Fear and Wonder 3; Stranger Than Fiction: SCI-Arc and UCLA explore fictional worlds

One of the most popular courses at SCI-Arc is futurist Liam Young’s EDGE MS Fiction and Entertainment program. For the past three years, Young has invited creators of imaginary worlds to participate in Fear and Wonder, a symposium exploring contemporary representations of artificial intelligence in film, television, and global culture. This year’s outing takes place next Tuesday, November 20, and features a line-up of speakers including Her production designer K. K. Barrett; Deborah Harrison, one of the original architects of the personality for Microsoft’s digital assistant, Cortana; and George Hull, concept artist for Blade Runner 2049 (see image, above.)

Meanwhile, UCLA’s IDEAS Entertainment Studio at the school of architecture and urban design will explore similar terrain Saturday, November 16, with a symposium and display of student work that “will take you on a journey through the worlds and narratives that straddle the increasingly blurry line between fact and fiction – the Stranger Than Fiction worlds that we all inhabit every day.” Click here for more information.