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Student immersed in interactive film

By Dorin Grunwald

Mark Lannutti made his own significant contribution to new media. The 23-year-old’s final project is an interactive film named K after the Czech novelist Franz Kafka.

Although Lannutti has drawn from his technical and theoretical training at Ryerson to produce K he is also working as an intern at Immersion Film Inc., an interactive film production company, where he can put theory into practice.

At Immersion Films, Lannutti has learned about interactive theatre in which the audience can participate in the outcome of the film by using a touch screen computer console. This form of entertainment is best compared to the films seen at Imax theatres.

Lannutti says interactive theatre appeals mostly to young viewers because they are more computer literate than their parents, but the company is trying to make films that target older audiences.

Lannutti is quick to point out that new media is not about creating for the entertainment industry. In fact the program discourages this, emphasizing a more philosophical bent instead.

Like most of the new media students, Lannutti knows that the obscurity of his program will present challenges when he enters the workforce, but he is confident that the skills he is learning now will prepare him for the future.

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