treating story as software - lecture from 9.19.12 class

TREATING STORY ASSOFTWARE

@lanceweiler http://www.lanceweiler.com

New Media Producing Building Storyworlds: the art, craft & biz of storytelling in 21cClass 2 9.19.12

Columbia University - Fall 2012Taught by - Lance Weiler Visit www.buildingstoryworlds.comReleased under a Non-Commercial ShareAlike Creative Commons License

http://www.lanceweiler.com/

http://www.buildingstoryworlds.com/

@lanceweiler www.lanceweiler.com

For the next 14 slides we’ll be here.


DATAOne of the biggest areas for growth in storytelling involves data.



Data helps to make storyworlds re-playable, discoverable and fuels social connections.

Beta app for Pandemic project enabled players to step into the storyworld and become characters in Sci/Fi horror tale. Player Objective: Search for survivors, scavenge for supplies and make a shelter before nightfall.

- 50,000+ downloads- 3,000+ game spaces created - 15 minutes of average gameplay per user

App usage over the course of a day.

OVER THE COURSE OF THE CLOSED BETA• make of handset• OS of phone• location of player• length of session • phone number• email address

DATA COLLECTED


SOCIALLYCONNECTEDOBJECTS

Everything will soon be connected from cars to appliances to everyday objects – storytellers will be able to lay story over the real world creating “significant objects” that are social and connected.



LAIKA is a connected toy.


At Reboot Stories (rebootstories.com) we think of story as platform. How can story become a utility that provides value so that participants return.

STORY AS SOFTWARE / HARDWARE


Within Laika’s Adventure (supported by the Tribeca New Media Fund) our protagonist is a connected toy that collects data and shares it with students around the world.

THOSEFORMERLYKNOW ASTHE AUDIENCE

They are collaborators who can assist with distribution of content and merchandize as well as aiding in creative expansion of storyworlds.

Just imagine if storytellers cross pollinated these new collaborators – a new type of P2P network could emerge.


As storytellers become better at telling 21st Century stories (collaborative, social, and participatory) the number of “producers” and “players” will increase. Right now the “audience” are ahead of the creators – many consider themselves their own media companies able to push button publish for the world to see.


SCARCITY vsABUNDANCE

What is it about experiences that make people want to participate and share? One area of recent experimentation is the mix between physical and digital with story providing the bridge.


Scarcity Abundance

Reward

OWNERSHIP SPREADABILITYCOLLECTA

BILITY


I’m currently experimenting with scarcity and abundance. I was approached by a major publisher to write a book about tech and storytelling. The offer was weak and ironically unwilling to move beyond the printed page. So I decided to experiment instead. I wrote a book in twitter, a 140 characters at a time. It will only exist in 140 printed hardcover books. Every page says “Please set this book free and retweet.” http://www.buildingstoryworlds.com/book


http://www.buildingstoryworlds.com/book

It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.”

“

Eugene Ionesco


THANK YOUContact:@lanceweiler www.lanceweiler.com

SUGGESTED READING: “Open Design Now” - Why Design Cannot Remain Exclusive http://opendesignnow.org

“Learn Do Share” – storytelling, collaboration and social innovation in 21chttp://learndoshare.net

http://opendesignnow.org/

http://learndoshare.net/

treating story as software - lecture from 9.19.12 class

Education