Title

Has anyone considered a title for the comic?

• ScrapBook Memory
• A Comic Reflection
• Nuoc II
• Nuoc Reflections

I know....these all seem lame and they are. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's suggestions and what we finally decide upon. We need something with more pizazz and creativity don't we?

-KT

Met with Prof. M

Just had a quick meeting yesterday with Prof. M since I couldn't make it to the official gathering. There's not much to add. The expo date is still not set, but Prof. M is trying to set it as late as possible to give all grantees time (which we are very grateful for). Met two other grantees with interesting and exciting projects too--the ASAM Grant projects are very diverse and varied in topics, subject, form, participants, etc. Feels like we're part of something much bigger and grander doesn't it? :) Back on track... The expo will possibly be held somewhere in SCE (which I think is convenient and nice). (Hopefully, SCE would have resolved its heating and plumbings by that time--yikes. We're having some difficulties and our Engineers are hard at work. Please have patience with us).

Also checked in with the Social Science Research office yesterday. Waiting for their promised email to tell me I can go pick up papers and bring them to the Student Employment Office to finalize everything. Hopefully, that will be soon.

That's all for now...from my part anyways. Meeting with Prof. S in less than an hour. I wonder what I should tell her...originally, I was going to show her what we discussed on the phone, but she's read that blog entry already. :) Her efficiency is making my role as a messenger useless...oh dear. Maybe I should just work frantically on the storyline further? Or make a schedule? We have one--in our heads--but nothing concrete yet since we all need to convene again to set things down....ick.

I wanted to note some concerns I have for the comic so far:

• Transition of pictures/pages/stories-->How are we going to splice and glue so that we have a seamless product? We've got 3 running dialogues and perspectives for a mere 20 pages. Thinking about the limitation of space is kind of intimidating...
• Message clarity-->I have to say that the effect of this comic is still unpredictable for me. Drawing is not the same as writing. Drawing allows much more for audience interpretation...How will the audience react to the comic/story/messages/themes/commentary? Any thoughts, Youme, Hai, Bing?
• Plurity of Stylistic choices-->which only 20 pages about, will the incorporation of noir and cartoon work effectively? Also, we have two "artists" (although I feel like an impostor before Youme's greatness), we're sure to have noticeably different styles even if they're the same overarching style...

Some concerns to think about. I'm not necessarily looking for answers because I think, if we keep them in mind as we work, the issues will be resolved.

Ramble finished.


-KT

Tele-Meeting between Hai, Youme, and Khanh

Khanh here. Just got off the phone with Hai and Youme. Discussion time ran1:47:25. I had an ear-set jammed into my right ear--but it kept falling. Hai and Youme had me on the speaker so they could hear me together while cute Song gurgled her demands for a fresh diaper and attention. We discussed the Grant Project. Youme has some notes and I have some notes.

START REPORT:

Recap of Project Distribution:

• Bing is working long hours to blur faces in the documentary Nuoc we made last Spring semester. 
• Hai, Youme, and I (we're the Comic Trio) are creating a comic novella in response to the documentary. 

Tasks:

• We need to check with the IRB (Independent Review Board) to see that consent forms and all else concerning the documentary (especially) and the research, reference to real people and places, etc. are ethical. 
• We have two possible printers, but we need to research more because it would be best if our comic is printed as professionally/perfect (Youme has proper terminology for this. Sorry that I'm inefficient in the lingo) and as cheap as possible. 
• Create projected timeline to present to the Mentors.
• The Comic Trio needs to check up with Bing and Mentors for feedback on what has been decided for the comic and its current direction.
• Set up a face-to-face meeting with Mentors within the next week or two.
• Get paperwork done for University employment.
• Start sketching

Check with Mentors:

• Legal issues similar to IRB issues raised above (but more focused on the work-in-progress comic)
• Time Sheets?

