The online lives of fictional characters: A method for ideation and creation of characters and their environments

Description

The presentation explores digitally engaged teaching and learning in art and design BA level and in particular in BA animation. However the case study presented is transferable in different disciplines and levels. The project will analyse and trigger conversations on how online environments can impact in the ideation process as well as exploring ways to learn from social media accounts that mutate reality and fiction.

Takeaway

The project will outline the relationship between teaching and making within a social media environment that fosters fiction and creativity. At the same time, the presentation will explore how these processes develop innovative teaching models that can be used in different contexts.

Abstract

This presentation will discuss a teaching module that aimed in character and narrative development for animation. In particular, as part of the project students had to create social media accounts for fictional characters and use these as a way to generate conversations and narrate the characters’ adventures. The aim was to ultimately enhance the students’ ideation processes, develop the design of the characters and the narrative environment around them. The project will analyse and trigger conversations around the characters’ online mediated development as well as the ways that their social media accounts had created subversive narratives that mutate reality and fiction. The project will outline the relationship between teaching and making within a social media environment that fosters fiction and creativity. Part of its methodology explores the interactions between tacit and explicit knowledge and the ways that these lead to cycles of making and researching. At the same time, the conversations will explore how these dynamic and spontaneous processes develop innovative teaching models that can be transfered in different contexts.