Thinking with i-docs: cognitive tools for uncertain times

  As the field of i-docs (interactive and immersive documentary) has developed, it has become clear that key aspects of this ever growing field have a particular purchase on illuminating and intervening into crises. In this article, we examine why this is the case and argue that the processes involved in i-doc making open up valuable cognitive spaces  through which …

The 4th iteration of !F Lab comes with a complete new methodology: the WHAT IF IT Process

  A few personal reflections before hosting a panel on methodologies of production at i-Docs 2018 (21-23 of March, Bristol). Our application to the IF Lab 2018 workshop, a training in interactive storytelling, is opened till mid February. But why should you apply? What is !F Lab, and what are we trying to do? While I am waiting for challenging and inquisitive …

I-docs as Research Method – Recap from the Bremen interactive documentary workshop

A full day packed with insightful presentations and a highly inspiring round table discussion – that’s probably the shortest way to describe a long one-day workshop organised by Stefano Odorico and hosted at the University of Bremen on May 3. The workshop is one of the outputs of Stefano’s 3 year’s DFG project (fully funded by the German Research Council) …

Precarious times and nonlinear thinking: Using i-docs to explore the temporary city

by Ella Harris Precarity seems to define the contemporary structure of feeling. From the migrant crisis, to climate change, to intensifying austerity, the precarity that has long been a recognised feature of labour economies is expanding into new arenas. This widespread precarity is impacting on the geographies we inhabit. In London there are some obvious ‘precarious urbanisms’ such as sites …

A Polish Journey – A web-doc about migration and its legacy

A Polish Journey, a web based documentary produced by using Klynt, is a highly poetical interactive experience exploring borders, the theme of migration and the legacy it holds for future generations. Focusing its lens on landscape, referencing the romantic poetry of Heinrich Heine and Adam Mickiewicz, documentary filmmaker and media artist Julian Konczak embarks on a journey across the frontiers …

Qualified (Ambtítol). The university, subject of debate.

By Carles Sora and Neus Ballús In recent years, the number of people with university qualifications has been enormously increasing. In a society in which each new academic year sees more university degree holders, it is important to reflect on the role that university plays in our lives. Ambtítol is a compilation of the experiences of several former university students; …

Interactive documentary – what does it mean and why does it matter?

Having just convened our fourth i-Docs symposium, it feels like an opportune moment to reflect on what is meant by ‘interactive documentary’ and why we at i-Docs have always seen it as a way of framing a set of possibilities, as opposed to being a specific medium, genre or platform. This seems prescient in light of the ‘immersive turn’ with interactive …

COME/IN/DOC Documentary Series – Episode 1 – Part 2

In our previous post we explained the story behind the experimental project COME/IN/DOC, and last week, during the 4rth edition of the i-Docs Conference we launched the last part of the transmedia project: the Documentary Series. Very happy to say one week after the release that important people in the field said to me ‘thank you’ for this resource, which may …

VR @ i-Docs 2016

The emergence of VR and 360 video as non-fiction platforms has been the single most dramatic development since the last i-Docs Symposium in 2014. A wave of enthusiasm and experimentation has followed the appearance of the Oculus Rift and its competitor products – with creators fascinated by the documentary potential of 360 immersion and the visceral sense of presence that …

i-Docs 2016: First Speakers Announced

i-Docs 2016 is shaping up to be our best event yet, with three packed days of presentations, panels, hands-on workshops and discussions taking place at the Watershed in Bristol March 2nd-4th. To give you a taste of things to come, we’re excited to be able to confirm that we will be joined by keynote speakers May Abdalla and Amy Rose aka Anagram …

interDocsBarcelona 2015

interDocsBarcelona is an initiative which started in 2013 to encourage interactive and transmedia documentary as a section of DocsBarcelona International Festival. Each year DocsBarcelona gathers more than 400 professionals from over 30 countries, amongst them commissioning editors, directors, producers, film funds, distributors and sales agents, festivals, markets and cultural institutions. After the two first years of this journey hosting a …

Transforming Bisbee: the role of the interactive documentary

Guest post by Allison Otto, “Bisbee” Project Director I grew up in the American Southwest and for two, amazing years I lived in a 26-foot, 1958 vintage Airstream in Bisbee, Arizona. It’s a beautiful, remote little town nestled deep in the Mule Mountains, nine miles from the Mexican border. Like many rural communities in the US, though, Bisbee is struggling. …

From iPad to installation: interactive documentary on multiple platforms

Avatar Secrets, the interactive documentary for the iPad has scaled up its ambitions, installing a large scale interactive installation at Hot Docs for the duration of the festival. This is the first time that an interactive documentary has been included in the programme of North America’s largest documentary festival and it’s great to see Ramona Pringle’s work has been picked up. …