Final Project Workplan

My project will encompass a traveler's message to home in the form of a 3-4 minute fictional phone call playing out of a handcrafted rotary phone. I plan to record and mix the phone call, burn it onto a CD, then play it out of a CD player hooked up to a small speaker. The CD player and speaker will be integrated and hidden within the handcrafted rotary phone which I will make out of cardboard, paper and other assorted materials. With my project, I want to display the relationship between an outlander and the people/place that raised them.

In terms of equipment, I will require cardstock and various other paper-based materials for the construction of the rotary phone. I will also need to design a template for this. In order to implement my audio, I will need a small speaker, a CD and a CD player. I have access to the speaker and the CD player but I will have to acquire an empty CD and burn my audio onto it. This will require some planning but should not be too difficult. Additionally, I may decorate my project using assorted local and upcycled materials. The techniques I will use to make this project enhance its impact since they avoid screens and force me to work hands-on. In this way, I can interact more personally with my project and connect to it on a deeper level.

At some point in my life, most likely soon, I plan to run a life experiment I deem necessary for my long-term well-being. I want to uproot myself and go on a road trip where I will try to minimize my contact with screens. Theoretically, I could call my family and friends using a rotary phone, updating them on my adventures and extending my regards. My potential future will provide the context for the phone call as well as the phone itself. Themes explored in the traveler's message may include identity, belonging and the concept of home.

My project will be completely screenless, however still partly digital. The audio will be burned onto a CD, then played out of a speaker connected to a CD player. These will be placed inside the phone which, as previously mentioned, will be made mostly of cardboard and paper. This screenless approach is especially relevant to my story since it involves a hypothetically screenless lifestyle. Thus, my project's medium reflects the content it portrays, enhancing the audience's experience. Additionally, the multimedia aspect of my project allows it to appeal to multiple senses, encouraging the audience to engage with it in a variety of ways. Any one of these senses could connect more to an individual than others. Thus, my project could reach and affect more people.

I plan on constructing the rotary phone for our class on May 9th. Hence, I will need to finish my template before then. On May 9th, I will consult the teacher to check in on my progress. I plan on giving myself a week afterwards to record and mix my audio component. This will take place between the 9th and the 16th. I aim to acquire an empty CD by then so I can burn my audio onto it. My project will be complete by May 16th.