Mashup Storyboard: Alien Invasion

The first clip in my mashup immediately establishes that the mashup is going to be about the personal side of immigration, the way it affects families and individuals, by zooming in on what an “immigrant” looks like.  This puts a definite face behind immigration issues rather than the numbers that are portrayed on the news.

After the first clip, I work through the types of signs and metaphors that I will use throughout the mashup, starting with “aliens” and “freedom.”  The alien images, including spaceships and close-ups, reflect the American view of immigrants – as an unknown force, typically associated with negative connotations and invasions.  The images of the statue of liberty are broken or twisted in some way to show that our view of freedom cannot be whole while we treat immigrants with disrespect.

I am including clips of Obama to recognize that he is taking some action against the wrongful immigration policies, but I am going to show his face in sarcastic moments.  Winking, for example, will show that not enough is being done.

The last images, of bugs, plays on the “invasion” metaphor.  By juxtaposing the bugs with science-fiction alien families, I hope to point out the gap in logic between seeing immigrants as people and as invaders.  The bugs, in this contrast, will reveal the first step in “othering” the immigrant families.

More detail, and the purpose for each specific clip, is written in pink under each image.

Mashup Proposal: Immigrants as Human Beings

Though most Americans may not realize it, immigration is still a problem in the United States.  People from Mexico, China and the Philippines are settling as often as they were years ago, and the policies that the government tries to uphold are simply failing under the influx.  Immigrants that come illegally can face charges like jail time or deportation, but immigrating legally is difficult and held under strict rules.  The worst part, in my opinion, is that immigrants are not viewed as people but as mindless foreigners trying to steal the opportunities of others.

My mashup will look at the “othering” that happens with immigrants in the United States – the way they are treated by native people, their struggles with jobs and domestic life, etc.  This also includes political issues like being deported or detained, but will focus on the personal rather than the political standpoint.  Although it is impossible to avoid politics, my mashup will not look so much at the political propositions toward fixing immigration as the humanity side of the argument: individual stories, emotions, families, and the ways that immigrants can benefit from coming to America.  Old clips from when immigrants were encouraged to come to the US – particularly in viewing the Statue of Liberty as the immigrant’s statue, and when the US was considered open to everyone for opportunity.

To emphasize the othering, I will contrast these images with clips from science fiction movies where the main race of the show/series/etc. treats another species harshly without understanding their intentions.  This could add a shock factor if I utilize brutal or inhumane clips filled with anger.  It also highlights how the first reaction of people is treat others, different from themselves, with violence and unreasonable judgments.

I also want to contrast the othering with images of bugs.  I want to emphasize the American belief of infestation by using clips that have bugs that work in groups (like ants, for example), like an immigration takeover.  This will tell the other side of the story, the common American take on immigration no matter the benefits.  I think the bugs will add an unexpected element that will make the viewer feel uncomfortable, but also lead the viewer toward the idea that they are uncomfortable because they do not know all of the information about the situation.

I plan to use music that will create a feeling of anxiety.  The music will be fast-paced so that I can use quick cuts to make the situation seem overwhelming and difficult to sort out for the viewer.