Interactive storytelling via video content recombination

In the paper we present a prototype of video-based storytelling that is able to generate multiple story variants from a baseline video. The video content for the system is generated by an adaptation of forefront video summarisation techniques that decompose the video into a number of Logical Story Units (LSU) representing sequences of contiguous and interconnected shots sharing a common semantic thread. Alternative storylines are generated using AI Planning techniques and these are used to direct the combination of elementary LSU for output. We report early results from experiments with the prototype in which the reordering of video shots on the basis of their high-level semantics produces trailers giving the illusion of different storylines

Generating story variants with constrained video recombination

We present a novel approach to the automatic generation of filmic variants within an implemented Video-Based Storytelling (VBS) system that successfully integrates video segmentation with stochastically controlled re-ordering techniques and narrative generation via AI planning. We have introduced flexibility into the video recombination process by sequencing video shots in a way that maintains local video consistency and this is combined with exploitation of shot polysemy to enable shot reuse in a range of valid semantic contexts. Results of evaluations on output narratives using a shared set of video data show consistency in terms of local video sequences and global causality with no loss of generative power

Unfulfilled potential : a case study of traditional news media and the Internet.

The Internet offers a tremendous opportunity for traditional media to expand and/or enhance news stories. This thesis is an exploration of the convergent journalism practices of three news organizations in a medium-sized market. It employed content analysis and in-depth interviews to compare the news stories of a newspaper, television station, and radio station with content on each organization\u27s Internet website. While the three media organizations in this case study had different approaches to convergent journalism, they each utilized some type of multimedia technique on their websites including slideshows, videos, audio, hyperlinks, and reader interactivity. For the most part, however, online news stories were replications of their traditional counterparts. Major factors affecting how traditional media used the Internet to tell news stories included available resources, training, and organizational priorities. Some news stories, such as breaking news topics and sports, appear to be more likely to utilize elements of convergent journalism

Journeys in travel: a recombinant, computer-controlled cinematic essay

The video installation Journeys in Travel tells a story of travel and investigates relationships between travelogue, cinematic essay, and digital database narrative. The open source software “PD,” which is mainly used to create live-algorithmic musical improvisation and (interactive) music composition, controls here an infinite audiovisual narrative. It is a temporary, open-ended arrangement, which sets in motion a seemingly endless chain of references to related topics: Being elsewhere in foreign places, tourism, ethnography, globalization, a hyper-connected world, reality and simulation, movement, pace, rhythm and the relationship of film (structure), narrative and travel

Interactive Film Recombination

In this paper we discuss an innovative media entertainment application called Interactive Movietelling. As an offspring of Interactive Storytelling applied to movies, we propose to integrate narrative generation through AI planning with video processing and modeling to construct filmic variants starting from the baseline content. The integration is possible thanks to content description using semantic attributes pertaining to intermediate-level concepts shared between video processing and planning levels. The output is a recombination of segments taken from the input movie performed so as to convey an alternative plot. User tests on the prototype proved how promising Interactive Movietelling might be, even if it was designed at a proof of concept level. Possible improvements that are suggested here lead to many challenging research issues

Empowering cultural heritage professionals with tools for authoring and deploying personalised visitor experiences

This paper presents an authoring environment, which supports cultural heritage professionals in the process of creating and deploying a wide range of different personalised interactive experiences that combine the physical (objects, collection and spaces) and the digital (multimedia content). It is based on a novel flexible formalism that represents the content and the context as independent from one another and allows recombining them in multiple ways thus generating many different interactions from the same elements. The authoring environment was developed in a co-design process with heritage stakeholders and addresses the composition of the content, the definition of the personalisation, and the deployment on a physical configuration of bespoke devices. To simplify the editing while maintaining a powerful representation, the complex creation process is deconstructed into a limited number of elements and phases, including aspects to control personalisation both in content and in interaction. The user interface also includes examples of installations for inspiration and as a means for learning what is possible and how to do it. Throughout the paper, installations in public exhibitions are used to illustrate our points and what our authoring environment can produce. The expressiveness of the formalism and the variety of interactive experiences that could be created was assessed via a range of laboratory tests, while a user-centred evaluation with over 40 cultural heritage professionals assessed whether they feel confident in directly controlling personalisation

