5 Haitis Digital Storytelling

What is 5 Haitis? Digital narrative Themes – 2010 Earthquake Characters – Omar – Bronte – Guerda Interaction – Character stories – Scene stories – Character dialogues 2

Intro The concept – Hyper/deep attention – Serious games – The 4 th wall – Other inspirations The process – Character and narrative development – Graphics and Interactivity The critique 3

The Concept A sombre, serious subject An event of current concern Something that would provoke thought, personalise the event 4

Katherine Hayles – “Hyper attention is characterized by switching focus rapidly among different tasks, preferring multiple information streams, seeking a high level of stimulation, and having a low tolerance for boredom” (Jan, 2008) Hyper / Deep Attention How do we prefer to interact? Deep concentration on one task Frequently shifting focus around multiple tasks Which is best? Situation determines suitability 5

What about video games? – A seeming paradox The key – Interactivity and rewards – 1000 gamers involved in a study with University of Rochester I wanted the narrative to… Give users freedom to explore and interact Provide rewards Provide multiple stimuli simultaneously allowing choice Lots happening to keep users engaged 6

An example of hyper/deep attention media Emphasis on sound and text Limited interactivity Text flashes up, animates in time with music Stimulates hyper and deep attention WARNING – contains flashing images An inspiration for the text animation and speed 7

Serious Games Games for more than just entertainment When used in training context can be termed ‘game-learning’ Can be used to engage users while at the same time delivering a serious message Examples – Darfur is Dying, Food Force, Floodsim 8

Users play refugees trying to survive Tasks include foraging for water, helping their family, irrigation etc The experience is deepened by the interaction The subject matter is handled sensitively and seriously 9

A serious narrative I wanted the narrative to be serious, allowing interaction in order to make a deeper impression 5 Haitis is not a game – No protagonist – No main goals However it does allow autonomy, interaction Users choose how to explore the narrative Rewards are given in the form of details learnt The narrative does progress 10

The 4 th Wall Represents the imaginary wall separating the audience and the story Can be broken for dramatic or comedic effect Used to involve the audience Tamara (1981) dissolves the 4 th wall – Takes place in a large house with ten actors performing simultaneous scenes in the rooms – Audience can choose how to experience the play 11

5 Haitis and the 4 th wall The barrier between narrative and audience is removed by allowing interaction Users must choose how to experience the narrative Characters relate their stories directly to the user apart from the conversations Everything happens simultaneously allowing repeated viewings 12

Other Inspirations ‘Waltz with Bashir’ – Documenting the 1982 Lebanon war – Stark, sombre, dark graphic novel style – Evocative soundtrack 13

Developing the Idea Initial idea – Four characters in quadrants – Story set a year on from the earthquake – An aftershock occurs – The user controls the choices of the characters Problems – Time limitations – Not based on reality – Too complex to programme 14

Three characters chosen – Relate their histories – Interact with the scene – Interact with the other characters Narratives occur simultaneously, allowing the user to choose how to experience them Scene – Typical but fictitious Haitian location – Based on Port-au-Prince Time Frame – Just before and then one year on from the earthquake 15

Making Digital Storytelling Work Break the 4 th Wall Use tension, uncertainty Employ a character arc Give characters realistic flaws Employ role reversals 16

Creating realistic characters Character biographies and back histories Character motivations should be reasonable, understandable In digital fiction, no room for subtlety Avoid stereotypes or twist them Use easy to understand language Realistic speech and conversation Clear words and short, bite-sized pieces 17

Realistic dialogue In early versions, the dialogue was too unnatural, formal Suggestions (James, 2009) – Avoid ‘on the nose’ dialogue – Reveal nuances of character personality – Fit the words to suit the character – Characters generally interrupt each other – Use a subtext – Employ humour – Ensure the dialogue adds to/ moves the story forward 18

The narrative structure 3 act structure – Act 1 sets the scene and context Pre-quake scene – Act 2 develops the story, explores conflict, relationships and themes Pre-quake ending in earthquake – Act 3 is the consequence of acts 1 and 2 Post-quake Exploratorium model with fractals – Users can explore bowls of freedom that are connected together – The story expands allowing players to explore freely but following only one theme 19

Graphical Development The scene – a composite of multiple photos blended together 20

Interaction Built using flash Interaction achieved through action script Narrative built using the iterator pattern – This allowed interruptions in back histories to occur and then resume from same position All narrative in xml form – Allowed definition of timings, pauses, unique id’s for narrative parts 21

Critique Main issues in development – Believable characters – Unnatural speech – Consistency Interactivity – More features were desired Character, scene animations More hot spots Structure – Exploration and multiple viewings 22

Thanks! Any questions? 23