Sunday, December 24, 2006

Interactive Narrative

Interactive narrative using matchboxes, cardboards, light and imagination!


I have a special fascination for matchboxes! As a child I used to collect them and once in a while make models of animals. Now as a grown up I mostly use matchboxes to light a cigarette! One fine day, I decided to go back in time and use my present education in animation to make models out of matchboxes again; but this time they would move! I made a short film for Sesame Street India using this technique and completely fell in love with the idea of taking this further.

My present idea deals with interactive storytelling where audience looks into an installation and conjures up their own stories. Imagine a hemisphere which has been formed on a spiral with enough space to place the characters and design a backdrop using cardboard material and strategically placed light. Since I will be using matchboxes to make the characters, the scale would be cheated by placing them accordingly. For example, an ant will be nearer to the audience than an elephant, which could be placed in a further distance in the hemisphere to create a reality in terms of scale. The characters will be placed randomly on the different layers of the spiral, so for one the story will be completely different from the other person depending on what all he or she can see. Sometimes it could be a story of a group of ants marching for a better place; or the same ants could be fleeing from a terrible monster depending on where one is standing to see the installation.

I would love to create a fantasy world with lots of stories to tell!






29 comments:

cläu said...

Wuauuuuu it's wonderfulll!

P A R I D H I.P said...

Amazing creativity with Match boxes.

Mandakini said...

love the cat....great idea!

adele said...

hi. are u currently in Singapore?

p.s Pls reply asap as i am currently in need of looking of a cartoonist . Really important. Thanks.

kunal kundu said...

Nope..... I'm in India. Btw I'm hoping you get back here, as I can't reply otherwise! You can mail me.

María W. said...

This is a great work! I love the ants and the cat!
Tank you for your coment.

Roberto Ferrari said...

i love your films and your illustrations...they are cool...

roby

pinaki said...

brilliant... shows how minimalist ideas can be turned into stunning work.

lostinarc said...

hey thnaks...but the truth is u guys r doing realy stuf....am missing them man.....keep it up

uttam ojha said...

hey kunal thanks for the compliment...your works also tooo good....thanks again and plz keep visiting my blog for future updates...

Magalí said...

I love your work!
Very creative and beautifull.
I discovered you thanks to Sonia´s blog.
Congratulations!

Alessandra Sorrentino said...

nice work!!!

mayo said...

Thank you for visiting my page. :)
Wow, you have many great works in your blog !
I like your stuff ;)

Anonymous said...

thanx kookiejar for your comment on my blog.
Later.

The Ginger Darlings said...

Love the cat too and the boxes. Very stylish!

Eliza Jäppinen said...

This is awesome stuff. I love it :)

Heidi Smith said...

OOOHHH!!! I love these characters they are so cute!!

Souvik said...

Hi Kunal,

This is serendipity indeed! Was feeling stupidly nostalgic (one tends to do that quite a lot in foreign shores, it seems)about our Bombay days and googled you to find out how you are and came across this very interesting post. I'm working on interactive narratives (especially, in computer games)and am quite interested in what you are doing with matchboxes. Can in cite some of this in my research? I've not managed to get beyond the first posting but i intend to soon.

Give me a shout when you get this. Great to see that you are as interesting as ever.

Best,

Souvik

Unknown said...

this is really really really cool.

i'm so entertained by your backstory and the work that came from it shows that you're really into it.

so i'm glad that you've shared this for sure! - it inspires me to be more passionate about the things i'm passionate about. ( *_*)

&Rew.

Meenakshi said...

i too had the same intense interest in different types of matchboxes.. but it lasted for just two years or so ... as my Dad quit smoking and my Mom started using a lighter in the kitchen.

interesting characters out of them...

ilustradero said...

Your work is great. I really like your "match boxes fascination" if every of our fascinations came to reality such a good way....

Narcoleptic said...

Great Work. Here, that should sum it up if each of those two words weigh like 2000 kilos each.

renju ramesh said...

i would neveeerr undstand wht meenakshi s talkin about...hey kokiee!!!.. ur jar s realyyyy full of s....superrrbb things..hehe

Unknown said...

Hey,

I am sure your dream will come true one day. If one animator who is playing with timing go for live movie, The result will be fantastic!!

bhumika said...

hi kunal, landed here through your comment on allen's blog. really loved your idea of interactive narratives. the characters are very well-made. loved the ants :)

aLmoSt FaLLen AnGeL said...

they r amazing!!!! :)

Munna on the run said...

Thanks for leaving a comment on my blog. And what an amazing discovery your work is. Fantastic stuff with matchboxes. Really wonderful work. Thanks so much.

Anna Anjos said...

GREAT!!!!

Lavida said...

like the blog!.. n i think u found ur ideal "MATCH"