Week 1
The future of storytelling phase 1
The 4 I’s of storytelling
1) Immersion
Can I go deeper into the story-world, by learning more about it or by heightening my
sensory experience of it?
2) Interactivity
Can I change or influence elements of the story? Can I interact with other people around
the story?
3) Integration
Is a cohesive story being told across platforms? Can it interface with the real world in any
way?
4) Impact
Does the story inspire me to take action in my own life, such as making a purchase or
supporting a good cause?
4 I’s are really important because the behavior, desire and the expectation of the audience
matters
4 I’s•meet basic information needs•offer several perspectives•offer an active
experience•incorporate real world...•be long –running
Transmedia is more than media shifting
- Audience shifts from one device to another. That said, content creators should seek to
deepen, not just duplicate, experiences across platforms by leveraging each
environment’s strengths.
Out of the screen, into my World
- Because we now have portable, sensor-laden mobile devices that go everywhere with us,
audiences feel that content in those devices should get smarter, too: by becoming relevant
to where we are and what we’re doing in the physical world
Audiences crave more contol
- As the Web becomes more interactive and real-time, audiences want increased control
over their individual content experiences; 79% envisioned interactions that would allow
them to alter a storyline—by influencing or becoming a character themselves (56%) or by
manipulating plot events directly (37%).
The perfect story would
1) Meet basic information needs
Audiences desire instant access to information that deepens their experiences of a
narrative, such as added historical or cultural context for a story’s setting (e.g., “how
did people actually live back then?”).
2) Offer a new vantage point
, Allow audiences to explore different perspectives
3) Offer a somewhat active experience
more than half crave “a lot” of interactivity when it comes to making plot decisions,
interacting with or influencing characters
4) Converse with the real World
Audiences want their actions in the physical world to impact the larger narrative. For
example: contribute to battle efforts against another side by having your smartphone
register when you’re near a particular location or another participating fan, or by
importing an object into the story-world by scanning a real version of it with your
phone. Not surprisingly, real world integration is popular for sci-fi, fantasy, and other
epic stories.
5) Be long running
today’s audiences want to commit to long-term media relationships. Thirty-eight
percent thought the perfect story would be 4+ installments, while 31% felt never-
ending would be just the right length
For writers: bring the characters out of the screen to deepen loyalty
- about delving deeper into a story-world. They’re also about bringing the story out of the
screen, into the audience’s actual world.
- Stories should capitalize on how an audience member relates to characters or situations,
and how that carries over into his or her own life—and across platforms, keeping in mind
that characters can be created with multi-platform or transmedia experiences in mind
- Characters can motivate a person to learn, to live healthier, to form and foster
relationships, to support a worthy cause, and so on—an effect which may be magnified
by certain characters more than others
For non-fiction producers and brands: transmedia is more than fantasy
- The common assumption that “transmedia is just for sci-fi” still prevails, leaving a major
opportunity unexplored for the non-fiction space, including news reality media, and
advertising. Audiences crave immersive experiences with news content, and material like
this—with a variety of perspectives and authors, formats, “layers,” and so on—is ripe for
expansion into a larger news “story-world.” Successful branded entertainment creators
will be asking the next question: “How can we leverage multiple platforms, including the
physical world, to tell a holistic, compelling narrative?” Retailers, for instance, would do
well not to overlook physical assets (e.g., stores, kiosks, etc.) as another viable platform
to tell a 360º brand story.
For interaction designers: offer multiple modes of interactivity
- It depends for different people that how active they want to be. So transmedia should
allow audiences to choose their own interactivity.
, The future of storytelling phase 2
For content createors:
1) Level up on the character-audience relationship
2) Push the limits of how, when, and where stories are told
For brands and marketers:
1) Embrace new narrative techniques, once and for all
- Audiences agree that there’s a big opportunity to make ads feel more like content people
would naturally choose to engage with—by provid - ing back-story about a brand or
product, visually immersive experi - ences, game elements, and so on.
2) Think of the real World as another platform
For all storytellers
1) Heed the second (and third) screens here’s how
- When it comes to secondary devices, some might think it’s all been done before. (We beg
to differ.) Top opportunities include interacting with characters, earning rewards,
accessing bonus content, and more.
2) Recognize many audiences and many ways to engage
- While it’s easy to generalize about “what audiences want,” people desire vastly different
things from stories—such as very passive vs. highly interactive experiences.
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO EXPERIENCE STORIES IN THE FUTURE?”
Phase 1 (Previous): Idea Generation
In 2012, Latitude kicked off its Future of Storytelling initiative by interviewing pioneers in the
media space to discuss current challenges and innovations within the industry. Next, we
conducted an online survey amongst 158 early adopters across the world to generate new
possibilities for interacting with stories. Participants were asked to play the role of producer,
choosing a narrative (a book, movie, plot-driven video game, etc.) that they know well, and
reinventing how audiences might experience that story. From these ideas, we developed the 4 I’s
of Storytelling framework to illustrate key dimensions of future storytelling experiences.
Phase 2 (Current): Robust Quantification
From 2012-2013, Latitude surveyed 1,107 smartphone owners in Brazil, the United Kingdom,
and the United States. Borrowing material generated in Phase 1 (e.g., future experience concepts,
etc.), the survey aimed to quantify trends, opportunities, and key audience targets for second
screen and transmedia storytelling across genres amongst a broader audience.* A segmentation
analysis was conducted based on respondents’ need states and future desires, yielding 4 segments
or “audience archetypes”: Seekers, Relaters, Realists, and Players. Explore archetype data
interactively at futureofstorytell
NEXT
Characters can become our friend
The future of storytelling phase 1
The 4 I’s of storytelling
1) Immersion
Can I go deeper into the story-world, by learning more about it or by heightening my
sensory experience of it?
