Awkward Valentine's Day Cards

Awkward Valentines' Cards

Cybernetic Supermarket Feedback

Me and Rich are part of a writer's group, so we showed them the comic and video for "Cybernetic Supermarket".

The feedback was mostly positive but they said that in the video, the bit after Kath's breakdown and also the 'macho macho ' song goes on for too long. They said it could be condensed down.

They also said that the story was a bit disjointed (although I'm not sure there's much we can do about that). They expected the whole story to stay in the supermarket. Maybe another animated part at the end would bring the story together more.

I asked about whether it's too much if they turn into the bird and fish AND macho macho, but one guy said 'the weirder the better in this situation'.


In the comic, they said that the "Bhodivasta Rick Clarke" character should be fleshed out- and he talked about how some people like that are very insidious. I'm not sure I want Rick to be a sinister character though- maybe make his behaviour silly or surreal, but I'd want him, too, to be a victim of the new age brainwashing.

In the comic, the story could also be fleshed out towards the end. The part in the supermarket is more detailed, but towards the end it's just 'this happened' and then 'that happened'.


When it comes to putting on the stage show they said that Kath in the supermarket could work really well with a pre-recorded narration of her thoughts, but her lips don't move.

However, some parts would need to be spoken live. For example, Rick would have to speak in the Lake of Healing workshop. Not sure about the songs. To be honest I don't know if I COULD sing live, and certainly not sing well.

There's also a Grace Jones song that Rich did a cover of, 'Hunter Captured by the Prey', all minimal and haunting- it's quite a different tone to the rest of the show but maybe it could be nice.....

RIP Run Wrake

I'm so sad to hear today that legendary animator, Run Wrake, has died of cancer age 49. He was such an inspiration...  My favourite of his is Jukebox (below) work but he was most famous for Rabbit.

Kids' TV show parody

I've also been thinking about the underlying ideologies of science communications.

Eg- Natural selection and the free market

Biological determinism and apathy

Hormone differences and gender roles...

I'd like to make a kind of parody kid's TV show exploring some of these like

"so genes that don't help the organism reproduce are less likely to end up in the next generation- so that's why it's ok to implement economic policies that favour the west..."

The Supermarket of Cybernetic Awakening and the Lake of EuroDisco Healing- comic book

Tube Freaks!

So I went to the Fountain Inn yesterday- to talk about doing some Isadora VJing- the only problem is that I need to find some brackets/mount to attach the projector to the ceiling and it would also be a lot easier with a lap top and a webcam! Hmmmm...

OK webcams are quite cheap and easy to find.

Bracket- I need to work out how it would be attached to the ceiling- maybe I can ask the nice guys in Maplin...

Laptop- whoof! Maybe I can borrow Rich's or my Dad's?? 2nd hand macbooks from £230 on ebay....

More Input

So I spoke to Rich yesterday and he really wants to include "I'm your beaky guy". Maybe using scene's from "Altered States" and Den Harrow's "Future Brain" video to illustrate some kind of transformation into a bird and fish.

We re-wrote some of the explanation...

Kath, a nervous and put upon mother of three from Wisbech goes to the supermarket. However, when she gets there she is so overcome by the choice of apples that she suffers from an existential breakdown. 

After this crisis she is taken to a local hospital where she is referred by the faceless totalitarian medical authorities to a meditation workshop called 'The Lake of Healing' - to brainwash her into submission and conformity.

However, at the meditation workshop, she meets Bodhisattva Rick Clarke and he takes her on a spiritual journey. The attraction between them is sudden and undeniable. Soon, finding herself in the lake of healing she finds herself

fantasising that she has turned into fish and that she is romanced by Rick, himself transformed into a mighty disco Eagle.

Rick is a professor of Cyborg theory at the local adult education centre. He asks Kath to join him in a new and dangerous experiment, where they hope to  measure the effects of italo disco on the pre-frontal cortex and occipital lobes. He shouts excitedly that they will become 'like italo-gods!!'

Rick straps Kath down to a table in some kind of deranged Frankenstein 

homage. Soon they are both being bombarded by the intense disco 

radiation - which causes their thoughts to become erratic and jumbled. 

Images of buckyballs, vietnam, diving cells and old men fill Kath's mind as she

finally slips unconscious...

