Art at the Leipzig Fair

GC (Games Convention)

(24 - 27 August 2006)

Press & Trade Visitor Day: 23 August 2006

For this year's GC (Games Convention), the GC joins forces with the research project "Animation in New Media" to present a machinima gallery and two machinima workshops to show how creative you can be with computer games. Machinimas are animated films made by using computer game software. The term "machinima" is an invented word combining "machine" and "animation". In the Games Art section at the fair, the comfortable Machinima Lounge provides relaxed viewing of the best machinima films, whilst the two-day workshops each give 20 participants an opportunity to produce their own film in the computer game The Movies.

Computer games, particularly ego shooters, still have anything but a good reputation in Germany. Non-players are especially inclined to fear that playing brutalises young people, making them indifferent to violence or perhaps even spurring them on to acts of violence. Many are unaware that thousands now use computer games not to fight monsters or final enemies, but to put them to an unintended creative use in order to produce 3D animations. The real-time technology of computer games makes directors, cameramen and actors out of battling mythical creatures. The films produced in this way are usually distributed via the Internet where followers of this form also enjoy lively exchanges.

The movement began in 1996 when Leipzig programmer Uwe Girlich wrote the software that makes it possible to read and process recordings from the game Quake so that what had happened could be changed after the event - machinima was born. Since then, a small subculture has become a vibrant movement involving several thousand people and the results they produce are now beginning to attract attention in the mainstream industry.

The Leipzig project "Animation in New Media" ( http://www.animationsproject.org) involving Dr. Karin Wehn, Dirk Förster and Ingo Linde, has been researching the phenomenon of "machinima" since 2000 and sets out to look into the subject as comprehensively as possible both in theory and practice and to give interested beginners a chance to try out this low-cost and innovative film technology. To do this, it has invited artists and experts.

Machinima workshops

During the GC, two practical workshops will be presented by two of the best known and frequent prize-winning machinima artists of recent years, Friedrich Kirschner and Klaus Neumann. Kirschner works at the Ars Electronica Future Lab, Linz, and established a reputation with his abstract and artistic videos whose origins in the ego shooter Unreal Tournament are no longer apparent. As publisher of the online magazine machinimag.com., Klaus Neumann made a name for himself with his unconventional contributions to the "Protection of Species in Digital Life" with The Sims2 and as publisher of the website machinimadeutschland.de. Together with Alexander Scholz from the magazine Screen, they also make up the team behind the virtual "Bob Block Show" which picks up on and makes fun of phenonoma in the world of games live and with the inclusion of the public.

On two days each, both artists spend 4 hours introducing 20 participants to the basics of machinima. The aim is for each participant to develop a small film, either alone or in cooperation with others. There is no charge for attendance at the workshops - the only requirement is an admission ticket to the GC on the days concerned. No previous knowledge is required, nor is there any age limit. Computers and game will be provided.

Dates:

Workshop 1: 24/25 August 2006, 11.00 a.m. - 3.00 p.m.

Workshop 2: 26/27 August 2006, 11.00 a.m. - 3.00 p.m.

Participants can register on the website of the Leipziger Volkszeitung: www.lvz-online.de. More information is also available here.

Screenings of machinima films

Anyone who just wants to see how far developed and different machinima films can be should make themselves comfortable on the bean bags in front of the TV screens in the screening area. A curated programme lasting approx. 90 minutes runs all day here with a mixture of entertaining, artistically ambitious and critical machinima films of recent years.

Talks, discussions and readings with well-known experts

In addition, icons of the machinima scene such as Hugh Hancock and Friedrich Kirschner are given a hearing every afternoon as well as introducing their current projects. Well-known feature writers and media specialists like Mathias Mertens reflect on this interesting phenomenon of pop culture.

Founding of the Academy of Machinima Arts and Sciences Europe

Another highlight: a European institution is to be set up modelled on the Academy of Machinima Arts and Sciences (AMAS).

It is planned to establish Machinima Europe as a portal for film-makers and viewers, as well as for festivals and cultural institutions dealing with the subject. Friedrich Kirschner, board member at AMAS says: "Given the large number of festivals and workshops now dealing with the topic of machinima in Europe, a first port of call for this new form of animated film has become highly desirable."

In the long term, Machinima Europe intends to offer its own workshops for the sector, to cooperate with AMAS to organise the official European machinima film festival and try to initiate dialogue with European publishers and game developers regarding the legal position of machinima productions.

Other highlights

The "Bob Block Show" is due to appear at the industry's GC party and opens the press conference on Press Day when Hugh Hancock premieres his machinima film Bloodspell (Part 7).

Partners

"Animations in New Media", www.animationproject.org

GC (Games Convention), Messe Leipzig

Leipzig University, Communications & Media Studies Institute

Deutsches Institut für Animationsfilm (DIAF), Dresden

Academy of Machinima Arts and Sciences

Leipziger Volkszeitung

Computer sponsors:

ATI Technologies (EUROPE) GmbH

Hewlett Packard

Yello

For picture material: if required, please contact il@animationsproject.de.

Contact for the press : Contact for exhibitors/visitors:

Susanne Heusler Angela Schierholz

Press Officer Project Director

Phone: +49 (0) 341 - 678 8184 Phone: +49 (0) 341 - 678 8281

Fax: +49 (0) 341 - 678 8182 Fax: +49 (0) 341 - 678 8282

E-mail: s.heusler@leipziger-messe.de E-mail: a.schierholz@leipziger-messe.de

Contact for the project:

Dr. Karin Wehn

Institut für Kommunikations- und Medienwissenschaft

Phone: +49 (0) 341 973 5703

Mobile: +49 (0) 179 466 6865

E-mail: when@rz.uni-leipzig.de

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GC on the Internet:

http://www.gc-germany.com

http://www.leipziger-messe.de

http://www.animationproject.de

Leipziger Volkszeitung on the Internet: www.lvz-online.de

Leipzig, 14 August 2006