Columbia DSL - Newsletter
Next year marks Columbia DSL’s 10th anniversary. In the fall of 2013, we held a gathering on campus in collaboration with the Brown Institute for Media Innovation. Close to 100 people joined from various industries for an open design session around what a digital storytelling lab at Columbia University could look like. The feedback from the session was carried forward into a series of planning sessions in early 2014, and the Columbia DSL was formed.
In the new year, we’ll start to roll out a number of new initiatives as we celebrate the past, present and future of the DSL. Until then, we’d like to share some resources and event announcements.
YEAR END LIST OF IMMERSIVE WORKS
Photo: Passing Electrical Storms - Shaun Gladwell
2023 list of 50+ Immersive Things that mix storytelling, performance, play, design & code
Welcome to the 5th edition of the annual Immersive Things list. A collection of innovative works from around the world pushing at the edges of immersive possibilities.
The following list was compiled from suggestions made by creatives from around the globe. Special thanks to everyone who took the time to share the immersive things that stood out in 2023.
Immersive Wellness: A Fusion of Entertainment and Social Wellbeing
Monday, January 8th, 6:30pm to 9:30pm
In Person at Film at Lincoln Center - see RSVP link below
Are you ready to embrace wellness in a new light? Imagine a blend of entertainment, self-nourishment, learning, and deep relaxation seamlessly woven into one immersive tapestry. The time has come for immersive wellness oasis, permanent or nomadic that blend entertainment with social wellness. These transformative encounters could span an array of disciplines - from light and sound therapies to the richness of cacao ceremonies, breath work, yoga, meditation, explorations with psychedelics, and creative retreats. Please join us for an evening of wellness immersion with a panel of practitioners in this field who will inspire our following workshop to design a transformative catalyst experience for positive behavior change.
LINKS
There could be a creator economy campus coming to a city near you
“The creator economy is already estimated to be a $250 billion industry and is projected to hit $480 billion in just four more years, according to research from Goldman Sachs. However, only around 4% of global creators consider themselves professionals.
Part of the creator economy’s growing pains has been creators learning as they go. The resources for a more formalized approach to developing the craft and business acumen of being a creator is still nascent, which is exactly where Whalar is leaning in.”
When the makers of Pokémon Go and Sleep No More tried to reinvent theater
“Every night at 9 p.m., a pay phone would ring on a street corner in Mexico City. If someone picked up, they’d hear a question:
“Who is the mother of all wisdom?”
If they answered correctly — “memory” — a car would pull up. If they got in, a driver would take them on a tour of the city, telling stories about her daughters when they were young.“
I saw the first major 'AI game' coming to PC, and it convinced me of its potential for storytelling
“I recently tried a game that generates NPC dialogue with an AI chatbot, and within minutes I was arguing with a hard-boiled cop about whether or not dragons are real. "Large language models" like ChatGPT are unpredictable, habitual bullshitters, which makes them funny, but not very good videogame characters. Hidden Door, a company founded by long-time AI developers, says it can do much better.”
Columbia DSL Newsletter
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Join over 1,500 practitioners from around the world working with story, design and code. The Columbia DSL’s prototyping community is place to learn and network. Gain access to resources, working groups, open source code and much more.
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