narrativeworkshopwiki / Space, sound and the peacocks

narrativeworkshopwikiSpace, sound and the peacocks

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Space, sound and the

peacocks - Helena Barbas

Narratologically, the study of space is by norm one of the last aspects to be considered as usually understood as not much relevant.Interactive digital narrative – and in particular games – has imposed a turnaround in some priorities, and space became recognized as fundamental to the development of any story.Oldton tries to explore this new approach, giving space a primordial role in the narrative creation. In a way, it put to use some strategies of creative writing exercises; might have a predecessor in Italo Calvino’s Il castello dei destini incrociati (1973) – The Castle of Crossed Destinies. Both these examples – Oldton and The Castle of Crossed Destinies – among other things play with the human need to make sense out of the fragmentary (see, i.e., Marthe Robert – Roman des origines et origines du roman), to connect any scattered episodes, giving them a meaning just because they appear one after the other, if for nothing else.

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http://narrativeworkshopwiki.pbwiki.com/Space%2C+sound+and+the+peacocks (1 of 5) [14-04-2008 05:51:55]

narrativeworkshopwiki / Space, sound and the peacocks

It is this process that lies also behind «Virtual Storytelling». And the construction of all the referred narratives, in last instance, is inspired by the respective title, some text that gives a hint to the reader/user/observer. In what concerns sound, in traditional narrative it is reproduced by a large range of strategies, from onomatopoeia to direct reference to known music titles. It exists and subsists mainly through the reader’s personal experience. There is a poem by Wallace Stevens – «Domination of Black»:

Out of the window,

I saw how the planets gathered

Like the leaves themselves

Turning in the wind.

I saw how the night came,

Came striding like the colour of the heavy hemlocks

I felt afraid.

And I remembered the cry of the peacocks.

If never heard before, anyone can imagine the sound made by these birds. But the poem only gets its full dimension of cosmic anguish if the reader has heard the shriek of the peacocks.In interactive digital narrative sound can be easily reproduced to illustrate or accompany the images or text enriching their meaning. However, its main objective would have to be to contribute with another instance of signification, in equal terms.In a real time/real world situation the sound effects can get more autonomous and be used in a more complex way.- there can be the sounds associated with one particular spot, triggered by the presence of the user; they can be heard by everyone else in the vicinities, or not;- these sounds could be always different, providing different narrative experiences;- the occurrence of one and same episode related with one specific spot can change depending on the sound associated with it. In example: a) the sudden noise of running horses b) the blast of a storm c) a child laughing

http://narrativeworkshopwiki.pbwiki.com/Space%2C+sound+and+the+peacocks (2 of 5) [14-04-2008 05:51:55]

narrativeworkshopwiki / Space, sound and the peacocks

- in a particular situation where the story is being build by the user, these diverse sounds would give different meanings to the episode experienced, tainting it with different kinds of emotions, actually changing the narrative.The problem with sound is physiological. It affects directly the reptile brain – the most primitive cerebral zone, directly associated with primary emotions. It has to travel to the primate brain to be processed, and rationalized. (double) exercise- ask the participants to bring 5 (post)cards randomly collected around town (advertisements for shows, restaurant adds, sights, etc.);- ask them to indicate their favourite song, and the song they hate the most (any song)1) ask them to build a story retracing the route taken to collect the cards;2) shuffle the cards – reorganize them, and recreate another story; etc.3) try to associate the cards following the «instructions» given by the music (with or without lyrics) they like the most; do the same with the music they detest;

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This is an

interesting set of

comments and

suggestions. I

particularly like the

connections to the

work of Italo Calvino

whose work involves

the self-conscious

construction of

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http://narrativeworkshopwiki.pbwiki.com/Space%2C+sound+and+the+peacocks (3 of 5) [14-04-2008 05:51:55]

narrativeworkshopwiki / Space, sound and the peacocks

Anonymous:

narrative

possibilities and

their evaluation

within the same

text. The cross-

references to

creative writing are

also productive.

With respect to

sound, I agree that

least work in

narrative may have

been done in this

domain. However,

the prevalence of

pop videos is such

that viewers are

used to trying to

make connections

between sound and

substance.

However,

sometimes music

can be disruptive. I

wonder too if

hearing the 'real'

sound should be

privileged over the

evocation of sound

and whether seeing

a real image should

be privileged over

http://narrativeworkshopwiki.pbwiki.com/Space%2C+sound+and+the+peacocks (4 of 5) [14-04-2008 05:51:55]

narrativeworkshopwiki / Space, sound and the peacocks

an evocation of

image, as in poetry,

for example. The

materiality of sound

and image realized

in their particularity

can close off

imaginative

possibilities open to

readers of printed

text where they

must 'translate' the

verbal into the

visual and/or

acoustic. Many

thanks for your

interesting

contribution (Fiona

Doloughan).

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http://narrativeworkshopwiki.pbwiki.com/Space%2C+sound+and+the+peacocks (5 of 5) [14-04-2008 05:51:55]