11 Feb MIT Open Documentary Lab and Co-Creation Studio Winter 2025 Newsletter
Dear friends,
The new year is upon us. The work continues. We are committed more than ever to supporting documentary and non-fiction in its multitude of forms and co-creative approaches, and championing artists, technologists, scholars and cultural workers. Through incubation, research, and field-building, we address pressing issues such as climate change, narrative sovereignty, racial and spatial justice, and economic equity.
We share with you highlights from the year and plans for the future. As always, we would love to hear from you. Reach out at opendoclab-contact@mit.edu.
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🌍 WORLDING is back!
WORLDING ignites the co-creation of climate future stories that lead to real-world impact. Founded in 2021, this research and incubation initiative explores how virtual environments bridge immersive storytelling with community wisdom, climate science and land-based placemaking.
This year, WORLDING returned to MIT for an in-person incubator at the end of January. Indigenous Screen Office led with a cohort of 4 delegates, who were joined by 12 participants from many disciplines and walks of life. Together, they gathered with 25 mentors, speakers and respondents to explore social XR, data visualization, and Indigenous-led storytelling to build a just and thriving climate future.
WORLDING 2025 is a project of the MIT Co-Creation Studio, in collaboration with Indigenous Screen Office, and MIT Media Lab, with generous support from Agog: The Immersive Media Institute, MacArthur Foundation, and JustFilms at Ford Foundation.
Learn more about the WORLDING initiative at cocreationstudio.mit.edu/worlding-2025
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Layers of Place
The MIT Open Documentary Lab’s AR and Public Space Artist Collective has been invited to be part of Artfinity, MIT’s Art Festival opening on February 28th. The collective will present a new chapter of Layers of Place, a multiyear exploration of how digital augmentation reshapes our understanding of space, place, and shared histories. Through Hoverlay, a location-based mobile AR app, MIT’s landscape becomes an evolving canvas for urban annotation, bridging personal, communal, and historical experiences. Three projects will take part: Fovnders Pillars by Lesiba Mabitsela, Meghna Singh, and Simon Wood, 1 to Infinity in the Infinite Cooridor by Danny Goldfield, and Moving Memory AR by Lori Landay.
Visitors explore MIT’s iconic sites through geo-located markers and digital overlays, each revealing unique stories and perspectives. While individual projects serve as distinct portals, the exhibition’s power emerges through collective experience. These layered encounters yield a prismatic viewpoint that captures diverse narratives and reveals nuanced dimensions of place. The campus transforms into a multidimensional inquiry exploring racial justice, historical memory, monuments, environmental stewardship, and technology’s impact on civic life.
Congruent to the MIT Festival, the lab will showcase four additional projects on Hoverlay and offer panels, workshops and tours. Details forthcoming.
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Independent XR Distribution Coalition Launch
The lab conducted research at the 2024 IDFA DocLab exhibition as part of their R&D program. In its 7th year, this year’s focus is distribution. At the IDFA DocLab R&D Summit 2024, we launched the Independent XR Distribution Coalition. The coalition will bring together an international, interdisciplinary group of artists and culture workers in a participatory research process to radically co-create, support and connect independent and inclusive XR distribution initiatives and ecosystems that counter the big tech agenda. As part of the research, we hosted 5 roundtables about distribution with different stakeholders and we will be releasing a distribution toolkit next fall.Â
In her editorial, writer Karen Cirillo delves into the core discussions of the summit and how these conversations are shaping the future of XR storytelling and distribution: Read the full article on XRMust now. You can also read more about the summit in Sandra Gaudenzi’s field notes.
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Introducing The Synthesis: A New Monthly Column in Documentary Magazine
We’re thrilled to share The Synthesis, a new monthly column that dives into the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and documentary practice!
Read the first installment, “AI Is Everywhere, Even in Your Documentary,” and join us in exploring AI’s transformative impact on the world of documentary filmmaking over the coming year.Â
The second installment is an interview with director, Piotr Winiewicz on the “Surprisingly Ordinary Dreams” Generated by AI in His IDFA Opening Film.Â
An earlier piece in the same vein was published in the summer “We’re Not Making Twins”: iNK Stories Founders Develop Documentary AI-Powered NPC Avatars
The Synthesis is co-authored by shirin anlen and Katerina Cizek and is part of an ongoing collaboration between the MIT Co-Creation Studio and WITNESS.
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Read Our Latest Report:
“Embodiment, AI and the Perception of the Real”
At the IDFA DocLab Summit, we announced our latest research report, “Embodiment, AI and the Perception of the Real” which explores how immersive technologies and AI are transforming our understanding and representation of reality. The report is written by Julia Scott-Stevenson with Sarah Wolozin as investigator.Â
At IDFA DocLab in November 2023, MIT conducted research on how artists experimented with embodiment, and the impact on audience perception.
Key Takeaways:
- Waking up the body is a new grammar of expanded documentary
- Embodied experiences offer productive challenges to audiences
- Embodied experiences highlight layered realities
- Audiences are comfortable moving between these layered realities
- Documentary is an ideal genre for addressing and playing with Artificial Intelligence
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To explore the full report, click here.
