Bioshock Infinite, Irrational Games and Powerful Storytelling

A few years back a good friend and a fellow professor showed me the opening sequence of a video game called "Bioshock." He knew I didn't play games, but he also knew that I love storytelling in any form if it is quality. For the next several minutes I was taken through the opening ten minutes or so of a beautiful sequence that immersed me in an experience that was truly an act of "participation mystique."

It was immediately apparent to me and in interviews that these artists were connoisseurs of great storytelling, and both knew the genre and were pushing it's boundaries. The game creates a bold storytelling experience by referencing classic moments from Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining,"...

...as well as using visual imagery from genius Fritz Lang's "Metropolis."

The auteurs behind this experience are currently developing a follow-up to the game called "Bioshock Infinite".

Let no one doubt that these artists are storytellers with aspirations in the tradition of those artists I've mentioned above, and that they are truly aspiring to "tell forward."

"Mythophoric Character Design" at Wellesley College

I would like to take the opportunity to thank Wellesley College for inviting me this past week to give my lecture on "Mythophoric Character Design." It was a genuine pleasure to spend the afternoon with all of you and my family and I had a lot of fun walking the paths of your beautiful campus. For more on the visit as well as more photos of the event, be sure to follow this link to The Jewett Art Gallery

A special thanks to my RISD colleague and former classmate Clara Lieu. It is always a pleasure, my friend.