I nmyat t empt st oencour aget eacher st oembr acenew f or msofnar r at i vei nt hei rchoi ceoft ext sf or usei nt hecl assr oom,t heexampl eIkeepr et ur ni ngt oi sI nani mat eAl i ce,amul t i medi aphenomenon whi chi ssur el yaheadofi t st i me,andt eacher sneverf ai lt obeexci t edbyt hepossi bi l i t i esi topensup f ort r ansf or mi ngl ear ni ngandl i t er acyi nt hei rcl assr ooms. If i r stmetAl i ceaboutayearago,andi twasmor eorl essl oveatf i r stsi ghtsomet hi ngabouthervul ner abi l i t y ,t heedgysoundt r ackandt hemodestbutst unni nggoodl ooks–ofhervi r t ualenvi r onment . Al i ceher sel fyoucl ever l ydon’ tgett oseef ort hemoment .I nt hewor dsofhercr eat orI anHar per ,an exi l edScotnow l i vi ngi nMi nneapol i s,Al i cewas‘ bor ndi gi t al ’ ,andHar perdescr i beshi msel fasa ‘ di gi t alf i r st ,t r ansmedi ast or yt el l er . ’ I not herwor ds,t hi si snotanadapt at i onofsomet hi ngwhi ch appear edor i gi nal l yi npr i nt ,nori si tanebooki nt henow commonl yaccept edunder st andi ngoft he t er m butagenui m, nel ynew concepti nr eadi ngwhi chcombi nesel ement soft hewr i t t enwor d,di gi t al st i l lphot ogr aphy ,movi ngi mage,dr awi ng,pai nt i ng,puzzl es,musi c,soundef f ect sandel ement sof comput ergami ng.Unl i keacomput ergame,however ,i tdoeshavet hel i nearpr ogr essi onofabook, andt her eader‘ t ur nst hepage’ whenheorshei sr eadyt omoveon. Overt eni ncr easi ngl ycompl exandi nt er act i veepi sodespl anned f ort hest or y–f ouroft hem ar eal r eadyonl i ne-weaccompany Al i cef r om t heageofei ghti nChi na,wher eherf at herwor ksi nt he oi li ndust r yandhasj ustmyst er i ousl ydi sappear ed,t ohermat ur i t y att went ysomet hi ngast heul t i mat egamesdesi gneronami ssi on t osavet hewor l d.How shecomest obet he‘ i nani mat e’ Al i ceoft he t i t l ei sst i l lt ober eveal ed,al t hought her ei st hebegi nni ngofacl ue i nEpi sodeFourwhenherf r i endsf i r stcal lher‘ t heani mat or ’ . Wor ki ngwi t ht hepr i zewi nni ngCanadi annovel i stKat ePul l i ngeranddi gi t alar t i stChr i sJoseph, Har perandhi st eam cr eat edt hesef i ct i onaladvent ur esofayoungwomangr owi ngupi nt heear l y year soft het went i et hcent ur y ,ast hebackst or yf ort hemai nchar act eri nhi s20032004scr eenpl ay E/ Mi ssi on,aMat r i xl i kesci f it hr i l l erseti nt henot t oodi st antf ut ur e,wher evot esar ecastanddeci si onsmadet hr oughpl ayi ngonl i necomput ergames,gover nment sar epower l esst ocont r olei t hert he cor por at i onsort hepopul ace,andt hewor l di sundert hr eat .Onl yAl i ceandhervi r t ualcr eat i on,t he super coolBr ad,cansavet hepl anetf r om dest r uct i on.
J ul i eCal l ,ami ddl es c hool r eadi ng s pec i al i s tf r om Mi nneapol i sUSA, r ec ent l ypubl i s hed ac as es t udy bas edonus i ng‘ I nani mat eAl i c e’ wi t ht eenager s .J ul i es t at edt hati t wass owonder f ul t os ees omeof hers t r uggl i ngr eader sandmos t c hal l engi ngs t udent sc ompl et el y engagedwi t ht ex t .
y l eal sr ’ t ei s u a c e b l a i c e p s g n i h t e m o s s i e c i eAl mat nani I “ ” h. c andwat ay, pl , d a e r n a c u o y y r o t s a e k a m o nalt gi i or “WhatIl i kedaboutt hi ss t or ywer et hei s oundeffect mager yandt s . WhenAl he i c e w a s t r u d g i n gdownt t ai nands hemounnowwasc r unc h i n g u n d e r herf andIc eet , oul If el di tac magi hi l l nehows , hewasf eel i ng. ”
“ Il ovehowt hemus i candt hes oundshel pt el lt hes t or y. ” “ Il ovedI nani mat eAl i c ebec aus eyouneverknowwhati s goi ngt ohappen.Idon’ tknowi fi ti st hewayi ti swr i t t enor t hemus i cort hes oundseffect sbuti tmakesyouapar tof t hes t or y. ”
” y. or t mys s a w s i h t d n a r e t c a r a h nc hemai keIwast i tl el If “
“ Il ovedt hes t or ybec aus ei thel pedmec onnectwi t hAl i c e. If el tl i keIwast her es i t t i ngnextt oherpl ayi ngherbaxi . ”
Q: Whydi dyouagr eet owr i t et henovel ? A: I ' dbeenwor ki ngi nt her eal m ofdi gi t al fic t i on-us i ng t ext , i mage, s ound, s oundeffec t s , ani mat i on-t oc r eat e s t or i esf oraf ewy ear sandr el i s hedt heoppor t uni t yt o wor konas er i esofl i nkedepi s odes . Q: Des c r i bet hec r eat i vepr oc es syouwentt hr oughi n wr i t i ngI nani mat eAl i c e. A: Chr i sJ os ephandI wor kt oget herver yc l os el y .I wr i t e ani ni t i al dr af toft hes c r i pt , whi c hi nc l udest het extt hat wi l l appearont hes c r eenaswel l ast hought sandi deas abouti mages , c ol our s , s ounds , et c .Chr i sandI t henwor k ont hi sdoc umentt oget her , pas s i ngi tbac kandf or t h, addi ngmor ei deasandl ay er s .T owar dt heendoft hat pr oc es swes howt hes c r i ptt oI anHar per , whogi vesushi s f eedbac k.ThenChr i sbegi nsbui l di ngt hewor k, c r eat i ng t hemus i c , findi ngandc r eat i ngt hevi s ual s .Ast hegames i nt heepi s odeshavebec omemor ec ompl ex , we' ve wor kedwi t hagamedes i gner , andwe' veal s ous edapr of es s i onal phot ogr aphert oc r eat ei magesf orepi s odes3 and4.Thewhol epr oc es st akess ever al mont hs , andal ot oft oi ngandf r oi ng, s our c i ngmat er i al s , andt es t i ng.
