An ARG Exploration

Pitch

a. Tagline

In the year 2030, The Australian Government think they have created ‘a better world’. A better world that, John Martin knows, is founded on lies.

b. Plot Description

Plot / Narrative

In the year 2030, the growing racial tension in Australia has led to constant outbreaks of civil fighting and extremist groups causing havoc. Having tried and failed many other strategies, the Australian Government decides to ban music in an attempt to create more community harmony, or a ‘Better World’. This decision is based on studies conducted by leading Australian research institute, Pullman Research, into the negative effects of music on the brain. The studies, beginning in 2011, found that music was in fact very dangerous and led to emotional instability, disorganised behaviour and rebellion.

The Government were now in discussions about whether to take the law a step further, and ban art, and literature. Understandably, an underground rebellion had formed, of those who believed in freedom of speech and self-expression, and of those who believed that having no form of creative outlet was actually detrimental to their mental state. John Martin leads this rebellion, and through his investigations he discovers that Pullman Research is secretly headed by a religious extremist group called the Usurpents, who deliberately falsified the results of it’s studies in an attempt to have music banned. The Usurpents have discovered that John knows their secret, and are trying to track him down to kill him before he has a chance to tell anyone. This doesn’t give John much time.

He decides that the best course of action is to go back in time, and change the course of the future. He travels back to August 2011, a month before the first study was ever released by Pullman Research into the negative effects of music on the brain. But he can’t change things on his own. He needs the help of the QUT Music students he contacts. They are part of the rebellion in the year 2030, so John knows they feel passionately about music and will help him.

Characters

John Martin – Leader of the rebellion against the ban on music in 2030
Pullman Research – Seemingly legitimate and socially conscious research institute
Usurpents – religious extremist group who secretly heads Pullman Research
Members of the rebellion – who have been contacted by John Martin in present time to help him

c. Media List

Letter – A letter will be hand delivered to random students in QUT Music student tutorials. The actor delivering the letter will announce “I’m counting on you”. The letter will say “You know me… In the future. I need your help. #musicisfreedom”. This tag leads to a twitter account, as well as the blog of John Martin.

T-Shirt - The actor delivering the letters will be wearing a t-shirt with the #musicisfreedom tag screen printed onto it. Because the actor will make an announcement and interrupt the class, this should get people’s attention (other than the person the letter is being handed to). The tag leads them to the blog and twitter account of John Martin.

Twitter account – The twitter account will be used by John Martin to deliver the locations of noticeboards around the QUT CI Building to players.

Blog – The blog of John Martin will be the primary form of communication with players. It will have a countdown to September 26. The first post will be an audio file (see below). The second post will be a music puzzle (see below) with each correct answer unlocking different newspaper articles (see below).

Audio - When players first visit the blog of John Martin, there will be a countdown timer to 26 September 2011, and a post containing an audio file of unidentifiable characters plotting to kill ‘John Martin’. This will be the first time players hear the name John Martin. The players will later piece together that the characters in the audio are members of the Usurpents.

Posters on noticeboards – The posters on noticeboards will be government posters from the year 2030 painting the picture in a clever way that music is banned. These are made to look authentic by being based on real government legislation posters such as the ‘drink and drive’ campaigns. On the back of the posters a code is written – “September 26, 2011 + Pullman”. The use of the ‘+’ should indicate to plays that they need to perform a google search.

Google – Google will be used to search for the code “September 26, 2011 + Pullman”. The two ranking results must be the media release (see below) on the Pullman Research website, and the countdown John Martin’s blog.

Pullman Research Website – The Pullman Research website is designed to look like a legitimate medical/social psychiatry research institute. It contains a link on the home page to the latest study into the effects of music on the brain. There is a link to participate in the study online. There is also a member login section.

Media Release – The media release will outline that Pullman Research will be releasing its latest report into the effects of music on the brain, on September 26, 2011.

Music puzzle – The music puzzle on the blog will be sections of sheet music, and players must enter the song which relates to each section. As each song is unlocked, John Martin will release a newspaper article from the future (see below). Players will have to rely on one another if they don’t know how to read music.

Newspaper articles - Newspaper articles from the future will be released via a post on the blog as each music puzzle is unlocked. These newspaper articles will paint the picture of the state of events in and leading up to 2030. For example:

Article detailing the growing racial tension, civil fighting and extremist groups causing havoc.
Article detailing the governments decision to ban music in an attempt to create community harmony, based on a study conducted by Pullman Research in 2011. The study findings were that music was very dangerous and led to emotional instability, disorganised behaviour and rebellion.
Article about John Martin, wanted criminal for the creation and distribution of music, and leader of the rebellion.
Article about government plans to ban further forms of creativity – art and literature

At the bottom of each newspaper article there will be an email address – john.martin@hotmail.com

Email – The email address of John Martin. When players email John Martin he will send them a message, and a username and password. The message will state: “In the year 2030, I know you. You are part of the rebellion. That’s how I knew you would help me.”

Website login – Players must figure out that the username and password provided to them allows them to log in to the members section of the Pullman Research Website. This will reveal a new tab on the navigation bar that was previously unseen, with the serpent head logo. When this tab is clicked, this message will be displayed:

“Thank you all for participating in the online study. This brings us one step closer to our goal. So far we have had 106 participants from the Userpian group, and only 53 from the general public. This should sway the results more than enough in our favour. Remember to answer the questions as if you were a troubled youth who listens to music of the devil.

We all know that music should be banned, in particular pop, rock, rap and other discordant genres.

Musicians believe that ‘anything goes’, and ‘do it if it feels good’. This is wrong. This is what has led to the drugs and promiscuity that follow music culture like a shadow. It has destroyed lives and will continue to do so. Modern music is based on a beat, which breaks the rhythm of life. This makes people susceptible to demonic possession, which leads to drug addiction and suicide.

People who listen to, and create music, want to rebel against God by destroying the harmony of life. Those who spread music are working for the devil, even if they’re not aware of it. And those who serve the master of lies are working against all that is good and beautiful. Working against God. What is against God should be banned!

We have to help these people. We have to take away their tool for spreading the word of the devil. They are not strong enough.

As we all know, the results of the report will be released at 9am on September 26, 2011. If you haven’t already done so please participate in the online study by clicking the link on the Pullman Research site. Thank you for all your hard work so far, it is all coming together.

Usurpents unite! “

Players will now realise that they can help John Martin and change the results of the report by participating in the online study. They will know how many people need to participate in order to change the result so will need the help of other players.

Online study – There is a link on the website to participate in an online study into the effects of music on the brain. There will be a series of questions to be answered through an interface like Survey Monkey - psychological based questions relating to how music effects their mood etc.

Research Report – When the countdown timer expires on the blog, the report has been released. A copy of the report will be emailed to the players who participated from Pullman Research, through data collected in the online survey. Two reports will be prepared – one where the findings are that music negatively effects the brain, and the other where the findings are that it does not. If the players have been successful in gaining the numbers to sway the results, the blog will be destroyed, as John Martin will have never had a need to create it and the future will be altered. If the players have been unsuccessful, John Martin will post on the blog notifying players that they have failed and he will return to the future to face his assassination.

d. The Use Case Scenario