Argument Planning and Treatment documentation

FARM BOT FOR MASCOT, FARM BOT ÜBER ALLES (a working title)

This project is essentially an encapsulation of why FARM BOT should be our next mascot at the University of Illinois. As a counterpart to the last project, wherein I took an objective stance on an issue, this is highly subjective. I believe this is the case, and the rhetorical exigency lies in convincing others to think the same. Ultimately I would want the audience to believe that it is important to have a mascot that reflects our agricultural and engineering heritage, as well as a mascot that is fucking cool and crushes its enemies.

The essential topic becomes a discussion about FARM BOT. The assumption is that people don’t have an understanding of who FARM BOT is, and it becomes necessary to introduce the robot itself. When framed in the context of recent events, the FARM BOT fills a vacuum that people feel is necessary and right, that there should be some representative symbol of our University.

A large deal of the action in this piece involves the construction of a FARM BOT proto-type and human-operable superstructure (read: costume). It is meant to show that people have the desire enough to come together to bring the FARM BOT to life. It is worth mentioning that I planned a good deal of the construction, brought people together, bought the necessary materials, and dumpster-dived for a lot of cardboard. True, it was not a spontaneous thing, but it shows that people actually showed up and it wasn’t just myself constructing a giant robot for this project. The sequence is meant to be shown chronologically and either woven into the piece and discussive interviews about FARM BOT or shown as a separate sequence of events. Without this sequence, the piece becomes dry and visually humorless, the construction sequence is like an oasis in a sea of talking heads and extrinsically boring answers to the questions listed well below.

Another large piece of action involves the takeover of the quad by the FARM BOT, wherein he comes out and smashes cardboard cutouts of his enemies, the other mascots that have been suggested in the wake of the former mascot’s retirement. Again, this is logically placed after the construction sequence. It is meant to show the dominating power of the FARM BOT and how he will crushingly defeat his enemies on the field of play and off.

The main characters in this piece are of course, the FARM BOT, who is brought to life much like the Maria in Lang’s Metropolis, a horrible yet wonderful reminder of human ingenuity gone amok. A documentary about FARM BOT without the eponymous character is… nothing? There’s a certain necessity in including the robot itself.

Another main character is Tom Abram, the self-described “discoverer” of FARM BOT. He is the subject of one of my extensive interviews and one of the constructors of the FARM BOT. He is also an expert in FARM BOT history and lore.

Another potential main character is a professor of General Engineering whose field of interest is in robotics and control systems, subjects that are very relevant to the FARM BOT and his development.

There are other minor speaking characters who will either support or detract from the FARM BOT. I should also include myself as a character, but as in my other pieces, I am a minor, non-speaking, and non-appearing figure.

The conflict that is built up in the piece is the fact that we are fighting an uphill battle to get the FARM BOT instated as mascot and that there are many enemies of FARM BOT who present a challenge to his power. They are eventually crushed, however, giving closure that narrative arc in the story. Most of this is observed through the lens of an “objective” camera, no POV shots, a lot of wider framings, and hand-held third person perspectives. Other than that, it seems to me that the piece is a little too subjective and provides too little exterior perspective, but such is the nature of my subjective work.

My primary audience is my peers in ART 250. They are, as I assume, unaware of the FARM BOT, and need the necessary background thereof. I also assume that some will have their own biases and need to be convinced otherwise that their suggested mascots will not withstand the might and power of FARM BOT. My secondary audience is the people who already support the FARM BOT. The piece is meant to appeal to their senses and support their viewpoint, as well as provide a piece around which they will rally and use to evangelize for their cause. My tertiary audience is everyone who has a vested interest or desires to have a new mascot. Again, much like my ART 250 peers, they will not have the necessary background regarding the FARM BOT and require the same introductions and indoctrinations. Also, some will still harbor an attachment to Chief Illiniwek and would need to be convinced otherwise.

I conducted a few impromptu interviews with people during the construction process, such as, what are you doing (to explain the component of FARM BOT that they were building) and their views. I also interviewed random people in order to document their views on the FARM BOT. The actual, formal, on-camera interviews are as follows:

For Tom Abram, one of the main characters listed above, I asked the following questions. I considered him an expert on the subject given his passion for the FARM BOT and his involvement in its discovery:

1. Introduce yourself, name, college, profession
2. What is the Farm Bot?
3. What does the Farm Bot symbolize or represent?
4. Why should we have a symbol that represents these values or institutions?
5. Why do you support the Farm Bot
6. Where does the Farm Bot come from?
7. Make a comment on Chief Illiniwek. What was done wrong with the Chief and how does the Farm Bot address those issues.?
8. Why should Farm Bot be our new symbol/mascot?
9. Would this necessitate a name change (from Fighting Illini to… something else?)
10. Make a comment on the alternatives: Illini Dinosaurs, Fighting Abe Lincolns, Quad Squirrels, Prairie Wind / Prairie Fire, Fighting Fratboys?
11. What is Farm Bot’s uniting power?
12. What should students do to instate Farm Bot as our symbol/mascot?
13. How do you envision Farm Bot being implemented? Actual Robot or Robot Costume? Haltime performance or sideline mascot? Great Mascot or greatest mascot?

These questions were modeled after the questions I asked Paul Schmitt in my last piece, but I know I forgot to ask some of the harder questions or elicit a stronger response from Tom. These questions seek to reveal much about FARM BOT in an expository manner.

