Glorianna Davenport (docu film maker/Research Director for new cinematic media forms at Media
Lab Europe),
Alison Wood (Atmosphere & Ocean science student) &
Vanessa Wood (film/animation student & visual artist)
"Caroline, an H2O molecule, reveals information about the nature of liquid water particles through animated dialogue with her neighbors, to whom she is bonded."
(Image drawn by Vanessa Wood.)
Title of Presentation:
Amplifying Physical Place with Science Stories
Description of Project:
Our collaboration brings together Glorianna Davenport, a documentary film
maker who heads research on new forms of digital media at MIT Media Lab
and Dublin's Media Lab Europe (MLE); Alison Wood, a researcher with Glorianna
at MLE who studied atmospheric and ocean science and creative writing
at MIT; and Vanessa Wood, a film and animation student at Tisch in NYU.
At MLE, Alison and Glorianna are exploring a narrative, culturally-oriented
perspective on science information. Glorianna's prior research into location-aware
cinema has led physical context to become a narrative element in this
exploration. The resulting project is a digital storytelling system in
an outdoor public space which is driven by weather. Real-time sensor values
(like, say, 99% humidity or 17 knot wind speed) trigger audio and visual
narratives which reveal aspects of culture and science about the place.
Through this project, collaboration between sisters Alison and Vanessa-
previously manifested as dialogues focused on 'figuring out' the physical
and emotional world- was able to crystallize. On summer leave from her
film production degree program, Vanessa had already been exchanging related
ideas with Alison, when a need arose for diverse skills in creating the
media for the weather-driven system. Vanessa submitted an application
and interviewed with Glorianna, and an agreement was reached by all parties
for Vanessa to travel to Dublin to join the production team.
Through this collaboration, speakers and projectors will be embedded at
an ocean swimming-hole south of Dublin city. A historic anemometer (juiced
up since its creation in 1852) at a nearby pier will beam live weather
data via radio to a server on the site. The values of atmospheric variables
will determine the mood of characters as well as the version of a story
a character reveals. Human characters will show memories of the place;
wild animals will reveal their concerns; rocks will mutter about their
genesis.
We are currently researching, writing and casting voices which link science
to emotional and cultural reality. Alison is writing software; Vanessa
and Glorianna will co-direct the production during the capture phase and
Vanessa will edit the sequences. Production will occur during July, with
projected installation for August. A website will contain current story
clips and updates on progress so that the collaborators can continue development
as it is installed. They will use a video conferencing system when they
are not all together in Dublin.
An 'imitation' installation will be created for in-lab demonstration purposes.
This version can travel and we would like to bring it to ArtSci2002 if
invited. We require a three dimensional space with internet connection
and six power outlets, one projection screen for the power point or video
presentation, plus a few power outlets at the presentation site.With a
narrative portrayal of real-time physical dynamics experienced in-situ,
we mean to amplify the culture and science of a place in a way that is
accessible and curiosity-arousing for all types of thinkers, not just
'left brains' and not just kids. We embrace the chance to share ideas
with others who attempt to free 'science' and 'art' from their individual
wrappers.
Website Address for Documentation Materials:
http://storynetworks.mle.ie/projects/WeatherStories
Glorianna Davenport is a founding member of the MIT Media Lab where
she serves as principal research scientist and heads the Interactive Cinema
Group. In 1999, she co-founded Media Lab Europe in Dublin, Ireland where
she currently heads the Story Networks Group. Trained as a documentary
filmmaker, she has pioneered new methods in digital media including "Evolving
Documentary" and "Very Distributed Storytelling."
E-mail address: gid@media.mit.edu
Address: Media Lab Europe, Sugar House Lane, Bellevue, Dublin 8,
Ireland
Website address: http://ic.media.mit.edu/people/gid
Alison Wood received a BS in Atmospheric and Ocean Science from
MIT with a minor in creative writing, and seeks to undercut the polarity
of the two disciplines. She is currently a researcher at the Media Lab
Europe in Dublin with the Story Networks Group, where she experiments
with using technologically-enabled narrative and structures of verbal
association to amplify, connect, and animate elements of the physical
world. She is interested in the inseparable nature of science information
from the story of the people who consider it, and likes to think of commonly-accepted
science as modern mysticism and poetic metaphor- with Power.
E-mail address: woodsy@mle.ie
Address: Media Lab Europe, Sugar House Lane, Bellevue, Dublin 8,
Ireland
website address: http://web.mit.edu/woodsy/www/index.html
Vanessa Wood is entering her third year at New York University,
Tisch School of the Arts. As a film and television major, she is developing
diverse skills in both analog and digital film, sound, video, and animation
areas. She also has a solid background in fine art and an overall strong
academic background. She is interested in areas of writing, science, and
many social sciences. Keeping the bare elements of film in mind; (visual
image, sound, time, and story/info/emotion) she strives to keep a clear
and evolving idea of what is possible. Her hope is to explore these elements'
potentials through collaberation among diverse individuals, a way of working
which to her seems a natural yet exciting evolution of human creation
and life-knowledge sharing.
E-mail address: vasuextra@hotmail.com
Address: 16 East Ridge Rd., Loudonville, NY 12211, USA
