Course Layout This is an ongoing project based course that started 5 years ago at Stanford (in my Interactive Narrative course) and migrated to SFU (now in its 4th year at SFU). We take on a innovative ground breaking project which cuminates in some significant event ( a website, a online drama, a fashion show, a game...). There is only one project that we ALL work on (each section of ~45). Therefore this class is very much like a real world creative production group. In so, we will group into production teams with some organization hierachy and roles. Past Projects Lets look at the past projects for this course. All work ( websites, performances, documentation) was created by myself and the students. We usually colaborate with signifacant experts or artists in their field (note that "past propossal" to read the letters that started these projects) Links to the past work: 2002:Stanford
Interactive Narrative "Chasing Alice":
Performance Site More details and site, press below: (by year) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "Consume Now Think Later": (2007) Consume Now Think Later is an interactive art installation/exhibition that addresses issues surrounding the environment. The structure of the installation comprises of four distinct areas; three of which will provide tasks related to consumption, pollution and urban sprawl. The fourth space acts as a centralized area where data collected from the first three spaces generates visual feedback, showing the participants how their choices affect the environment. This installation was setup and exhibited live at a local high school in Surrey (Fraser Heights) as part of the Environment Week on the 26th of April, 2007. More than 100 students went through the exhibition over a 2 hour span and the response was very positive. This exhibition will be next showcased at the SIAT Open House. The Consume Now project was featured in the Now Newspaper, CBC Radio, SFU Radio, and BCIT Magazine. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "Defaced": (2007) Defaced is a customizable story of a faceless madman that puts the audience at the helm. Its innovative interface allows users to rearrange scenes until they find the desired combination of narrative elements. In today's interactive media-rich culture, the audience is the director - the developer provides the building blocks for the user to construct a completely unique experience of their own. This interactive narrative game was created from a story bible that was split into 6 stories, which again was split into 6 separate scenes. All the stories were storyboarded, filmed, edited complete with post-production effects and put into the game interface as a 6x6 maze of movie clips that the user can drag and drop to create their own narrative. A final event/game competition was held at SFU Surrey where prizes were given to players with high scores. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "Digital Nowhere": (2005) Digital Nowhere is multimedia poetry that explores what is meant by the notion of "meaningful experience" and what does this mean in the virtual context? Increasingly, our possessions do not have or require a physical presence, but instead they exist as a digital substance. Through poetry and visual compositions, we comment on the seemingly transient nature of today's technology and how the lack of considerate design perpetuates the dullness of digital experiences. We do not hate technology; rather we love it. The purpose of Digital Nowhere is to explore a middle ground between both the virtual and physical experience and ask questions: How can technology work with the physical world? What impact does technology have on social norms. How can we navigate the in-between stage where new social norms have yet to be standardized? Where should technology step back or move forward? How can technology cause us to feel, live, love, and experience? Technology
is without question extremely beneficial and it is here to stay. Nonetheless, http://www.sfu.ca/bluebox/projects/dn +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tryptek Disconnected: Interactive Graphic Novel (2005) Tryptek Disconnected began as a fourth year interactive arts course with over 40 SFU Surrey university students. The purpose of the course was to create an innovative design project together as a class. In the past the course had produced projects that built immersive environments and interactive works. This year the class was larger than ever before, and the resulting project was entirely student managed, designed, and produced. From the original ideas our class produced, we had two main goals: to explore different narrative and interactive structures, and play with the graphic novel style in a new media format. We were influenced by many different areas in a variety of media, such as: Red Vs Blue “machinima” episodes, multi-perspective radio shows, feature films like “Waking Life” and comic to movie transitions such as “Spider Man”. We combined the stylized visuals from these movies with a graphic novel framework, and built it around a multi-perspective narrative. In this way we hoped to create an original work that was innovative and interesting. See the work, credits, about page and the trailer and gallery at: http://www.tryptekdisconnected.com The work: here +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ SFU with James Burke"K-Worlds": (2004) This was a collaboration project between the class (under Prof. Steve DiPaola) with the Scientist and "Connections" TV show host James Burke from 2004. Following is the actual press release ( created by students that went out to the press on the class: Simon Fraser
University (SFU) Media Contact:
For Immediate Release
Vancouver, BC, March 29 2004. A team of SFU students is working on a project that revolutionizes philosophy of education and delivery of learning content within the academic world and overlapping applications to the corporate learning systems. The team of SFU students is led by a professor and internationally recognized expert and researcher in the areas of interactive and collaborative knowledge systems, Steve DiPaola. The SFU project is code named Knowledge World (K-World). It borrows and extends a philosophy of the original Knowledge Web (K-Web) project, led by the UK authority in areas of innovative learning, James Burke. The idea is based on the premises of learning that provides context rather than idle learning and exploration of massive amounts of text and data. By combining the efforts of both teams, the project will provide a concept for learning systems that explore information in highly interconnected, interactive and holistic ways, allowing for an almost infinite numbers of paths of exploration among people, places, things, and events. The environmental technological platform was provided by Adobe Systems, another partner supporting SFU SIAT team. The K-World prototype promotes use of innovative thinking, whether in an academic or organizational context. It provides users with interesting and appealing ways of thinking about learning material in terms of relational connections and interdependencies. Newly built associations support alternative modes of thinking, which help to satisfy the need for innovation applied to learning, organizational issues, environmental and other problems. The applications and possibilities are literally limitless. The SFU team created collaborative international links, utilizing the latest communication technologies. SFU students proved that cost effective development methods can be applied to global teams. Besides mastery of the latest technological skills, SFU SIAT students are praised for their soft core skills showcasing effective practices demanding professional teamwork, communication and project management competencies. The
prototype of the pilot K-World project is planned to be released in
the mid-April. For more information, please visit http://www.sfu.ca/~kweb ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Stanford Interactive Narrative Project "Chasing Alice": (2002) This
intensive studio art course focused on developing interactive digital
narrative skills by exploring real-time dramatic performance art in
virtual environments. The class delved into how the definitions of author
and audience are blurring (as well as fiction and non-fiction) by exploring
collaborative narrative environments. The course culminated in a class
conceived virtual performance within an online narrative environment.
Based on skill set and interest, the class was divided into three interconnected
teams:
As a full team, the class integrated all these parts into a public interactive narrative performance that combined environment, online audience and actors, dramatic structure and social community dynamics. |