Cécile le Prado, Lubna Odeh, Romain Barthelemy: The Listening Walker
Cécile le Prado, Lubna Odeh, Romain Barthelemy: The Listening WalkerUniversity of Athens Student Culture Club (ΠολιτιστικόςΌμιλοςΦοιτητώνΠανεπιστημίουΑθηνών)
15 Ippokratous St., Athens 10679 http://goo.gl/fFqQsV http://goo.gl/Ui4Taj
The “Listening Walker”, produced as part of the “Terra Dynamica”project, is a stand-alone interactive sound installation designed as a video game with different levels of exploration. It is also a part of a research project, the goal of which is to analyze writing styles used in interactive sound installations. and to propose new authoring tools for composers. The version presented illustrates the scripting style where the narration takes the player’s point of view. Such an installation shows the evolution of the composer’s role from that of a deterministic creation to a non-deterministic one.
The player’s goal is to discover a virtual district of Paris. When the walk begins, neither the plot, nor the buildings or the inhabitants are fully perceived. Then, Non Player Characters (NPCs) appear, moving around the listener, interpreting his moves and the time spent listening to particular sounds. According to the listener’s attitude, each NPC has his or her own particular reaction such as running away, getting closer to the listener, ignoring him or helping him to discover secret paths in the city. Depending on the player’s listening behavior, the city emerges progressively from the ground.
Composer coming from electroacoustic music, Cecile le Prado is particularly interested in space, urban soundscapes and active immersion for visitors. As a researcher in music composition, she worked with INA-GRM (National Audiovisual Institute - Musical Research Group) and IRCAM (Institute for Research and Coordination Acoustic and Music). Associated professor at CNAM (National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts), she is in charge of the specialty " Sound Design " in the Graduate School of Games and Interactive Media (ENJMIN). She has a Phd in computer science and is a member of the CNAM Computer Science Laboratory (CEDRIC).