Q: Wast hec hoi c eofl oc at i onf oreac hoft heepi s odes qui t er andom ordi dyouhavec er t ai nc r i t er i ai nmi nd? A: I twas n' tr andom atal l -al l par tofc r eat i ngt hes t or i es andt hi nki ngi nt er msoft hes t or ys er i es .I knewt hatAl i c e' sf at hermovedar oundt hewor l d, of t ent or emot el oc at i ons , f ort hefir s tt hr eeepi s odes ; byepi s ode4t heyar e s et t l edi nas mal l c i t yi nEngl and-t hi swasdet er mi nedby t het r aj ec t or yoft hes t or y , wi t ht hef ami l y' st i meas nomadsc omi ngt oanend.Theabr upti nt er r upt i onofAl i c e' sf at her ' sc ar eeri noi l ex pl or at i oni sabl owt ohi m, but ofc our s ei tr es ul t si nawhol enews etofex per i enc esf or Al i c e. Q: Howdoyouf eelt hes t or yi senhanc edbyt hemul t i medi aexper i enc e? A:Thes t or ywoul dn' tex i s twi t houtt hemul t i medi a-i ti s abor ndi gi t al pr oduc t . Q: Howc ant hegamesel ementofEpi s ode3beus ed t oenhanc et henar r at i ver at hert handet r actf r om i t ?
A: I nmanywayst hi sdependsupont her eader .Wefind t hatourr eader sar epr et t yevenl ydi vi dedbet weent hos e Q: Howdi dI nani mat eAl i c eevol vef oryou? whol i ket hegames , andt hos ewhodonot , whi c hi swhy wehavepr ovi dedt wover s i onsoft heepi s odes .F ormei t A: F ormet hepedagogi c al s i deoft hepr oj ec tc amei nt o i si mpor t antt hatt hegamesar ei nt egr at edi nt ot hes t or y , pl ayaf t ert hefir s tc oupl eofepi s odeswer ec r eat ed; when andI t hi nki ti sar i c hervi ewi ngex per i enc et opl ayt he wec r eat edi twewer enott hi nki ngi tc oul dbeus edi n gamesaswel l asr eadt hes t or y .Butnotever y oneagr ees . c l as s r ooms-butt hat ' st ur nedoutt obeoneoft hebes t Al s o, ass t at edabove, t her e' sas t r ongnar r at i ver eas onf or t hi ngsabout' I nani mat eAl i c e' .Anot herongoi ngi nt er es t t hegames-Al i c e' sowni nt er es ti ngamesdes i gn.The ofmi nei sfindi ngwayst oi nt egr at et hegamesandpuz - gamesar emeantt or epr es entherl evel ofs ki l l , bec omi ng z l esi nt ot hes t or yi t s el f ; t hef ac tt hatAl i c eas pi r est obea mor ec ompl exass heget sol der . gamedes i gnermeanst her e' sanar r at i ver eas onf ort hi s t ypeofi nt er ac t i vi t y .
Q: Whatdoyout hi nkar et hemai nt hemesoft henovel ? A: Whati t ' sl i ket obeac hi l di nt oday' st ec hheavywor l d; howonegi r l us esheri magi nat i ont ohel phergetby . Q: Doyout hi nkt hi ski ndofmul t i medi ar eadi st hewaveoft hef ut ur e? A: I don' tknow-t i mewi l l t el l .ButI woul dnots ayi ti s' t hewaveoft hef ut ur e' -I ' ds ugges ti tc oul dbe' oneof t hewavesoft hef ut ur e' . Q: Howdoyour es pondt ot hec hal l enget hatdi gi t all i t er acyi sOKbuti ti snotl i ket her ealt hi ng? A: I ' m nots ugges t i ngt hatpeopl es houl ds t opr eadi ngbooks-f arf r om i t .Butt her ear emanywayst oengage wi t hs t or i es , andt her ear emanyt ypesofl i t er acy .Ourki dss pendal otoft i mel ooki ngats c r eens , ands owhy notc r eat ess t or i est hatmakef ul l us eoft het ec hnol ogy?
ook b e c a F n o e m o H s ’ e c i tAl i s Vi ce i eAl mat nani I / com acebook. f www. / / p: t ht
Vi s i tB r ad f i e l dCompany ht t p: / / www. b r adf i el d. i nf o/