Cultural transmission in a food preparation task: The role of interactivity, innovation and storytelling

Some individuals seek to enhance their cognitive capabilities through the use of pharmacology. Such behavior entails potential health risks and raises ethical concerns. The aim of this study was to examine whether a precursor of behavior, ethical judgement towards the use of existing biological cognitive enhancers (e.g., coffee, legal and illegal drugs), is shaped by the perceived characteristics of these cognitive enhancers. Students and employees completed an online questionnaire which measured perceived characteristics of 15 substances presented as potential cognitive enhancers and a measure of ethical judgement towards these cognitive enhancers. Results of mixed model regression analyzes show that ethical judgement is more favourable when cognitive enhancers are perceived as being legal, familiar, efficient, and safe for users' health, supporting all hypotheses. Results further show that 36% of variance (in the null model) lies at the level of cognitive enhancers and 21% at the level of participants. In conclusion, cognitive enhancers vary widely in terms of ethical judgement, which is explained by the perception of the mentioned characteristics. Implications regarding prevention and policy-making are discussed

A Creative Exploration of the Use of Intelligent Agents in Spatial Narrative Structures

This thesis is an interdisciplinary study of authoring tools for creating spatial narrative structures– exposing the relationship between artists, the tools they use, and the experiences they create. It is a research-creation enterprise resulting in the creation of a new authoring tool. A prototype collaborative tool for authoring spatial narratives used at the Land|Slide: Possible Futures public art exhibit in Markham, Ontario 2013 is described. Using narrative analysis of biographical information a cultural context for authoring and experiencing spatial narrative structures is discussed. The biographical information of artists using digital technologies is posited as a context framing for usability design heuristics. The intersection of intelligent agents and spatial narrative structures provide a future scenario by which to assess the suitability of the approach outlined in this study

Investigating an Incubator for Digital innovation in Cultural Heritage

In this case study we investigate a cultural heritage incubator, using theoretical constructs suggested suitable for the study of digital innovation in open-ended value landscapes or ecosystems. Interviews are conducted with eight entrepreneurial firms participating in the incubator, who develop digital innovations within the cultural heritage domain, representatives from museums, also a document study and active participation in incubator activities has been utilized for data collection. A content analysis was conducted using a deductive approach where theoretical constructs from digital innovation literature were used to derive themes connected to concepts of value creation and value capture, value co-creation and co-destruction as well as value spaces paths and recombination. Recommendations are made and the ability of existing theoretical constructs to capture the specific characteristics of the case are made

Emotion-driven interactive storytelling.

Interactive storytelling has attracted plenty of research interest in recent years. Most current interactive storytelling systems follow a goal-oriented approach to story representation, i.e. the user is engaged with the story through fulfilling a number of goals rather than empathising with the characters and experiencing anenriched emotional experience (Pizzi and Cavazza 2007). This fails to satisfy potential users who are oriented to traditional media, such as movies (Louchart et al. 2008) and demographic groups who are interested in attractive and challenging stories (Duh et al. 2010). Given this consideration, an emotion-driven interactive storytelling approach is proposed in this research. In contrast to the goal-oriented interactive storytelling approach, emotion-driven interactive storytelling attempts to create an engaging emotional experience, and involve the user’s emotion with the characters. More importantly, the user’s emotions, evoked by empathising with the characters, determine the character’s behaviours and therefore have an impact on the whole storyline. In this sense, emotions, as a driving force, directly and explicitly contribute to storytelling and the user experience. An interactive video was made by re-editing existing TV material to interpret the concept of emotion-driven interactive storytelling. The examination of user experience of playing this interactive video revealed that non-gamers were more likely to be emotionally involved with the interactive video and empathise with the character. Participants in this group also exhibited higher enjoyment and engagement than gamers. In addition, females were found more likely to empathise with the character and satisfy with the storyline. However because the TV material used to make the interactive video was female-oriented, males failed to enjoy and engage themselves as much as females. But it is important to note that in comparison to males’ previous experience of watching TV Ugly Betty, emotion-driven interactive storytelling increased their enjoyment and engagement. Therefore, emotion-driven interactive storytelling enriches the approach to developing interactive storytelling systems and has the potential to provide an engaging user experience to some types of users. Future research possibilities are discussed with respect to a wider population and research where materials suitable for both genders are presented