2) Interactivity
Can I change or influence elements of the story? Can I interact with other people around
the story?
3) Integration
Is a cohesive story being told across platforms? Can it interface with the real world in any
way?
4) Impact
Does the story inspire me to take action in my own life, such as making a purchase or
supporting a good cause?
4 I’s are really important because the behavior, desire and the expectation of the audience
matters
4 I’s•meet basic information needs•offer several perspectives•offer an active
experience•incorporate real world...•be long –running
Transmedia is more than media shifting
- Audience shifts from one device to another. That said, content creators should seek to
deepen, not just duplicate, experiences across platforms by leveraging each
environment’s strengths.
Out of the screen, into my World
- Because we now have portable, sensor-laden mobile devices that go everywhere with us,
audiences feel that content in those devices should get smarter, too: by becoming relevant
to where we are and what we’re doing in the physical world
Audiences crave more contol
- As the Web becomes more interactive and real-time, audiences want increased control
over their individual content experiences; 79% envisioned interactions that would allow
them to alter a storyline—by influencing or becoming a character themselves (56%) or by
manipulating plot events directly (37%).
The perfect story would
1) Meet basic information needs
Audiences desire instant access to information that deepens their experiences of a
narrative, such as added historical or cultural context for a story’s setting (e.g., “how
did people actually live back then?”).
2) Offer a new vantage point
, Allow audiences to explore different perspectives
3) Offer a somewhat active experience
more than half crave “a lot” of interactivity when it comes to making plot decisions,
interacting with or influencing characters
4) Converse with the real World
Audiences want their actions in the physical world to impact the larger narrative. For
example: contribute to battle efforts against another side by having your smartphone
register when you’re near a particular location or another participating fan, or by
importing an object into the story-world by scanning a real version of it with your
phone. Not surprisingly, real world integration is popular for sci-fi, fantasy, and other
epic stories.
5) Be long running
today’s audiences want to commit to long-term media relationships. Thirty-eight
percent thought the perfect story would be 4+ installments, while 31% felt never-
ending would be just the right length
For writers: bring the characters out of the screen to deepen loyalty
- about delving deeper into a story-world. They’re also about bringing the story out of the
screen, into the audience’s actual world.
- Stories should capitalize on how an audience member relates to characters or situations,
and how that carries over into his or her own life—and across platforms, keeping in mind
that characters can be created with multi-platform or transmedia experiences in mind
- Characters can motivate a person to learn, to live healthier, to form and foster
relationships, to support a worthy cause, and so on—an effect which may be magnified
by certain characters more than others
For non-fiction producers and brands: transmedia is more than fantasy
- The common assumption that “transmedia is just for sci-fi” still prevails, leaving a major
opportunity unexplored for the non-fiction space, including news reality media, and
advertising. Audiences crave immersive experiences with news content, and material like
this—with a variety of perspectives and authors, formats, “layers,” and so on—is ripe for
expansion into a larger news “story-world.” Successful branded entertainment creators
will be asking the next question: “How can we leverage multiple platforms, including the
physical world, to tell a holistic, compelling narrative?” Retailers, for instance, would do
well not to overlook physical assets (e.g., stores, kiosks, etc.) as another viable platform
to tell a 360º brand story.
For interaction designers: offer multiple modes of interactivity
- It depends for different people that how active they want to be. So transmedia should
allow audiences to choose their own interactivity.
, The future of storytelling phase 2
For content createors:
1) Level up on the character-audience relationship
2) Push the limits of how, when, and where stories are told
For brands and marketers:
1) Embrace new narrative techniques, once and for all
- Audiences agree that there’s a big opportunity to make ads feel more like content people
would naturally choose to engage with—by provid - ing back-story about a brand or
product, visually immersive experi - ences, game elements, and so on.
2) Think of the real World as another platform
For all storytellers
1) Heed the second (and third) screens here’s how
- When it comes to secondary devices, some might think it’s all been done before. (We beg
to differ.) Top opportunities include interacting with characters, earning rewards,
accessing bonus content, and more.
2) Recognize many audiences and many ways to engage
- While it’s easy to generalize about “what audiences want,” people desire vastly different
things from stories—such as very passive vs. highly interactive experiences.
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO EXPERIENCE STORIES IN THE FUTURE?”
Phase 1 (Previous): Idea Generation
In 2012, Latitude kicked off its Future of Storytelling initiative by interviewing pioneers in the
media space to discuss current challenges and innovations within the industry. Next, we
conducted an online survey amongst 158 early adopters across the world to generate new
possibilities for interacting with stories. Participants were asked to play the role of producer,
choosing a narrative (a book, movie, plot-driven video game, etc.) that they know well, and
reinventing how audiences might experience that story. From these ideas, we developed the 4 I’s
of Storytelling framework to illustrate key dimensions of future storytelling experiences.
Phase 2 (Current): Robust Quantification
From 2012-2013, Latitude surveyed 1,107 smartphone owners in Brazil, the United Kingdom,
and the United States. Borrowing material generated in Phase 1 (e.g., future experience concepts,
etc.), the survey aimed to quantify trends, opportunities, and key audience targets for second
screen and transmedia storytelling across genres amongst a broader audience.* A segmentation
analysis was conducted based on respondents’ need states and future desires, yielding 4 segments
or “audience archetypes”: Seekers, Relaters, Realists, and Players. Explore archetype data
interactively at futureofstorytell
NEXT
Characters can become our friend
