People can say that they are in a digital age. Digital cameras,
laptop computers and flash disk you all use. Digital art can not
only be a way to express your mind, but also a way to define your
life. The coming Beijing Summer Digital Entertainment Jam will take
you on a tour where you can witness the amazement of digital
art.
If you love video game and you are interested in digital art,
the Beijing Summer Digital Entertainment Jam can be a gourmet meal
for you. Lasting from July 5 to August 10, you will have the chance
to enjoy a series of lectures, workshops on digital arts, and a
whole bunch of new games will be waiting for you to experience.
Ding Zhaochen is a university teacher. He thinks the pervasive
game is the spotlight of the digital entertainment festival. "The
pervasive game interests me the most. It's a game played via a
cellphone. The most exciting part is that you will be playing the
game with many strangers in the real scene, not the traditional
video game. For example, to proceed to the next level, you should
find the place in a picture given by the game planners and take a
picture of it, send the picture to the terminal, then get some
award."
Jin Xin, a senior student who just graduated from the Beijing
Institute of Clothing Technology shows me his works, he thinks that
digital media is a platform which can show his understanding of
life. "Our four years of university life is like a manufacturing
process. After graduation, we are products. I recorded a piece of
short video clip for each of my 40 classmates, showing them their
'true self.' I also made a barcode for each one of them. Inserting
their card, people can see them, and pick their favorite video
clip. Isn't this like choosing product in the supermarket?"
Kenneth Fields teaches digital music at the Central Conservatory
of Music. He says that such exchange events can be good incentives
for the students to better their academic learning. "If they know
what they are doing is for good purpose, it's for the real world,
not just homework, then they are going to get a more professional
perspective on what they do. If it's just within the school, they
just do it for a grade, and what they put in for that piece - that
composition is not so deep."
Zeng Beiwei is the publisher of a professional digital magazine.
He emphasizes that protecting intellectual property rights is of
great importance in boosting the industry. "Many Chinese students
are talented, but pirating can seriously affect their enthusiasm.
So, in our magazine, we will offer a direct link to the designer's
works. I don't think any designer can make a living if nobody pays
attention to the protection of intellectual property rights."
Official poster for the
inaugural "Beijing's Your Playground - 2007 Beijing Summer Digital
Entertainment Jam."
What's happening
One Minute and Two Seconds Workshop (July 5 -
7)
You may be familiar with the idea behind the one-minute video.
However, in this workshop, Rex Yih, founder of the Beijing-based
advertising and consulting company Flamingo Communication, wants
you to stretch your imagination beyond just one minute.
?
Lecture Series of Aesthetics of Digital Media (July 5 -
7)
Zhang Ga, associate professor from the New York Institute of
Technology, will introduce the development and background history
of digital media.
?
Symposium for the Jam (July 13 - 14)
Subjects include entertainment theory, pervasive game theory,
hybrid entertainment design, entertainment product design, and
entertainment new media.?
Wiimote Interactive Workshop (July 9 -
12)
Two veteran artists, who are fluent in digital technology, will
explain what physical computing is, by creating a demo interactive
physical system using tools such as Wii Remote and Adobe
Flash.?
Theater of Light and Shadow Workshop (July 9 -
12)
Taiwan artist Shieh Ta-Lih will guide you in creating a fantasy
world using light and shadow.?
Mystery Reality Game Workshop (July 16 -
20)
Ryan Holsopple, creator of the Canal Street Station subway murder
mystery game, will design a new mystery reality game with you. Ryan
Holsopple is also the founder and director of 31 Down Radio Theater
in New York.?
Pervasive Game Workshop (July 16 - August
5)
By attending the workshop, participants will be able to understand
the designing process of pervasive games, and develop a game
prototype of their own.
?
Digital Dynamic Image and Communication Design Workshop
(July 23 - August 3)
Francesco Galli, a professor from the Polytechnic University of
Milan, will show you how to create a dynamic image
project.?
Group Exhibition (August 4 - 10)
The exhibition will provide a platform for fresh digital artists to
showcase their work.
Sign up for attending the Jam: play@dealchina.org
(CRI.cn July 4, 2007)
