Conflating Forms: The Shoebox a case study of merging non-linear interactivity and linear narratives

Abstract

This paper describes the conflation of non-linear and linear narratives in digital media using examples from the interactive documentary The Shoebox that is built around three 360 degree panoramic virtual reality scenes. In The Shoebox users can play each of the three VR scenes as a scripted linear sequence or they can interactively navigate from one scene to another or to additional media. This interactive architecture is to be further extended to include an additional layer. When the user clicks an icon or a node and accesses a fragment of media, for example: video fragments; still photographs; animated stills; or audio clips, the selected fragment descends to a timeline within the field of view. As each icon is clicked these fragments build along the timeline and after a number of segments have been acquired the timeline itself can be played as a linear sequence. The construction of this additional layer of sequential, temporal narrative, obtained through non-linear interactive actions, plays the content of the story in the traditionally, cinematic way.