About the SOAS Project

The core element of the project is the web site containing the signs movie editor. Using this editor the site users can browse through a set of images of traffic signs and other pictograms (signs with figures, shapes and lines only, no numbers, letters or words). They can choose a number of those signs in any order they want. The chosen signs in the chosen order will form a video (a slide show of signs). The video creator can also write the story of the video, i.e. the narrative s/he had in mind while producing it, as subtitles.

Current Version

This current version of the web site contains general information about the project and the first version of the editor with which one can create a signs movie, as described above. However, while s/he can download a personal copy of the video, s/he cannot share his/her video on the web site (the videos can be shared via e-mail etc.). This version of the web site has been created to let Internet users test the editor and give feedback on the editor and the project. The full scope of the project will be reached once the extra functionality is added.

Future Functionality

The next version of the web site will offer collaborative platform where the video creators can submit their videos for other users to view. The original story subtitles will be kept hidden to the other users until they submit their own written narrative interpretation or "interpreted version" of the same video's story as a new set of subtitles. Once submitted, the original narrative written by the video producer will be accessible to the user so that the original narrative and the interpreted narratives can be compared with each other.

Moreover a comments section related to each video/story thread will be set up so that people can comment on the videos and original or interpreted stories, and be notified when someone has responded to their video, story or comment. Thus a "community environment" will be formed.

Please see the Project Plan Document for more information.

Extensions of the Project

One additional function can be to ask the users to submit some demographic information when they register to the site or create a video. This information then may be used by psychologists and/or sociologists to study the differences in interpretation between distinct groups of people.

Project Owners

Geneviève Appleton

Assistant Professor - Bilkent University / Department of Communication Design

Screenwriter and Filmmaker - White Wave Productions

Concept initiator, project developer and designer, interface modeler
www.whitewaveproductions.com

Doruk Eker

Part-Time Instructor - Bilkent University / Department of Communication Design

Software Developer - Sanpark IT & Design Co., Ltd.

Web and RIA development and technical support
www.de-signer.net