Future:

• Trio will meet Thursdays at some time between 2:30-3:00 p.m. to develop comic
• -Set up meetings with Mentors

Comic Novella Details:
Incorporate the noir style (for the present in which subjects are depicted in the university environment) with a more cartoon-ish style (e.g. subjects drawn as video characters) (for when subjects are reflecting & analyzing as they tell their story).
Hai&Youme half (I'm not going into great details because those two will be able to give more accurate details)-

• 1st page-addresses question of perspective, prejudice, and expectations from 1st-impressions? (1st person narrative). Figure surrounded by speech bubbles with a text box
• 2nd & 3rd pages-creation of scrapbook photos
• 4-Wonder about other adopted children. Ask questions. Image of child's silhouette
• 5-Address assimilation to American culture of adoptee & international child (language issues)  
• 6 & 7-Non-camera photos. Idea of "my home is in the past"
• 8 & 9-Hai riding phoenix (instead of plane). Past and present integrated. May include Khanh.
• 10-Bio and pic of collaborators. Project info and details. Contact. Etc.

Khanh half (not as concrete as Hai&Youme's. Thanks for brainstorming help, guys. I needed it).

• 1-Large image of university with close-up box of classroom depicting ASAM class with all 4 collaborators in it
• 2-Page of text in epistolary format posing ideas of memory/immigration/ethnicity/prejudice/identity/etc.--not fully established yet
• 3-three box images in collage: Bing at laptop, Hai boarding bus (with Youme?), & Khanh working/riding train

---READER SEES BREAK-OFF TO INDIVIDUAL STORIES---

• 4-Khanh working (more detailed and fuller image with text, etc...text box in 1st person as Khanh speaking and introducing self--similar to Hai's 1st page)
• 5-Khanh shooting billiards with friends after work
• 6 & 7-two page spread of series of smaller images arranged in ladder form showing individual scenes of family life and the segmented and separate lives that each family member leads
• 8-Khanh jogging with dog
• 9 & 10-Conversation between Bing & Khanh

Commentary: Right now, what we have above seems very disjointed, but we will change and integrate the two halves so that the comic story flows smoother. 
Hai's story takes the format of a scrapbook and reflects on the past as he addresses present issues.
Khanh's story depicts a day of ordinary life as present-day reflections.
Bing's story is that of a spectator who remains outside of the box (or does he?:), observing, commenting, and (at times) discussing.


Comic Story projected outline:
Hai opens the conversation with his 1st page. His solitary reflection is followed by a dialogue between Bing and Khanh (depicted as an online-chat?). 
Bing-->What he sees and desires as material for the documentary.
Khanh-->What is left out in the process.


Drawing the comic in pencil first. Doing black-and-white. Colored cover. (Funds are limited after all and we need at least 100 printed copies Youme suggested).


Want to include Nuoc in the comic. There are already discussed changes to the outline shown above. And Hai's story may be in the middle of the novella instead of the beginning so don't take the order of the pages as any kind of ordered sketchboard for the comic itself. 


In the end, the Documentary "Nuoc" creates the constructions that are Khanh and Hai. They become characters as depicted by Bing, the artist who films and puts the documentary together. They are his creations and separate entities from the original subjects: the people Khanh and Hai. The comic de-constructs Bing's creation--i.e. de-constructs the constructions. The subjects are presented in a wider perspective of personality, history, and thought. They are multi-faceted in the fact that they pose questions that only lead to more questions and perhaps hold no answers. The comic causes readers to look at themselves even as they are given judgments and asked not to judge. Together, the documentary and the comic are a duality that provokes thought and debate on the topic of identity, the discourse of what is Asian-American (specifically Vietnamese Americans), presents the theme of what it is to be an international adoptee and how it is to be an immigrant in America, and many other things.

END REPORT

I probably left out a lot of things. And I added a few small ideas as I typed (couldn't help myself), but that was the gist of the conversation. We went over the committee meeting in which I was absent, also. Will touch up with the Prof. on that later this week. 

Please feel free to correct and add anything, Youme and Hai. 

