Popathon invites filmmakers, technologists and designers to create a story that can only be told on the web. For one weekend you team up to brainstorm ideas, create open-source code and demo prototypes of your own web-native stories. Teams are formed by combining different skills and spend a short and intense period creating a story prototype that is born on the web. Participants compete against the clock, not against each other. After the final sprint all prototypes are presented in a live demo open to the public. All the source code powering the projects will be shared as an open source repository for others to study and build on beyond the event. This special edition of Popathon is presented in partnership with Lighthouse and Mozilla.

Explore projects hacked at previous editions

Why?

Visual storytelling has been with us since the beginning of times. Through the ages the way we tell stories has changed along with the evolution of different media. The capability of the web enables stories to be interactive, dynamic and participatory, allowing for engaging experiences around them. While this is hugely exciting, we believe a language of web-native storytelling is still developing and want to help that process along by hands-on collaboration.

Who?

Teams thrive when different skills are combined. Popathon invites 3 specialities to the mix, each with their own perspective, ideas for projects and reasons for taking part. We believe disciplines like filmmaking, web development and design already offer the most important skills required to tell engaging stories on the web. By having different perspectives around the table, we share our expertise and everyone benefits.

Filmmakers / Storytellers

Filmmakers, writers, producers, documentarians, content creators and journalists who like to:

• Explore how your storytelling can become dynamic and interactive
• Brainstorm and prototype ideas for a new medium
• Meet and collaborate with designers and developers

Technologists

The protoypes will be mainly powered by JavaScript, HTML and CSS, but experience with back-end, data visualisation or a toolkit like Processing can make your creation really stand out. There are no requirements to use any platform or API, but we’re always happy to introduce awesome libraries like Popcorn.js. Web developers, installation artists, back-enders with an itch for design, front-enders with a passion for interactivity, JS hackers who think open source and like to:

• Experiment with new libraries and frameworks in an informal setting
• Collaborate on an exciting visually-rich interactive multimedia project
• Collaborate with designers and filmmakers

Designers

Web-native stories can combine moving image and interactivity but they need well-designed experience to really come to life. Ideas from UX, UI, interaction, graphic, print and service design is all welcome and useful. Join to:

• Design the future of storytelling on the web.
• Tackle questions like: what does an interactive film look like?
• Collaborate with filmmakers and developers

How?

You can sign up individually or with a group of collaborators. Tickets will soon become available, stay tuned…

Tickets are available at an Early Bird rate until 31 August.
We’ve also got Student tickets at a discounted rate.

Teams compete against the clock, not against each other. By sharing ideas at an early stage, teams help each other to tackle challenges in the creative process.

We encourage bringing ideas and content for projects you have in mind or in production.

After the final sprint all prototypes are presented in a live demo and all the source code powering the projects will be made available as open source for others to study and build on beyond the event.

Bring whatever you’ll need to hack with. Charged laptops with production software and external drives with footage or have everything online. Also bring headphones, as you’ll be working in a shared space.

Nourishing lunch, delicious snacks and WiFi access will all be provided.

To make sure we’ve got a good mixture of skills, tickets are released in equal sized batches for each type (storytellers, technologists, designers). This means that a ticket type, say designers, may be temporaraly sold out, until we’ve got an equal number of storytellers and technologists signed up. Don’t worry, you can sign up on the waiting list and you’ll be notified as soon as we release more tickets. Protip: Know anyone with complementary skills? Bring them along!

Programme

Testimonials

“Popathon was a great experience, highly recommend it to anyone working on a web doc”

FAQ

Q: Is this a one-off event?
A: No, we aim to grow a community of interactive storytellers who use the web as their medium. This Hack Jam part of a larger series of similar events across Europe.

Q: Can I bring my own project?
A: Absolutely! We encourage everyone to bring their own ideas and footage for projects. This will actually help to come up with awesome prototypes.

Q: (Filmmakers / Designers) Do I need to know HTML or JavaScript?
A: This Hack Jam brings together complementing skills to take projects to the next level, letting participants focus on their own expertise. Coding skills are not expected from everyone. Having said that, it never hurts to introduce yourself to the workings of the medium you use.

Q: (Web developers / JS hackers) Will I be required to build with a certain framework / API?
A: We encourage the use of open-source technology as much as possible, but everyone is free to use their favorite tools and technologies.

Any questions?

Get in touch!

In partnership with