TURN OFF THE TV: THE SOLUTION, THE CURRICULUM, THE CAMPAIGN
Turn off the TV (TOTV) implores anybody and everybody to believe that they can do what they see on television, as long as they turn it off long enough to be proactive about chasing their dreams through goal setting, planning and execution. TOTV argues that artists of any age and skill level can produce competitive content with little to no resources. TOTV creates an atmosphere of authentic creativity and learning.
TOTV: A Solution to the growing learning/creativity problem
In this day and age where “cut & paste” is a three step solution, people are rarely genuinely creative. But an emergent generation of change agents has been given an array of resources to create, compose and contextualize productions that, years ago, took high-tech gadgets and advance degrees to construct. This new generation of designers, creators and intellectuals are yearning for direction and the freedom to express themselves while learning. TOTV is the facilitator and sharing mechanism that encourages community education and collaborative spirit.
TOTV is able to bridge the learning gap of crucial and important information that students need to become competitive globally. Bill Gates stated that we are educating 21st Century students in a 20th Century system. With an understanding of Howard Gardener’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, TOTV is ahead of the curve and relevant to today’s learner with an active educational approach that encourages students’ learning and living potential. Living outside of the TV and bringing their thoughts to life through their own voice and vision allows students to take ownership and control of their learning.
TOTV: The Learning Tool
In this 3-4 week curriculum, students are encouraged to be creative while meeting the academic goals of their respective coursework. Upon completion of the project, students will be able to connect, digitally, with the originator of the TOTV movement, George “2.0” and additional students that are connected into this global experience. Essentially, the TOTV curriculum broadens the scope of learning via a connection with peers from different regions of the country who may have different perspectives; creating a community of learning that yields diversity, variety and synergy. When students are able to learn through the medium of shared learning, the experience becomes more impactful and impressionable, thus longer lasting. Using Turn off the TV, students transition from being the learner, to the producer to the teacher.
TOTV: The Campaign
The TOTV Campaign challenges and guides students as they channel their natural creative interests into a direct academic goal. This campaign will serve multiple purposes; such as reinforcing and enhancing content covered in the classroom, motivating students to learn innovative ways to express new knowledge learned and to officially tap students as deputized members of the TOTV campaign by sharing their creations with the world. By joining the TOTV campaign, students serve as role models to others by sending the message that they can increase their potential and intellect by decreasing time spent in front of a television, while at the same time having fun.
TOTV: The Program Direction
All TOTV channels must be self produced, filmed and edited and are not to exceed 80seconds. Feel free to use one ore more of the following capturing devices:
| Device 1 | Device 2 | Device 3 | Device 4 | Device 5 |
| The LapTape | Mobile Phone | Web Camera | Flip Camera | Digital Camera |
Channel One (1) Reality TV Create an episodic series of Webisodes based upon some distinct style of shooting:
Proxy: Scenes 2 Seen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rlduW3PDHg
Objective: This exercise is designed to increase students confidence in their own ability to create trends through repetition of their own inspired art direction.
This series will require a unique program direction. Using an absolute minimum of 3 installation possibilities, suggest multiple websites that can feature your series. These sites should be identified based upon an obvious and familiar relationship between the sites’ visitors and the product. (eg a webisode featuring only shoes should be pitched to sites that feature shoes. A webisode featuring airports should be pitched to travel websites, etc.)
Channel One (2) Closed Captioning Create a “Day in the Life of (you)” video.
Proxy: A Day in the Life of 2.0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFLKSRkwxGE
Objective: This exercise is design to refocus the attention students give to television’s reality stars back onto themselves and their realities.
This program should be produced using 3 distinctly different locations, must feature 3 cast members and record 3 different activities. The idea is to produce each location as it’s own segment featuring the same star…you. Allow other cast members to support you in your endeavors and projects as supporting actors and actresses in your own viral biopic. Brand yourself.
Channel Three (3a) -Commercial Create a conceptual product…using yourself.
Proxy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGpdb6vbKTE
This series will require careful brand management and monitored programming. Your product will be unique and may even be uncomfortable for you to wear, use or promote. The more distinct the product the more the exercise is focused on your marketing ability. Create a hash tag for your product for twitter, a fan page for facebook and a short teaser video for youtube. Be mysterious with your product prior to its reveal. Start a campaign that begins with asking your audience what they think the product is. Retweet and repost their responses. Involve them. Announce the release date for your product’s video. Then release a video that includes bystanders’ reactions to your usage of this original conceptual product.
Channel (3b) Commercial*
Using the same proxy, objectives and criterion as 3a create a Channel for an existing product.
*expressly for students being audited or supported by big business or corporate sponsorship
Channel Four (4) The Remote
*Create a music video using a device that allows you to both edit and shoot using it solely
eg: shooting and editing with the laptop and factory editing software (Laptape) or shooting and editing using the iPhone and iMovie
Proxy:
TOTV Guide
Throughout the 4 week long Turn off the TV course, it is required that each participant maintain a TOTV guide. This guide will be a journal that documents the development of their Channels.
*What did you miss out on not having seen the show?
*What did you do with the time that you would have spent watching television?
*Did you find it difficult to avoid conversation with your peers about their favorite TV shows?
*Did you feel left out of their conversations about shows you typically base most of your conversation around?
