Conlanging: The Art of Crafting Tongues

Conlanging: The Art of Crafting Tongues
DVD cover
Directed byBritton Watkins[1]
CinematographyJosh Feldman[1]
Edited byJosh Feldman[1]
Release date
  • 24 August 2017 (2017-08-24)
Running time
92 mins
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Conlanging: The Art of Crafting Tongues is a 2017 documentary film about conlanging – the hobby of constructing artificial languages and the people who make them. The film features conlangers David J. Peterson[1] (Dothraki and High Valyrian from Game of Thrones), Marc Okrand[1] (Klingon from Star Trek) and David Salo[1] (consultant on Tolkien's languages, particularly Sindarin, for Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies), as well as Paul Frommer, linguistics professor and creator of Na'vi,[2] and Christine Schreyer (Kryptonian from Man of Steel), anthropologist at the University of British Columbia, who hopes to be able to apply conlanging methods to endangered languages.[3] The film also looks at the history of the hobby and modern-day conlangers. While the film was made available for online purchase in 24 August, a premiere was held on 22 July at the University of Calgary's Plaza Theatre.[2][4] Production began in 2015, and received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, but the film's future was secured through an Indiegogo campaign that raised $25,000 during August 2016.[5] The Language Creation Society provided $3,000 worth of funds towards the film and held an interview with Watkins.[6]

  1. ^ a b c d e f "About – Conlanging, The Film". Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  2. ^ a b Ross, Tom (21 July 2017). "Film looking at creation of languages premiering in Calgary". 660 News. Rogers Media. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  3. ^ Wellborn, Patty (28 July 2016). "UBC anthropologist helps create documentary on the art of language construction". UBC Okanagan News. University of British Columbia. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  4. ^ "University of Calgary Events: Conlanging: The Art of Crafting Tongues". University of Calgary. 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  5. ^ Watkins, Britton (2016). "Conlanging Documentary Film". Indiegogo. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  6. ^ "Conlanging film". Language Creation Society. 25 July 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2017.