Documentary Filmmaking in the Age of Digital Interface (2022)
The third thematic seminar of DocNomads Academy was held at the conference hall of Premier Kultcafé in Budapest under the overarching topic “Documentary Filmmaking in the Age of Digital Interface – When Documentary and Technology Converge” with guest lecturers external to DocNomads staff.
Ana Brzezińska, a senior producer of immersive documentary and virtual reality projects, also curator of events and exhibitions, presented her masterclass “Introduction to Spatial Storytelling and Immersive Technology”.
Sara Božanić, a transmedia design and audiences’ engagement expert and consultant, based in Slovenia, presented the lecture “Brave New Narratives” to examine how documentary filmmakers can utilise new mass media formats, and narratives, to activate alterity and challenge/influence audiences’ interactions, which was complemented by a workshop for the participants.
4 FEBRUARY, FRIDAY
PREMIER KULTCAFE, CONFERENCE HALL
Moderator: DOROTTYA ZURBÓ (Teacher in the Budapest semester)
09:00 – 10:30
INTRODUCTION TO SPATIAL STORYTELLING AND IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGY
How digital media change our culture and everyday life?
How does immersive technology change the way we think about stories we tell and audiences we try to reach?
Why is spatial art making us re-evaluate everything we know about creating compelling narratives?
What does the future of visual culture look like and how filmmakers can join the metaverse/web3 party?
This 90-minute masterclass offers a rich and contextual introduction to extended reality (XR) and spatial art.
Lectured by ANA BRZEZIŃSKA
Ana is a Senior Producer & Curator, currently running an American-French immersive production studio Kaleidoscope. The company co-produces VR experiences (‘Spheres’, starring Jessica Chastain and Patti Smith and executive produced by Darren Aronofsky, ‘Battlescar’, starring Rosario Dawson, ‘Evolver’ executive produced by Terrence Malick), events and exhibitions in the virtual gallery of the Museum of Other Realities including the biggest VR exhibition at Cannes XR/March. du Film, a first virtual fashion show with RYOT/Verizon Media, and a first national collection of immersive art with Digital Catapult/UKRI.
Ana collaborates with public funds (Creative Europe MEDIA), nongovernmental organizations, universities and business. Former Discovery Group Producer and Director, and Lead Multimedia Specialist at the Grand Theatre–National Opera, she has over 15 years of experience in audiovisual content creation working across TV, film, digital media and theatre. She is also the author of awarded documentary and virtual reality projects.
For most of her career, Ana has been working across realities, mediums and genres helping creators, institutions and brands tell impactful stories, embrace innovation as a core part of their philosophy, use and develop technology to create positive change.
A diverse background, education in art history, philosophy and theatre, combined with a life-long passion for technology allowed her many times to prove her value as a successful project leader.
11:00 – 14:00 (lecture) 15:30 – 18:30 (interactive workshop)
BRAVE NEW NARRATIVES
The aim of the coaching session (lecture + workshop) is to examine how documentary filmmakers can utilise new mass media formats, and narratives, to activate alterity and challenge/ influence audiences’ interactions. The sessions will utilise the skills and experiences of the participants in immersive narrative construction, audience development and in new media usage. Participants will be drawn into the process of immersive scriptwriting, participatory creation, distribution, and financing of such works
Lectured by SARA BOŽANIĆ
Sara is a CEO of the Institute for Transmedia Design, based in Slovenia whose wide-ranging participatory projects center on education and engagement. Ideas inhabit varied media and platforms as a vehicle for engagement, using co-production as a form of collective action that encourages diverse audiences to think critically and act creatively. She is a ‘hybrid’ – a designer, strategist, educator and thinker.
She has been working for many years on the promotion of interaction and interactive design disciplines in Slovenia, organizing events, designing labs and lectures.
As a consultant she has worked on various international projects. In 2015 she has been chosen among 40 EU consultants who work on audience development via digital means to take part in policy debates under the project The Voice of Culture − a Structured Dialogue between the European Commission and the cultural sector.
Sara believes that digital opens new paths to the public and fosters an endless series of design possibilities. In 2011, she was given a Young Creative Entrepreneur Media Award by the British Council.
