What’s the future of storytelling going to be like? It’s surely going to make use of new technologies and stories will be told over multiple platforms – not just TV screens, not just computers, not just tablets, not just radios, not just MP3 players, not just smartphones, not just ___ [insert flashy new device name].
More complexity is being added to storytelling.
In one sentence:
audiences are looking for a blurring of barriers between content and reality in a layered yet cohesive execution
That’s the summary of a study by the research consultancy Latitude.
As KC Ifeanyi recently put it, these are the main factors that will shape the future of storytelling:
Immersion: Delving deeper into the story through supplementary context and sensory experiences.
Interactivity: Allowing consumers to become part of the narrative and possibly influence its outcome.
Integration: Having a seamless connection among all platforms being used and going beyond just replicating content on different devices.
Impact: Inspiring consumers to take action of some kind, e.g. purchase a product, sign up for a service, support a cause, etc.
Other findings from the study:
“Transmedia is more than media shifting:” 82% wanted complementary, not duplicating, mobile apps for their TV watching experience.
“The real world is a platform:” 52% consider the real world as another platform in which 3-D technology, augmented reality, and the like are expected to link the digital and physical.
Control: 79% expressed the desire to become part of a story, interacting with its main characters.
You can access the full study online (for free) here: What Audiences Want: Study Uncovers Possible Futures for Storytelling