Abel Philips

Mentor: Kumar Vinnakota

Product Proposal
Introduction & Statement of Purpose:
The first time I met Mr. Vinnakota he gave me a challenge. He told me to define what a
patent troll was. Having done my own research beforehand, I quickly replied with the answer I
had read online the night before.
A patent troll is someone who abuses the patent system to get money from a company
by settling out of court.
Of course, I was mostly wrong in that assumption. I, like many others, had been misled
by the medias incorrect and often misleading use of the word. Could a patent troll be the shady
character I had described? Yes. Could it also be a startup company trying to gain assets for
funding? Yes. Could it be a large corporation such as Nissan or GE? Yes. Could it be a
university? Yes. And the list goes on and on depending on who you ask. I learned during the
conversation that followed that the world of law was not always black and white. In fact, it was
mostly gray. For example, one party could be considered a troll or a completely viable litigant
depending on who was asked and how great their PR is. Law is a difficult field to traverse as one
can never be sure if there is an ostensibly right way to do anything.
I have become more interested recently in filmmaking and documentaries. There is
beauty in motion that a still picture cannot capture and the freedom offered in this art form is
unparalleled. Patent law is a complex topic that can often become boring and overwhelming to
the average person. With proper film techniques, I can keep an audience engaged better than I
could in a research paper and express information with visual aid. A documentary over patent
trolls appears to be the best choice. My working title is Ramifications of Patent Trolls on the
U.S. Patent System. The final documentary will be around 25 to 30 minutes in length. It will
give a brief overview of what patents are, patent processes, important features of patent attorneys
and attorneys in general, the complex patent troll situation, litigation issues, and possible
solutions. One important thing to include is a very unbiased view of the topic. This almost
Martian perspective of a topic can be very useful to create an informative product based on
fact instead of opinion.
I hope to create a video that can better educate the common man on patent litigation,
issues that currently face the United States, and that could possibly be used by my mentor or
myself in the future. This final product heavily depends on the skills that I have learned this year
and continue to learn.
Review of Skills & Research:
 1. Ability to think on your feet.
a. In a field like law one should always expect the unexpected. Gaining the power to
improvise quickly and effectively can be invaluable depending on what one is
trying to accomplish.
b. This will be very useful when I need to find B-roll footage to put over the
multiple interviews that I have in my documentary. Finding perfect places to take
shots requires me to predict how I could utilize it before it is even used. Rather
than use stock footage, which cheapens the documentary, I plan on using quick
thinking to collect needed footage.
2. Give succinct presentations on dense material.
a. I have learned that a lot of court cases boil down to who makes a more engaging
presentation while still maintaining the needed amount of information. This skill
has been used before in some of my presentations in ISM and to enhance some
claims that I have made.
b. This skill will be useful for my documentary as I need to cut down the amount of
raw information I currently have to a feasible amount. The reduced amount of
footage will still need to retain key information but cannot become a bore to the
audience.
3. Research
a. Writing
i. Allows me to create storyboards and scripts for parts such as my
introduction, connections between scenes and information, and
conclusion. This research and work done now is greatly helpful once
editing begins.
b. Secondary
i. Reading and analyzing sources to prepare information for my
documentary is giving me valuable experience into the data collecting and
analysis sections of preparing for a court case.
c. Interviews
i. Firsthand accounts of a persons experience with the patent system are
valuable to my product as they provide information and credibility. It also
gives me experience with handling witnesses and seeing ways in which I
can use their stories to improve my overall argument.
4. Video Editing
a. I have been practicing this skill more recently and believe I should be able to
create a good product using the software, equipment, and skills I currently have
when given enough time to edit.
Methodology:
1. Identify Problem
 a. Current patent system in the United States do not address the patent troll issue in a
satisfactory manner and the media appears to confuse the public about the
meaning of patent troll. People need more information about the issue in general.
2. Gather Research
a. I am currently doing this by my reading, analysis, and interviews. Once I have
compiled all footage and gotten a rough idea of how to format the information by
creating storyboards I can move on to the next step.
b. Footage collection and storyboards will need to be completed by April 8th.
c. I have scheduled an interview for every Friday to collect all footage by the 8th.
May need to schedule more if needed.
d. Storyboarding will be completed April 1st.
3. Editing
a. I want to have around a month of time to edit. With AP testing, regular work, and
other commitments it will be difficult to find time to edit. If I give myself a month
I will have ample time to edit and complete rough drafts. After the first draft is
completed by April 19th, I will show my video to various people and collect
critiques.
b. After critique collection, I can revise the video to create the secondary draft by
April 26th. This draft will again be viewed by various individuals and be revised to
create a final draft by May 2nd.
4. Preparation
a. Once the video is complete I will have around two weeks to prepare for Final
Presentation Night. I will use this time to plan and practice my presentation with
Mr. Vinnakota and the class.
b. I plan on creating my revised board and invites during this two-week period.
c. I will present on May 17th and will mostly complete the ISM experience.
Materials:
1. Tripod
a. Borrowed from Ms. Burks for duration of project.
b. Used to create stable shots.
2. Camera
a. Utilized phone camera with HD 60 FPS settings to achieve high quality video
footage.
b. Used grid feature to preserve rule of thirds.
3. Phone Mount
a. Borrowed regularly from fellow ISM student Sai Vogirala.
b. May buy if needed. Only 10 dollars online, however, I do not need to purchase
one currently.
4. Lapel Microphone
a. Increases audio quality of interviews.
b. Borrowed from Aathreya Vadlamani regularly.
5. Micro SD Card
a. Will be used to store more footage at a time.
 b. Purchased 64 GB card at Walmart for 20 dollars as well as a card reader for 10
dollars.
6. Adobe Creative Cloud
a. Used student discount to get access to Adobe software such as Premiere and After
Effects for video editing.
b. Cost is 20 dollars a month which is affordable.
7. Computer
a. I already own a computer with the ability to run video editing programs
efficiently.
8. Access to Interviewees
a. Mr. Vinnakota has found willing clients and colleagues. We have scheduled
mentor meetings at the times I will interview them.
9. Filming Advice and Knowledge
a. Free online video tutorials, conversations with teachers and students, and prior
experience.

Conclusion:
As I get deeper and deeper into this project, I see more connections between the
documentary I am creating and an actual patent case. A patent case has key aspects such as
preparation, witnesses, simplification of complex material, and an overall argument. As I
complete this project I have or will have addressed these topics. The research I complete as I
compile content to include in introductions, main points, and my conclusion within the video
address the preparation skills one needs in a court case. The interviews and process of
questioning someone is extremely similar to a deposition of a witness in court. Mr. Vinnakota
even calls my interviews depositions as a joke and because that is what I am essentially
preparing for. By editing out redundant and unnecessary footage from my video while
maintaining an interesting tone I will be simplifying complex material into an easy to understand
format. I can educate an audience effectively with simplicity like I will have to in a court case.
Additionally, by the conclusion of my research and analysis process I will be able to determine a
conclusion, an argument to be made. Like a good attorney leads everything up to an undeniable
and strong argument I will make my video conclude on a strong argument. As to what that
conclusion will be, I will find out soon.
However, I am sure of one thing. This documentary will educate the public about the
integral patent system within the United States. It will be useful to many people to become more
aware of the government and world they live in, encouraging them to do something as well. After
all, change can only be accomplished in numbers.