Masterclass 2014 Recap

NOTE: THIS PAGE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED.

Announcing the First Annual Dust or Magic Masterclass at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair — The World’s Largest Children’s Publishing Event —  on March 23 in Bologna, Italy.

A three hour intensive workshop on the design of narrative driven interactive products, led by experts.

Topics include lectures by former BolognaRagazzi Digital Award winners, plus a discussion of key influential products in children’s interactive publishing determined by this year’s jurors for the BolognaRagazzi Digital Award.

You’ll get to know the leaders in the space, and you’ll leave with the tools you need to apply your new knowledge, including the handbook, Child Development 101 for the Designers of Children’s Interactive Media.

PRICE:
149 Euros for Bologna Exhibitor +VAT (Value Added Tax)
199 Euros for Non Exhibitor + VAT
NOTE: As with other Dust or Magic events, group size is controlled. Seats must be reserved in advance. To reserve a spot (to be billed later) fill out the form below).

WHERE: Bologna, Italy inside the Bolognafiere headquarters.

WHEN: Sunday, March 23, from 3:00 – 6:30 PM

WHO: This year’s lecturers include former BolognaRagazzi Digital Award winners Touch Press and Nosy Crow. Discussions will be co‐facilitated by Neal Hoskins, curator of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair Digital Café, and Warren Buckleitner, the chief judge of the BolognaRagazzi Digital Award and head of Dust and Magic.

AGENDA

3:00 Welcome and Introductions (Warren Buckleitner, Neal Hoskins and Roberta Chinni)

3:05 Non-fiction Case Study: John Cromie, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Touch Press.

John will explore how creativity from multiple disciplines is nurtured, and carefully woven into the conception, design and production of Touch Press apps. This innovative approach has been affirmed through industry plaudits such as the 2014 KAPI “Pioneering Team” Award.  John’s talk will be liberally illustrated with practical examples from acclaimed apps such as Disney Animated (Apple Best iPad App of 2013) and Barefoot World Atlas. He will touch on tools and techniques, as well as the emerging new digital skills required. Expect to come away with a deeper appreciation of the app as a creative medium, and what it takes to make apps that provoke reviews such as: “You have to see this to believe it. Beautifully designed, perfectly executed. This is what the iPad was made for.”

3:50 Demo Lottery:  A fun way to view some new apps

4:05 Fiction Case Study: Kate Wilson of Nosy Crow.

Last year, Nosy Crow was described by USA Today as “The Steven Spielberg of apps”, based on its ground-breaking, multi-award-winning narrative apps, both fiction and non-fiction. Nosy Crow wants to offer children compelling story experiences using the features and opportunities for interactivity and multimedia that touchscreens provide to ensure that reading is not the most boring thing you can do on an iPad. Kate will talk through the elements of Nosy Crow’s apps storytelling: concept, writing, illustrating, animating, audio, coding and testing. Among other issues, she’ll explore questions like: How do you balance narrative and play? How do you match reading levels with complexity of in-app tasks? What’s the link, if any, between physical books and apps?

4:50 Coffee

5:05 Demos of Magic, and Dust from the 2014 BolognaRagazzi Digital Award Winners and Entries by Warren Buckleitner

5.35 Demo Lottery: A fun way for attendees to see and try new apps.

5.45 Closing Panel: State of the App with Neal Hoskins, Warren Buckleitner, Kate Wilson and John Cromie

TO REGISTER: Registrations are closed.