possible worlds

The word “games” can suggest many possibilities.
What are the games that people play and how do
games alter our perception of the world we share.

Jenny Weight introduces the world of games and
explores notions of emersion within the game space.

Explore the world of Puzzle Pirates.

Rob Wellinton talks about online documentary and
multimedia production. Rob has produced a number
of award winning online projects and shares his insights
on the industry and his creative practice.
Check out his work at
www.tantamount.com.au

Develop your Pitching Skills.

Delivering an effective Pitch or Presentation to an audience
requires a great deal of organisation and confidence.
A good presentation should include enough support material
to provide an audience with a clear outline of your concept
and a strong sense of the completed project you intend to make.

Check out the websites below for more info on Pitching.

http://www.scripthollywood.com/id29.html

http://artfulwriter.com/archives/2005/08/how_to_pitch.html

http://www.rivalquest.com/alphascripts/pitch.html

enjoy,

Dean.

New media applications and the internet enable people to share their
stories across the web. The use of social software such as “Our Story”,
“Flickr” and the citizen journalism site “Now Public” provides an opportunity
for individuals without high level computer skills to be a part of the emerging
new media culture. Arguably, user generated content (UGC) is changing
the way that we interact as a society.

More and more people are choosing to spend their viewing time online,
rather than watching the idiot box (television). Does this make for a more
rewarding experience in the long run? Well, that is yet to be seen, but in my
opinion it’s hard to ignore a correlation between reality t.v. and the growth of
the UGC market. Suddenly the viewing public realised that their own lives could
be just as shallow, sensational, inspiring or dull asthe cast of Big Brother.
The “You Tube” website is jam packed with instant stars that can capture our
imagination for a fleeting moment. Just think, who would have thought that
3 million+ people would watch a kid playing a guitar in his bedroom.
Is this the fabulous future of entertainment for a newly empowered audience,
or merely a step towards a new medi(a)ocrity?

For more info look under “Digital Storytelling” in the “Favorite Websites” section
of this blog. Please share your thoughts on this matter.

At first glance the mobile phone is a genie’s lamp, a magical portal to entertainment and communication nirvana. The small screen is a mirror scape reflecting our dreams and desires in the form of a miniature narratives stored deep within the heart of the mobile device.

This view is expanded upon by Paul Golding when he states: the notion that the personal device represents a kind of digital heartbeat is a powerful metaphor, with data-flow as our digital lifeblood. Just as the heart traditionally denoted the seat of the intellect in many ancient traditions, the digital heartbeat is its proxy in the virtual realm, a kind of digital alter-persona.It is our digital core. With a digital heartbeat, it will be easier to interface with machines. This is a new dimension to the mobile experience.(Glotz, Bertschi and Locke, 2005, Pg 241.)

In the datascape, we exist as particles of information, we are constantly assembled, deconstructed, and re-assembled. We learn to communicate with the interface, but one must pose the following question. Is it the user who is driving the changes in technology are are we simply adapting to the parameters of the media?

An example of human modification to fit the parameters of mobile media can be seen in the emerging language patterns associated with sms messaging. The adoption of abbreviations and symbols may enable users to maximise information whilst still adhering to the restrictive limit of 160 characters for each sms message, but are these concessions eroding or enhancing our shared communications. Is it a case of language adapting to suit the parameters of the technology, or are we simply adapting the human self in order to communicate with an alien interface.

The mobile device instigates an archaeology that marks a distinct paradigm shift away from conventional modes of communication, and socialisation. Due to the procedural nature of the mobile interface, a user must adopt a new dialogue that acknowledges the limitations imposed by the mobile device. The audience must now learn a new set of codes and conventions in order to successfully operate and navigate within a networked space. As we adopt the language of the machine, it is worth asking what role traditional modes of storytelling will play in the production of miniature narratives for the mobile device.

The transformative nature of the Podcasting and Moblogging are profoundly altering the way we access and create digital narratives. The mobile phone becomes a tool for interaction and lifestyle management. The user has the power to publish or access content at the touch of a button. It is conceivable that the inception of the Webcam and the Reality T.V. program has instigated a new narrative form in which the personal and the private co-exist within the one heavily mediated space. Weibel states that
A new market of attention produces narcissism, exhibitionism, voyeurism as new playgrounds of the mass media, in which no limits are set on the sellout of the private sphere. (p84) (DISLOCATIONS)

The phone becomes an extension of the self, allowing the exchange of narratives and blurring conventional notions of the public and the private. Plant (2002) in her paper, ‘on the mobile’ states that: The mobile has taken its place in a time marked by increasing connectivity, unprecedented mobility, and the emergence of new cultures, communities and collectives, and is now helping to shape that new, emerging world. (2002, p. 77)

The mobile device becomes a portal for transient and ephemeral narratives that exist briefly within the heart of the machine. Disembodied communications from loved ones; friends and work colleagues share a non-hierarchal place with playful chat and gossip. Our human interactions and emotions are computated and coded into a list. Now stored as the digital debris of our endeavours to reach out into the networked universe to connect briefly with the human interface.

Like the robot, we can ask ourselves: Where is the cogito, the place of my self consciousness, when everything I actually am is an artefact- not only my body, my eyes, but even my most intimate memories and fantasies” (Coyne, 1999, p. 274)

In the second week of “Possible Worlds” we had a look at some more online/interactive narratives and discussed the online multiplayer game Graal. We also discussed setting up a blog, which is a compulsory task in this course. WordPress.com and Blogger.com are easy to use and will get you blogging in no time at all. Once you have your blog set up, just email me the Blog URL and I will add it to the “Possible Worlds” blogroll.
Also, Liam Ward presented an introductory tutorial on DVD Studio Pro, which I must say evoked plenty of interest in the program. To refresh your memory, check out the DVD Studio Pro section of the blog for an online tutorial.

Liam will be back soon to teach us more DVD Studio Pro, but in the meanwhile, you can access the program in the Bonza Lab. Remember, If you find any helpful hints or useful websites, share them with the PW crew.

Enjoy!

Dean