Project Plans (Khanh's Ramble)

Initially, I wanted to reword and correct all the silly mistakes I made before posting this. But, truthfully, I've got quite a bit of math texts to pile through so forgive me, but I'm taking the lazy route of copying and pasting. Corrections:
-by "tomorrow", I meant "Tuesday"
-that "like" at the end of the second message shouldn't be there at all.
Honestly, my thoughts were flying a mile a minute and I was trying to type as fast as possible as not to leave out anything. I think I still missed somethings but I can't remember them at the moment. AH! I remember:

NOTE:
-Especially include question about using actually UIC architecture and scenes in book to ask mentors. How legal is it?
-Email mentors about meeting once Monday (and possibly Tuesday) meeting(s) are over.

Okay, here's the original messages:

I forgot to cc again. Sorry! I've pasted my recent message beneath this new one. Forwarding too much annoys me. Ah...One more point I want to discuss before I forget.

I initially wanted to do more research, but seeing how busy the semester is getting for everyone with babies, classes, work, etc., I don't think that's a feasible plan after all. Maybe minimal research, but I think we can create a narrative fiction for the book with the material we already have. It'll be a fictional memoir based on real life? What does everyone think? I don't know who we'll further interview besides ourselves. (At one point in time, I think it'll be nice take the POV of the 1st generation Vietnamese American immigrant-but that's an entirely new project for the Vietnamese-American discourse...Note for future). 

Ah, and I want to discuss with Bing since you are our expert on photography and filming. (I stink at any technical skill). I'll be needing a lot of photos to base the comic panels off of (esp. poses and campus background scenery for the noir style). I don't know what Hai and Youme will need. But will you be willing to take photos for me? I won't be using them all just like how you don't use all your shots for the documentary, but it'll be a great help. 

Also, I think I'll create surveys for everyone to fill out so we can all get a sense of characterization for the comic. That being said, umm...(thinking, processing)...ah, storyboard. We'll need to discuss a cohesive storyboard for the comic now that we're all getting tangible ideas on what to do. Also, we'll need to decide on the overall comic style, of course. We can't go wily-nilly and have a mess of different things. I'm sure Youme and I can come up with a drawing technique that we can both do. (I have a feeling we'll be drawing together often, Youme--hence the weekly visits). 

I purchased 3 comic drawing books from amazon lately just in case we need reference. I'm pretty excited since I now have a reason to purchase them. (Always wanted 'em). 

I think that's about it. 

Sorry if this became a ramble. Hopefully, I got my points across.

So SCE or Youme's and Hai's tomorrow? What's the ultimate decision? I'm fine with either. I guess the deciding factor comes from Hai's and Youme's side...and then back to Mr. Bing. Just let me know. I'll be at SCE already since I work until 4 p.m. but jumping on the bus is an easy thing to get to the apartment on Oakley also. 

Yours truly,

Khanh

P.S. I'll be up all night studying so email anytime and I'll like read it. :)

-----------------------------------------Pasted Email-----------------------------------------------

Hello!

Ah, sorry. (I'm on an entire cup of dark coffee and lots of condensed milk to mollify the bitterness here--I don't drink coffee at all--so forgive me if this email may not be in the usual voice I use). I meant for a private meeting with the Mentors. Prof. Su wants to meet with us, set up a schedule and deadlines for the project, etc. 

As for what I want from the mentors...I want to ask their opinion to see if our ideas seem viable and if they have any suggestions. Also, we have legal issues to ask about. I just really want to run ideas through them. I'm not sure about Bing, Hai, or you, but I'm actually quite an independent worker and require minimum tutelage. But from the Documentary project, I have the feeling that everyone is on the same page independence-wise. 

I would love to go over regularly and consult with you often about the comic, if not anything but to work on it further. I have three pages laid-out out of the ten as well (but that's only the intro)...but I think if we push it, we can go beyond the total of 20 page limit. I'm using the next two weeks to work lots and ignore sleep to catch up and get ahead in studies so I can leisurely spend time on the project (so I think I may have more time to draw). As for the storyboard for my pages, I still want to talk it over with everyone. 

