Filmmaking / Directing : Immersive Film Content by Tanya Laird

Transmedia is certainly an important trend. Creating immersive worlds that have enduring characters and room for rich back story definitely is a plus in today's market. Having co-written a project for animation it naturally opens me up to the value of immersive worlds. It would be a good exercise for any developing writer to try their hand at writing an animation pilot.

That being said... I don't know if audiences want the level of interactive engagement in a film that some imagine. The whole point of a roller coaster is that it is exciting precisely because you have no control of where it will take you. it is most certainly a visceral and immersive experience but you can't decide half-way through you really don't want to take that 100 foot drop.

on the other hand, creating VR set's makes for interesting behind the scenes content that viewers can explore as an extension of their viewing experience...

Yes, Tanya. I agree with that completely.

The following is my initial, gut reaction to the idea of immersive media. This thirst for interactivity in multiple media formats seems to be driven by the experiences of people who have grown up in the gaming culture. Video games, especially the role-playing games that seem to owe their origins to (I'm guessing) the 70's and 80's Dungeons and Dragons subculture, have reached a point where the majority don't differ from each other much, other than in the quality of the art and a few innovations in game play. As the mother of a teenage boy, I can't tell you how many times, after hearing the same-sounding voices, screams, inane dialogue, and vehicle noises coming from the next room, I've asked "Oh, are you still playing that 'xyz' game?" only to be told --, with the requisite eye-roll -- "No, Mom, it's the new 'qrs' game so-and-so got for his birthday!" The gaming companies see the need to start the next evolution of games and are looking at immersiveness (is that a word?) as the solution. Frankly, I think better story, with, perhaps, better ability to choose what branch of the story to follow, would be a better way to go. I remember buying said teen some of those "choose your own adventure" books years ago. The idea, a novelty at the time, seemed like it would really take off because it allowed the reader some choice in the direction of the story. How many of those books are around now? (I really don't know because I've been living overseas so long and those aren't the kind of books one finds in the "foreign language" section--read "English"-- of bookstores.) I suppose some of the interactive online storybooks took over that market, but the closest thing would be video games. I just don't believe the idea has been implemented to its fullest, and best-executed, extent... I have a hard time believing films can become a satisfying immersive experience. Going to 4D theaters with "wind" blowing, "rain" falling, and scents and fog, etc. being piped in, (I've done it once) seemed cheesy. I can't see how putting on a set of VR goggles will become a regular way of watching film. I think the experience would be something akin to Harry Potter when he falls into the Pensieve and sees the events of the past unfolding before him but cannot actually speak to any of the people he sees. As far as interactive theater is concerned, this article in The Guardian sums things up nicely: http://www.theguardian.com/stage/theatreblog/2014/sep/19/immersive-theat.... Anyway, whatever happened to just playing "pretend" with your neighborhood buddies? I think that was the ultimate immersive experience! Just my (very long--sorry!) two cents, for what it's worth! :^)

Adult version of playing with friends... making films ;)

Hi Birgit, I appreciate your experiences but it is interesting to note, irrespective of our personal feelings, the gaming and film industries are aligning and immersive entertainment is an emerging market. The scope for VR has already been valued at billions in the next ten years. With heavy weight names like Spielberg or Ridley Scott involved in creating content it is no longer a question of "if" so much as a question of when. Your thoughts on types of interactivity and immersion are interesting. From an immersive theatre perspective, allowing audiences to influence and navigate to multiple outcomes is how experiences like punch drunk or the heist work. So perhaps the evolution of those old choose your own adventure books are already here... This is an interesting conversation so keep those comments coming!

Tanya, I see this trend coming like a locomotive without brakes: A combination of the highly lucrative and bottom-lined conscious Gaming Industry, television, webisodes, i-Phones, AND VIEWERS' insatiable desire to effect, engage in, and even control what they're watching. In light of this, I have even developed an Interactive TV series/webisode --a new genre beyond Reality Tv. But that's just it, it's an incredibly big risk for a network to go out on a limb and sidestep most current marketing strategies of piggybacking pre-sold franchises that guarantee success and already have a platform (ie. best-seller books, Marvel, etc).

Hi Birgit, I see you have truly been all over the world. Which African countries have you visited so far?

