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Interactive Filmmaking Interactive Scriptwriting News People Publications Research

‘Interactive Film and Media 2021’

From the 5th to the 7th of August 2021, the ‘Interactive Film and Media 2021’ conference is taking place online. This virtual edition on ‘new narratives, racialization, global crises, and social engagement’ aims to reflect on the recent changes to the mediascape and the closely related medium of interactive narrative, in its many forms and iterations; and consider the advantages and drawbacks of the current trends in film, media, and interactive narratives.

As part of the conference, Ashton Clarke and Dr Polina Zioga will present their research on ‘Scriptwriting for Interactive Crime Films: The Case of Scapegoat‘ (Panel 4 ‘Full Interactive Experience: Writing, Performance, and Perception’, 6 August 2021).

In recent years, the increasing number of interactive films being released, has highlighted the need for further development of methods and criteria that can guide the earlier stages of development, such as the scriptwriting process. Following the framework of interactive storytelling as a spectrum, it is acknowledged that writing a script for an interactive narrative that involves branching path options, or multiple endings, is becoming more common and presents its own challenges. […]

You can find here: the conference schedule, the full list of video presentations, together with the free registration.

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News People Publications Research

‘Audiences beyond the multiplex: understanding the value of a diverse film culture’

On the 2nd and 3rd of March 2021, is taking place the online conference ‘Audiences beyond the multiplex: understanding the value of a diverse film culture’.

At a key moment for film exhibition, the conference raises questions about how we might think differently about audiences and their relationship with film, and how these insights can support audience development.

As part of the conference, Dr Polina Zioga and Dr María A. Vélez-Serna will present their latest research on ‘Interaction Design for Audiences: A Proposition for Building Resilience and Recovery for COVID-safe Independent Cinemas’ (Session 9 ‘Audiences, accessibility and responding to the pandemic’, 3 March 2021, 11:50-13:00).

Zioga, P., and Vélez-Serna, M.A. (2021) ‘Interaction Design for Audiences: A Proposition for Building Resilience and Recovery for COVID-safe Independent Cinemas’. In: Audiences beyond the multiplex: understanding the value of a diverse film culture. Glasgow, UK, 2-3 March 2021.

[…] interaction design and technologies can help independent cinemas to engage and galvanise new audiences to patronise COVID-safe venues. From low-end online platforms, to high-end immersive experiences, new technologies are transforming connectivity across society, and have the potential to support access for D/deaf, neurodivergent, and disabled audiences, but adoption by exhibitors is so far limited. We outline the research needs and priorities in this field. These include identifying facilitators and obstacles to industry adoption of interactive forms, and mapping experiences and attitudes across the sector. Together with directions for immediate practical solutions, it is crucial to gather critical data for future research use, in order to pave the way for long-term solutions and design innovation, so that the sector can build resilience, recover and reach underserved audiences.

You can find more information about the conference here, together with the free registration.

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About News

Welcome to Our New Website

The past few months have affected the globe and us all in unprecedented and unpredictable ways. And yet, we have come together to respond to the challenges and perhaps re-imagine the world.

During this time, here at the Interactive Filmmaking Lab, we have been preparing for important changes, but we have also launched new ways to communicate with you.

We have a new website, where you can find out more about our specialisms, our research and productions, and of course how to get in touch and subscribe to our news.

And you can also follow us and interact with us on Facebook and Twitter – more are coming up!

Until then… Stay safe and look after each other.

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Brain-Computer Interfaces Live Brain-Computer Cinema Live Cinema News People Research

‘Will mind-controlled films change cinema?’ Chips with Everything – The Guardian podcast

Dr Polina Zioga has been invited to talk about the future of cinema and how audiences can use their brain-activity to control a film in The Guardian podcast Will mind-controlled films change cinema? Chips with Everything.

Charlie Chaplin, known for the slapstick humour of his films, was part of a generation of actors who managed to continue working through the transition from the era of silent film to one filled with dialogue and sound.

The introduction of sound wasn’t the only way that people revolutionised cinema, and it won’t be the last.

So what does the history of cinema tell us about the evolution of technology in the arts?

And how can brain activity be used to change the plot of a film? Is there a place for the traditionally passive experience of watching a film to become more interactive, or will that detract from what we value about cinema? […]

You can listen to the podcast on The Guardian.

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Brain-Computer Interfaces Live Brain-Computer Cinema Live Cinema News People Research

Dr Polina Zioga at the Mixed Reality Laboratory (University of Nottingham)

Dr Polina Zioga has been invited to give a guest talk at the Mixed Reality Laboratory (MRL) of the University of Nottingham. The MRL was established in 1999 and is the home of over sixty academics, research associates and PhD students.

