Keep it short
What's it about
Don't waste your time. Go to the point of your interest.
Abstarct of the research
The Internet is not a trend. The use of digital media in relation to online entertainment has increased continuously. Interactive films like Black Mirrow: Bandersnatch are also gaining more and more approval. The influence that interactive narrative forms can have on documentary content is briefly presented here.
The preliminary study presented here deals with the influence of interaction on the entertainment experience of documentary formats. The focus was on a specific form of interaction that clearly differs from that of Bandersnatch. On the occasion of the research work, an interactive object of investigation was created on the basis of this distinction. This influence was examined by means of qualitative interviews and a content analysis according to Mayring. A positive influence on the relationship between person, work and its content could be determined.
In order to check these findings and gain more, we are currently working on a well-founded quantitative survey that is intended to provide information about the use of interactive narrative forms for informative and journalistic content.
JUST ENTERTAIN
What is Entertainment experience
In media studies, reception is understood as an active process, because in order to be able to understand what is conveyed by the media, a sense must be actively constructed cognitively (cf. Schlütz 2016). On the affective side, entertainment tends to be associated with a positive feeling (cf. Wünsch 2006). This positive feeling is often described as pleasure and has also been empirically confirmed in some gratification research. However, simply equating entertainment experience and pleasure as an explanation for this phenomenon falls short, because that would not explain why recipients expose themselves to reception experiences that tend to be negative (sadness, fear, tension). Accordingly, the feeling of entertainment must be accompanied by a necessary desire or expectation that aims to go beyond and reinterprets these negative emotions (cf. Schlütz 2016).
From this it can already be concluded that the experience of entertainment is understood as an active action that constructs meaning and aims for pleasure or something beyond that. Additionally, with the reframing of negative emotions into positive pleasure, a multidimensional structure of this phenomenon is already becoming apparent. In his triadic dynamic entertainment theory, Früh (2003a) describes this reinterpretation process as a valence transformation, in which microemotions (emotions that relate, for example, to individual scenes) are transformed into a positive metaemotion (an emotion that relates to the entire reception experience) in the course of reception will.
In its modelling, Schlütz includes the style as a work and thus consists of the three model components person, text and work. The text only refers to the level of content, while the work can be understood as the external. The reason why Schlütz includes the work in her model instead of the situation is the meaning-constructing influence of (tendency) high-quality/aesthetic cinematic works (cf. Schlütz 2016). As with Früh, the entertainment experience results from the successful interplay of the three components.
The model of Quality TV entertainment experience „recreates a specific form of dual entertainment reception […]. It includes both hedonistic (pleasure, enjoyment) and non-hedonistic (appreciation, appreciation) aspects of entertainment, which are supplemented by aesthetic experiences. These forms of entertainment derive their value from a cognitively and affectively demanding experience with additional symbolic benefits” (Schlütz 2016, p. 223).
interview
Because you could switch back and forth, you were always a little more involved.
What's the difference
Distinction of Interactiv narrativs
When talking about interactive films, Bandersnatch is often thought of – but interaction is not always the same. There are a variety of ways to influence narrative content that focus on different aspects.
A common form of interaction used for cinematic narration is the one used in Montreal in 1964. In response to questions posed by a moderator at certain key points, viewers were able to decide on the development of the film. The person presenting the film was informed of their decision via buttons in the cinema seats, who then played the respective cut version using two projectors (cf. Friess 2011, p.26). Today it still works in a similar way – at certain decision points in the film a question is asked that is decided via remote control or controller. The respective cut version is then accessed and played online via the streaming service. I would like to call this form of interaction directing interaction, since this form of interaction makes it possible to guide the protagonist through the story.
An example from recent years is provided by the fictional film Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (Netflix, 2018). As with the pioneering 1964 Montreal film, viewers can choose the course of the film at certain decision points. However, if the decision you make leads to a premature end to the story, you are thrown back to this decision point and have to “choose” again. However, this form often leaves a lot to be desired, since the selective freedom usually only gives the appearance of self-determination (cf. Rauscher 2012, p.239).
Boldt describes (with reference to Jesper Juul, 2001) this device as „lean backward“ in film and „lean forward“ in play (Boldt 2011, p.16). This is intended to contrast the passive „leaning back“ posture with the actively participating – i.e. „leaning forward“ posture – during play. Through this conscious change of posture, the mediatedness also comes to the fore or is reminded of it (ibid.).
However, the interactive documentary Alma – Kind of Violence (ARTE, 2012) was able to create a bridge between these two dispositifs. In the web documentary, which reports on a woman from Guatemala’s gang past, the interactivity is created by switching between two video tracks. For this reason, I would like to call this form an editing interaction, since it nevertheless determines the focus of the video editor on the material. The documentation was split into speech (level 1) and archive material (level 2). The decisive advantage in relation to the different dispositifs is their continuity. This means that there is no phase in which there is only reception or only interaction. Due to this lack of interruption, the narrative of the film and thus the reception remains in a continuous flow.
