Wow! 2012 is wrapping up already! This year I spent most of my time on my passion project and said “no” to more things than ever before. But looking over this list, I’ve still been busy! Here is an overview of everythink (I think), in case there is something you’d like to check out:
Creative
- An early iPad prototype of my web audio adventure AUTHENTIC IN ALL CAPS was nominated for “Best Writing in a Game” at the Freeplay Independent Gaming Awards! We came runner-up amongst a big field of released games and so we’re thrilled! I’ve given some talks and written some articles about AUTHENTIC this year – and so you’ll see them below. I can’t wait to release this baby to the world. We’re working on our crowdfunding campaign to get the essential last monies to complete it. This will be launched in Jan. Fingers crossed!!
- I was commissioned by the Melbourne Writers Festival to write a mobile/cell story as part of their festival promotions. The stories (3 writers to create 3 stories) were cancelled due to the advertising agency having to pull out. However, because I had already done work on the street story before it was cancelled I received my first kill fee! And, because I like the storyworld I created, I’m going ahead with the street story anyway. I have adapted it for global implementation and am ready to playtest. Woot! Just need to do the tech side of things…
- “title withheld” – I did concept development for a game and graphic novel pre-experience for a cool supernatural action horror feature film
- “title withheld” – I’ve done some preliminary concept development work on a global serious game and accompanying transmedia campaign
- The Book of Revelations – I did a prototype pre-experience for this delightful work-in-progress performance work.
- Hunter n Hornet – I did some pitch and transmedia consulting with this “appisode series” in its early days, and now it is released!
Publications
- Invited article for MediaCommons on my adaptation of the screenplay format for my web audio adventure AUTHENTIC
- Commissioned chapter “The Scaredy Cat Factor” published in “The Emerging Writer: An Insider’s Guide to Your Writing Journey”
- My essay on “Player-Created Tiers in Alternate Reality Games” was translated in a Portuguese book on gaming “Synthetic Reality” by Thiago Falcao and Luiz Adolfo Tetra Campeão de Andrade (the book has sold out and so is available for free download). The original essay: ‘Emerging Participatory Culture Practices: Player-Created Tiers in Alternate Reality Games‘, Henry Jenkins and Mark Deuze (Eds) special issue on ‘Convergence Culture’ in Convergence Journal: International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies. (PDF and accompanying website)
- “Some Things I’ve Learned about Transmedia Worldbuilding” – commisioned article for Meanland (one of my favourites of this year)
- Interviewed in Andrea Phillips’ book “A Creator’s Guide to Transmedia Storytelling“
- Interviewed in Tyler Weaver’s book “Comics for Film, Games, and Animation: Using Comics to Construct your Transmedia Storyworld“
- “Do You Go Both Ways?” – commissioned article for Meanland on transmedia creatives
Presentations
- Keynote address at MediaCity, Finland
- Opening keynote at the International Conference on Social Experiences, Barcelona, Spain (as well as meeting with the local transmedia meetup community there)
- Digital Writing Ambassador @ the Emerging Writers’ Festival
- Panelist at Transmedia Hollywood, LA
- Invited hour presentation on AUTHENTIC IN ALL CAPS and panelist at ABC Radio National’s Radio Beyond Radio: a symposium exploring new radio writing and performance, Sydney
- Taught Cross-Media Interaction Design at Umea University, Sweden
- Multi-platform writing panelist at Generation Next Drama and Comedy Conference
- Panelist on “measures of success” beyond money at the Freeplay Independent Gaming Festival
- Lectured on transmedia writing and design techniques and processes at RMIT
- Lectured on pervasive gaming at Swinburne University
- I presented on pervasive gaming and extended theatre experiences at the Pop Up Players event
- Panelist on “Stories and Systems” at Melbourne Writers’ Festival
- Panelist on “Postcards from Imaginary Worlds” at RePlay, GameMasters, ACMI, Melbourne
- Guest lecture on transmedia at Australian Film, Television, and Radio School, Sydney
- Guest lecture on Pervasive Gaming at RMIT University
Interviews
- Guest on ABC’s “Download This Show”, talking about pervasive gaming
- StoryForward Podcast – JC Hutchins interviews me about risk in transmedia
- Berlin’s Patrick Möller (text) interview with me
- “Ten Transmedia People” – article by Simon Staffans featuring myself and lots of ace people
- Press interview with me when I was in Barcelona, translated into Spanish and Catalan
- April lists AUTHENTIC in her showcase of transmedia projects
- Multi-part documentary video with me on transmedia and documentary for Atalanti Dionysus’ The Journey of Documentary: all interviews with me
- Multi-part series on transmedia with various (anonymous) professionals for Media Wave (part 1 – collaboration?; part 2 – agencies?; part 3 – collaboration tips; part 4 – scheduling?; part 5 – outsourcing?; part 6 – pressure points?; part 7 – benefits?)
Juror
- International Digital Emmy Awards, Digital Program: Fiction (USA – remote)
- Web Drama Series, Independent Production Fund (CAN – remote)
- Creative Australia New Art, Inter-Arts Board, Australia Council for the Arts (AUS)
PhD Assessor
Boards
- StoryWorld Conference and Expo, Hollywood – Unfortunately I had to cancel being there and running my panel(s) in the end – but heard from everyone it was a great catch up time!
- Aphids – an artist-led organisation focusing on cross-arts practice. Of the many projects they launched and developed this year, there is a supernatural iPhone tour to be released shortly – Fever Beach!
- As the Dust Settles – documentary on Burning Man that is currently in post-production and so the board is currently giving feedback!
- ETC Press – this game-focused open-publishing press has been receiving lots of submissions this year and so we’ve been busy!
I cannot believe it is the end of the year now. It is good to have less of a workload for a bit. I’ll be working on my stuff of course – AUTHENTIC IN ALL CAPS, and as well as my street story (let me know if you want to be a playtester!). But I’ll be watching movies and playing games, and doing life admin stuff. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of my 2012. I look forward to spending more time with all of you!