Christina Lew

Major: Media Studies and Production
Minor: Digital Media Technologies

Interviewed by Prof. Laura Zaylea

In the Spring of 2017, MSP undergraduate Christina Lew worked in both traditional and multi-linear, interactive narrative production. Her screenplay The Art of Being Izzy was produced by a team of students in Producing and Directing / Graduate TV Production in Spring 2017. The project is about a Chinese American art student (“Izzy”) learning to embrace her mother and by extension her own cultural heritage. Remaining involved as both screenwriter and project consultant, Christina also began a new project: With a team of students in Genres of Media Production, she created a multi-linear narrative about an author who wakes up trapped inside her own book.

Here is a conversation with Christina Lew about what it’s like working in both traditional and new/multi-linear narrative video production. We’ll also hear about her experiences with the Digital Media Technologies Minor, an interdisciplinary minor offered through MSP and CIS (Computer and Information Sciences).

 

Interview with Christina Lew

 

LZ: For those who haven’t seen The Art of Being Izzy yet, please tell us a bit about it. What was it like developing this project as a screenplay, and then seeing that work come to life as a finished production?

CL: The Art of Being Izzy is about Izzy, a Chinese-American art student in college who goes through life’s ups-and-downs while battling stereotypes, her cultural identity, and family issues. When I first got this assignment in the course, Creative Scriptwriting (taught by the amazing Kristine Weatherston!) we had to write a 20-30 page TV pilot or short film. My first thought was, what am I going to write about?! I thought of many ideas but I wasn’t passionate about it nor did I have a vision for those ideas.

I then started thinking about how Asian-Americans aren’t that “visible” in the media and that was when I decided that the story would revolve around Asian representations. From that, I drew upon my experiences of being Chinese-American. The process was very fun to write but at times challenging. It was revision after revision…after revision. There were so many parts in developing this script by creating character bios, plot diagram, a treatment, and more but it was, however, a great experience to develop a 26-page script.

It was very rewarding to see this script come to life! To see it produced, was such a great feeling. It was a lot of hard work dedicated in writing the script, then producing it, so to see the end product was well worth it!

LZ: Unwritten is the story of an author trapped in her own book. The author makes decisions that affect the plot (ie, the audience must choose to “slowly back away” or “distract Annie and run”). What was the most fun, interesting and/or rewarding part of making a multi-linear interactive narrative, and what is the biggest challenge in developing this kind of production?

CL: The most interesting but also the most challenging part of creating this interactive narrative was developing the actual story and the characters where there are multiple storylines that can lead to the same or different endings. There were so many different ways it could go and it was hard deciding what the characters should do and which direction we wanted to take it in.

 

LZ: You’ve now worked in both traditional and new media production. Having done both, which do you prefer? (And why?)

CL: Both types of production are fun to work in. They are both very different but also similar.  The interactive narrative is similar to traditional media in the sense of how it was produced and filmed, but it has an “extended feature” of making choices which goes beyond what traditional media can do. However, I think working in a linear fashion within traditional media is something I personally feel is more rewarding because the essence of storytelling is still there but you decide what the viewer gets the see (versus the user choosing in an interactive narrative) because that’s what you want them to see.

LZ: The Digital Media Technologies Minor is a collaboration between MSP and CIS (Computer and Information Sciences). I think many students have heard of it, but I’m not sure many people really know what it is. Can you tell us more about it, why it’s important and/or what it means to you? Also, do you have any advice for students considering the Minor?

CL: The Digital Media Technologies minor is a combination of media production/ media theory and computer science. Within the CIS department, you learn how to code in different languages to create websites. From taking two CIS classes so far (CIS 1052 and CIS 1056), I’ve learned how to write in HTML, CSS, Java, and JavaScript. On the MSP side of things, the classes are mixed with theory and practice. Theory classes such as “Mobile Media” and production classes such as “Emergent Media Production” give you both sides of the spectrum.

I think it’s a great idea to declare this minor. When people hear computer science, they get scared. I was one of those people but the CIS classes required for the minor are designed and assumed for students with no prior knowledge of programming. I think learning how to code is a great skill to have which makes you stand out against the crowd. It may seem difficult at times and tedious but it can be really rewarding to see your final coded product. Besides CIS, MSP classes are great!

LZ: Final question: What’s next? Either in your final year at Temple and/or after Temple – where do you hope to go from here?

CL: Most recently, I made a 360 video with a group in Emergent Media Production about witnessing domestic violence and next up, I will be making either a 360 horror video or augmented reality book with a group of friends from the class. Next semester, I will be taking Producing and Directing since I really wanted to produce a short film or TV pilot with a team of students after watching The Art of Being Izzy come to life. I will also be taking my last CIS class (CIS 2305) to complete the Digital Media Technologies minor. Outside of Temple, I plan on developing a short film for the character Cheung Li, from “The Art of Being Izzy” with some friends. After graduation in May 2018, I hope to continue writing and producing!

 

Projects by Christina Lew:

Unwritten
Sam is Annie’s creation and could be her demise. Find the wine and run.
By Christina Lew, Cheryl DeLuca, Mackenzie Blue, Wanda Le
Spring, 2017 – MSP 3701: Genres of Media Production, Cross Platform Story – with Prof. Laura Zaylea
Project website: Tuf46390.wix.com/unwritten
View the interactive project online: https://video.helloeko.com/v/VvEZNA?autoplay=true

Art of Being Izzy
A hard-headed Chinese-American college student learns to embrace her cultural identity
Original Screenplay by Christina Lew
Produced by Jennifer Bratcher, Nahomy Galan, Jin Kim, Eli LeBan, Colin Pawlowski and Yuanzhuo Wang
Fall, 2016 – Creative Scriptwriting – Dr. Kristine Weatherston
Spring, 2017 – MSP 4701/5701: Producing and Directing/Graduate TV Production – Prof. Laura Zaylea
Project website: https://izzyfilm.wixsite.com/izzy
View the video online:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=9cS7DCAmYxw