Kath comes back into consciousness and finds that the

concentrated dose of Italo Disco sound waves has transformed her and Rick 

into a failed Italo disco band 'Macho macho' from Hunstanton from 1984.

The friendship between Arnold Morris and Fabio Gulgio was cemented when Arnold asked Fabio which Prince song was his favourite. Fabio turned to face Arnold and answered with one word. 

"Sexuality".

With that their friendship, though platonic, was strengthened by a deep sexual bond. 

They play out the the young mens' dreams of holiday EuroDisco. Through playing out this shared musical aspiration, the supermarket over-choice conflict is resolved and a deep spiritual healing is achieved. 

But to be honest, I feel a bit iffy about the sexual politics of Rick undertaking thee experiments on Kath. I guess I hoped that Kath would find resolution and empowerment from the breakdown and Macho Macho experience but in this scenario it seems she would be a passive subject of Rick's scientific schemes.

I kind of think they should either turn into the bird and fish or Macho Macho, but not both.

I like the idea that the end resolution is to turn into a 12 year old boy though. But this project is Rich's too so we'll have to see what he says.





Right now the whole thing is 10 mins, which seems quite short.

Also, the part after Kath's breakdown goes on for ages and is a bit repetitive.

We also have to think about where to show it- a feel a bit worried that if we don't do it somewhere arty enough we'll be booed off stage. 

We also have to think about if we will speak/sing live or just have it all pre-recorded. I think it will be more tricky not to do 'beaky guy' live... But we only have one microphone with effects that we used on 'beaky guy'. Maybe we could have regular mics but mime with them- it will be very obvious though. 

Comic book/booklet

I think it might be good if the explanation was in the form of a little comic or booklet that people could read before it starts. That would set the scene- I'd love to do a comic- but could I make it in good enough quality in the time space?

Opera/Show

OK, so I've put together a video of a rough draft of a stage show/opera that me and Richard could perform.

I'm wondering what to call it... Supermarket/Lake of Healing/Cybernetic Love/Macho Macho

Cybernetic Supermarket

Supermarket of Healing

Lake of Macho Macho Healing

The Supermarket of Cybernetic Awakening and the Lake of EuroDisco Healing

I think the transition to 'Macho Macho' needs to be more drawn out- you see Kath and Rick being transformed through the cybernetic love into Arnold Morris and Fabio Guglio...

This is the Synopsis...

Kath goes to the supermarket. However, when she gets there she is so overcome by the choice of apples that she suffers from an existential breakdown. 

Through this crises she has a transcendental experience and finds herself in a meditation workshop called 'The Lake of Healing'.

She meets Bodhisattva Rick Clarke and he takes her on a spiritual journey. The attraction between them is sudden and undeniable. Through the power of cybernetic love and astral awakening, the two are transformed into the fantasies of two 12 year old boys from the 1980's North Norfolk coast. 

They play out the boys' dreams of holiday EuroDisco. Through playing out this shared musical aspiration, the supermarket over-choice conflict is resolved and a deep spiritual healing is achieved. 

Opera

I would really like to out on a show- maybe an opera/spoken word/musical comedy/monologue- very similar to Shana Moulton's stuff.

Things to work with...

The Supermarket

The Lake of Healing

Macho Macho Playa

I'm your beaky guy.



It would be nice to run these all together in a kind of narrative...

I could lengthen the monologue in the Supermarket- to help build the story. After the breakdown she could go to a meditation centre where she meets professor Rick Clarke who runs the session.

Then they could fall in love.... or something. But it couldn't be too obvious and straightforward...

Maybe Kath will be transported to the beach by the meditation session where she changes gender and experiences life as Arnold Morris, meeting Fabio Guglio on Hunstanton beach. Then maybe they take some drugs and he turns into a fish?

I like the idea of changing gender when you fall in love. For example, the protagonist, Kath, falls in love and then turns into a man. I like it because I think it's funny- and a bit true. When you have a relationship with a member of the opposite sex you can take on some of that gender's positive aspects. But if you really did change gender it would be a bit tragic because your boyfriend would probably stop fancying you.

So maybe after the lake of healing, Kath could turn into a fish swimming free in the lake... then fall in love and turn into a 12 year old boy...