a fantastic flash game "machinarium"

http://machinarium.net/demo/
the game have nice scene design and a interesting story. in the web site you can play the demo. the game making by  Amanita Design http://www.amanita-design.net/  in the web site have many other game.


Project proposal

Project proposal


Working Title

The development of interactive storytelling movie and the possibility about traditional storytelling movie will be alternative.
Aims+Objectives

Movie is a kind of method to tell the story. Now most of movie is use linear way to tell the story. linear storytelling is good way to let the audience to know the story, but when the audience watch the movie they may lost many details and deeply meaning from the scene because traditional storytelling movie is kind of passively receive information process. Suppose the audience initiative to receive information when they watch the movie what will happen. The movie will became more interesting and audience will pay more attention for that movie. It is seems like a video game, but interactie movie will more easy to central. Audience do not need to much action for the movie.
Nowadays, more and more video games try to use nonlinear way to write the game story. In the game, player can do anything by themselves. When they are playing the games, they make them own story by them own way. In interactive movie, audiences may not do lots of things in the process of the movie, but it can let them join in or become a character in the movie, even talk with the main character. Imagine when audience watch the movie and talk with the character, how interesting the movie will be.
So in my project I will tend to do that.
In this project, I may create a VR system to present my interactive movie-Imagine World. The idea was from a dream. Firstly dreaming is a one of the common human behaviors. Most of dreams are basically associated by non-linear imagination clips. People might forget what happened in the dream, however, their emotions might be influenced once they wake up. Secondly some dreams I can central myself, but I cannot change the dream story line. What would happened in my dream that still happened though I did not want it. Sometimes dreams alike movies, an extremely interactive movies. Therefore, I would like to bring this kind of amazing concepts into the reality. 
Context

For this project what I talking about is interactive movie not interactive video game with loads of filmed footage. An "Interactive Movie" uses full-motion video to tell the story, it can be combined with images and photo, but the base should be video/film footage. An interactive story develops differently depending on the interaction of the audience, meaning that the viewer has to make choices in the storyline and that way the viewer chooses which videoclip will be shown. Wrong choices will lead to a bad ending of the story, while correct choices will have the story continue until it is eventually completed. Most of the time interactive movies are video games (mostly adventure games) and were published in the 90's. But there are a few real interactive motion pictures, and with DVD players in many homes we can only hope that more titles will follow.  
From that definition, we can find most of interactive movie is depend on audiences chosen. It is like push button to play next footage. In my project I want try some new method to interactive. 
The first part of my project is I tend to create a VR(Virtual reality) cinema system. VR is kind of fake world created by computer where people can experience and view. The world be created in a 3d space. VR system be used by many area. Such as game, television, fine art etc. David Em who was the frist fine artist to crearte navigable virtual worlds in the 1970s. The work call “Transjovian Pipeline” (EM 1979) The art work combine digital element and space. When audience view the project them can work in the space that kind of feel is traditional movie cannot given. This is similarly reason the interactive movie will more attractive for the audience. Actuary the most of artist is tend to create a world. Primely artist was get the idea form the real life, but follow the technology advance artist work become more and more abstract. Now they can create world by digital way. 
Secondly I will research the narrative about the storytelling. For a good story the structure in very importent part. If the story is clear the audiences will understand the story more easily.  There have three peoples who have great research for storytelling.
Propp
Propp(1895-1970) is a Russian writer, in 1927 he publish the book Morphology of the Folktale. In this book he analyzed the 31 elements of story. 
0. Initial situation
1. Absentation: Someone goes missing
2. Interdiction: Hero is warned
3. Violation of interdiction
4. Reconnaissance: Villain seeks something
5. Delivery: The villain gains information
6. Trickery: Villain attempts to deceive victim
7. Complicity: Unwitting helping of the enemy
8. Villainy and lack: The need is identified
9. Mediation: Hero discovers the lack
10. Counteraction: Hero chooses positive action
11. Departure: Hero leave on mission
12. Testing: Hero is challenged to prove heroic qualities
13. Reaction: Hero responds to test
14. Acquisition: Hero gains magical item
15. Guidance: Hero reaches destination
16. Struggle: Hero and villain do battle
17. Branding: Hero is branded
18. Victory: Villain is defeated
19. Resolution: Initial misfortune or lack is resolved
20. Return: Hero sets out for home
21. Pursuit: Hero is chased
22. Rescue: pursuit ends
23. Arrival: Hero arrives unrecognized
24. Claim: False hero makes unfounded claims
25. Task: Difficult task proposed to the hero
26. Solution: Task is resolved
27. Recognition: Hero is recognised
28. Exposure: False hero is exposed
29. Transfiguration: Hero is given a new appearance
30. Punishment: Villain is punished
  1. Wedding: Hero marries and ascends the throne  
(Propp 1927)
This 31 elements use in lot of movie, such as Star War, Harry James Potter, Shrek etc. This story is really useful for who want make a story.
Georges Polti
Georges Polti, who was a french writer from the mid-19th century (1868-?) He writer list of thirty-six dramatic situation is the best-known today. All situations in any story or drama are supposed to fall into one of these categories. There may be more than one situation in the plot of a story if it's long enough.
1. Supplication
2. Deliverance
3. Crime Pursued by Vengeance
4. Vengeance Taken for Kindred Upon Kindred
5. Pursuit
6 Disaster
7. Falling Prey to Cruelty or Misfortune
8. Revolt
9. Daring Enterprise
10. Abduction
11. The Enigma
12. Obtaining
13. Enmity of Kinsmen
14. Rivalry of Kinsmen
15. Murderous Adultery
16. Madness
17. Fatal Imprudence
18. Involuntary Crimes of Love
19. Slaying of a Kinsman Unrecognised
20. Self-Sacrifice for an Ideal
21. Self-Sacrifice for Kindred
22. All Sacrificed for Passion
23. Necessity of Sacrificing Loved Ones
24. Rivalry of Superior and Inferior
25. Adultery
26. Crimes of Love
27. Discovery of the Dishonour of a Loved One
28. Obstacles to Love
29. An Enemy Loved
30. Ambition
31. Conflict With a God
32. Mistaken Jealousy
33. Erroneous Judgement
34. Remorse
35. Recovery of a Lost One
36. Loss of Loved Ones
(Polti 1921)
Joseph campbell
Joseph campbell(1904-1984) who was an american mythologist, writer and lecturer. He written the book The Hero with a Thousand Faces which has influenced a number of artists, musicians, poets, and filmmakers, including Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison and George Lucas. Mickey Hart, Bob Weir and Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead had long noted Campbell's influence and agreed to participate in a seminar with him in 1986 entitled From Ritual to Rapture.
(Cousineau)
The Seventeen Stages of the Monomyth
Departure
1. The Call to Adventure
2. Refusal of the Call
3. Supernatural Aid
4. The Crossing of the First Threshold
5. Belly of The Whale
Initiation
6. The Road of Trials
7. The Meeting With the Goddess
8. Woman as Temptress
9. Atonement with the Father
10. Apotheosis
11. The Ultimate Boon
Return
12. Refusal of the Return
13. The Magic Flight
14. Rescue from Without
15. The Crossing of the Return Threshold
16. Master of Two Worlds
17. Freedom to Live
(Campbell 1949)
This all theory knowledge can help me to present my project.
Methodology

