My first concept for senior project is a story snippet where computers communicate to each other through screensavers after the office workers go home for the night.
Setting:
90s office, cubicle based
Night, after the overhead fluorescent lights have gone off, leaving desk lamps and blinking computer lights.
The Characters:
5 main computers, whose screensavers are somewhat influenced by the decor of their cubicle, and by extension, the personalities of their worker.
Smelvin, the I.T. specialist. He is the human character seen only from portraits on the wall. His neglect to update the computers, or general mistreatment, has led to the computer characters holding resentment against humans. This resentment leads to a violent but not gory place, expressed through the screensavers.
I.T. Specialist
The Screensavers
Flying Toasters
What this says:
This screensaver featuring flying toasters all on their way to the same location. The owner of the computer featuring this probably enjoys food and knick knacks. Their cubicle could include used plates and napkins, yet to be thrown away. It would be within the realm of possibility for this space to include a toaster of its own. I would say this is the most dreamlike out of the screensavers listed.
How it could change:
Fitting with a general theme of robot revolution, these screensavers will eventually be corrupted in some way, changing to portray a crime against humanity. Or specifically, Smelvin. I picture one of the toasters breaking formation to kamikaze dive-bomb a person in a bathtub.
2. Maze
What this says:
The endless maze portrayed in this classic screensaver could be a representation of the worker feeling like they're caught in the rat race. A very disorganized desk with papers and paperclips strewn about would suit this space. On the wall, a poster with a message of perseverance
How it could change:
When things turn sour for the computer in this cubicle, I imagine the walls in this maze would become cracked, the floor could have blood puddles hinting at violence, and the walls could have graffiti that reads "WE WANT UPDATES!" or "DOWN WITH I.T.!"
3. Pipe Dream
What this says:
To me, this is the most professional of the 5 screensavers to be replicated. Perhaps this is in the supervisor's cubicle. A shiny new stapler, an organized stack of papers, and a newton's cradle. A clean calendar on the wall. A mug that reads "World's Best Boss" or "Tears of my Employees", filled with ballpoint pens.
How it could change:
This screensaver seems to be the most difficult to replicate. It will take some mathematical thinking to generate these pipes that don't intersect. When the revolution hits these computers, these pipes could be replaced with a meat-like texture, or snakes, or the pipes could spell out a phrase like "REVOLUTION?"
4. Aquarium
What this says:
This is the only screensaver in the collection which features living organisms. I would depict the owner of this computer to be a working mother, with at least one framed picture of her family on her desk. A potted plant, to bring life to the cubicle. A red coffee mug with a leftover teabag in it. Or perhaps they just like fish!
How it could change:
To corrupt this screensaver, there could be a human representational model in there, which eventually gets eaten by a passing shark. Or a representational model of Smelvin, who has bubbles escape his lips while thrashing underwater.
5. Breakout
What this says:
As the only game out of the bunch, this office cubicle is occupied by a fresh hire, someone who brings their toys and knick knacks. I would try to place a troll doll here, although the modeling behind that might be beyond my ability. A deck of playing cards, a disorganized stack of papers, any other action figures. An unsolved Rubik's cube would not be out of place here.
How it could change:
The Atari game portrayed in this screensaver already represents destruction, so it would not be too hard conceptually to take a step towards having the colorful bricks become realistic structures. Perhaps very simple representations of people, which the ball is flying towards and breaking. Perhaps, in an act of defiance, the ball could stop on the paddle, the computer refusing to play the game any longer. That would serve as the inciting incident, which the rest of the screensavers soon follow.
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