Columbia DSL - June Newsletter
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Columbia DSL - June Newsletter
Exploring new forms & functions of storytelling since 2013
Welcome to the Columbia DSL’s June newsletter! We're excited to announce a series of workshops and events focused on world-building, generative AI and participatory design. At the Columbia Digital Storytelling Lab we design stories for the 21st century, drawing inspiration from creative and research practices spanning the arts, the humanities and technology. With technology as our creative partner, we explore the evolving landscape of storytelling, where the democratization of tools like code, data and algorithms has transformed the relationship between creators and audiences. Join us in this realm of speculation, creativity and collaboration, where new and unexpected stories come to life.
DSL EVENTS
Smartphone Symphony
Monday, June 12th, 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center. 144 West 65 Street, NY, NY
The Smartphone Orchestra started out as a musical idea, to create a magical tapestry of sound by synchronizing an audience’s personal cell phones. After running many successful iterations of that experience, a larger idea emerged: using smartphones to bring people together in the here and now, i.e. the Smartphone Orchestra as a tool for social design.
On June 12th, join DSL and guest host Rachel Eve Ginsberg for an interactive evening with the Smartphone Orchestra team: Creative Director Steye Hallema, Head of Production Shea Elmore and Technical Director Eric Magnée. You’ll have the chance to learn all about their projects and their design approach and experience what it’s like to be a part of The Smartphone Orchestra yourself with their newest experience EMOJIII just a few days after its world premiere at Tribeca Immersive.
Test/Break - Blockchain Fairy Tales
Wednesday , June 7th, 5:30pm to 7:30pm
Virtual - see RSVP link below
Test/Break is a monthly prototyping series by Columbia DSL. Join us as we delve into an array of projects in different stages of development. Test/Break offers a platform for creatives to explore groundbreaking forms and functions of storytelling. We focus on projects that push the boundaries of narrative possibilities, leveraging emerging technologies like AI, AR, VR, and IoT as well as web-pervasive technologies. It's a unique opportunity for virtual creators, fostering collaboration and experimenting with participatory methods of interaction. After each prototyping session, we open the floor for engaging conversations that unveil the secrets of creative practice. Don't miss out on this exciting journey of innovation and storytelling!
We'll be testing & breaking BLOCKCHAIN FAIRY TALES
Columbia DSL presents Blockchain Fairy Tales, a collaborative world-building workshop. Those formerly known as the audience will become architects of the future as we explore playful worlds, contend with magical threats, and face the question: What if happily ever after is not guaranteed?
NEW WORK
Where There’s Smoke (Digital Dozen 2020)
Lance’s newest version of “Where There’s Smoke” opens June 17th
ArtYard. 13 Front Street in Frenchtown, NJ
June 17–October 1, 2023
All families have secrets. Skeletons hidden in closets. Things left unsaid.
In Where There’s Smoke, Columbia DSL’s Lance Weiler unravels the secrets of his enigmatic father — a volunteer firefighter and amateur fire scene photographer — and of two devastating fires that struck the Weiler family in the early 1980s. In the final months of his battle with colon cancer, his father invites Lance to interview him, and these conversations reignite 30 years of wondering … were those fires more than tragic accidents?
Prepared to come face-to-face with mysteries of the past, Lance sits down with his father and finds himself simultaneously confronting tragedies of the present. As his father’s choices fade with his body, Lance and his family experience a profound lack of empathy in his care, and this sparks a new question: “What if this story can do more?” Out of a heartbreaking journey for answers and healing rises Where There’s Smoke.
“In 1983 our van burst into flames on a family vacation. Eleven months later our house would burn to the ground. As I explore my past I find mysterious connections to these blazes and come face to face with a closet full of skeletons. Inspired by true events in my life, Where There’s Smoke details the connections between two mysterious fires and my father’s battle with cancer.” – Lance Weiler
Where There’s Smoke is an immersive storytelling experience about life, loss, and memory that reveals itself to be both deeply personal and universally resonant. The exhibition employs elements of immersive theatre, interactive documentary and emerging technology that guides people through an abstracted and deconstructed exploration of his father’s life, offering interactive prompts along the way. It had its world premiere at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival and has been reimagined for ArtYard by Weiler and producer Peter English. It will be on view June 17 to Oct. 1, 2023, paired with a live performance in ArtYard’s McDonnell Theater.
ArtYard is an incubator for creative expression and a catalyst for collaborations that reveal the transformational power of art. Located on the Delaware River in Frenchtown, New Jersey, it is open from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM (Thursdays until 7:00.) Admission to the gallery is free of charge, with a suggested donation of $5 per person. Most programming in the McDonnell Theater requires advance registration or tickets. For further information, call 908-996-5018 or email contact@artyard.org.
Where There’s Smoke requires timed tickets. We encourage visitors to reserve a spot to avoid a long wait. Only a limited number of spaces will be available during the opening reception.
FRIENDS OF DSL
The Tribeca Film Festival is fast approaching!
In addition to The Games & Immersive Experience, a curated showcase featuring +20 exclusive selections to watch, play, and interact with, the festival has several events lined up: Live Shows of The Smartphone Orchestra's "Emojiii" and a special Alan Wake II event with Remedy Entertainment. There is also an incredible lineup of free industry talks that you won't want to miss.
LINKS
Sam Barlow - Destroying Movies and TV to Build Something Better
Sam Barlow was a special guest–and an honoree–at this year’s Breakthroughs in Storytelling Awards. In this talk at the Modern Audience Conference, he talks about how he is using the tools of videogames to deconstruct and then reconstruct live-action storytelling for the 21st century.
Watch an A.I. Learn to Write by Reading Nothing but Jane Austen
What actually happens when you train a large language model? The New York Times wanted to find out.
The Thorny Art of Deepfake Labeling
Does it matter how you label a deepfake? Not if the label is so small you can’t read it, Wired reports.
Columbia DSL Newsletter
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Volunteers Wanted
We’re looking for volunteers to help with the Breakthroughs in Storytelling Symposium. If you’re interested please email us at hello@digitalstorytellinglab.com