For the project I will create a imagination world in VR system. The VR system will make by 3d game software “Alice”. “Alice” is a program software for people who do not know how to programming. In interactive part I will make a short story about imagination. The movie style will be simple and clear. I want audience have a positive experience about this movie. And the interactive method will be voice control. I think interactive movie should not to complex to use. This is not a game, for movie’s audience to much control may lost them interest. 
When I start project, I will do some basic experimentation about VR system and interactive technology. Such as make a character working in the 3d environment and connect microphone with the computer. For this project have lots of work is about programming.  Therefore this is the most problem for me.
During the design process I will recoding the experimentation by camera. And update to the blog.  
Outcome

If everything is fine the final outcome should be a VR interactive movie. This interactive movie is break traditional interactive movie mode. And dring a new experience to the audience. And I believe in the future the interactive movie will alternative traditional movie to become a mass storytelling movie mode.
work plan


Date
Research 
Project 
11/2009
Learning software/Research interactive movie 
Test some technology about interactive movie
12/2009
Learning software/Research interactive movie 
Test some technology about interactive movie
1/2009
Learning software/Research interactive movie 
Write a story
2/2009
Research pages draft 
Think about the VR system
3/2009
Research pages draft 
Connect VR system with computer
4/2009
Research pages draft 
Making movie
5/2009
Research pages
Combine everything
6/2009
Research pages
Fix the problems
7/2009

Fix the problems
8/2009


9/2009




Bibliography

. "What is an Interactive Movie ?", from http://www.interactivemovies.org/index.php.
Campbell, J. (1949). The Hero with a Thousand Faces. London, Fontana.
Cousineau, P. "Joseph Campbell - Chronology." from http://www.pacifica.edu/innerContentlib.aspx?id=1754.
EM, D. (1979). Transjovian Pipeline.
Polti, G. (1921). The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations, University of Michigan Library.
Propp, V. (1927). Morphology of the folktale, University of Texas Press.

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