Like the Elizabethan impresario Philip Henslowe (performed by Geoffrey Rush in 1998’s Shakespeare in Love) was wont to say: “It will all work out in the end… It’s a mystery”, bringing the Virtual Globe 3.0 project to the ETEC 522 was a thrilling, somewhat dramatic, event – so much fun, I had to upload the project […]
Continue reading The Virtual Globe 3.0 Posted in: Week 13: Venture Forum Whoosh, the week flew by, and I barely got around to posting my initial thoughts of the topic of Product-Based Assessment, and now I need to post my final thoughts. This post will be a mixture of my conflicted thoughts on assessment in general, as well as which already-existing learning technologies do an adequate job […]
Continue reading My First (and Final??) PBA Post Posted in: Week 10: Product-Based Assessments
Interesting thoughts there Kyle. In some ways, PBA is “assessment that just happens.” By using the right tool at the right time, a student’s work is their learning and is their assessment. I suppose that sounds a bit glib, but there is truth to it. I don’t think we will ever get away from the assessment part of the product, it is our formative feedback that makes the whole thing work.
cheers
Doug
Professor David Crystal, OBE, co-founder of Crystal Semantics, designer of Shakespeare’s Words website, author and linguist Crystal Semantics Limited is an innovative Web marketing technology that makes use of Crystal’s research into semantics. The company, launched in 2001, ‘is the result of 8 years and $8 million investment in research and its ground breaking technology […]
Continue reading David Crystal & Shakespeare’s Words Posted in: Week 04: Entrepreneur Bootcamp
Interesting production. I like this idea of the site staving off bad commercials and yielding to the impact of multinational companies. The glossary idea is a great one as it facilitates the linguistic idea perfectly. Although this is a major investment, I think it’s a rewarding one even if profit is not gained. I strongly believe that once persons are educated from such a venture, it is a natural success.
Hi Everton,
Like you, I am not a big fan of advertising in any form, and the less cluttered a website can be, the better. Of course, not all of them are bad, but even the good ones are manipulative in some way. I like the idea of designing a fabulous website freely accessible by all, but like the Dark Knight’s Joker says “If you’re good at something, never do it for free.” David Crystal seems to have found the ideal balance between commerce (selling off Crystal Semantics and Reference System to ad pepper media) and his passion for linguistics, going back to Shakespeare’s contributions to the English language.
Interesting concept. I wonder how he got $8 million dollars rounded up by his investors?!
Great marketing campaign though and I am sure the payoff is well received. English has always been the language of business, but never thought of it as the language of the internet. Wonder if they put Spanish McDonalds ads together in Spanish websites?
Hi Deb,
Thanks for your comments, and something I learned while teaching English in Japan is the mercurial qualities of my native language. More than just adapting to other languages (sushi, kamikaze and otaku are familiar enough imported words), English takes almost every noun, adjective and some conjunctions can be made into a verb, for instance. I also found this great article by David Crystal explaining how Shakespeare’s words are not so far off from modern English, only 15% of his words are not commonly used today.
Interesting site… I think I’d prefer cursor-driven popups vs. searching in the sidebar.
Thanks David,
I agree, there are still lots of thing that could be improved with the website. Some interesting things are happening with Internet Shakespeare Editions published for the Internet by a team at the University of Victoria, with introductions, choices between different editions, and other clickable features, but there is no glossary at all. Hopefully both the Crystals and UVic keep tinkering with their sites.
The two pitches I’d like to deconstruct are Phil Libin’s Evernote and Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col’s winning Pitch This! project Kill Shakespeare. Evernote elevator pitch 2010 Toronto International Film Festival’s Pitch This! Out of all the elevator pitches I have viewed so far, this one seems most likely to take place in an […]
Continue reading Evernote and Kill Shakespeare Posted in: Week 03: Analyst Bootcamp
At first I was a little put off as well by the ‘gateway drug’ comment; okay, maybe not exactly put off, but a little voice saying ‘this isn’t for the classroom’. It wasn’t until I was going back through the criteria for a good pitch that I remembered the audience types. That statement isn’t intended for the learner, but instead the end-user (the teacher). It connects us to a statement that is cliché, but gets the point across.
I liked your analysis of both products. I felt the same about the EverNote presenter– he seemed genuine and confident in his product, like someone that I could trust and seek further information from.
Thanks for the thoughts,
Kristopher
Thank you, Kristopher,
Regardless of how the pitch plays out in the media, I also had to get over my issues over using graphic novels to teach literature. Some of the students I tutor have teachers assigning The Watchmen, Maus and other classic comics for English, and it took a while for me to warm up to the idea of presenting graphic novels to the class. With most other manga editions of Shakespeare, the focus is all on the images, and too much of the text is crammed into speech bubbles, thus making it a pointless way into understanding the play. The creative team on KS took a more thoughtful and engaging route with their design (modeling their character on movie stars they’d cast in their film) and has at least raised my interest in graphic novels in the classroom.
