Best of Poland part I

Date and time
26 September — Thursday 14:00-15:15
Location
Room: Stolica
Language
Polish English translation available

Best of Poland part I

Best of Poland presentations series brings light to the most interesting Polish projects created and being developed in the recent years, in different fields of digital art and culture.

Grzegorz Zajączkowski, Ministry of Digital Affairs
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Katarzyna Węglińska, Enterprise Channel Manager Public Sector Industry, Microsoft
Joanna Pająk, Marketing Manager, New Amsterdam
How to create engaging narratives and immersive storytelling using technology and multimedia?

Technology presents us with almost unlimited possibilities, allowing us to blend both physical and virtual reality. Nevertheless, it is merely a means to evoke emotions and emphasise messages – the two most vital elements of any exhibition. During this presentation, we will delve into ways of digitising cultural resources and describe solutions we have applied when organising attractive multimedia and narrative exhibitions. We have also inspired visitor experiences by creating interactive projects for museums and science centres.

vnLab
A newly created Multimedia Visual Narratives Laboratory (vnLab) at the Lodz Film School

The digital revolution in media has an ever bigger impact on artistic practice including film, animation and photography, that is domains that the Lodz Film School specializes in. Consequently, a modern, multimedia Visual Narratives Laboratory (vnLab) is being created at the Lodz Film School. The Lab shall undertake a creative and academic exploration of new technologies and narrative-oriented genres, such as cinematic VR, stereoscopy, interactive documentary, film essay, and, last but not least, multimedia publications. The Lab’s creative experiments are backed by academic reflection, such as viewership research, e.g. researching the impact of Lab-produced works on their audiences or hosting annual conference summarizing Lab’s activity.
Krzysztof Pijarski (At the Lodz Film School, he coordinates the activity of Visual Narratives Laboratory, where he additionally co-runs Interactive Forms Atelier. Grantee of the Fulbright scholarship at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore (2009-2010) as well as grant programmes awarded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, and Shpilman Institute of Photography; co-ordinator and participant of grants subsidized by the Ministry of Science and Education, the National Science Centre, and the National Programme for the Development of Humanities).
Krzysztof Franek (At the Lodz Film School, he coordinates the activity of Visual Narratives Laboratory, he is also the Dean's Plenipotentiary for Technology and Innovation at the Department of Film Art Organization. Winner of multiple industry awards such as European Leader of The European Year of Creativity and Innovation initiative in Poland, awarded by the European Commission).

Igor Hardy
The Prototype Found in Saragossa

The Manuscript Found in Saragossa is often described as a precursor of interactive literature. Today, thanks to computer technology, the multiple storylines from Jan Potocki’s novel can intertwine freely & uniquely. This is the starting point for the creators of the game based on the epic novel, where the player is free to choose both geographical & narrative routes at pleasure. Additionally, the stunning visuals were created in collaboration with the animation studio Circo de Barbaro to name but one.

Krzysztof Grudziński
Facts vs fiction, games vs films

Two of the latest projects by Punch Punk Games are digital stories based on true events. This is the Zodiac Speaking tells the story of the infamous American serial killer Zodiac who was active at the turn of the 1960s & the 1970s. Aida is an unmistakeable metaphor of the migrant crisis. While very different, both projects show clearly how creative following true events can prove. It can manifest in various forms – whether it is a meticulous fact reconstruction in fiction, a playfully derivative narrative, an exploratory game in 3D or an interactive live action.