Paper Info
Title
Interactive TV narratives: Opportunities, progress, and challenges
Abstract
This article is motivated by the question whether television should do more than simply offer interactive services alongside (and separately from) traditional linear programs, in the context of its dominance being seriously challenged and threatened by interactive forms of screen media entertainment. It suggests: yes. Interactive narrativity, that is, the ability to interact with (and influence) stories whilst they are being told, represents one clear development path for interactive television. The capabilities of computing technology are ripe for exploring this new form of storytelling, from creation to commercial distribution. The article starts by looking at the relationship between narrativity and interactivity in the current context of screen media, and identifies clear signs of interest from certain European public broadcasters in interactive TV narratives. It then presents in detail four recent experimental interactive TV productions in the genres of drama, news, and documentary, developed in collaboration with public broadcasters, which illustrate the potential and richness of this new form of storytelling, but also highlight new technological capabilities necessary for such productions. A number of essential technological requirements are then discussed in more detail in the final part. The article suggests that the ShapeShifting Media Technology, employed in the implementation of the four productions, has made significant advances both at the technological and the creative ends in supporting the development of interactive TV narrativity, but, however, that further developments are required before being able to answer questions such as “Would end users want such a form of screen media entertainment?” and “Would it be effective for both end users and producers?”
Year
DOI
Venue
2008
10.1145/1412196.1412198
TOMCCAP
Keywords
Field
DocType
television,essential technological requirement,shapeshifting,digital storytelling,screen media entertainment,screen media,recent experimental interactive tv,interactive form,interactive service,narrativity,entertainment,computational narrativity,interactive tv narrativity,interactive,interactive tv narrative,interactive television,interactive narrativity,new form,media,nonlinear,linear program,design,interactive tv
Narrativity,Interactivity,Storytelling,World Wide Web,End user,Computer science,Interactive television,Narrative,Digital storytelling,Multimedia,Interactive media
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
4
4
1551-6857
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
40
2.16
10
Authors
12
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Marian F. Ursu116315.52
Maureen Thomas210111.85
Ian Kegel317717.09
Doug Williams411814.58
Mika Tuomola5433.67
Inger Lindstedt6503.42
Terence Wright7432.62
Andra Leurdijk8443.11
Vilmos Zsombori915812.25
Julia Sussner10484.08
Ulf Myrestam11412.57
Nina Hall12402.16