LCS: Conlanging 101 + Conlang film showing live online & in person during Notacon, April 16-18

[Language Creation Society]

Some conlanging news not strictly Dothraki-related:

1. Sai Emrys will be giving his highly interactive talk on “Conlanging 101″ (where the audience co-creates a mini-conlang on the spot) at Notacon in Cleveland, this Friday at 3pm EDT.

This talk was first given (slides, video) at 26C3, to rave reviews.

The accompanying whitepaper gives a good overview of what conlanging is all about.

If anyone you know is in the Cleveland area, please let them know to come out to Notacon and participate in making a language!

2. CONLANG the movie (excerpt, FB page, promo page) is by Swan Dive Films; it was screened at LCC3 to a very enthusiastic response, as well as getting awards at the Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival and NYC Downtown Short Film Festival.

To quote them, the movie “is a universal story set in the unique world of conlanging. A comedy about secret crushes, extreme linguistics and the language of love, it tells the story of Carl, 26, an unemployed conlang enthusiast. Even though Carl has no trouble creating new languages, he has a hard time finding the words to express his feelings to Libby, his secret crush. One day, Carl has a chance of becoming president of the Constructed Language Society, a club of people joined by their passion for invented languages. But between battling misguided Esperantists and mastering Klingon, will he be able to share his true feelings with the girl he adores?”

It’s a great film; we love it, and we think you will too.

There are two ways to watch the film during Notacon:

a) Come out to Notacon in Cleveland, this Friday at 5pm for the live screening.

The film screening will include the final and pilot films in full resolution, with Sai Emrys giving some context & commentary.

People who come in person will also get their choice of some very nice-looking postcards, each representing one of the three main characters in the film.

B) Watch live online during Notacon, this Friday, Saturday, & Sunday @ 4pm EDT.

The actors who play Kip, Libby, and Carl will be online for live discussion.

Swan Dive Films is also working on a possible new online shorts series, a sort of episodic romantic comedy with conlanging. If that sounds interesting to you, drop a note on their Facebook page or email the director, Marta Masferrer, at [email protected] – viewer enthusiasm is going to be a major factor in whether it happens.

Please forward this to anyone who’d be interested, join their Facebook page, and help support this unique effort.

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