This reflective essay looks back over the past year’s interactive writing activities and considers the impact it has had on my writing, especially in interactive mediums.
The year, for me, has been a learning curve, especially in terms of tailoring content to suit the interactive form. It has reminded me of the importance of other story components such as audio, video and has introduced me to the possibilities presented by interactivity. The coursework exposed my strengths and weaknesses to me, which means I am aware of the areas that need improvement.
Among the weaknesses that have been exposed is the fact that my stories tend to be content heavy. As a result, editing copy down has become an important tool in my process. For example, the Journalism piece that we had to produce in interactive form was copy heavy and some class mates indicated that the amount of content was overwhelming. In their feedback, the class also indicated that although they enjoyed the multi-media approach the navigation seemed a bit rigid, and they suggested that I work the links into the content so that the experience could be more seamless. In response, I trimmed the content down considerably without losing the essence of the article and removed an alone standing chunk of information and linked to it from the main text. This means that the reader could choose how much or how little they wished to read.
I enjoyed the trans-media component of the class tremendously. For example, it highlighted the fact how images. audio or video could enhance a reader’s experience, as a result I used it on several occasion to create ambiance. For example, the journalism piece kicks off with an 911 audio recording of a mother phoning 911 in lieu of a shooting happening at her daughter’s school. This audio element sets the scene, and creates an emotive atmosphere – and hopefully engages the audience at an emotional level.
Most significantly, the course exposed my limited knowledge of the interactive component of interactive writing. The most prominent example of this shortcoming is in the assignment I named ‘To catfish a killer. The story takes the form of a simple branching narrative that presents five different scenarios, or nodes, leading out from the main thread – forming a branching tree.
Taking to heart feedback to combat the text-heaviness of the intro, the piece was restructured to form a foldback structure, where the player has choices, branches that fold in on itself to return to the main branch. These foldbacks offer the reader more information which makes the rereading of the story more meaningful. For example, one of the branches takes the form of a flashback which suggests that our protagonist is not as innocent as we may think.
Further, the first project I created was an interactive storymap that straddles the real and the digital worlds. It is spatially relevant in both the virtual and real-world sense – virtually as it incorporates a map that represents space; and real world because it requires the player to physically move around the map. In essence, it is a story being told using a large format print of a city which contains hotspots which can be accessed through an augmented reality application. Each hotspot contains content that progresses the story, each one unlocking a clue that reveals a little more about the whereabouts of the missing girl. Although it starts out quite linear the story eventually branches out into different story paths and delivers two possible endings. The player may also encounter a few dead ends.
Engaging fully with Augmented Reality for the first time, the project was a steep learning curve. However, now that the technology is better understood the application possibilities and the shortcomings have become clearer. The ‘clues’ were produced in the form of video, audio, 3d model and text content artefacts. Of course, the technology and time constraints played a significant role in the output. For example, the 3d models are rudimentary low polygon meshes that appear quite cartoonish, in contrast to the more severe video content. The project relied on the contribution of friends for the voice overs so these are often not effective in relaying mood. The gamification mechanics of the story sometimes required a compromise with the quality of the story itself, also forcing a much more open-ended interpretation than originally anticipated. Other problems identified included audio quality and the requirement of a ‘skip video’ facility, and literary value that diminished throughout the journey. A major shortcoming was the circumstances under which the story was experienced. I did not anticipate a noise or distraction factor and should have paid closer attention to the environment in which the story was to be experienced. Also, in a sense the playing of the game has a performance element as you are being watched as you play – this brought about unanticipated pressures for the players and most preferred to collaborate on the game instead of playing solo as intended.
The course certainly improved my thinking around interactivity, a thinking that hopefully translated to the project plan that we were tasked to develop. My dream project would take the form of an art installation that shows how people from all walks of life have more in common with one another than they believe to be the case – in essence, disrupting the notion of US and THEM.
This installation would make use of Augmented Reality to reveal hidden truths that may at first not be evident. It would take place in the real world, as an art installation that audiences could participate in. It subscribes to several of the things that the course highlighted as strategies through which to elicit participation, for example, identity, collaboration, conflict, true life or current affairs and language.
The issue of identity is at the center of the story. Not only issues of national identity but also issues of individual identity. Hopefully the players will be able to identify the nodes they themselves share with some of the characters.
Although following the stories would be a profoundly personal one (works best with 1 person per device, following which ever narrative/s they want to follow) but because there are other participants following their own paths (coexisting at different levels) there would also be a sense of collaboration (participants will need to work together not to collide, give way, accommodate, etc)- and ultimately a sense of nation building (collective identity). This shared experience has the potential to generate a sense of togetherness and be a bonding experience – especially if we add the following aspect: Thousands of coloured strings are hung, in a row, from above the character photos. Participants have the option to choose a string, tie paper with their names around it and trace the string to the node that resonates with them personally. This way they become active in influencing the work, they have the opportunity to express themselves and actively contribute to the act of nation building.
The experience invites participants into the space. They will find themselves standing in this intricate web that should elicit curiosity. The novelty of the ‘talking photo’ should motivate them to participate. The fact that the photo itself (seen without the AR device) does not really tell you much about the person simulates true life as by looking at a person one cannot truly know what that person is about.
The language will be interesting as each video delivery will reveal a little more about the person, it will be their own voices, in their own accents, in their own language, with their own intonations and colloquialisms – this, of course, also speaks to issues of identity. The structure of the layout is at the heart of the success that the project could achieve. Because the installation will take up physical space, the participant will feel as if they are making visible progress. In a sense, even conflict is represented as there will be examples of extreme differences that also highlights the fact that we are also different in many ways. By changing the weight of the responses (from I like candyfloss to I am a MK Veteran) the conflict will shift throughout each story. The theme is relevant and a matter of current affairs, as we are constantly reminded in the media of our differences and seldom realize that we have more in common than we think.
In conclusion, the interactive writing module has been very insightful, exposing me to a whole new way of looking at storytelling. It has exposed the strengths and weaknesses of my writing in terms of interactivity principles and strategies. I have learned to consider the audience and employ strategies that will elicit participation, I have learnt to employ images, video, audio and interactivity to enhance the experience and I have learnt the importance of duration, speed and timing in terms of storyrtelling.
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Looking back