Kyle
As result of Evernote elevation pitch several times, I think your analysis this pitch is very good. I concur with you that wearing the company logo of by Phil is a simple gesture which adds to the experience he is evoking. Good point.
Thanks, Conroy,
It wasn’t until I downloaded EverNote on my iPhone that I realized what the image is: an elephant with part of its ear folded over, like an “earmarked” paper note. Very impressive how much attention to the slightest details went into this project. It would be silly to wear anything but the company logo when pitching to prospective investors.
Kyle
Thanks, Conroy,
It wasn’t until I downloaded EverNote on my iPhone that I realized what the image is: an elephant with part of its ear folded over, like an “earmarked” paper note. Very impressive how much attention to the slightest details went into this project. It would be silly to wear anything but the company logo when pitching to prospective investors.
Kyle
I think I generally agree with your thoughts on Evernote. Like WeBook, I appreciated the fact that he had a logo (and wore it). That gives at least an air or being established and serious. Edufire’s pitch, in front of a world map, did almost nothing for me. I decided in the first second that the pitcher was also a little crazy. While he got better, I couldn’t shake that first impression.
My name is Kyle Stooshnov, and I am starting my second year as a student in the MET program. Currently I am a Teacher On Call for the North Vancouver School District, and hope that I will get a few days work before the inevitable teachers’ strike Seeing that there may be some down time […]
Continue reading How now, masters? Posted in: Week 01: Introductions
My husband is a Shakespeare nut as well. He will be excited to see what you develop. Great meeting you, and look forward to working together!
Emily
Hey, Kyle. Nice to see you here and very nice work on the Shakespeare! Still very odd to be in courses with you electronically when it’s been (a lot) of years since we were in the classroom as band geeks.
Ick. Strike. Let’s not talk about that here. Cheers. Hope to actually see you soon.
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
Great to see you again on-line, and looking forward to your posts. Cool gravatar, and can’t wait to read how you introduced yourself, as well as the project you have in mind.
Kyle
Hi Kyle, your project looks very interesting! Congratulations and I wish you all the luck with it. Looking forward to learn with you in this course.
Cheers,
Angela
wow! Great Project Kyle! Such an amazing idea – I certainly would have LOVED to have access to something like that studying Shakespeare in both University and High school. I’m kind of hoping there is a strike 😉 so we can see this project!! 😀
Hello Wongte,
Thank you for the enthusiastic response, and I look forward to learning more about you and your educational experience when you post your introduction. Sounds like we are in the same boat when it comes to BCTF’s current job action, so let’s hope the turnaround time from designing a project to receiving our first million – lol – will be quick so that we can continue with our MET studies.
I also got to observe some of the frustration of learning Shakespeare at university when I signed up for a 300-level on-line course this summer. Many students went into the course with only a vague memory of learning a few of the plays in high school. The data I collected make for an intriguing case study when it comes to ETEC 522’s assignment #1.
All the best with your studies,
Kyle
Band geeks unite!
Kyle, my brother is also a Bill fan… to the point where, in university (since he hated the ending of “Hamlet”), he wrote the sequel to “Hamlet”, “Horatio”. In iambic pentameter. And had it turned into a local play. Nowadays he writes for Marvel among other things… I’ll be curious to see your technologification (my new word for the day) of Shakespeare.
Hi Steve,
Has your brother seen “Hamlet 2”, Steve Coogan’s attempt to one-up Shakespeare by bringing the dead prince back from the dead with the help of his friend, Jesus? Would be great to see the script for McQuaid’s Horatio, especially as it is iambic pentameter.
As for the technologification of Shakespeare’s plays, much of it will rely on the talented design skills of the numerous video game studios around Vancouver. Kind of like the multimedia experience of Kill Shakespeare (graphic novel, feature film, possible video game), with more of a focus on the plays’ text rather than the characters alone. Looking forward to any feedback you can provide.
Kyle
To be honest, I don’t know if he did or not. I did, though – “Rock Me, Sexy Jesus” was a highlight. “He’s totally the man, the man with the plan. He traveled through time in an awesome custom van…”
Before you publish your posting, please make sure that you select a category (eg. Introductions) as well as assign some meaningful tags (keywords).
jenaca 1:54 am on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Kyle,
Wow! You really caught my attention and had me engaged during the entire pitch! I think it’s great that you included a catchy start and included so many different videos. However I am confused about your pitch and am not exactly sure what your product is? I was also a little thrown off from the music and because some of the words were very small I had a hard time understanding what you were pitching.
