An Interactive Narrative Architecture Based on Filmmaking Theory

Designing and developing an interactive narrative experience includes development of story content as well as a visual composition plan for visually realizing the story content. Theatre directors, filmmakers, and animators have emphasized the importance of visual design. Choices of character placements, lighting configuration, and camera movements, have been documented by designers to have direct impact on communicating the narrative, evoking emotions and moods, and engaging viewers. Many research projects focused on adapting the narrative content to the interaction, yet little attention was given to adapting the visual presentation. In this paper, I present a new approach to interactive narrative – an approach based on filmmaking theory. I propose an interactive narrative architecture, that in addition to dynamically selecting narrative events that suit the continuously changing situation, it automatically, and in real-time, reconfigures the visual design integrating camera movements, lighting modulation, and character movements. The architecture utilizes rules extracted from filmmaking, cinematography, and visual arts theories. I argue that such adaptation will lead to increased engagement and enriched interactive narrative experience

Documentary Films for Preservation: Representation Techniques for the Field

This thesis examines and analyzes engaging representation techniques used in documentary filmmaking both within and outside of the preservation field. It traces the fundamental theoretical disputes that are central to non-fiction, historical documentary filmmaking, and provides a context to how preservationists have utilized the medium for documentation, advocacy, and education. Referring to seminal documentary theorists’ texts such as John Grierson’s First Principles of Documentary Filmmaking and Bill Nichols’ Documentary Modes of Representation, I extrapolate crucial categories of engaging representation strategies and put these into dialogue with presently executed audio visual narratives in films. In my analysis, I investigate three films, each of which have a particular narrative agenda. Documentary filmmaking is utilized to convey historical facts while providing a compelling and persuasive storytelling narrative. All the techniques used within documentary filmmaking thus should then collectively inform, support, and augment the overarching narrative. As I analyze, this is not always the case in the three films. In some moments of the films, audio and visual content is executed in a manner that detracts from the narrative by adding conflicting or distracting imagery and dialogue. This thesis takes a close examination of both engaging and disengaging moments in documentary films. I will propose how filmmaking techniques can be utilized to create more effective representations when actively engaged with narratives in preservation documentary practice

Film as architectural theory

Publications on architectural theory have predominantly taken on the form of text-based books, monographs, and articles. With the rise of transdisciplinary and practice-based research in architecture, new opportunities are opening up for other forms of architectural theory, such as film-based mediums, which promise to expand and alter the convention of the written practice of theory. Two possible types of filmic theory are presented here. One follows the method of ethnographic documentary filmmaking inspired by Sarah Pinkfilm-based mediums, which promise to expand and alter thellows the line of art house filmmaking inspired by Kathryn Rameyyn Rameyg inspired by Sarah Pinkfilm-based mediums, which promise to expand ae to expand ad mediums, which promise to expand a convention of the written practice of theory. or constructing knowledge, new discourses on filmic theory can be opened up. It is argued here that film as architectural theory is part of this new discourse, broadening the audience’u engagement with architecture through not only “readership” but also “viewership.

Design Fiction Diegetic Prototyping: A Research Framework for Visualizing Service Innovations

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.Purpose: This paper presents a design fiction diegetic prototyping methodology and research framework for investigating service innovations that reflect future uses of new and emerging technologies. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on speculative fiction, we propose a methodology that positions service innovations within a six-stage research development framework. We begin by reviewing and critiquing designerly approaches that have traditionally been associated with service innovations and futures literature. In presenting our framework, we provide an example of its application to the Internet of Things (IoT), illustrating the central tenets proposed and key issues identified. Findings: The research framework advances a methodology for visualizing future experiential service innovations, considering how realism may be integrated into a designerly approach. Research limitations/implications: Design fiction diegetic prototyping enables researchers to express a range of ‘what if’ or ‘what can it be’ research questions within service innovation contexts. However, the process encompasses degrees of subjectivity and relies on knowledge, judgment and projection. Practical implications: The paper presents an approach to devising future service scenarios incorporating new and emergent technologies in service contexts. The proposed framework may be used as part of a range of research designs, including qualitative, quantitative and mixed method investigations. Originality: Operationalizing an approach that generates and visualizes service futures from an experiential perspective contributes to the advancement of techniques that enables the exploration of new possibilities for service innovation research