I have thought it over and I wanted to do a noir-style for drawing the present us and then a more cartoonish style for the past. So that the panels in the present show individuality and personal narrative while the past panels adopt a more anecdotic/folklore sort of feeling--like how Bing did that misty effect (I can't remember the proper terminology. Sorry) for the filming of the photos. And I also wanted to integrate interchanging pages of comic panels versus an entire page of epistolary writing--I'm wondering if we can create a Bing character to do the narrator voice for that or make a generic entity who remains anonymous until the very end...but that probably won't work with such a sort work...hmm.... I did a few pages of brainstorming I'll show Tuesday (my sister found my notebook for me. :) She's quite dependable when I fall into my scatter-brained periods). What does everyone think?

And I think it best to meet at your place. I feel that you, Youme, are an integral part of this project and we cannot do without your gentle presence. So if it's not a bother, may we impose on your hospitality for the hectic two months to come, including this Tuesday? I shall come with tributes. :)

Caffeine is making me losing focus. Will update more later. Shall we put our correspondence up in the blog? Seems like it'll be a good way to document all our planning and such...hmm....?

Take care everyone!!! Keep warm. Even my husky doesn't want to go out in this cold--I think it's because he slips on the ice too much though and not because it's actually too cold for him... o.O

Sincerely,

Khanh

Ethnic Make-up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1zpX4R33CA&feature=player_embedded

Bing found an interesting youtube rap (almost spelled rape...entirely different isn't it?).

Phase II The Documentary as Graphic Novella?

Bing, Hai, Khanh and Song discuss the Spring 2011 UIC ASAM grant

UIC has awarded the project a grant to develop ideas which the documentary has brought forth. Khanh and Hai are interested in using illustration to convey ideas to supplement the film. Bing will be blurring the faces of those who wish to remain un-faced and all of us will be pitching in to produce a releasable film and a print version. If anyone knows of free legal advice for media, please let us know.
As always, we look forward to your comments!

Student Responses after UIC premiere

Individual Student Responses:

•  
• P. Found narrative normative to Asian American narrative of family strife
• K. liked it. Was it hard to go through the adoption papers and reflect? Was it difficult? (Hai: Hardest thing was looking at blatant misrepresentation. A lot of unsigned US docs. Viet docs have different dates. Don’t correspond). Interested in social work, adoption process, and related paperwork.
• S. Did you show to family? (Khanh: No. Hai: depending on how further this goes. Initial thought was to create doc. On Asian American family discourse. Wide broad terminology. How to narrow down to something more understandable by all? Currently, not planning to show family. But if film evolves broader concept, will show perhaps?)
• M. Powerful doc. Different stories about Asian American narrative on immigration.
• N. Wow. Interesting that both had albums laid out. Life is documented in US American quality.
• T. Most interesting was that it was not standard. Time of events delayed. Entire family didn’t come over in late 70s. Clarified story of dad, war involvement, camp experience, family etc.
• K. wondering same thing about families knowing about prisoners in camps
• S. Cool, awesome job. Liked beach scenes.
• T. Art direction good. Good eye, Bing. Good lighting. Beginning, camera followed character. End, character integrated at large. Like the layout.
• R. thought periods of silence interesting. Don’t know what to say about it. Relate to the silence? Can relate to in-class reading. Silence is a different language.
• A. Impressed about doc. Like Khanh’s response to ID question. Why do you have to have an identity? Liked Hai’s story. Didn’t know Hai was blind. Thought Hai could see though vision-impaired.
• C. Good cinematography. Like dream lens. Bing’s major? Art? (Bing: No, English. Thanks). Question, talked about self and things unsaid…so how comfortable were you doing this? How much do you want to show people and how much do you want people to know about you? (Hai: audio is far from what want it to be. Kind of uncomfortable with how much disclosure there is. Showed too much. But understand goal of creating resource on Asian American family discourse & adoption. Khanh: Comfortable with group & viewing film academically)
• K. Agree with A. ID doesn’t have to be profound and a crisis in life.
• D. Can connect to Khanh & relationship with mom. Family doesn’t keep dates.
• Further discussion after class lasted an hour.

Khanh was absent b/c of work meeting.

Hai, Youme, & Bing remained with Prof. Jun & et. al.