Hi Herman, No African (unless you count the island of Mauritius) or South American countries under my belt yet!

Hello Tanya and friends, This is an excellent topic. Entertainment is indeed moving towards various new and exciting forms of immersion. Innovating surprising, captivating "extra" dimensions to audiences within narrative entertainment of whatever sort has old roots across cultures. The current trends are intense! Immersion in theater and films, with costumed actors moving around in the aisles, motorized movie seats, 3D glasses are some classic examples, and things have naturally evolved with new technology, etc. If we rewind a few decades to the time of Lawnmower Man, an introspective film about VR in the '92 and to Virtuosity, plus other VR-themed films, the actual graphics and tech pale in comparison to what we have nowadays. VR graphics - at least on the game culture radar - seem to have evolved on major game consoles (and PC's) forward through the 90's and up to the present - TV/monitor interfaces were much easier to deal with for users than say the Nintendo Virtual Boy, which was a market flop. The interfaces for VR are now much more advanced, so we are seeing some of the things imagined back in the early 90's (and before), things that are much more possible. With software like Zbrush, and numerous other development tools, also in combination with modern movie cameras, anything is possible graphics-wise. Beyond graphics potential (which are basically infinite and molded through the skills of the artistry) there are other elements: interface, and the narrative/story being big ones. There are many types of interfaces: big and small screens, VR headsets, other optics we have not invented, controllers, remotes, pads the audience/player jumps on, things we've seen before, now evolved, and things we have not seen before on the horizon. Each has it's own benefits, limitations, potentials for storytelling, experience and market considerations. In terms of narrative structure, there are also many considerations. On one hand, there is the linear narrative, (like a "roller coaster" as Bill mentioned above), and the "choose your own adventure" style, with many possible narrative pathways selectable or as options, which Birgit mentioned. It is amazing that Birgit mentioned choose your own adventure books, as I have been thinking about these for years. A lot of kids had these in the 80's, and video games even then were already weaving choose your own adventure into their in-game narratives and marketing campaigns, to greater or (usually humorously to gamers) lesser degree of effectiveness. In addition, there is also the open-world style narrative, which can verge towards abstraction, and makes us aware of the fourth wall: who is creating the story; audience or developers (or audience developers)? With games nowadays sometimes more closely resembling films (where one presses buttons to advance a predetermined narrative, with very little actual gameplay), and top actors, V.O. talent and composers (plus many other departments) being featured in current AAA games, one could say that the lines between mediums are blurring, yet from a bird's eye view, it seems more diversity (hence market opportunity) is being created for each entertainment category of production "output". The opportunities for immersion and cross-platform and transmedia production and distribution appear as an expanding, beautiful, multifaceted galaxy! I've written quite a bit here, waxing lengthy, and I would love to hear more perspectives on this topic!

To Birgit's important insight on creating better story. It boils down to story sequences: the excellence in craft of each story element inevitably leads to better quality material - hence the experience. I agree that choose your own adventure has not reached it's best executed extent. The juncture of selecting which branch to choose is pivotal. One thing that developers, writers, etc, likely grapple with is how many "decision junctures" (which create exponential depth in narrative, audience experience, etc) are actually feasible to create in the context of production schedules. With regards to 4D theater experiences, it can be done much better - it comes down to the overall quality of the effects, and how seamlessly they interweaves in synch with the projection. It's similar to current 3D movies: some sequences are obviously segmented into foreground, middle, background in 3D space like a cut out elements of an After Effects opera stage, others are masterfully executed on numerous planes and completely mesmerizing.

A really great example of transmedia immersion is Star Wars Battlefront. I am a fan of many genres of games across numerous consoles, also of film from every period, and this example of transmedia had stood out in my mind for a long time, prior to joining STAGE 32 and seeing this post earlier. I played the second installment of the game during college, and it was an amazing game. I am looking forward to the new Battlefront game, which will be released soon. The game expands beautifully on the narratives already established by the Star Wars films, by allowing players to control well-known heroes and villains from the franchise's pantheon, but also as minor characters, essentially "film extras". It adds to the preexisting story by adding alternate perspectives of famous events that are well known to fans. This is innovative in many ways, and also adds increasing depth of meaning to the film's narrative, akin to devices such as flashbacks in movies (etc). While the console uses a standard monitor interface, I think it fully qualifies as immersive because it adds to the franchise experience in a way that complements the story lines in new, unexpected ways. As a player, and also from a production development viewpoint, the transmedia approach is not about methodically inserting a franchise onto multiple platforms and units, but (from the artistic and storytelling perspective) becomes more about developing gorgeous, enriching content in intricate, compelling ways. Though this is one example, for artists and storytellers, transmedia presents a growing, interweaving canvas of potentialities, that shouldn't be underestimated.