My other potential interviewee is Prof. Spong of General Engineering. I would interview him in order to create an appeal to his expertise and authority on the subject of robots. I would ask the following:

1. Introduce yourself, name, profession, field of interest.
2. Describe your work and current research.
3. How prominent is the U of I in the field of robotics and robotic control systems?
4. Why is it important to have a mascot that highlights our highly-rated engineering and agricultural studies?
5. Would you endorse the FARM BOT?

Structurally, the project should be chronological in its approach to action sequences and logical with respect to how it treats the exposition surrounding FARM BOT. The audience should get to know FARM BOT before hearing why it should be our mascot. I would hope for some sort of well-crafted opening in that witty introductory paragraph way of writing things, except for video. The ending should be the same, lyrical and stunning. I could possibly end with the FARM BOT crushing it’s last enemy and yelling to it’s wonderful delight, “Let’s Cornhole ‘em!”

I do not imagine I’ll need to mention especially different formal and stylistic elements. Just imagine something else I’ve done, and that’s how the documentary will look like. Visually stunning, quick, astute, etc. Special effects will not be implemented because the FARM BOT can accomplish those already. I imagine I’ll need to use text to explain things, like exactly what this documentary is or the scholarly bits of this piece that are obligatory to this project.

For this project, I’ve already spent something like 20 dollars on duct tape and spray paint, but those are just what is needed to produce the FARM BOT, rather than actual production costs. Again, cardboard was cheap and free. I’ll need a good deal of DV tapes, as well as manpower in order to execute my massive action sequences. They will not be compensated properly as their participation is both voluntary and reflects their desire to see the FARM BOT come to life.

SCHEDULE:

• APRIL 18: Interview Tom Abram
• APRIL 20: Plan for construction of FARM BOT, steal cardboard from bike store dumpster
• APRIL 21: Begin constructing the FARM BOT. Document the process.
• APRIL 22: Continue construction, documentation
• APRIL 23: Continue if necessary the above. Have rough-cut done before class time, or else spent class time on rough cuts.
• APRIL 24-27: Stage wreaking of havoc on the quad wherein the FARM BOT destroys his enemy, document the process, document the faces of shocked individuals. Also interview Prof. Spong sometime in there
• APRIL 25: Have rough cut done before class time
• APRIL 27: With hopefully all the principal photography done, edit the results to a polished product.
• APRIL 30: Bring to class, sigh of relief.’

Obviously, this is still a work in progress and will be until the week ends.

TREATMENT:

It should begin with the ever famous and now retired Chief symbol, except its face is blanked out, suggesting that what is next is yet to be known or determined. Over it, the infamous Marching Illini music that I guess is supposed to sound like a war march for the plains Indians, or however people back in the 1920s thought it should sound like. From there, I suggest that this project will be suggesting a new mascot. No, not suggesting. Insisting. I make it clear that the U of I will need a new mascot and that mascot is FARM BOT. Perhaps I can begin with FARM BOT smashing on a cardboard cut-out of our Chief Questionmark when he stomps on the faces of his enemies on the quad. Except that would be slightly offensive to people who might think I’m suggesting it’s Chief Illiniwek. Clearly, however, it’s Chief Questionmark, not Illiniwek. From there I explain how other schools have gotten out of their native mascot quagmires (except for Stanford, which still doesn’t have an official mascot) and how they might relate to our situation. My focus here is not on whether or not people will still give the university money, but rather whether or not people will get behind a mascot like FARM BOT. They clearly will. And must. The time for controversy is over, the time for our robot overlord to crush the enemies of the Fighting Illini has come. People are talking, some like the idea of a robot; others think that it’s a more viable alternative than a dinosaur or a squirrel. We see the faces of these supporters, we hear their words. The people are clearly talking. But what is FARM BOT? Tom Abram explains the subject and the necessary background to the situation. FARM BOT is the Fucking Awesome Robot Mascot. He speaks at length about his jet-pack, his corn cannon, and his stove-pipe hat wherefrom he shoots fireworks to entertain and excite the legions of fans who have come out to support the Fighting Illini. He speaks more about the technological advances made in the past that have made FARM BOT possible, and that most of them had been developed by students here at the university. He talks about its power to unite and bring the people together, past, present, and especially future. People have failed to think about the future and this is exactly what the Pro-FARM BOT movement has had in mind all along. If we are going to have a mascot, it is going to be the greatest mascot in the history of college sports. We see a montage of construction and people buckling down to bring FARM BOT to life. We see the warm Saturday night spent on the porch of Allen Hall constructing a robot superstructure, we see the arm holes being cut, the head hole, the “Block I” decal that goes on the front, the massive amount of newspaper spread on the concrete slabs as a drop cloth for the factory of silver spray-painting. All the intricate details and massive structural pieces come together in synchronicity, as one brave soul gets suited up inside and walks around, slowly, albeit with the intent to crush and destroy. Crush and destroy it will, as we see it on the quad one day, wreaking havoc and observing the shocked faces of passer-bys who have not seen anything nearly as beautiful or wonderful as the FARM BOT. The FARM BOT proceeds to crush its enemies by stepping on them. We see its final triumph as it destroys its last enemy and raises its corn cannon to the sun amid cries of “Let’s CORNHOLE ‘EM!”