This year the award was shared by three projects:
DRACULA & DRACULA – Lindsay Cavallo, Anna Failla, Samantha Riordan
Dracula & Dracula is an upcoming web series about the real life struggles of two everyday vampires and their monster friends. The series is a fully improvised vlog (vampire blog) starring two vampire friends who met at last year’s monster convention. Each episode is fueled by relevant topics including facing monster prejudice, familial strife, the struggle to get a job in the current economy, and debunking common misconceptions about vampires. This project will explore how the art of puppetry affects the way a story is perceived. The community of viewers will be encouraged to interact and influence the content through online comments.
ISN’T IT PRETTY TO THINK SO – Kevin Carol
Isn’t it pretty to think so? is a new, hour long musical theater experience created by a team of students from Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama, School of Music, and School of Computer Science. Audience members will engage with the performance through their cell phones and be crucial in determining not only their own experience of the composition, but also the experience of those around them. Isn’t it pretty to think so? extends Stephen Sondheim’s principle, “Content Dictates Form,” into the digital age to explore the way technology shapes our cultural landscape and how we experience it.
HUMP YARD – Bryce Summers
Hump Yard is a board game that synthesizes the job of operating a train yard with the field of data structures. The familiarity and appeal of trains will be used as a metaphor to understand computational ideas. Trains must conform to established paths called tracks, much like how processors must conform to paths called programs. The fun game format will motivate players to open themselves up to experiencing computer science. Copies of the board game will be donated to student organizations on campus.