In the music video An dein Seiten (Kontra K, 2016), the interaction also results from the possibility of switching between two video levels. These levels are connected in terms of content, since one level is the history of the other level. The only interaction with the video is by pressing the space bar or the screen on mobile devices. Thus, by pressing a button, a glimpse into the “past” of history can be thrown. At the beginning of the video, an overarching goal is defined („Find all the clues and help the fisherman find out what happened.“), which can be achieved by finding clues in the video and completing them successfully. Depending on how many of these clues have been found, the story will have a positive, negative or even a „neutral“ ending.
Interactiv research object
Annika
In this interactive portrait, Annika talks about her as a tailor, her love for that craft and why she made the decision to become a self-employed out of unemployment. Follow the conversation and interact with her story.
(Currently only in german and as desktop version)
Break it down
Theoretical model
Entertainment Experience
The model of Quality TV entertainment experience „recreates a specific form of dual entertainment reception […]. It includes both hedonistic (pleasure, enjoyment) and non-hedonistic (appreciation, appreciation) aspects of entertainment, which are supplemented by aesthetic experiences. These forms of entertainment derive their value from a cognitively and affectively demanding experience with additional symbolic benefits” (Schlütz 2016, p. 223).
Flow Experience
Mihaly Csikazentmihalyi developed the flow concept for the first time in 1975 from the question of what makes activities fun, the purpose of which lies in the activity itself. Csikazentmihalyi focuses on the inner experience during the activity. „He does not look for the cause of the perceived joy (and thus for the intrinsic motivation) of such activities in the characteristics of stimuli, but in the characteristics of activities“ (Wünsch 2006, p.69).
Wünsch describes the experience of flow as an autotelic experience, which is a psychological state that is based on concrete feedback and acts as a reinforcement as long as the state lasts. „It is therefore an experience that is experienced as so desirable and pleasant that activities that (can) bring about this experience are only carried out for the sake of this experience“ (ibid.). Flow is defined as a focused concentration, loss of self-awareness, feeling in complete control of the situation, loss of sense of time, and experiencing the activity as intrinsically satisfying
Social interaction
parasocial interaction
Parasocial Interaction
The theory of parasocial interaction (PSI) was first introduced by Horton and Wohl (1956) to describe person-oriented media reception and influenced a considerable corpus of works in communication studies. Hartmann/ Schramm/ Klimmt describe interaction as an active-reactive component of interpersonal events. The Greek prefix para indicates a differentness, something similar but different. In a parasocial interaction – i.e. an interaction with a film actress or a presenter – there is no reciprocity. The viewer is influenced as a result of observing the „action“, but cannot influence the behavior of the persona due to the missing feedback channel. „In both cases, media use gives the recipient gratifications comparable to those of real social contact“ (Wünsch 2006, p.42).
This leads to the assumption that the construction of situation and character models is strengthened by a high potential for parasocial involvement with the media character, and thus interest and commitment in the process of understanding is promoted.
interview
It felt like you could edit the film yourself, or rather it was a bit like directing live.
Speak plainly
results of preliminary study
In conclusion, it can be stated that this specific form of interaction has a fundamentally positive effect on the entertainment experience of personal documentary formats.
For the dimension sovereignty & control, the influencing factors of the person-work relationship can be reduced to a self-determined exercise of visual control, which means that the attention span is constant and available to a high degree. Performing the interaction creates enough variety to refresh attention to better focus concentration. For this reason, it is also understood as a concentration aid or control mechanism against boredom. When exercising this visual control, it can happen that the recipient sees himself as a creative authority in the design process. An important condition for this is self-determination, which gives the recipient the opportunity to freely deal with the visual content (to the extent that the form of interaction allows) for the entire duration of the contribution.
Through this participation, the received contribution is given a higher personal meaning on the person-text side, since it is viewed as a self-created work. By considering which level to focus on, engagement with the content is higher compared to the linear subject of comparison, as this decision is made consciously. This conscious engagement increases the level of engagement in decoding the text. The conscious attention to the protagonist has a positive effect on the creation of a personal bond. This effect can be traced back to an independent approach to the protagonist, whereby motives and motivations are better understood and a higher personal meaning is attached to them. It is therefore obvious that this leads to increased parasocial interactions (PSI) with the protagonist. Through your own involvement in the creative development process of the video contribution, a personal meaning is attached to it, which increases the value of the contribution. Because this creation is a process that takes place before the eyes of the recipient, the reception is understood as an experience or an insightful experience. This suggests that the recipients consider the time invested to be useful.
All results will be published once the quantitative survey has been conducted. This is expected to take place in summer 2022. There is no newsletter at the moment, so keep yourself informed and visit the page again.
interview
Because I was able to interact with the video and decide for myself what I wanted to see, it was much easier for me to concentrate and the attention was very high.
Featured Projects
is there more?
An deiner Seite
Archived pages of an interactive music video for German artist Kontra K. Produced by Gerrit Klein, directed by Maximilian Niemann.
Alma - Kind der Gewalt
The candid confession of Alma, who for 5 years was part of one of the most violent gangs in Guatemala, a country now being devastated by an unnamed war.
I-Docs
i-Docs is a research network exploring interactive and immersive documentary. This website is a space for collecting and sharing research in the field, both practice-based and theoretical.
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helloworld@moitz.media
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