1. A Modest Proposal: The Ball State Movie
Alex Arnold, Jacob Clark, Kaylee Mautz, John McCormick, Matt Nuckols, Katie Wessel, Sarah Wiedemann
4/27/10

2. Proposal
For an immersive learning project, we propose that students across the English Department, Department of Theatre and Dance, and Department of Art (specifically the Electronic Art and Animation major) all cooperate and produce a computer animated short film.

3. Rationale
Department of Theatre and Dance – Provides actors for motion capture of characters, as well as voice actors
Department of English – Provides the authors who write the script for the film
Department of Art – Provides animators and modelers to create the film

4. Survey 92 respondents 43 males 49 females surveyed
61 people (66%) preferred a movie over video game
44 people (48%) preferred comedy
Nearly half male and half female so answers were more even.

5. Credits Available in the English Department
English Department-provides students with the knowledge of grammar, different formats, sentence structure, to develop the script.
Students must achieve a variety of goals
Grade requirements and requirements for English course
Selected courses to be in our Immersive learning project

6. Credits Available in The Art Department
Art Department-Electronic Art & Animation immerses students in projects to help them better understand the evolving relationship between art and technology
Student goals and course requirements
Credit Breakdown of Immersive Learning project for Art majors

7. Credits Available in the Theatre department
Theatre Department-Supplies students with a vast knowledge of different styles and backgrounds in their section of discipline
Student goals and course requirements
Credit breakdown of Immersive Learning Project for Theatre majors

8. Faculty Advisors
Dr. Michael M. O’Hara - Associate Dean, College of Fine Arts and Sursa Distinguished Professor of Fine Arts
Would oversee students the script, directing, and actors
“There is already a formal relationship between Telecommunications, English, and Theatre and Dance that produces a number of short films every year, and so this project would need to be vetted through the English project to make sure it didn’t compete with the already established one. Your project could be an option for them.”
English 104 professor, like Bill
Would overlook the script and come up with themes and ideas and correct grammar and sentence structure of the script

9. Faculty Advisors (cont.)
Mr. Andy Bean - Assistant Professor of Art, teaches Advanced Animation classes
Would oversee the animation process, software use, and deadline of the project
“We offer an ART 299x which is a animation studio experience that pulls students from English, TCOM, Animation, graphic design and music,” said Mr. Beane. “I do think it is worth credit.”
Steven Cohen
Experienced media marketing executive, would help students market the film to the general public

10. Budget // Resources
While the average motion capture (Mo-Cap) setup runs between $50,000 - $100,000, according to Dr. O’Hara, this technology already exists at Ball State University, thus making the project “free.”
Nevertheless, the production of an animated film, even a short one, is a very labor intensive process.
Note that Toy Story, though not mo-cap, took almost 2 years to produce.

11. Tangible Outcome Fun with a Purpose Bridging Art and Technology
Children’s video game
Bridging Art and Technology
The Terri Dreams
Our proposal
Movie
Fun with purpose: fall 2006, 12 students in the Virginia B. Ball Center for Creative Inquiry seminar Nature at Play took on the roles of video game designers.
Bridging and technology: The Terri Dreams, a production that combines filmed and animated pieces with live theatre for a unique audience experience.
Movie: students freedom in animated/not and genre
Older projects were successful and ours is similar; our proposal would work