Collapsus

A glimpse into the near future, Collapsus is an examination of the impending energy crisis from the perspective of 10 young global citizens who become entangled in a web of intrigue and conspiracy theories. Subjects such as the booming Chinese economy and global warming reappear in indirect and sometimes humorous ways. The hybrid narrative makes intensive use of multimedia techniques, with realistic news reports breaking off for interactive game play, and the imagery shifting from documentary to fiction to animation. This animation is made using the striking rotoscope technique, in which real film is traced and enhanced. Director Tommy Pallotta developed this process when producing the two feature films Waking Life and A Scanner Darkly. The narrative unfolds on the central screen, but two other screens are also in view, to the left and right. The left-hand screen displays a world map - with more and more locations lighting up as the film progresses - and introduces the 10 main characters. The right-hand screen shows the interface of a news website that regularly updates with information relating to the storyline - to which characters then respond with video blogs and comments. In this way, each element in this panoptic environment supports and intensifies the central narrative of the film.

Unfortunately, the technology used to make this interactive project available online is no longer supported. However, new solutions to preserve and update projects technically are continuously being explored within the interactive field. Whenever possible, we will bring this project back online.

For documentation and more information on the project, check out the links.