters, each designed with their own strengths, weaknesses, behaviors, and values. Between every character, there is always dialogue, a form of communication between them that can be observed by a third party known as the audience. Plays are generally written for theatrical performances, so it is important for the playwrights to keep in mind that they are not writing something that is meant to be read. Thus, they are written differently compared to ordinary prose or poetry, even though they may occasionally contain either of the two in dialogue. Also, plays are intended to give each individual actor a feel for their assigned character, and also meant to engage audience types into a state of enjoyment and emotion, so they must both appeal to the actors and the audience. At times, they may also be written based on the playwright's world view, since the characters and the elements of a play are usually imaginary or taken from the experiences of the playwright.

<[|http://www.playwriting101.com/]> <[|http://www.knowledgehound.com/]>
 * Research Bibliography**
 * "Playwriting 101: How To Write A Play" //Playwriting 101.// 2008. Ink to Pixel. 02 Mar. 2008.
 * "Writing Tips: How-To" //The How-To Hunter.// 2008. Knowledge Hound. 02 Mar. 2008.

=PROCESS WORK=

**SITE FOCUS**
I decided to make a site that will provide a place where writers, students, and other individuals with an interest in writing scripts, etc. can showcase their work, receive comments, critiques, and opinions. They can also show off their work to potential browsing employers, maximizing their chances of finding work. Any student browsing this site can also learn off more professional writers and receive interactive comments from them. Any professional writers can also help them improve and can also earn fame and attention through contests, events, and the features section. In a sense, this community will be like a gallery and society in one, solely for playwrights.

The Professional Writer / Employee (Frequent User)

 * Motivation**: frequently upload his or her work for others’ opinions, suggestions; may also be using this site so that he or she can keep work logged somewhere and archived for future reference. The writer could also use this site as a gallery for any written work, so they can showcase it to potential employers. Abilities they have:
 * 1) Earn attention and get noticed for their work
 * 2) Exchange contacts and suggestions with other professionals
 * 3) Aid the becoming writers in their progress to improve their writing abilities by encouragement, critique, suggestions, etc.
 * 4) Showcase their work for attention and enjoyment
 * 5) Subscribe to other writers

Administrator (Frequent User)

 * Motivation**: frequently updates the site, adds work to the featured sections, in order to keep the community thriving and active as a safe, enjoyable place for sharing work. He or she may be doing this to help promote scriptwriters who are in need of attention across the web, so that they can use the internet as an effective tool. Abilities they have:
 * 1) Update the site, add news and notices on changes or upcoming events
 * 2) Monitors the content and the pleasantry of the web site
 * 3) Designs the site and keeps it user-friendly
 * 4) Removes any abusive user who is annoying another user

**Browsing Employer (Frequent User)**

 * Motivation:** looking for employees that meet their needs. Abilities they have:
 * 1) Search up scriptwriters who have a similar style they are looking for
 * 2) Contact any potential writers who are of interest to them

Striving Student Writer (Frequent User)

 * Motivation:** trying to read as many written works as possible to increase their writing abilities, and also attempting to learn new writing techniques and get improvement and suggestions on their own work. Abilities they have:
 * 1) Earn attention and get noticed for their work
 * 2) Feel encouraged to continue writing, & inspired
 * 3) Maybe earn apprenticeships with professional companies and writers
 * 4) Earn suggestions and critiques that will help improve their work
 * 5) Showcase their work for their friends, etc.
 * 6) Subscribe to other writers

Bored Student Writer / Visitors (Occasional User)

 * Motivation**: purely bored, looking for something good to read. Abilities they have:
 * 1) Look for written work to help them pass time
 * 2) Help their friends or keep up with their work
 * 3) Research on a writer

Other Artists (Non-Users)

 * Motivation**: only for viewing something to pass time. Abilities they have:
 * 1) Browse quoted works for inspiration on home page (no sign-in)
 * 2) No function to really upload their photography, artworks, etc.

SCENARIOS
I did it wrong at first, download the first set of "scenarios" [|here]. The following are my final scenarios, simplified with thoughts of user included:


 * [[image:http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/Thumbnails/100_6600.jpg link="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/100_6600.jpg"]] || [[image:http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/Thumbnails/100_6601.jpg link="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/100_6601.jpg"]] || [[image:http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/Thumbnails/100_6602.jpg link="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/100_6602.jpg"]] ||

SITE MAPS
VERY messy at first... gradually with time I managed to simplify the structure of the site and get a more accurate picture of how I'd build it. This is actually sequential from left to right. (Rightmost is the final.) Basically, at the end, the major change was that viewers who haven't signed in are contained within a fake home page, where most of everything they click will take them back to the registration form. They only get a sample of the 'real' home until they sign up.
 * [[image:http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/Thumbnails/100_6593.jpg]] || [[image:http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/Thumbnails/100_6594.jpg]] || [[image:http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/Thumbnails/100_6595.jpg]] || [[image:http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/Thumbnails/100_6596.jpg]] || [[image:http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/Thumbnails/100_6597.jpg]] ||

INSPIRATIONS
Basically sites I visited for some structuring ideas:
 * [|Shadowness.com]
 * [|Deviantart.com]
 * [|Enhancedlabs.com]
 * [|2Advanced.com]

WIREFRAMES (PART 1)
Some initial wireframes above! This is a really basic structure, because I wanted to aim for a web site that didn't focus more on the visuals than the content and material inside of it. Ideas for the details included making the site appear as if it's a closed book before the user logs in. However, the reason why I chose not to do this is because I didn't want the browsing guest to feel like they're shut out immediately on the first page. (There would only be a sign-in field and that's about it...)
 * [[image:http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/Thumbnails/100_6605.jpg link="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/100_6605.jpg"]] || [[image:http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/Thumbnails/100_6608.jpg link="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/100_6608.jpg"]] ||

IN-CLASS SITE EVALUATION
Things that came up in class:
 * When clicking register, why would she want to register?
 * What are the features, what can she do? What's so special about this community?
 * When clicking log-in, would it be more convenient if you were brought back to the homepage? Could this homepage provide access to most of the major functions?
 * Nice details: for convenience, dropdown menus, and dropdown forms/comment boxes would come in handy
 * Something to explain the terms she doesn't know as someone new to the art of writing scripts (add a Query/FAQ feature? glossary index?)
 * Other things worth considering: books & what others are reading
 * Subscriptions is a "cool" addition

WIREFRAMES (PART 2// FINALS)
The last of the wireframes... things that came up included features to make the web site more interactive overall. They were: comment systems (reply & post), a response level (as in mood/rating/etc.), critique preferences, polls & booths, contact forms, offers booth, messages inbox, and a queries feature. More came up in the building of it.
 * [[image:http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/Thumbnails/100_6611.jpg]] || [[image:http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/Thumbnails/100_6612.jpg]] || [[image:http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/Thumbnails/100_6613.jpg]] || [[image:http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/Thumbnails/100_6614.jpg]] || [[image:http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/lolschooldotdot/Project%202/Thumbnails/100_6615.jpg]] ||

OKAY. Manual stuff is done. Here's the electronic stuff because this page is gettting really long..........