Difference between revisions of "Black Box"

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Also known as meta room, a black box is a room where players may go during a larp to play scenes that don't fit into the here-and-now of the larp. The term is also used to describe a stand alone larp that takes place entirely in a black box.
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A black box is a room with black walls, no windows, flat floor and no furniture. Most rooms that are black or dark with little or no furniture will pass as a black box for larp purposes, even though it would not suffice as a black box for all other purposes, such as film or TV production. By cleaning out other all visual elements, the black box makes it easy to catch attention with few and simple props or light effects. Sometimes the players are also asked to dress in black in order to strengthen this effect. Usually the black box is equipped with theatre lights and an audio system.  
  
== Description ==  
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==Uses==
A black box usually has an audio system and adjustable lights, making it easy to change the ambience. Players may use it whatever way they like, but it is often suggested they play out flash-backs (scenes that happened before the larp) or flash-forwards (scenes that may occur in a hypothetical future). In some cases, an organizer might be present in the black box to help players facilitate their scenes and control the sound and lights.  
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The black box is frequently used as a [[meta room]] where the players can go during the runtime of a longer larp. In the meta room the players may enrich the stories of the characters beyond the time and space of the "main" larp, and to give players a break and an opportunity to think through their larping without having to go off-game. An early use of a black box for a meta room was in the larp [[En stilla middag med familjen]], hence the common misunderstanding that a black box and a meta room is the same. A black box can also be used for other [[meta technique]]s than the meta room during the runtime of a longer larp.
  
A player may invite any other players to enter the black box. Invitations might be made by the player whispering off-game, or by giving symbolic gifts such as a feather.
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Black boxes is also used as the entire venue for a larp. This is most common for shorter larps, and some refer to the short [[Black box larps]] as a separate genre of larps.
  
A game can also take place entirely in a blackbox, where all players are dressed in black clothes, occasionally using props and/or costumes.
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There are also examples of longer larps with many players run in large black boxes, such as [[Mellan himmel och hav]], [[Delirium]] and [[Kapo]]. Kapo also has a small black box for meta room usage inside the large black box that made up the playing area.
  
== Uses ==
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==History==
Black boxes are used to enrich the stories of the characters beyond the time and space of the "main" larp, and to give players a break and an opportunity to think through their larping without having to go off-game.
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The black box has long history in the theatre world and was (probably) introduced first as technique in Nordic larp at [[Swedish]], [[En stilla middag med familjen]] in 2007, where it was used as a meta room. Short black box larps has predominantly been played at festivals such as [[Prolog]] and [[Grenselandet]], probably due to the accessibility of blackboxes at these festival venues. In 2012 the festival [[Blackbox CPH]] was started, the first event focusing solely on short black box larps.
  
Black boxes might also be used for playing/dancing a symbolic version of something that is meant to be happening in-game, such as two characters fighting or having sex.
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There are or have been organizer networks that run black box larps on more regular basis, such as [[Blackbox Malmø]] (defunct) and [[Blackbox Deichman]] in Oslo.
  
== History ==  
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==Notable Black box chamber larps==
The black box has long history in the theatre world and was (probably) introduced first as technique in Nordic larp at [[Swedish]], [[En stilla middag med familjen]] in [[2007]]. In [[2012]] the festival [[Blackbox CPH]] was started, focused on short larps using black box techniques.
 
  
== Notable Black Box larps ==
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*[[Hvid Død]]
* [[Hvid Død]]
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*[[Sarabande]]
* [[Sarabande]]
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*[[Sort Sol]]
* [[Sort Sol]]
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*[[Mulholland Larp]]
* [http://scenariofestival.se/archive/scenarios/mulholland-larp/ Mulholland Larp]
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*[[When Our Destinies Meet]]
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*[[All the little boys are dead]]
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*[[The Baader-Meinhof Experiment]]
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*[[Innocense]]
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*[[Retropolis]]
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*[[Huntsville]]
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*[[The kick inside]]
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*[[Have you come here to play Jesus?]]
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*[[Fallen stars]]
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*[[The living newspaper]]
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*[[Toast to the war]]
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*[[The ones we left behind]]
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*[[A mother's heart]]
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*[[The heist]]
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*[[Beginning]]
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*[[The boy and the milk]]
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*[[I know you are but what am I?]]
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==Notable Black box large-scale larps==
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*[[Mellan himmel och hav]]
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*[[Delirium]]
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*[[Kapo]]
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
* [[Tape Larp]]
 
* [[Chamber Larp]]
 
  
== External Links ==
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*[[Tape Larp]]
* [http://hoegdall.wix.com/blackbox Blackbox Copenhagen] (Denmark)
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*[[Chamber Larp]]
* [https://www.facebook.com/blackboxmlm/ Blackbox Malmö] (Sweden)
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*[[Meta Room]]
* [https://www.facebook.com/blackboxdeichman/ Blackbox Deichman] (Norway)
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*[[Black Box Larp]]
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==External links==
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*[http://blackbox-cph.dk Blackbox Cph] (Denmark)
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*[https://www.facebook.com/blackboxmlm/ Blackbox Malmö] (Sweden)
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*[https://www.facebook.com/blackboxdeichman/ Blackbox Deichman] (Norway)
  
  [[category:Techniques]]
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  [Category:Concepts]]

Revision as of 15:52, 20 May 2020

A black box is a room with black walls, no windows, flat floor and no furniture. Most rooms that are black or dark with little or no furniture will pass as a black box for larp purposes, even though it would not suffice as a black box for all other purposes, such as film or TV production. By cleaning out other all visual elements, the black box makes it easy to catch attention with few and simple props or light effects. Sometimes the players are also asked to dress in black in order to strengthen this effect. Usually the black box is equipped with theatre lights and an audio system.

Uses

The black box is frequently used as a meta room where the players can go during the runtime of a longer larp. In the meta room the players may enrich the stories of the characters beyond the time and space of the "main" larp, and to give players a break and an opportunity to think through their larping without having to go off-game. An early use of a black box for a meta room was in the larp En stilla middag med familjen, hence the common misunderstanding that a black box and a meta room is the same. A black box can also be used for other meta techniques than the meta room during the runtime of a longer larp.

Black boxes is also used as the entire venue for a larp. This is most common for shorter larps, and some refer to the short Black box larps as a separate genre of larps.

There are also examples of longer larps with many players run in large black boxes, such as Mellan himmel och hav, Delirium and Kapo. Kapo also has a small black box for meta room usage inside the large black box that made up the playing area.

History

The black box has long history in the theatre world and was (probably) introduced first as technique in Nordic larp at Swedish, En stilla middag med familjen in 2007, where it was used as a meta room. Short black box larps has predominantly been played at festivals such as Prolog and Grenselandet, probably due to the accessibility of blackboxes at these festival venues. In 2012 the festival Blackbox CPH was started, the first event focusing solely on short black box larps.

There are or have been organizer networks that run black box larps on more regular basis, such as Blackbox Malmø (defunct) and Blackbox Deichman in Oslo.

Notable Black box chamber larps

Notable Black box large-scale larps

See also

External links

[Category:Concepts]]