I was really struggling with how to make this archival evidence into a solid ‘narrative’. But then I remembered David Campbell’s lecture about how we make sense of the world with narrative. And narrative is not linear. I have also been exploring ways which we should digitise archives so that they are accessible and functional. From this, I have been looking at algorithms: when a photograph is scanned, a computer will not recognise it from its visual value, but from what code it can take from it, such as it’s white balance, hues, dimensions etc; software can then search for similar ‘files’. Our brains don’t work in the same way, so why do we programme computers to read files this way (but that’s a whole other kettle of fish!).
Regardless, ideally, I would like to use a multilayering PLATFORM so that users can click on an image which will have links to similar topics/ readings/ what happened that day / what things mean etc.
As discussed in previous posts I have been looking at the Alexandra Cinema/Theatre One in Coventry and archival information on it. I have decided to make a sort of (haphazard) mashup of how the platform could, sort of, work… We have a map, a video/photo, a dated photo, we can find the year of it by searching the films listed, what are those films, where can I find clips about this. Etc Etc…
I have more I would like to work with and a photofilm I know is not the most appropriate means to do this, however, it helps identify how an online archive could potentially work… We need to make user engagement key to have stories heard and information shared. Watching a photofilm can be very passive and as it is a linear ‘setup’ is absolutely not the idea medium to use to create a multilayered-multidata platform.
A photofilm would be more appropriate if I have raw video/photography with audio tracking to tell ONE story, not to link to other information.
KateGreenPhotography 