Right, Left, High, Low: Narrative Strategies For Non–Linear Storytelling

Based on studies of affect, and on theoretical works concerning spatial semantics by Yuri Lotman, Mikhail Bakhtin, Michel Foucault and others, spatial story design provides a seven step algorithm of story development for inter- active audio-visual narrative. Following spatial semantics and its application in interactive storytelling, the author no longer creates the protagonist, his or her want or need, nor con- trols the story arc. Instead, spatial story design allows the author(s) to make the formative cre- ative decisions by designing a narrative space, and spatial dynamics that then translate into user generated storylines. Spatial story design serves as a framework for interdisciplinary col- laborations, and can be used to not only create interactive digital narrative but also screenplays, improvisational theatre, 360°  lms, and walk-in story world experiences for a number of users in either live or holographic virtual reality spac- es. Spatial story design could inspire creators of interactive narrative, storytellers in time-based media, and possibly also technology developers for authoring tools

Influences of concepts and structure of documentary cinema

This paper investigates the emergence of documentary practices on the Internet. It is potentially beneficial to researchers and practitioners in the emerging area of documentary Web work, and for museums or cultural institutions who utilize Web sites for exhibition programming and thematic presentations. The goal of the paper is to develop a methodological framework for analyzing Web documentaries based on current film theory, since to date, documentary practice has been rooted in filmmaking. A secondary goal is to describe the current state of Web documentaries as well as potential benefits and hurdles in its future development. A review of potentially relevant film theories assists in building a framework for analyzing documentary practices on the Internet. The framework proposed is based on Bill Nichol\u27s theory of documentary film. The study includes analysis of five documentary Web sites ranging from independently to institutionally produced sites. Our aim is to contribute to further investigations of the relationship between documentary cinema and documentary practices on the Internet

Cinematic virtual reality as a new narrative form

Over the past three decades, digital information technologies have rapidly transformed our means of communication and introduced new media forms. Some of the most recent developments in this respect are the emergence of 360-degree video cameras (both at the consumer level and for industrial production), the introduction of computer applications to process 360-degree video images, and wide-scale adoption of head-mounted displays (HMD). These technologies, all working together, seem to provide us with a new form of filmmaking, new potentials for cinematic storytelling, and in fact, a new form of cinematic experience. Although 360-degrees films that are produced to be watched on HMDs have immensely evolved in the past decade, the creative projects produced in this field remains relatively experimental. Cultivating the widespread adoption of VR headsets towards developing new narrative forms and exploiting the potentials of this new medium towards storytelling remains as challenging yet promising task. This paper will examine the narrative potentials of a new media form, which is called Cinematic Virtual Reality (CVR).Publisher's Versio

Cinematic virtual reality: Towards the spatialized screenplay

© 2018 Intellect Ltd Article. This article considers how screenwriting might operate in the newly established medium of cinematic virtual reality (CVR). In Part One, we take a wide view of ways to consider screenwriting and development for CVR. Our approach theorizes CVR in the tradition of picture-making (or image-making) practices that can be traced within a broader history of the visual arts -from painting, to photography and contemporary art. In this way, we lay open the possibility for CVR to find diverse paths as it responds to narrative concerns rather than suggest it should merely repeat the consolidation of narrative that occurred with the transition of exploratory early cinema to the dominant Classical Hollywood system. In Part Two, our case study approach considers co-author, Miriam Ross’, CVR practice-based research to allow a discussion of the format that can be used for delivery of the CVR screenplay. Our aims are to connect a historically based spatialization of the image with the question of the spatialization of the screenplay for CVR 360-degrees media. The agenda is to expand the conversation around CVR to reflect upon, and inspire, new ways of thinking (and seeing) the potential for the development of screen ideas in this medium

Playing Producer: An alternative perspective on video games as film

This paper proposes a perspective on analyzing video games as film by comparing the interactions of the player with those of a producer or other member in the film-making process. This contrasts with existing methodologies which focus on formal characteristics or narratology. This proposal also provides a method for combining the interactivity of games with the storytelling capacity of cinema without encountering the narrative paradox