Hi Johnson (not sure what the E stands for). Welcome to the conversation! glad to see someone passionate about Transmedia and immersive storytelling. Lets keep the conversation going. What's your take on the emergence of immersive (experiential) theatre. I ask because you mentioned battlefront and immersive theatre is being used more and more for game launches like battlefield (https://youtu.be/zKaLIPbPZak). So, I throw the thought bomb into the field and leave it to you folks to have at it!

Hi Tanya, Thank you for the warm welcome! After reading your comment, I updated my profile from E. to Erin: my secret identity revealed! Nice to make your acquaintance here! Indeed, I am extremely interested in the topic of transmedia, and have been developing projects with transmedia in mind for some time. One particular project has garnered the interest of film industry veterans, who have told me it has viable franchise potential, due to strong, high concept iconography and universal appeal. In developing the concept/material, I have essentially been living and breathing transmedia research for the past several years, on top of my formal education/pro work in concept art, illustration, storyboarding, film post-production and so forth. With the vision in mind, one of the important reasons I am on STAGE 32 is to network the right fit for backing to develop the projects, starting with film, leading to game releases etc. This is probably content for another area of the site or another time, but basically illustrates the underlying reasons of my enthusiasm for this topic. It feels serendipitous to have found this post, and someone with your depth of experience and insight. Regarding immersive theatre, it is diverse and exciting. Interfacing with the boundaries between performance and audience is the hallmark of some of the best art, regardless of time period. A fun example to my mind is cosplay, found at nearly every convention, launch events, etc. Cosplay brings about various levels of interaction, and questioning reality. It is highly engaging. It's a way of becoming part of the franchise content itself, in a personal, visually appealing way. I watched the Battlefront link above, and it definitely looks engaging for the participants. I think one of the main questions is how many people get the chance to participate at locations where these take place. On one hand, it can be a kind of an exclusive thing, on the other, engaging as many people as possible may be ideal. There are so many ways to approach it. Several years ago, I went to Universal Studios FL park for the first time, at Halloween Horror Nights. Memorable for myself and my friends was The Thing, which was basically a haunted-house style walk-through. Original well-crafted props based on the John Carpenter film. With something like this, having new, original content in the ride is an intrigue. Here's an idea for another angle: in a character-based immersive theatre event, for a franchise where fans are eager to see the "new character reveals". Sometimes the character reveals are in a cinematic, DLC direct to console, exclusive developer interview, or in a film. How about a character reveal at a live event involving elaborate cosplay? Just one of many possibilities. In my view, as long as the sound design and speakers, voice acting and effects at an immersive theater event are believable within the tone of the franchise, you can avoid cheesiness and it's a great medium. Critics have panned many instances of these throughout the decades as gimmicks, like red and blue 3D glasses in the mid 20th century etc. As long as everything is designed and performed well, the magic flows. I also have some ideas involving holograms similar to Hatsune Miku: https://youtu.be/O17f3lB7BFY Essentially, Hatsune Miku (obviously developed for specific demographics) can be swapped-out for any type of character(s) or immersive set piece animated in any art style or tone. So imagine a scaled down version of this at a release event, using multiple projection panes, and integrating lenticulars set up in elaborate ways amidst architecture, instead of the solo character. This is long winded, and I usually like to maintain brevity in my posts, yet hopefully provides further jumping off points for conversations!

