My DIYDays LA Presentation: Storytelling as Software. I've added a few more details to the presentation for this upload, but if you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

1. Mark Harris
http://www.desperatecomfort.com
mark@desperatecomfort.com
● Theater – 8 yrs professional actor
● Film – 1 Web series, 6 shorts films, one feature
● Technology – 13 yrs software architecture, server, web, mobile

2. THE LOST CHILDREN STORYWORLD
THE LOST CHLDREN cult, and their arch enemies, THE SHADOWMEN.
THE LOST CHILDREN believe they are aliens from another world.
THE SHADOWMEN worship
ancient alien Gods, the Almighty K'Taan.

3. THE LOST CHILDREN FEATURE FILM
Evelyn Hamilton joins THE LOST CHILDREN cult.

4. THE LOST CHILDREN FEATURE FILM
The LOST CHILDREN are led by Chance Sturges.

5. THE LOST CHILDREN FEATURE FILM
The LOST CHILDREN have enemies, THE SHADOWMEN, who perform
dark, unspeakable rituals to their Gods, The Almighty K'Taan.

6. THE LOST CHILDREN FEATURE FILM
The Almighty K'Taan are coming to the Earth to feed.

7. THE LOST CHILDREN FEATURE FILM
But THE LOST CHILDREN believe that their starship is also approaching, hiding within
the Tioga Comet.

8. THE LOST CHILDREN FEATURE FILM
Evelyn Hamilton believes that if she can get to their starship and warn them, they can stop
the K'Taan and save the Earth.

9. THE LOST CHILDREN FEATURE FILM
● IFP Narrative Lab 2011
● IFP Film Week
● Power to the Pixel Cross Media Forum 2011
● Festivals
● Buyers and Sales Agents
● DIY Distribution?

10. THE LOST CHILDREN
Story Revealed & Deepened
Through Multiple Platforms
Character diaries, and short video
content beyond main
narrative.
Mobile guided location-based
Websites, immersive &
immersive Shadowmen
mobile cult experiences.
experiences.
Main Narrative
Version of film which alters
Documentary on near Earth objects, in real time based on crowd,
live meet-ups, star-gazing & Tools to allow users to remix
workshops from real astronomers about Elements from storyworld.
NEOs and Astrobiology

11. Integration
Mobile location-based experience:
THE MISSING
FILM
+
TECH
+
THEATER

12. Storytelling as Software

13. Storytelling as Software
How can software tell stories like nothing else?

14. Storytelling as Software
● Apply rules to the story in real time
● React to audience in real time
● Stories can look like what we're used to now

15. Crowd-influenced storytelling at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival
Social media translated into spread of a fictional virus
Story told at global level
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

16. Film as Software

17. THE LOST CHILDREN believe their ship
is hiding within the Tioga Comet.

18. Crowd-influenced tablet version of film altering itself in real time.
April 2012

19. May 2012 – Holland
Say there is a UFO spotted and all of the social networks
start buzzing about it

20. The crowd-influenced tablet version of film alters itself
in real time, base on the influence of the social networks.
May 2012

21. Crowd-influenced tablet version of film altering itself in real time.
April 2012

22. Crowd-influenced tablet version of film altering itself in real time.
May 2012

23. Film as Software
Film, like website or social network, changes in real time along
●
with the world around it.
Increase Engagement
●
Encourage multiple viewings
●
Encourage active participation
●

24. Other Applications
Horror Film that gets scarier each time you watch it
●
●Horror film where monster is programmatically added and
removed.
POV of film changes over time due to reaction from audience.
●

25. Story Remix Tablet App
Our story elements out of
order. User must work out
the story. Elements might
Be video, audio, text.
As you work out the story,
you unlock new elements,
And get deeper story.
Drag elements into timeline.
Play your own version and save it for others.

26. Story Remix Tablet App
Suited to “found footage” stories.
Suited to how we discover elements online
via social media, blogs, etc. and put
stories together in our minds.

27. Mark Harris
mark@desperatecomfort.com
http://www.desperatecomfort.com
http://thelostchildrenmovie.com