unforum

[Jingleman]

The way I see it, the thing about this Web 2.0 "chaotic" storytelling is that it's supposed to occur in real time, right? That's the idea. We get the story through whatever the characters post online, using the same online tools that everybody uses these days, and in that way, there's opportunity for a different kind of realism that wasn't there before. Marble Hornets has been exploring that idea pretty thoroughly, with characters communicating with one another across YouTube channels and updating their progress on Twitter, just as they might if it wasn't fiction. That's the new standard in this type of storytelling medium.

The trouble is, when the point of the medium is that it approximates the real digital lives of the characters involved, the time between updates becomes itself a plot point.

Sometimes it's significant, like the "missing seven months." Sometimes less so. But when the storytelling medium relies upon the audience supposing that Jay really could be out there, somewhere in Alabama, derping around right now, the lack of a digital footprint from his activities is in itself part of the story.

So far, I think most delays like this have been addressed "in game" pretty well, often adding something to the plot or to Jay's character. Sometimes, it's been that he was feeling suspiciously sick. Sometimes he was on the move. Sometimes he was too disturbed to want to share his findings. Sometimes he's had his accounts hacked or he's blanked out completely for a week or two. But when the real-time story is delayed, and then the reason for the delay makes sense in the story, it significantly adds to the sense that our boy Jay might really be out there somewhere, updating his YouTube and Twitter feeds like anybody else. That's when "chaotic fiction" is at its best as a medium.

That's where the tweets can be helpful to writers in this medium. They're a cheap, quick way to keep the audience "believing." You want the audience to think, "Oh, of course he wouldn't have updated, look what was happening to him!" But when you stop explaining the delays, and the updates come out as if the time lapse was insignificant, you might as well be doing a regular web series, with new episodes every Friday night at 9 EST, 8 CST.

That's what bothers me. I don't feel entitled to a tweet or notice or anything. I just don't want them to abandon the new medium - the new art form - that they're helping to define.

[Nikeos]

[adaminator1]

Pravado got his tweet and he's still bitching.

rage.

Is there no contentedness in this fanbase at all? Can't people just hunker down and wait patiently? I mean, god...

[pravado]

[adaminator1]

[DaturaStramonium]

Actual rage in the rage thread! It's good to be back

As for the twitter pic, I'm very happy for it. The last time a screen was uploaded was the day before the entry upload. 63's gonna be soon.

[baseballfuries08]

[pravado]

[Teedub]

[adaminator1]

[Jingleman]

"Rage" at giant images that widen the forum so much that I have to scroll back and forth to read a post.

[Cougar Draven]

[sp103]

For fuck sake.

We wait 3 weeks to watch Tim meet up with Jay and have a crybaby session. Especially wahbag Tim who needs to change his diaper or tampon in #63. If they give us another entry within a week I'll rescind this, but, fuck.

[Serum]

[Geneaux486]

Rating Entry 63:

-Acting only good, not perfect.

-Dialogue too short, not enough filler.

-Script not rewritten so entry would be super epic just to compensate for unexpected delays.

-Feel like I'm not being compensated for the money I'm not spending to watch this show.

-No action.

-Entry not tailor-made to my personal liking.

-Don't like trucks.

2/10 Would not bang.