TRANSMEDIA WORKSHOP BY ALAN N. SHAPIRO

Monday, 8 June and Tuesday, 9 June 2015,  11am  – 16pm, Blackbox (341)

In this two-day transmedia workshop, we will watch excerpts from 6 important science fiction films about computer games (Tron, Tron Legacy, Existenz, War Games, Gamer and Avalon) as well as one film that was an adaptation of a computer game (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider). We will have discussions about these films. We will examine questions such as: What is the relationship between “reality” and the game? What is the relationship between the physical and “virtual” worlds? What can architectural design learn from the virtual geometries of computer games? What is science fiction? In what sense has film already become “post-cinematic”? Has the computer game already gone beyond film as the emblematic media of our times? What is the significance of the game’s “POV perspective” – the special relationship between player and avatar – for narrative? What is the relation beween narrative and computer games? To write the software code for new games, is it possible to create a narrative-centered creative coding development environment, similar to how Processing is a visual-centered creative coding development environment? We will also take a look at the writings of cultural critic Steven Shaviro, such as Post-Cinematic Affect (2010). The workshop will be in English and German.