BLA BLA

BLA BLA is a “film for computer” directed by Vincent MORISSET and produced by the National Film Board of Canada, that explores the fundamental principles of human communication. The viewer makes the story possible: without him or her, the characters remain inert, waiting for the next interaction. Viewers click, play and searches through simple, uncluttered scenes, truly driving the experience. Each of the six chapters in the story depicts a different aspect of communication: learning a language, making small talk and expressing emotions.

Emotion & communication from a mouse cursor
BLA BLA is a browser-based interactive work that users enjoy by clicking with the mouse to make the characters change in various ways. There are six chapters, each adopting a motif based on human behaviors like language and conversation. The oddly fascinating characters and the humorous way things develop are appealing, but we had to think about why it maintained my interest even through multiple viewings. Many works that call themselves interactive attempt to open up new possibilities but instead tend to fall prey to tedium and mediocrity. The secret of BLA BLA is that it did not make this mistake, no doubt because the artist and his team understood that human communication is a complex discourse (encompassing not only language but also eye movements and subtle responses) as a whole. They did their research and brought it to fruition in this work.