Future documentary

Image via The History Blog.

I'm currently in the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's Department of Architecture, Interior Architecture and Designed Objects as Mitchell Visiting Professor, and I've been very excited to have the chance to put together a brand new course on my choice of topic for the Spring semester.

Future documentary has been an interest of mine for quite a while (some links below). Check out the draft outline –– thoughts welcome.

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AIADO 954 001, Spring 2017
School of the Art Institute of Chicago

FUTURE DOCUMENTARY
Investigating and making media from alternative futures

‘Future Documentary’ is a class about the worldbuilding required to imagine and immerse ourselves and others in possible universes. Intended to challenge and amplify the skills of designers, storytellers, performers and makers of all kinds, the course will explore and use the power of films, audio, and other media “from” alternative futures to summon compelling new realities in tangible form.

Intended themes and activities include:
● Critical viewing of future documentary and related genres, cf. science fiction, mockumentary, design fiction, future journalism, and Alternate Reality Games
● How futurists think; possible, probable and preferable futures
● Use of frameworks for generating future scenarios and worldbuilding
● Creation and actual deployment during semester of future documentary media
● Guerrilla interventions, ethics of media activism, and the art of the hoax

Indicative filmography (NB not all are documentary, not all deal with futures, and not all are films):
● Black Mirror (02011-present) (UK) [TV series] Charlie Brooker
● The Blair Witch Project (01999) (USA) Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sanchez
● Bye Bye Belgium (02006) (Belgium) Isabelle Christiaens, Philippe Dutilleul
● Children of Men (02007) (UK) Alfonso Cuarón
● Cloverfield (02008) (USA) Matt Reeves
● Český sen (Czech Dream) (02004) (Czech Republic) Vít Klusák, Filip Remunda
● The Day Britain Stopped (02003) (UK) Gabriel Range
● Death of a President (02006) (UK) Gabriel Range
● District 9 (02009) (USA) Neill Blomkamp
● Ever Since the World Ended (02001) (USA) Calum Grant, Joshua Atesh Litle
● F for Fake (Verites et mensonges) (01975) (France) Orson Welles
● Hyper-Reality (02016) (Colombia/UK) Keiichi Matsuda
● If… (02004-02005) (UK) BBC
● The Institute (02013) (USA) Spencer McCall
● Menstruation Machine (02010) (Japan/UK) Hiromi Ozaki
● The Office (02001-02002) (UK) [TV series] Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant
● Oil Storm (02005) (UK/USA) James Erskine
● Punishment Park (01971) (UK) Peter Watkins
● Radiolab: War of the Worlds (02008) (USA) [audio] Jad Abumrad
● Series 7: The Contenders (02001) (USA) Daniel Minahan
● Smallpox 2002: Silent Weapon (02002) (UK) Daniel Percival
● The Swiss Spaghetti Harvest (01957) (UK) BBC
● Tetra Vaal (02004) (South Africa) Neill Blomkamp
● Wanderers (02014) (Sweden) Erik Wernquist
● The War Game (01966) (UK) Peter Watkins
● War of the Worlds (01938) (USA) [audio] Byron Haskin

Related:
> Death of a President
> Journalism from the Future
> Strategic Foresight Meets Tactical Media
> A film from the future
> In Praise of Children of Men
> Revisiting The Catalogue
> Amusing Anachronisms