History Around Us: Audio and Augmented Reality Course For Cultural Sites

Walking Cinema, a San-Francisco based production company, is currently developing a digital storytelling and augmented reality course for museum professionals and documentarians focused on historic sites. For the past fifteen years, Walking Cinema’s team of writers, producers, and programmers have been partnering with museums and cultural organizations to develop a unique brand of digital storytelling that uses audience surroundings, podcasting, and augmented reality to bring history to life. The company has won numerous awards from the museum, film, and interactive industries, and now they are looking to democratize their production process so museums can create such mobile-guided experiences themselves. TIMING Walking Cinema is running a 4-week pilot course from May 1–May 26, 2023, that will help museum staff develop a pilot audio and augmented reality walk. Each week students will have a 90-minute Zoom class + 8 hours of asynchronous learning and producing. Applications are due by March 15, 2023. https://forms.gle/tedE9fGVb1XWKXEj7 WHAT WILL I LEARN? The 4-week course will guide students through all phases of the story development process from research, to “scripting with the landscape,” to audio production, to AR development, to testing and distribution. This “History Around Us” curriculum doesn’t require technical expertise, but does favor participants who have already researched and maybe developed a story that is site-specific. OUTCOMES Students will develop a 5–10 minute prototype for their tour experience that includes immersive audio, augmented reality and a proposal for full development. Students should finish the course with a solid concept for a full project and materials that will make a compelling proposal for funding. WALKING CINEMA’S GOALS The goal is to expand the range of sites and story approaches working in this new format. Walking Cinema has its own approach to telling these stories, but the course is designed to promote new angles and storytelling techniques that will enrich this format. PRICING & PARTICIPATION We will charge $800/per student, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. The course can also fulfill teacher accreditation and externship requirements. Course software will be based on the Adobe Suite and for those who need to purchase the suite, we offer an educator’s discount. CONTACT Please direct questions to and request application materials from Walking Cinema producer Elissa Mardiney: elissa@walkingcinema.org Additional information available at: www.walkingcinema.org