Location: Mixed Reality Lab Meeting Space, Jubilee Campus, University of Nottingham.
Date: Friday, 15 June 2018, 12:00-13:00.
More information: www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/mixedrealitylab/events/lab-meetings/2018-06-15.aspx

Multi-Brain BCI Interaction for Live Cinema: Performer and Audience Participation, Cognition and Emotional Engagement
[…] ’Enheduanna—A Manifesto of Falling’, a live brain-computer cinema performance, enabled for the first time the simultaneous real-time multi-brain interaction of more than two participants, including a performer and members of the audience, using a passive EEG-based BCI system. The event was realised as a neuroscientific study conducted in a real-life setting. The results obtained from the participants’ data analysis reveal new information and contribute on new hypotheses about the effects of the length of time, but also the role of the directing strategy, dramaturgy and narrative structure on the performer’s and audience’s perception, cognitive state, and engagement.

Read the full announcement here.

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Brain-Computer Interfaces Live Brain-Computer Cinema Live Cinema News People Publications Research

‘New research shows how brain-computer interaction is changing cinema’

Dr Polina Zioga writes for The Conversation:

Over the past few years, we have seen the extraordinary development of neural prosthetic technologies that can replace or enhance functions of our central nervous system. For example, devices like Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) allow the direct communication of the brain with a computer. The most common technique applied in these devices, is Electroencephalography (EEG) – a recording of the electrical activity along the scalp.

These technologies are mainly used in health, but our new research shows how they are changing the future of cinema too.

Read the full article on The Conversation.

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Brain-Computer Interfaces Live Brain-Computer Cinema Live Cinema News People Publications Research

New Open Access Original Research article in Frontiers in Neuroscience, Special Issue ‘Futuristic Neural Prostheses’

“Enheduanna—A Manifesto of Falling” Live Brain-Computer Cinema Performance: Performer and Audience Participation, Cognition and Emotional Engagement Using Multi-Brain BCI Interaction
Polina Zioga1*, Frank Pollick2, Minhua Ma1, Paul Chapman3 and Kristian Stefanov1,2

1Interactive Filmmaking Lab, School of Computing and Digital Technologies, Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom
2Perception Action Cognition Lab, School of Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
3School of Simulation and Visualisation, Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Abstract: The fields of neural prosthetic technologies and Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) have witnessed in the past 15 years an unprecedented development, bringing together theories and methods from different scientific fields, digital media, and the arts. More in particular, artists have been amongst the pioneers of the design of relevant applications since their emergence in the 1960s, pushing the boundaries of applications in real-life contexts. With the new research, advancements, and since 2007, the new low-cost commercial-grade wireless devices, there is a new increasing number of computer games, interactive installations, and performances that involve the use of these interfaces, combining scientific, and creative methodologies. The vast majority of these works use the brain-activity of a single participant. However, earlier, as well as recent examples, involve the simultaneous interaction of more than one participants or performers with the use of Electroencephalography (EEG)-based multi-brain BCIs. In this frame, we discuss and evaluate “Enheduanna—A Manifesto of Falling,” a live brain-computer cinema performance that enables for the first time the simultaneous real-time multi-brain interaction of more than two participants, including a performer and members of the audience, using a passive EEG-based BCI system in the context of a mixed-media performance. The performance was realised as a neuroscientific study conducted in a real-life setting. The raw EEG data of seven participants, one performer and two different members of the audience for each performance, were simultaneously recorded during three live events. The results reveal that the majority of the participants were able to successfully identify whether their brain-activity was interacting with the live video projections or not. A correlation has been found between their answers to the questionnaires, the elements of the performance that they identified as most special, and the audience’s indicators of attention and emotional engagement. Also, the results obtained from the performer’s data analysis are consistent with the recall of working memory representations and the increase of cognitive load. Thus, these results prove the efficiency of the interaction design, as well as the importance of the directing strategy, dramaturgy and narrative structure on the audience’s perception, cognitive state, and engagement.

Keywords: live brain-computer cinema performance, brain-computer interface (BCI), multi-brain interaction, electroencephalography (EEG), performer, audience participation, attention, emotional engagement

Complete article available on: frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2018.00191

Citation: Zioga P, Pollick F, Ma M, Chapman P and Stefanov K (2018) “Enheduanna—A Manifesto of Falling” Live Brain-Computer Cinema Performance: Performer and Audience Participation, Cognition and Emotional Engagement Using Multi-Brain BCI Interaction. Front. Neurosci. 12:191. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00191

Received: 18 October 2017; Accepted: 09 March 2018; Published: 03 April 2018.

Edited by: Fivos Panetsos, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain
Reviewed by: Jing Jin, East China University of Science and Technology, China; Celia Herrera-Rincon, Tufts University, United States

Copyright © 2018 Zioga, Pollick, Ma, Chapman and Stefanov. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.