Dayna Galloway thinks that we should not view interactive documentary as the continuation of traditional documentaries, but as a new, creative way of exploring the world. In the meantime, on this basis, Sandra Gaudenzi pointed out: “……any project that starts with an intention to document the ‘real’ and that uses digital interactive technology to realize this intention can be considered an interactive documentary.”

I am deeply attracted by interactive documentary as a brand new form of documentaries created by new media technologies, because I have never come into contact with such a medium before. With this new type of medium, the audience no longer needs to sit quietly in front of the screen to watch ready-made works; rather, once a work is released on new media platforms such as the internet, the audience can interact with it in real time as a part of the viewing process, and can choose whatever segment or information they are interested in looking at. I think this is very interesting because these medium breaks free from the traditional film-screening method of regular documentaries, but instead, allows the audience to be more engaged, and even closer to the truth and reality presented.

Compared to the interactive movie I mentioned last week, I am more interested in idoc since I feel more confident and comfortable with this interactive type of documentary. An idea appeared in my mind but was never put into words. I want to focus on a social issue that Australia ‘Daigou’ group comes up, they are hoarding and cutting some of local baby formula market and selling products back to China. That causes some local mother angry because it becomes difficult to buy baby formal in supermarket and chemist, I hope that I can produce a documentary to highlights this issue to public and for Chinese buyers. I will have to explore further into the matter, thinking about, for example, how to make such kind of interactive documentaries, the appropriate form in which it should be presented to the audience, and of course, the kind of story I want to narrate. These questions would require me to do more research.

Reference：

Galloway D.,2007. From Michael Moore to JFK Reloaded: Towards a working model of interactive documentary. Journal of Media Practice, 8(3), pp.325-339.

Aston, J. and Gaudenzi, s. ,2012. Interactive documentary: setting the field. Studies in Documentary Film, 6(2), pp.125-139.