Jenaca
kstooshnov 1:19 pm on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Great feedback, Jenaca,
Happy to hear that I caught your attention, and now I’ve got to make clear what it is I am pitching. Good news with this class blog is that I can upload an updated version of the elevator pitch, with less text, more messages that get to point of selling the virtual place I want to design, and also turn down the background music a few notches – this last feature came as a surprise to me, as it is built in with the “Make a Trailer” feature of iMovie ’11, but I am sure that the volume can be adjusted.
Thanks for you input,
Kyle
jarvise 10:19 am on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
The elevator pitch doesn’t really give an idea about the market or money to be made by the product. It gives an idea of what the product is and who is making it, but I’m not sure whether there is any money to be made here (or if there is a demand).
Emily
kstooshnov 1:48 pm on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Good point, Emily,
I seem to be marketing myself more than the program I want to design, and have not aimed at any specific investors: just the video game/web & app designers who are looking to expand their resources to include educational content. While I am still a bit in the dark as to where the money will come from, the Associate Dean of Arts & Social Sciences at a local university assures me that there is education money out there, The main reason I am taking this course is to find out for myself from where the money will come.
As for selling “Shakespeare”, perhaps one of the most recognizable names in literature, there have been roughly four centuries of interest, and definite peaks and troughs within the field of education. My main point of the pitch, which I will continue to tinker with until I can make my message more clear, is that with the right digital tools and ingenuity for the way students engage with Shakespeare, the demand will come from the younger audiences to experience the plays as performance, rather than works of confusing text. Please continue to comment as my pitch evolves, and hopefully addresses yours and others’ concerns.
Thank you,
Kyle
Deb Giesbrecht 5:12 pm on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Interesting elevator pitch Kyle – loved the dramatic pictures and music – very creative! I did have to go into the Venture Pitch to see what you were selling. Virtual players is an interesting concept and one that may assist in classroom education. You developed some really great graphics with accompanied music. Once I saw a virtual exhibit which included some famous chairs – you could sit down in Marie Antoinette’s chair and look out the window and see exactly what she would have seen back then. Your venture concept made me think of that.
kstooshnov 1:27 pm on December 1, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks Deb,
It is really exciting to see where virtual and augmented can take learners, including Marie Antoinette’s chair or amongst the groundlings at the Globe Theatre. I’m really surprised that no one has yet marketed a virtual Globe outside of Second Life. One German company, Welt der Wunder, seems to be moving in the right direction with their augmented theatre, seen in this YouTube clip but I am more interested in promoting the plays, rather than just the building itself.
Thank you for the feedback,
Kyle
Angela Novoa 5:45 am on November 30, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Kyle,
I enjoyed your elevator and venture pitch. Certainly your venture has a market gap and the product is innovative. The dramatic tone of both pitches makes the product more attractive. I missed more detailed information about the competency of the venture’s leaders, their competitors, the amount of money required for investing in this project, the way in which the venture will receive incomes, and the time-lapse expected to receive them.
Cheers,
Angela.
kstooshnov 1:37 pm on December 1, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hello Angela,
One of the reasons that detailed information (about leaders, competitors and returns on investment) is missing from the pitches is, quite frankly, they were not there. Globe 3.0 is truly a start-up business, and while someone with more financial savvy could make predictions about where this venture will go, I am testing the waters with these pitches, and pleased to see a few positive reaction. While most reslies seem to like the style of presentation, I also understand that both are lacking the convincing content to sell my idea. I appreciate everyone for posting thoughtful comments, and I am currently working on updates for the pitches, which I will post presently.
Thanks for sharing,
Kyle
mcquaid 11:31 am on November 30, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi, Kyle.
The production values of your pitch were great. It was entertaining, so I was hooked. I was shocked to notice at the end that it (unfortunately) was 30% longer than the maximum length allowed, though. Too bad… I liked the music, images, fonts, clips… they fit nicely together. Perhaps if you took out of some of the textless clips (that sometimes seemed unrelated), you could have been closer to sixty seconds.
I was curious as to why – for an online Shakespearean venture – you chose the styles of things you did. The B-movie / alien / cold war vibe, I think, detracts from viewers understanding what you’re pitching. Some of your voiceless scenes didn’t, I think, suit the real essence of what you were trying to say. They came across more suited to the style of clip you created.
In the end, I was emotionally won over. I was entertained. Unfortunately, I felt a little confused / misled, though, and didn’t have enough to make an informed decision on what I might or might not invest in.
Cheers,
Stephen
kstooshnov 1:48 pm on December 1, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Woo hoo, emotionally won over, you say?
Thank you for the feedback, and I was really happy when I found out that iMovie ’11 had trailer templates, and while it would have been tempting to pitch the project as a romantic comedy or James Bond movie, I like that “film noir” had thrilling music as well as enough text to get the message across. Thanks to yours and other comments, I have retooled the teaser trailer – but am still not able to get it down to a minute – and provided a clearer message for potential investors. Hope that the link to this blog entry makes it clear that they can find out more facts after being entertained and won over as well.
