Interactive Fictions: The Creative Challenge

Report by Kiran Chahal, January 2001

Interactive Fictions was an event that brought together a panel of four speakers to discuss issues regarding interactivity and how it features in their respective creative industries. The talk began with Stephen Jeffery-Poulter who has a history in both traditional broadcasting and new media production. The second speaker was Tom Harvey of XPT, responsible for the web and email drama, Online Caroline. Simon Rose of IMF spoke next giving the audience a taster of his online thriller, Running Time. Finally, the subject moved to games with Jason Kingsley, co-founder of successful games studio, Rebellion.

The evening began with an introduction by Stephen about the various emerging digital platforms, which we are all destined to experience. He took a brief look at the defining features and the potential that they have. All examples, such as interactive TV and web-enabled games, highlighted the opportunity for high levels of interactive experience. Stephen pointed out how we should expect to see a massive shift in lifestyle habits and used Interactive TV as an example of how a viewer would receive a more personalised, non-linear experience. The whole notion of fixed programming and scheduling would diminish. In response to these changing roles we would expect to be targeted by programme makers, advertisers and commissioners in a more direct and intelligent way.

Stephen proceeded to talk more generally about interactivity and how it has existed long before the advent of digital platforms. Traditional broadcast has enabled the audience to interact in ways that range from emotional to voluntary interaction on the viewer�s part. Stephen finished his talk by giving a brief introduction on interactive fiction. He believed that interactive fiction introduced three emerging genres:

• Democratic: the narrative direction and the character development being determined by majority audience voting.
• Illusory: the process where by the audience appears to initiate change in the story.
• First person: where the audience becomes the main character and drives the non-linear narrative.

Tom provided a visual demonstration of Online Caroline. This proved to be a useful tool, as it led the audience easily through his talk. He took the audience through the drama, explaining its design and how it worked with its audience. Online Caroline proved to be a genuine interactive personal experience from the start. This is seen through the continuous exchange of emails between the viewer and Caroline. During the course of viewing the audience are often parting with personal details, which are used in this communication. This interaction would allow the viewer to believe that they are truly interacting with the character and the story. The talk stimulated lively debate, covering issues such as data protection and funding.

Simon Rose was next on the panel, with his company responsible for the online film Running Time. Again it allows the audience to make decisions that will ultimately decide on the direction of the film. Running Time adopts a different approach to Online Caroline in terms of involving the audience. Unlike Online Caroline, the outcome is decided by a majority vote. A message board is provided in an attempt to involve all those who voted, including the viewers whose vote was not part of the final outcome. As well as introducing the concept behind Running Time, Simon also expressed his concerns regarding the industry. Included in these were his frustrations regarding the slow progress made in certain technologies such as broadband.

Jason Kingsley of Rebellion Games was the last to speak. He took us through his experiences of interactive mediums starting with an interactive book that he wrote at the age of 18. Jason began by telling the audience about the problems he came across in terms of the number of choices that could be made by a reader. His solution was to guide them through different paths, but ultimately leading them to the one ending. He proceeded to take the audience through his growing fascination with interactive fiction, which eventually lead him to computer games. He believed that game makers don�t make the story, rather, it is up to the player to interact and lead. Jason regarded the game maker�s role as simply providing the tools for an alternative fantasy world in which people can fully immerse themselves.

The talk generated a series of questions and comments from the floor, ranging from the future of advertising to the changing role of story telling. The general consensus lay with the idea of great changes in terms of lifestyle. Industries such as advertising would have to become more engaging and start providing a more personal experience. In terms of interactive fictions, as they become more popular the audience becomes more involved in the way the story is told and the way it finishes. As with a lot of this new technology, the consumers are allowed to immerse themselves into a unique experience that is tailored to their own personal needs.

Speaker Profiles

Stephen Jeffery-Poulter
Stephen spent 15 years developing and making television drama for BBC and then Channel Four. Two years ago he leapt sideways into new media and worked for several agencies on web and interactive TV projects. He is currently evolving several cross-platform projects.

Tom Harvey, XPT
Tom Harvey is Managing Director of XPT, one of the first independent digital media companies in the UK to dedicate itself exclusively to interactive entertainment. XPT's products include the online drama www.onlinecaroline.com and the forthcoming Mount Kristos, an online Greek Island holiday. Tom began his career in the film and television industry where his career spanned a range of genre including films, documentary arts series and pop promos. He ran the Edinburgh International Television Festival for three years before working in senior management at the BBC.

Jason Kingsley, Interacta Ltd
Simon was the film critic of the Daily Mirror for four years before leaving to become a full-time screenwriter, winning the 2000 Orange Screenwriting Prize. Together with Simon Beaufoy, he set up the Interactive Motion Picture Corporation to produce cutting-edge interactive drama. The company's first production was the thriller Running Time, in which the audience drove the drama by voting on what they wanted to happen next. The second production, the surreal comedy Get a Life Harry, took the interactive concept still further by letting the audience contribute to the hero's character development.