Undergraduate

Module Content

This module will provide you with a theoretical and historical overview of the field of contemporary digital interactive factual (non-fiction) narratives.

It is a module for storytellers from all backgrounds that want to use digital platforms (web, mobile, tablet, apps, VR, AR, MR, AI, immersive theatre…) to speak about our “shared world” by innovating and involving the user/inter-actor within their story world. Whether you come from journalism, documentary, film, ethnography, social communication or any other field, the challenge of creating for digital platforms is to move from a story-telling to a story-experiencing approach. This is the creative journey that the module proposes: to delve into the history of interactive narratives since the invention of the World Wide Web, learn about its current genres and platforms and be ready to navigate future trends in immersive media.

Digital interactive storytelling, as we know it now, is a field that is not even twenty years old. In order to find our voice in such emergent and experimental field, we need to combine an understanding of experimental narratives with the new affordances of digital media. By questioning the role of interactivity, non-linearity, polyphony and participatory media, this module gives you the theoretical and critical framework that will permit you to navigate the field and be creative in it.

The module, delivered by the interactive story expert Dr Sandra Gaudenzi, will combine lectures, comparative analysis, group debate and peer presentations to lead you towards the pitch of a group concept proposal for an interactive project. It aims to be a fun and creative module open to group work and self-discoveries.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the module you will be able to:

Identify and evaluate the major genres and trends of the digital interactive factual field and be able to place them within a historical and industry context.
	Demonstrate systematic critical understanding of the key concepts of agency, presence, feed-back, participation, and relationship between users/digital artefacts and users/authors/subjects.
	Critically show how the balance between the user, the story, technology and interface creates meaning and consider how these might be applied in practice.
	Research and select effective strategies to best engage an audience from market research and justify the purpose of a given project.
	Demonstrate a systematic understanding of conceiving, writing and presenting a brief/treatment towards your creative project.
	Effectively communicate, research and debate within a group, in order to workout together the technical and creative aspects of a digital and interactive narrative project.
	Demonstrate the ability to present in front of your peers with clarity and effectiveness.
Delivery Method

One 3 hour seminar per week.

Postgraduate

Module Content

This module will provide you with a theoretical and historical overview of the field of contemporary digital interactive factual (non-fiction) narratives.

It is a module for storytellers from all backgrounds that want to use digital platforms (web, mobile, tablet, apps, VR, AR, MR, AI, immersive theatre…) to speak about our “shared world” by innovating and involving the user/inter-actor within their story world. Whether you come from journalism, documentary, film, ethnography, social communication or any other field, the challenge of creating for digital platforms is to move from a story-telling to a story-experiencing approach. This is the creative journey that the module proposes: to delve into the history of interactive narratives since the invention of the World Wide Web, learn about its current genres and platforms and be ready to navigate future trends in immersive media.

Digital interactive storytelling, as we know it now, is a field that is not even twenty years old. In order to find our voice in such emergent and experimental field, we need to combine an understanding of experimental narratives with the new affordances of digital media. By questioning the role of interactivity, non-linearity, polyphony and participatory media, this module gives you the theoretical and critical framework that will permit you to navigate the field and be creative in it.

The module will combine lectures, comparative analysis, group debate and peer presentations to lead you towards the pitch of a group concept proposal for an interactive project. It aims to be a fun and creative module open to group work and self-discoveries.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the module you will be able to:

Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of some of the major genres and trends of the digital interactive factual field and be able to place them within a historical and industry context.
	Demonstrate comprehensive critical understanding of the key concepts of agency, presence, feed-back, participation, and relationship between users/digital artefacts and users/authors/subjects.
	Critically and comprehensively show how the balance between the user, the story, technology and interface creates meaning and consider how these might be applied in practice.
	Research and select effective strategies to an advanced level to best engage an audience from market research and justify the purpose of a given project.
	Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of conceiving, writing and presenting a brief/treatment towards your creative project.
	Demonstrate advanced abilities to work in a group, in order to develop together the technical and creative aspects of a digital and interactive narrative project.
 

Delivery Method

One 3 hour seminar per week.

Additional information

This module is designed to complement the “Experimental and Interactive Storytelling – Form and Narrative” module, where the history of experimental cinema from early 20th century unveils the beginning of non-linear storytelling. This course picks up where the other one leaves you, concentrating on digital production from the early 2000 till today through digital platforms (post-film media). Although it is a good idea to take both modules, it is perfectly possible to follow one only.