FinalProjectStoryline

Concept

The world that I want to create in this work looks like this:

• Youtube is not only a site, but also a robotic entity, a machine that comes to life as the clip progresses.
• The clip shows a man who gets confronted by the workings of modern internet systems (among which is Youtube) and who doesn't like the idea that stuff of his gets used by others
• The Youtube entity sings about the mans problems in a robotic voice
• To get away from his predicaments the man literary breaks out of the box into Youtube
• A struggle may follow, where the site Youtube slowly reveals itself as a machine rather than a static collection of videos

I'm still thinking about how and when to include the muppets. They are important, because they represent two possible (technical) solutions to the problem. The character of these solutions should become clear in the clip, but I wonder how to integrate them. Two other things that I'm still working on are the music and the spacial presentation of Youtube-as-machine on the Youtube site. I collaborate with Koen ten Brummelaar and Maira Muller for these issues.

Just like we have been visiting Youtube in the clip, the game will consist of the two muppets visiting the sites that the user has visited in the past (as revealed by their browser history). They will locate any cookie that you got through this site and you can give them to either Cookie Monster or Miss Piggy. Your choice will matter for the kind of narrative that is presented to you during the five visits that you make with the muppets to different websites.

When the game is done and the user is already moving further with other entertainment on his/her screen, there will be a situation of “prolonged agency”. With this I mean that the agency the user had, which in this case is the choice between two muppets and the technical solutions they symbolize, will prolong indefinitely in the real world. The narrative of the entire web gets changed for the user as cookies remain to be treated/processed the way the user wanted them to be processed during the game.

The Song

These are the lyrics for the song where I'm creating the video for. The melody will be a techno version of the tune of “Should I Stay Or Should I Go Now” by The Clash. Note that I'm thinking about changing all the I-s into you-s in the first two verses, because Youtube may get to sing those lyrics

When I'm online buying shoes
They know exactly what I choose
If I decide that I don't bu-y
It won't escape their virtual eye
So the next day I will see-ee
Ads for shoes that look crappy

For all this track technology
They store cookies on your PC
And although it's your property-ee
They use the memory for free
You never get any pay-ou-out
So come on everybody shout

<chorus>
I want money for those cookies (I have enough of all those cookies)
I want money for those cookies
You act just like a looter
If you take space from my computer
Think twice before you place cookies!
</chorus>

If you sell your cookies for hard cash
You'll be rich in just a flash
But in the cookie industry-ee
You need real personality
Let moi assist you on that fro-ont
You'll regret it if you don't

{{ chorus }}

You get cookies these days for free
Everybody has except for me
What am me doing wro-ong!
Me want a cookie on me tong!
Since you all have ple-enty-ee
Please give cookie to charity

{{ chorus * 2 }}

Intermezzo

After the video (or rather right after Cookie Monster has sung) there are going to be a number of choices. You can go to "the game" which will be an interactive video. Another link will bring you to my essay about cookies and yet another link will sign you up for a workshop about privacy which I will give.

Interactive video

If you choose to play the game (interactive video) you have to install an add on. Part of the functionality of this add on is to reveal the browsing history and cookie history of the browser to the game.

The game will visualise the cookies and from which domains they are coming. Cookie Monster will probably show his typical behaviour of declaring with what kind of cookie he is dealing. But instead of "chocolate chip" it will be "Google" or "Facebook"

In the game you can see your cookies and you get the choice to give them to Cookie Monster or Miss Piggy. It remains a question whether the users should control me (the guy in the song) or act directly. The storyline will progress according to the following table:

Character cookie is given to	Cookie 1	Cookie 2	Cookie 3	Cookie 4	Cookie 5
Cookie Monster	A	thanks	C	thanks	E or F
Miss Piggy	B	thanks	D	thanks	G or H

The letters in the table refer to scenes that will be played. You can see these scenes described below. Sometimes the user will only see a thanks video, which will be a re-montage of other material or very short fragments.

Scene A

CM:   "O boy, o boy, o boy! A cookie!!"

MP:   "What a waste!"

Scene B

Not good enough yet!

MP:   "Congratulations with this wise investment!"

CM:   "Me still have no cookie :("

Scene C

MP:   "Don't you see you're throwing your cookies in a bottomless pit!"

CM:   "You just jealous. You want yummy cookies!"

MP:   (on the side) "I certainly don't want his breath, I can tell you that." 

Scene D

CM:    "Why do you give all cookies to greedy old pig?"

MP     "I'm not old! I'm vintage."

Scene E

Not good enough yet!

Scene F

Not good enough yet!

Scene G

MP:   "I'm rich! Rich! Rich!"

CM:   "Careful that you don't ...."

MP:   "Riiiiiiiiiiii"

CM:   "Fall"

MP:   "Au"

Scene H

MP:   "I'm going to buy new shoes, a yacht, no two yachts ..." (continuous improvisation)

CM:   "What's in those cookies??" (throws his cookie away)