Brisbane thrill seekers keen to survive the zombie apocalypse will come face-to-face with a 'hoard' of clever QUT students on the cutting edge of a new entertainment industry.
Video produced by Nick Martin and QUT drama student Sophie Davis.
Key points:
- QUT drama students are helping create Australia's most ambitious zombie adventure game.
- Industry partnerships with Directors of the Extraordinary and Brisbane Powerhouse are putting the students at the cutting edge of a new entertainment industry.
- Containment infects Brisbane Powerhouse 18-29 October.
The Brisbane Powerhouse has been transformed into Australia’s most ambitious zombie adventure game, Containment, by immersive gaming start-up Directors of the Extraordinary (DoE).
Containment participants are dumped into the heart of a zombie apocalypse story, where their actions, choices and movements impact their chances of ‘surviving’.
In a unique industry collaboration between DoE and QUT’s Creative Industries Faculty, eight second and third year drama students have been instrumental in almost all aspects of the large-scale production: character and story creation; performance; lighting and sound; staging; filming; makeup; costuming; marketing and publicity; and volunteer management.
QUT project leader George Meijer said the wide range of skill sets his students brought to the project benefitted the students as much as the DoE.
“At the Creative Industries Faculty we’re all about breaking new creative ground and projects like these are the perfect vehicle,” Mr Meijer said.
“Adventure gaming and hybrid and augmented reality is a very new industry and career path for graduates – projects like this provide an excellent way to extend and challenge students in their area of study, through both public exposure and real-world relevance.
“Performing in adventure games is often more challenging than acting, as our non-playing characters must maintain the ‘world’ they’re in, at the same time as facilitating a necessary goal – a game, an outcome, a win/lose situation. That’s a hard ask.”
Video produced by QUT drama student Melinda Mahoney.
Mr Meijer’s team has been partnering with the DoE since the company’s first large-scale adventure game, Copernicus Challenge, at QUT’s 2016 CreateX festival.
Mr Meijer said that project led to employment opportunities for several drama students.
The Creative Industries Faculty also has a formal industry partnership with Brisbane Powerhouse, which Containment will infect 18-29 October.
Media contacts:
Kate Haggman, QUT Media, 07 3138 0358, kate.haggman@qut.edu.au
After hours Rose Trapnell, 0407 585 901, media@qut.edu.au