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Watch our Fall 2024 Lecture Series
The MIT Open Documentary Lab brings storytellers, technologists, and scholars together to explore the future of documentary through collaborative, interactive, and immersive storytelling using emerging technologies. Watch our Fall Lecture Series!
Neurocultures Project: The Stimming Pool. Models for Co-Created Filmmaking in the Context of Neurodivergence Sam Chown Ahern, Georgia Bradburn, Robin Elliott-Knowles, Benjamin Brown & Steven Eastwood. Watch lecture here
Best Practices for Use of Generative AI in Documentaries Archival Producers Alliance: Rachel Antell, Stephanie Jenkins & Jennifer Petrucelli. Watch lecture here
Documentary as Practice: Ethics and Politics Through Curiosity and Care Hannah Jayanti, Documentary Filmmaker, Organizer, and Educator. Watch lecture here
The Proof Is in the Pudding: Developing and Testing Immersive Experience to Create Impact May Abdalla, Immersive Experience Creator and Co-Founder of Anagram. Watch Lecture Here
Spring 2025 Lecture Series lineup of speakers will be announced soon!
Please stay tuned.
All lectures will be live-streamed via Zoom. If you’re unable to attend, recordings will be posted on our website after each event. You can also view videos of our past lectures here.
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Fellows & Alumni Spotlight
MIT Open Documentary Lab fellows, alumni, and researchers are active leaders in the field, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in documentaries and non-fiction media. Their dedication and innovative spirit continue to drive our mission forward. Here’s a look at some of the outstanding individuals making strides in the world of documentary and immersive media:
- Simon Wood’s and Meghna Singh’s (ODL Fellows) project The Four Floors of Faneuil Hall was recognized with an Honorable Mention for the IDFA DocLab Forum Award. The jury members said: “The use of space and architecture to ground their story imbues the project with narrative clarity that makes their point crystal clear about the contradiction of democratic society built on legacies of slavery, genocide and colonialism. The project’s installation format makes it adaptable to many contexts, which opens up the possibility of future iterations beyond Faneuil Hall itself.” Their groundbreaking project was developed and incubated at the MIT Open Documentary Lab.Â
- Tamara Shagaolu’s (ODL Alumna) Oryza: Healing Ground is selected for the IDFA DocLab Competition for Digital Storytelling. Oryza is a diasporic sculptural journey exploring Black land stewards’ evolving relationship with the land.
- Marjolaine Grappe (ODL Fellow) was awarded the 2024 IDA Open Call Grant: Enterprise Document Fund. Her project is one of 10 selected out of 578 applicants to receive a total of $525,000 in production grants.
- Ruyoun Chen (ODL Fellow) was officially selected among 12 projects from the whole world for the 2024 IDFA Forum’s Producers Connection. Ruoyun Chen presented People’s Republic of Letters, which portrays young Chinese poets suspended between worlds and words—either residing in diaspora or contemplating it.Â
- Abby Sun (Former Graduate Researcher in the ODL, where she edited Immerse) was selected for the prestigious Shorenstein Documentary Film Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School. As part of her fellowship, she is researching media policy to support independent documentary filmmaking.
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New Additions to Docubase: Explore Innovative XR Projects
We’re delighted to announce that we have new additions to our Docubase database: an interactive curated database of the people, projects, and technologies transforming documentary in the digital age. These new entries highlight the innovative spirit and creative excellence of our community, pushing the boundaries of immersive storytelling and technological integration.
Here are select recently added projects from Docubase:
Colored/Noire Description: Colored is an immersive AR installation adapted from a biographical essay about 15-year-old ClaudetteColvin, who courageously refused to give up her seat to a White passenger in 1950s Alabama. This project brings her powerful story to life, offering a poignant exploration of civil rights and personal resilience.
Emperor Description: EMPEROR is an interactive VR narrative that immerses users in the mind of a father suffering from aphasia. This poetic experience delves into themes of communication, memory, and familial bonds, offering a deeply emotional journey through virtual reality.
Soul Paint Description: SOUL PAINT exists at the nexus of immersive technology, creative storytelling, and wellbeing. This interactive experience takes participants on a journey to explore and express emotions and bodily sensations through bodymapping, 3D drawing, and movement.
Shadowtime Description: SHADOWTIME is a VR essay that critiques virtual realities as solutions to current emergency conditions. It guides users through simulation theory and the historical creation of VR, offering an embodied critique of technology’s role in shaping our perceptions of reality.
Submit Your Project:
Have an innovative project, tool or a tag that you would like to suggest? Submit suggestions to Docubase here: https://mv-ezproxy-com.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/contact/
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Stay Connected
Don’t miss out on future updates, lectures and new project additions! Follow us on social media to stay informed about the latest developments at MIT Open Documentary Lab.
Thank you for being a part of our vibrant community!
Warm regards,
MIT Open Documentary Lab and Co-Creation Studio