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The Flat
Not really an ebook but an example of 'digital poetry'. Available at http://www.dreamingmethods.com/theflat/ this is an interactive multimedia work where you explore various areas of a rather forlorn and uninviting flat by clicking on various areas of the screen to navigate. There are seemingly random or un-related phrases of text scattered throughout the space to read as well.
You have two minutes to work your way through the environment to uncover the story. This adds a gaming element that I found distracting and not really intuitive. If it was supposed to be challenging I guess the challenge was somewhat lost on me an I didn't really gain any appreciation of the work or enjoy it in any way.
As a first experience of this type of work I found it quite underwhelming and if I was to introduce it into any classroom setting I would probably think quite seriously about what sort of preparation the class might need to do to gain from experiencing it.
As a 'gaming' experience it was kind of all or nothing with no interim rewards or recognition that I could find. I found myself 'hunting' and trying to complete the task within the two minutes rather than taking in the experience of it.
The author's website, which is accessible from 'The Flat' contains other examples of this type of work which might be worth a look.
You have two minutes to work your way through the environment to uncover the story. This adds a gaming element that I found distracting and not really intuitive. If it was supposed to be challenging I guess the challenge was somewhat lost on me an I didn't really gain any appreciation of the work or enjoy it in any way.
As a first experience of this type of work I found it quite underwhelming and if I was to introduce it into any classroom setting I would probably think quite seriously about what sort of preparation the class might need to do to gain from experiencing it.
As a 'gaming' experience it was kind of all or nothing with no interim rewards or recognition that I could find. I found myself 'hunting' and trying to complete the task within the two minutes rather than taking in the experience of it.
The author's website, which is accessible from 'The Flat' contains other examples of this type of work which might be worth a look.
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First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 31, 2014
I quite like this totally unexpected foray into an apartment that appears abandoned and worse-for-wear.
The mechanics of 'reading' and navigating are not explained, and there is a time limit to how long people can stay, upping the suspense. The foreboding music, and loud, expected sound effects add to the confusing scenario. In essence, viewers really do not know what they are meant to be doing here.
But the idea of a ghost haunting this lonely place, and the esoteric and haunting words (hard to read, as they are barely on screen) add to the claustrophobic atmosphere, certainly create powerful emotions. I like that the ways the words are just fleeting musings and can (sort of) work together no matter what order you seem them.
There is a story here, but audiences need to be able to construct it for themselves. While most of us will find this experience frustrating, I argue that sometimes, it's not a bad thing to be forced to think outside the box.
The mechanics of 'reading' and navigating are not explained, and there is a time limit to how long people can stay, upping the suspense. The foreboding music, and loud, expected sound effects add to the confusing scenario. In essence, viewers really do not know what they are meant to be doing here.
But the idea of a ghost haunting this lonely place, and the esoteric and haunting words (hard to read, as they are barely on screen) add to the claustrophobic atmosphere, certainly create powerful emotions. I like that the ways the words are just fleeting musings and can (sort of) work together no matter what order you seem them.
There is a story here, but audiences need to be able to construct it for themselves. While most of us will find this experience frustrating, I argue that sometimes, it's not a bad thing to be forced to think outside the box.
September 1, 2014
“The Flat” by Andy Campbell is a challenging multimodal text that requires the reader to navigate through a flat and encounter images and text, whilst the audio sets the suspense and thrill of the experience. Campbell is the author of the website Dreaming Method a platform for internet reading that relies on audio and visual techniques similar to cinema which could not be replicated in print. He has been described by the Times Educational Supplement as one of the most impressive providers of this genre (cited in European eLiterature Collection, n.d.) as he creates an immersive world where light, sound and space give a sense of the characters and place (Campbell, 2012). This text may be suitable for a course in Literature appreciation for young people and / or a project in Creative Studies as it employs a number of techniques to engage the reader / audience and is very successful at setting the mood or creating an emotional response.
As suggested by Mills & Levido (2011) the increase in digital delivery of texts combining print, gestural and spatial modes has positively impacted the communication process. In “The Flat” the reader uses their spatial bearings to move through the rooms and whilst doing so gain insight via the text floating across the screen and all while under time constraints (2 minutes) like on a quest in a game. It is the combination of these elements that makes this text interesting and relevant for a variety of users / readers. A criticism may be that the text moves too quickly and can be difficult to read as a result, perhaps an increased time limit for text would assist the reader with engaging with the “story”.
This example of digital story telling embraces the new expectations of readers as it incorporates interactivity and other digital elements (Valenza & Stephens, 2012) which allows Campbell to focus on the “atmospheric” quality of his work – one that is often dark. Liu (2005) found that screen-based reading is characterised by key word spotting, browsing and spotting and non-linear reading rather than in-depth reading, this realisation works for Campbell as he attempts to compete with the other forms of entertainment and media on offer.
