This project consists in the creation of an interactive comic in which, the spectator has the opportunity to choose which path the main character (named Sigma) should take. These choices affect the story but they don’t affect the main flow of the story.
The story takes place in a distant future in which the surface of the Earth has turned inhabitable, with no water or vegetation. All humanity that survived these extreme conditions is living in a giant underground structure. These individuals have super controlled lives in which things that are considered useless are banned, for example art. There told what to do every hour and every moment. This happens because there society consumes more then what they produce, meaning, they have less and less resources each time, therefore, they have to save the time they have to the maximum.
The story starts with a child being born (Sigma). In the first part, the life of that character is followed until he’s 23. Until then it’s explained to him the purpose of the station and why there in no water of vegetation, and later, it’s explained to him more about water research and vegetation research depending on which career the spectator chooses to take. At 23 Sigma finds an image of a piece of art, not having ever seen anything like it he gains an enormous to know what it is. This leads him to the Lider, the man running the gigantic underground station. He tells him what is art and that he did not share this information with his people because it wouldn’t allow them to work at 100%. Mad for being censured of such information he organizes a riot that ends up destroying the station. Only at the end does he realize that he was censured of that information for his own good.
The paradox is inserted in the a
ttempt by everyone involved in the riot to improve their own lives while they were actually making it worst.
PHASE #1 | Research
Camila Cossermelli . João Hébil . Nuno Lourenço
1.1
... “MTV Switch: In Your Hands” (last accessed on 1 April 2008).
Campaign against Global Warming. Any cinematic reference to ecology takes us back to “An Inconvenient Truth”, documentary on the lectures given by Al Gore. However, MTV has been able to launch a more appealing campaign that approaches the importance of preserving the environment in a simpler and more concise way.
GUGGENHEIM, Davis; “An Inconvenient Truth”,with Al Gore; 2006.
1.2
... GAVIRIA, Geoffrey & GIBSON, Matthew. “Dead on Arrival” (last accessed on 31 March 2008).
Interactive comic book. The story has noir influences and a 30’s American cinema style. Although that is not an original concept, attention should be drawn to the fact that it is an online comic book. Therefore, predicting that soon enough it will be possible to have access to a computer through recyclable energies, this resource might reveal itself to be quite valuable.
LOURO, Luís [2003]. “O Corvo”. Lisboa: Edições Asa.
«Luís Louro is back with the much anticipated continuation of Vicente’s adventures. Being a 30-year-old mailman who lives in Alfama, Vicente undergoes a strange metamorphosis and transforms into a Crow (Corvo), in an attempt to overcome his natural shyness. Conscious that “the destiny of a man depends on his beliefs and ghosts”, he pictures himself as a hero who saves others, even though in reality he cannot even save himself. Thus, the Crow, as a deeply Portuguese individual, is the reflex of the unprotected naïveté which is ever present in the stories in our streets.
This album comes as a celebration of the 10th anniversary of this character that represents a marker in Portuguese comics». (Synopsis translated from the website: http://www.webboom.pt/ficha.asp?ID=96433, last accessed on 3 April 2008).
1.3
... MCDONOUGH, William & BRAUNGART Michael.“Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things” (last accessed on 20 March 2008).
The cradle to cradle concept was developed by a German biologist, Baumgart, and a Greenpeace activist, McDonough. More than just a concept, it is also quality assurance for products that are designed in a totally ecological way. The products that obey to these standards are quite viable economically, seen that 100% of the raw material used in their production can be reusable. The publication of the book in not only recyclable, but also reusable paper is a great example of how the concept works. Another successful application of the cradle to cradle concept is the Ford factory, which was able to reduce significantly its production costs.
PAIVA, Maíra. “Design de Móveis” (last accessed on 1 Abril 2008).
Maíra Paiva is graduated in design, by the UEMG School of design (Brazil). She participated in some important national and international projects, the most significant of which being the 16th eco-marathon Shell and the Aglogold. She is a specialist and an enthusiast of eco-design. She compiles, in her blog, works of design of ecological interest. We would like to draw attention to the “Pufes eco-chique” (Eco-chic poufs) and the “Móveis de Pet” (PET furniture).
