# Developing: the Idea of Home

> creative work by Nancy Buchanan

**Wikidata**: [Q132199316](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q132199316)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/developing-the-idea-of-home

## Summary
**Developing: the Idea of Home** is a creative work and interactive application created by Nancy Buchanan in 1999. Distributed via optical disc, it is a multimedia exhibit authored using Adobe Director and the Lingo scripting language. The work integrates various digital tools, including Adobe Premiere Pro and Pro Tools, to deliver its content in English.

## Key Facts
- **Title:** Developing: the Idea of Home
- **Creator:** Nancy Buchanan
- **Publication Date:** 1999
- **Type of Work:** Creative work, Exhibit, Application
- **Distribution Format:** Optical disc
- **Primary Software Engine:** Adobe Director
- **Programming Language:** Lingo (scripting language)
- **Authoring Tools:** Adobe Premiere Pro, Pro Tools
- **Language:** English
- **ELMCIP ID:** 5994

## FAQs
### Q: What type of software is Developing: the Idea of Home?
A: It is classified as a creative work, exhibit, and application designed for end-users. It functions as an interactive multimedia experience rather than a standard utility software.

### Q: What technologies were used to create Developing: the Idea of Home?
A: The work was built using Adobe Director as the software engine and Lingo as the scripting language. It also utilized Adobe Premiere Pro and Pro Tools for content creation.

### Q: When was Developing: the Idea of Home released?
A: The work was published in 1999.

### Q: How was Developing: the Idea of Home distributed?
A: It was distributed physically on an optical disc.

## Why It Matters
Developing: the Idea of Home represents a specific era of digital art history where creative works transitioned from traditional media to interactive software applications. Created in 1999, it serves as a notable example of early electronic literature and digital exhibits that utilized optical discs as the primary distribution medium.

The work is significant for its technical synthesis of multiple high-level creative tools available at the time. By combining Adobe Director (for interactivity), Lingo (for scripting logic), Adobe Premiere Pro (for video), and Pro Tools (for audio), Nancy Buchanan created a complex, multimedia environment. This convergence of technologies highlights the "Director" era of multimedia art, where artists functioned as programmers and directors of interactive experiences. The inclusion of the work in the ELMCIP (Electronic Literature as a Model of Creativity and Innovation in Practice) database under ID 5994 further underscores its relevance to the study and preservation of electronic literature and digital creativity.

## Notable For
- **Multimedia Integration:** Notable for combining video editing (Adobe Premiere Pro) and professional audio production (Pro Tools) within an interactive application.
- **Historical Software Context:** Utilizes Adobe Director and the Lingo scripting language, a standard for multimedia CDs in the 1990s and early 2000s.
- **Hybrid Classification:** Distinctively classified as simultaneously being a "creative work," an "exhibit," and an "application."
- **Physical Digital Medium:** Represents the era of optical disc-based art distribution prior to the dominance of web-based applications.

## Body
### Creation and Authorship
Developing: the Idea of Home is a creative work authored by Nancy Buchanan. It was developed as a multimedia application and formally published in 1999. The work is documented in the ELMCIP knowledge base under the identification number 5994.

### Technical Specifications
The application relies on a specific stack of technologies typical of late 20th-century multimedia development:

- **Software Engine:** The project runs on Adobe Director, a multimedia application authoring platform.
- **Programming Language:** Interactivity and logic are scripted using Lingo, the proprietary scripting language associated with Adobe Director (originally developed in 1989).
- **Production Tools:**
    - **Visuals:** Adobe Premiere Pro was used in the creation process.
    - **Audio:** Pro Tools was utilized as an input device or production tool.
- **Format:** The work is distributed on an optical disc.

### Classification and Language
The entity is uniquely categorized with multiple classifications:
- **Creative Work:** It serves as an artistic expression.
- **Exhibit:** It functions as a display or installation piece.
- **Application:** It operates as a software program designed for end-users.

The primary language of the work is English.