All the best,
Kyle
Deb Kim 1:40 pm on November 30, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Kyle,
You caught my attention as well. You did a great job on both the elevator and venture pitch. I especially loved your “teaser trailor” version of the elevator pitch.
One thing I wasn’t quite sure is what your venture is exactly about. However, I was able to figure it out after watching your venture pitch twice and reading the coursemates’ comments. It’s a very interesting venture to me even though Shakespear is not the topic in my area of teaching. You did a good job on adding graphics, images, news clips, and videos to the venture pitch.
How is your product unique? How is it different from your competitors?
Deb
kstooshnov 2:15 pm on December 1, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks Deb, glad you asked!
Most of the Internet presentation of Shakespeare’s plays have either been through YouTube or SecondLife, and generally not the same as watching the play performed live. The clip that I included of Ben Crystal reciting the opening chorus of Henry V (both in Received Pronunciation and the Original Pronunciation) gives the Virtual Globe 3.0 the advantage of getting the words right. The whole project should seem like a Panoramic Ball Cam had been sent back in time to capture the performances (as well as the audience reactions) at the old Globe Theatre of Shakespeare’s London during one of his plays. Difficult? yes. Expensive? very! Possible? let’s see if any investors are interested.
I appreciate your thoughts on this project,
Kyle
hall 4:27 pm on November 30, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Kstooshnov,
Your pitch was quite appealing and exciting. It captured my attention from the beginning to the end. The sound track and sequencing of ideas were good. Virtual player is good venture that could attract many users. I think it will bring flexibilities and interest to the teaching and learning of literature or English. However, I think your pitch lacked some key elements such as market target group, investment returns and competitors.
andrea 7:54 pm on November 30, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hello Kyle,
These were interesting pieces to watch, in part because you’ve woven together so many visual resources. Your elevator pitch piqued my curiosity, but left me a bit confused about your venture. I agree with Stephen’s comments on some of the scenes; I thought a shorter version would have served just as well.
Your venture pitch was a small theatrical work (or should I call it ‘play’?). If I were investing in a venture like this, I would want to know that you had the dramatic chops to pull it off – and also preview your presentation and theatrical style – and you’ve given us a window into that. The clips from CNN succinctly illustrated the continuing relevance of Shakespeare, and the clip of Mary Hartman of Bard on the Beach really drove home the idea that Shakespeare should be fun, and that youth are generating new language just as Shakespeare and his contemporaries were. Ms. Hartman was very engaging and convincing, obviously brings a wealth of experience to the venture, and she inspired a lot of confidence in this would-be investor.
It wasn’t until about 6 minutes in that I understood what your venture is, and providing that context earlier would have helped me to more fully appreciate some of the ‘support’ you presented for your viewpoint. I appreciate the artful presentation of your pitch, and you have convinced me of your passion for Shakespeare, but I wasn’t sure how you were actually going to pass that along or foster that with students. Are the students the virtual players, or are they the audience? What technologies and media would be involved – for example, is it mostly audio, or video, or text-based?
This is a really interesting and engaging concept, and I’d be interested to see this it in action.
Andrea
khenry 6:16 am on December 1, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hello Kyle,
As others have already mentioned, your pitch was very engaging. The music was very dramatic and reflected your dramatic content; I like this concept of using the theme of your product within your pitch, even though I am not sure if from a business perspective it would impress ‘the suits’ :-).
However, I also agree that I did not get an idea of your problem and solution (exact product) or what I as an investor would be investing in or if I want to invest for that matter. Perhaps using some text with blitz of such information would be useful and/or a shot clip of you highlighting the key elements, in keeping with your dramatic theme of course.
I got more of an idea of your product from your venture pitch and was very interested, particularly with the visuals at the end looking at the potential of global online creation and immersion with persons across the globe. Therefore, it is essential that you define your target group because you could have so many. It could even go commercial and a potentially great social network activity. Also, I did not really get an idea of how the product will actually work: how users would access your product, your market, market share, key players and experience, competence to deliver and sustain/innovate your product and how I as an investor could make money.
I hope you do continue on this. Would love to see the final version and your launch 😉
Kerry-Ann
murray12 8:44 am on December 1, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hey Kyle,
I must say that I saw a great deal of potential in the visual and theatrical elements of of your pitch. I enjoyed the initial narrative you began with the site of the original Globe theatre on Gmaps and then traveling to Vancouver. From this point on I felt you could’ve built on Shakespeare’s worldly appeal and today’s technology to state the benefit from your product. But, I’m afraid, like others, I was unsure what the product was and how I could be involved.
I like your above comment about the web providing an organic environment for changing posts and content and I would very much like to see a later version that truly details what your product is about.
Andrew