Last Thursday, Chris Stapleton came to CityTech to give a presentation. Presentation and lecture seem too work-y, perhaps the correct term is not “give a presentation”, but to “facilitate a discussion”. Last Thursday, Chris Stapleton came to CityTech to facilitate a discussion.
After explaining to us what he has done and is doing in terms of jobs and titles, he began to go in depth with explaining the different types of reality and the most important piece of reality, “mixed reality”. He told us there were three broad categories that go into the creation of mixed reality: virtuality, physicality, and imaginality. While anyone could mix these three categories together, the issue was striking that perfect balance. And in today’s world, the weakest of the three categories is imaginality.
Chris Stapleton also went into a bit of a chat with the group present over the current American educational system and how learning had become a chore, had become work, when in fact learning is and can be something fun or enjoyable. Learning in and of itself is fun and enjoyable, but the methods presented by most schools in the United States make it something boring, taxing, and just unenjoyable.
He had the sort of enthusiasm becoming of someone who worked for Disney or calls themselves a Creative Venture Catalyst. It draws you in and makes you want to listen more, but then stops short and your brain continues going, filling in the silence or lack of specific given direction with ideas and thoughts. And that is exactly what he wanted to happen.
i agree with you about lack of imagination. i feel like most movies out are either remakes of classic movies, based off a book, or video game (or many video games in the case of Wreck-It Ralph). when it comes to video games, i feel like most of the games that are coming out are just sequels to last years successful games.
Let’s take a quick look at why it’s the case.
Remakes of classic movies for movies, and remakes or re-releases of classic video games for video games: If it worked the first time, it might work the second. Alternatively, if the imaginality was good for the originals, but the virtuality wasn’t, there may be an urge to recreate these in an attempt to redeem what their directors or producers found valuable about them: their plot. These can fall through because they tend to obliterate the imaginality that made them so appealing in the first place. Sometimes crappy graphics is a good thing. (See: minecraft)
Movies based off of video games: If it made it as one form of media, perhaps another. The issue with this is that video games tend to offer a degree of physicality that movies do not. Games typically are active experiences, not passive ones. Again, in the effort to recreate the game in virtuality as a movie, the imaginality and the physicality are simultaneously lost. Thus, most movies based off of video games will fail.
Movies based off of books: “Based of off the hit seller, …” isn’t unusual in movies. Plays were originally adapted into movies, and overtime, it became books. Again, books offer a great deal of imaginality. In fact, they’re mostly the construct of your imagination. This is something that makes books so loved, even as they go the way of the dodo bird: they are simultaneously an objective and subjective experience. There are the facts the story MAY carry, but how the character looks, talks, all of that is in your mind. The second this hits the screen and becomes a virtual experience, if a character or scene fails to live up to your expectations, it’s dead to you. It’ll be a terrible movie, even if the movie is good to those who never read the book or novel or comic it’s based off of.
Sequels of movies and video games: The first movie or game was a hit. Sequeling it will be a brilliant idea. The imaginality is lost in the process. Well, it didn’t do as good, but people in anticipation of another masterpiece have returned. It deteriorates for a third, fourth, fifth… you get the idea. Prime examples of this are “The Land Before Time” which went all the way to “The Land Before Time XIII: The Wisdom of Friends”. For games, look at The Sims. The Sims, The Sims 2 and its expansions, The Sims 3 and its expansions. People aren’t looking forward to The Sims 4, and most people are fine with it not coming into existence.
He made me think of the types of different things we make in emerging media. He had put an realization on the interactions that many designers prototype and I guess he explained that question of education. I really think some schools indeed are boring, and their strategies are sometimes replicated to much. I think this replication makes them self centered and students miss out on fun with education.
Do you by any chance remember what those 4 words he mentioned at the beginning and end of the presentation were?
Oh shoot. I don’t. I remember one was Transdiciplinary. I think. Oh Gods, how could I forget the four words…