There's an immediacy to immersive theater. Attending an event with immersive theater components is memorable, creates an impact beyond the main content itself. A film is repeatable, existing in replayable media, but a live event corresponding to a film only happens once, and as it exists outside of the screen or monitor in real life, is in the direct personal sphere of the audience. It's unique and anything can happen. Before vinyl and film, everything was live, so it seems apt to incorporate live elements wherever possible. YouTube and social media multiplies the effect by getting the word out. It's one thing seeing an event replayed from the angle of someone's smart-phone on Vimeo, or even event photographers, but it creates a thirst in fans - they plan ahead for the next live immersion event. It enhances the audience experience and creates community, as opposed to individuals sitting alone with screens of various size waiting for the next episode or sequel (which happens anyhow).

Very interesting, Erin, Tanya. Are you interested enough in the immersive field to have a siddown "hello" of sorts. We are all equally immersed already. Collaboration, or at least real tangible discussion seems imminent. :)

hi Pidge, might be a challenge to have a sit down given I'm in London and Erin is in Florida, but I'm always up for a chat or call (as Erin can attest to). Alternatively, just keep posting to this thread with any specific questions or discussion points

I can attest to this!

Hi all! I was looking for someone to talk to about this very topic and I am glad I found this discussion! I was thinking of possibly creating an immersive TV show that allowed the viewer to help solve crimes! I pictured it much like a video game where people found clues and evidence and then voted on who the killer\kidnapper\guilty person was by means of an interactive website. I started thinking "What if the audience wrote down all the clues in a notebook to keep track". Then I realized. I was creating Blues Clues for adults! Damn! (It sounded much better in my head) Do you think such a concept would work? Help I think I'm losing my mind a little!

I had a pitch meeting with one of the major networks re: a live immersive multi-platform property. Upon 20 minutes in, the VP said, "You're going to do this, we're going to do this, but somebody is going to do this." At the end of the meeting, he adds, "Oh, I need to go full disclosure; we're doing something like this." SAY WHAT?! Things went south quickly as I called him on it. A year later the network came out with a "live" show. That's the best they could do. The networks are very frightened to go fully immersive...there is a loss of control involved.

Hi Dawn, welcome to the conversation. Yes, your idea could easily work but it clunky, its a delayed response mechanism that doesn't need to be so slow. There's plenty of ways to do this in a more elegant and immediate way with the mobile technology available. Consider developing an app that works with audio marking to interact with the show. A good example of this in execution is the walking dead app: https://youtu.be/LmosA8sgvws Hi Pidge, I hear your pain but I tend to think its a case of being able to illustrate the opportunity in a way that execs can understand whilst also protecting your concept. The execution follow through is also important and in a scenario like that it might have been helpful to offer to join the team or to collaborate with the existing team so it could have been steered out of "live TV". Sounds like you could do with a phone call Pidge, Would you like to fire me a chat convo here to start with and we can sort out a phone call to discuss further.

You hit the nail on the head, Tanya! This meeting went stellar, whilst I stayed pitching in the vein of what the show would look like and how it would involve viewers interactively. The trouble came when the executive asked, "This is great, but how are we going to to do that?" When I began to explain the process, modality, technology via the "How To", it got lost in translation, albeit what I was explaining was quite a simple process... the technology and means already exist. Learning from this, I see the most effective way to show it to executives is via a "live" piece of an actual show with show hosts, show content, and a few viewers stationed at home in different locations on the continent interfacing with the proposed live show format, etc. I've come to understand they don't need to understand the technology; they just need to believe because they see it occurring. It's better we disguise the available tech as our IP anyway and leave them saying, "How'd you do that?"

hi Pidge, fire me a chat when you're next online and we can discuss the best ways to get over the mental hurdle for execs

That may be hit and miss. You can also reach and communicate with me via my private writer's website at http://dhanimation.wix.com/pidge-jobst

Hi Tanya, Guess what you were absolutely right because I pitched my idea to an executive who loved it but said he didn't think it would work because it is expecting too much out of an audience. LOL sound familiar??? I don't know anything about apps but I wish I did because that walking dead app looks like exactly what I need. Its like a video game AND a TV show! Thank so much for the awesome feedback and for helping me just when I needed it.

Sorry I let this conversation thread drift a little but there's now a new lounge dedicated to this topic! Head on over to the Transmedia lounge if you want to find others with an interest in this area :) Glad I could help Dawn. Pidge, sorry I didn't get a chance to try and connect with you. I'm in the middle of power to the pixel then London comic con. I'll try and reach out to you after that.

How funny and unusual that I should wonder how you're doing last evening.