Building Story Worlds: Space, Time, Rules, and Narrative in Game Design

Instructors

Guilherme Marcondes, MIT Visiting Artists Program
Philip Tan, Creative Director, Game Lab
Sonny Sidhu, Comparative Media Studies
Rosalind Williams, Bern Dibner Prof of the History of Sci & Tech (STS)

Enrollment

Limited: Advance sign-up required; limited to MIT Community-only (staff, students, faculty), preference given to MIT Students
Sign-up by 01/09
Limited to 20 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Meets: M-F, 10am-5pm

Registration

To register, email Meg Rotzel at mrotzel@mit.edu.

Course Description

Visiting Artist Guilherme Marcondes, in conjunction with researchers from the MIT Game Lab and the Program in Science, Technology, and Society, will lead a workshop exploring the role of space in storytelling. The workshop will focus on exploring how artists can use the tools of game design—including space, time, and rule sets—to construct complex narratives that are deeply embedded in the settings in which they unfold. Participants will learn how to design and refine a game prototype through playtesting and observation; produce, gather, organize, and use concept art, music, sounds, and other source materials to establish the mood of a narrative setting; and evaluate their own and others’ creations in a critique-based studio environment.

No prior programming experience is required. Participants will review examples of stories that deal with spatial exploration; explore in and around MIT on foot; and work in teams to create tabletop game prototypes. Students who want to advance their projects may continue working with the researchers Jan. 21-24 & may exhibit and demonstrate these prototypes at a public event on Jan. 24 at the MIT Museum. There is also opportunity in the second week for exploratory visits with faculty and labs.

The MIT Visiting Artists Program will host filmmaker, animator, and mixed-media artist Guilherme Marcondes for a two-week residency. For more information visit http://arts.mit.edu/va/artist/marcondes/.

Offered as part of MIT’s Independent Activities Period.