Finally, “The Flat” may be a catalyst for an exploration into creative story telling where students write, design, film and orchestrate multimedia to deliver a story or message that challenges the reader and engages them on a number of levels, as “The Flat” provides a different experience each time you enter.
This review was written for INF533, Literature in Digital Environments, as part of a Masters of Education.
References:
De Vivo, F. (2012). Interview with Andy Campbell. eliterature Research Project. Retrieved from
http://eliteratures.wordpress.com/int...
European eLiterature Collection (n.d) Andy Campbell. Retrieved from: http://www.eliteraturecollection.eu/c...
Liu, Z. (2005) “Reading behavior in the digital environment: Changes in reading behavior over the past ten years”, Journal of Documentation, Vol. 61 Iss: 6, pp.700 – 712 http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.cs...
Mills, K.A., & Levido, A. (2011). iPed: pedagogy for digital text production. The Reading Teacher, 65(1), 80-91, DOI: 10.1598/RT.65.1.11
Valenza, J. K., & Stephens, W. (2012). Reading Remixed. Educational Leadership, 69(6), 75-78. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=h...
As suggested by Mills & Levido (2011) the increase in digital delivery of texts combining print, gestural and spatial modes has positively impacted the communication process. In “The Flat” the reader uses their spatial bearings to move through the rooms and whilst doing so gain insight via the text floating across the screen and all while under time constraints (2 minutes) like on a quest in a game. It is the combination of these elements that makes this text interesting and relevant for a variety of users / readers. A criticism may be that the text moves too quickly and can be difficult to read as a result, perhaps an increased time limit for text would assist the reader with engaging with the “story”.
This example of digital story telling embraces the new expectations of readers as it incorporates interactivity and other digital elements (Valenza & Stephens, 2012) which allows Campbell to focus on the “atmospheric” quality of his work – one that is often dark. Liu (2005) found that screen-based reading is characterised by key word spotting, browsing and spotting and non-linear reading rather than in-depth reading, this realisation works for Campbell as he attempts to compete with the other forms of entertainment and media on offer.
Finally, “The Flat” may be a catalyst for an exploration into creative story telling where students write, design, film and orchestrate multimedia to deliver a story or message that challenges the reader and engages them on a number of levels, as “The Flat” provides a different experience each time you enter.
This review was written for INF533, Literature in Digital Environments, as part of a Masters of Education.
References:
De Vivo, F. (2012). Interview with Andy Campbell. eliterature Research Project. Retrieved from
http://eliteratures.wordpress.com/int...
European eLiterature Collection (n.d) Andy Campbell. Retrieved from: http://www.eliteraturecollection.eu/c...
Liu, Z. (2005) “Reading behavior in the digital environment: Changes in reading behavior over the past ten years”, Journal of Documentation, Vol. 61 Iss: 6, pp.700 – 712 http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.cs...
Mills, K.A., & Levido, A. (2011). iPed: pedagogy for digital text production. The Reading Teacher, 65(1), 80-91, DOI: 10.1598/RT.65.1.11
Valenza, J. K., & Stephens, W. (2012). Reading Remixed. Educational Leadership, 69(6), 75-78. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=h...
August 5, 2014
Not really an ebook but an example of 'digital poetry'. Available at http://www.dreamingmethods.com/theflat/ this is an interactive multimedia work where you explore various areas of a rather forlorn and uninviting flat by clicking on various areas of the screen to navigate. There are seemingly random or un-related phrases of text scattered throughout the space to read as well.
You have two minutes to work your way through the environment to uncover the story. This adds a gaming element that I found distracting and not really intuitive. If it was supposed to be challenging I guess the challenge was somewhat lost on me an I didn't really gain any appreciation of the work or enjoy it in any way.
As a first experience of this type of work I found it quite underwhelming and if I was to introduce it into any classroom setting I would probably think quite seriously about what sort of preparation the class might need to do to gain from experiencing it.
As a 'gaming' experience it was kind of all or nothing with no interim rewards or recognition that I could find. I found myself 'hunting' and trying to complete the task within the two minutes rather than taking in the experience of it.
The author's website, which is accessible from 'The Flat' contains other examples of this type of work which might be worth a look.
You have two minutes to work your way through the environment to uncover the story. This adds a gaming element that I found distracting and not really intuitive. If it was supposed to be challenging I guess the challenge was somewhat lost on me an I didn't really gain any appreciation of the work or enjoy it in any way.
As a first experience of this type of work I found it quite underwhelming and if I was to introduce it into any classroom setting I would probably think quite seriously about what sort of preparation the class might need to do to gain from experiencing it.
As a 'gaming' experience it was kind of all or nothing with no interim rewards or recognition that I could find. I found myself 'hunting' and trying to complete the task within the two minutes rather than taking in the experience of it.
The author's website, which is accessible from 'The Flat' contains other examples of this type of work which might be worth a look.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews