*Content Warning*
This game is based off the viral music video “Shia LaBeouf Live” created by Rob Cantor and contains graphic language describing violence in it
This game is meant to be representative of the video only and in no way endorses violence/harmful actions to another
For my IP#6 I chose to use Twine to remix the viral music video “Shia LaBeouf Live” created by Rob Cantor in association with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, the West Los Angeles Children’s Choir, and the Argus Quartet. The video has Rob Cantor reciting a dark-humour fictional tale wherein the character fights for their life against a horror movie-esque Shia LaBeouf. I chose to reimagine this experience through the choose-your-own-adventure platform provided through Twine. I believe this closely matches Tran’s statement on media literacy and how it entails “not just watching or consuming media, but also producing and remixing it.” (2016, p. 216)
In Tran’s observation of girls in her workshop, she noticed how girls were consistently
“drawn into participatory culture through their creative production with Twine. As such, they integrated their personal interests, taking parts from different media that they liked. One type of content that the girls were particularly interested in were memes. Memes are cultural artifacts that spread quickly online, and are usually intended to be humorous” (Tran, 2016, p. 222)
I have always found the integration of humour and my own personal interests to be crucial for creative expression. This passion encouraged me to experiment with what was possible in Twine as I tried to realize my vision through the coding medium. Every new addition required testing to ensure I had correctly parsed the code which broadened my perspective to one of a gamer and a designer. This confirmed Kafai and Burke’s contention that “[c]onnected gaming purports that learning to play and make games is ultimately part of a larger gaming ecology in which the traditional roles of the “player” and the “maker” are no longer treated as distinct entities.” (2015, p. 327)
This was an incredibly enjoyable and rewarding experience of learning-through-doing and I agree with Tran’s conclusion that Twine “is still an excellent tool for creative expression and for allowing students to experiment with game making. I believe that the importance of this has implications beyond just Twine” (Tran, 2016, p. 223)
Kafai, Y. & Burke, Q. (2015). Constructionist Gaming: Understanding the Benefits of Making Games for Learning. Educational psychologist, 50, 4, 313-334.
Tran, K. M. (2016). “Her story was complex”: A Twine workshop for ten- to twelve-year-old girls. E-Learning and Digital Media, 13(5–6), 212–226. https://doi.org/10.1177/2042753016689635
Image Sources:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.publicdomainpictures.net%2Fen%2Fview-image.php%3Fimage%3D252369%26picture%3Dreal-skull-and-crossed-bones&psig=AOvVaw3PGD2slcniRfVYeAKcOEBI&ust=1595204418986000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=2ahUKEwjyi5bXhdjqAhWYmZ4KHWlBAhUQr4kDegUIARDTAQ
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.maskjunction.com%2Ffilmmasks%2Fshia-labeouf-mask-1&psig=AOvVaw2JYefcxnQdGlapcbv7egCU&ust=1595204223612000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=2ahUKEwihsIH6hNjqAhUHg54KHS42Am4Qr4kDegUIARC2AQ
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcommons.wikimedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFile%3ANighttime_at_swedish_cabin_at_Fj%25C3%25A4rdl%25C3%25A5ng%2C_Stockholm_(Sweden)_-_panoramio.jpg&psig=AOvVaw2c6ZwotwoFOACCof3fNDLW&ust=1595204302699000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=2ahUKEwjavNyfhdjqAhUJhZ4KHbLhDPAQr4kDegUIARC0AQ
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vanityfair.com%2Fhollywood%2F2017%2F04%2Fshia-labeouf-man-down-box-office&psig=AOvVaw2JYefcxnQdGlapcbv7egCU&ust=1595204223612000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=2ahUKEwihsIH6hNjqAhUHg54KHS42Am4Qr4kDegUIARDCAQ
https://assets.ladbiblegroup.com/content/147c3820582781a683a69ab698801de5.jpg