Observamentary

Is it possible for an interactive documentary to bridge the linear flow of sounds and images and allow a user access to a nonlinear mode for interactivity? Can a documentary be told simultaneously from different viewpoints and allow the user to switch viewpoints throughout the story? Is there a way to allow multiple people to contribute to an ever-growing bank of short stories/documentaries that is not only interactive but aesthetically compelling?

I aim to create an experimental documentary of an animated, immersive storytelling environment that combines many voices/stories and is controlled by one user. This environment continually evolves as more and more stories are added creating a city of these stories. These voices are heard by various contributors submitting stories from personal blogs, journals, interviews, and diaries in written form, animation or video.

Prior to coming to ITP my background was engineering and programming. As a programmer I found myself creating websites for various clients. As a part of creating some of these sites I had to do some front-end programming and graphic work. For the first time I realized that programming didn’t have to be all about databases and back-end programming. I came to ITP to explore various ways of incorporating programming and art. During my first year, I realized that I enjoyed animating and motion graphics.

Within the animation and motion graphics, I noticed that my style or preference seemed to sway towards abstract. I found it more interesting to try to make the non-iconic symbol and unconventional character to portray simple yet aesthetically beautiful stories.

When considering my thesis I knew that I wanted in include programming and my new found interest of animation. I pondered over how this could be considered as a thesis project. I also knew that I wanted to not just create something that had absolutely no true value but could serve a purpose. Inspiration came one day while viewing some documentaries. It was then that I saw “Ryan”. This animated documentary not only used abstract 3D animation but also dual layer storytelling. I instantly knew that this is a form of documentary and animation that I wanted to pursue.