Interactive documentaries

• the conversational mode:
○ the aspen movie map (Lippman, 1978) is often referred to as the first attempt to digitally document an experience; the use of digital technology to stimulate a world where the user has the illusion of navigating freely has also been used in video games
• the hypertext mode:
○ Moss Landing (Apple Multimedia Lab, 1989) was one of the first i-docs; this type of i-doc lends itself to the Hypertext mode because it links assets within a closed video archive and gives the user an exploratory role, normally enacted by clicking on pre-existing options
• the participative mode:
○ there is a two-way relationship between digitla authors and their users; the user is invovled in the production process– by editing online or shooting in the streets for example; or the user is involved during the launch and distribution process– by answering questions online or by sending material and help translating; this mode counts on the participation of the user to create an open and evolving database
• the experiential mode:
○ digital content can exist in physical space through tablet PC’s, GPS card’s and headphones; in one example, depending on the position of the participant, stories uncovering the early industrial era of LA were whispered into the ears of urban flaneur, accompanied by historic illustrations on the computer screen; this mode brings users into physical space, and creates an experience that challenges their senses and their enacted perception of the world