What is storytelling?
Storytelling is a form of communication that dates back to the dawn of mankind that will exist in the farthest future.
It is an expression of our need to share, listen and tell. In this digital age telling a story is more than transmitting data or documenting a past event.
Storytelling is an important tool for any internet activity as it helps one establish focused communication, transmit the message and motivate others to act. Technological advancement and the data revolution have directly affected the existing data as well as the way new data is entered, changed, promoted, and navigated through.
A classic example of a transition from passive to active data consumption is the Wikipedia project which charts human data in millions of internet pages and allows adding, changing and editing it. Anyone can participate in this project; although an editing board supervises over the quality and credibility, users can nevertheless freely add original quality data to the human knowledge treasury.
What about Immersive?
'Immersive' refers to digital technology that shifts the audience from passive viewers/readers to active experiencers and grants users a sense of entering a world of which they are an integral element.
Immersive storytelling is a new storytelling medium that consists of marketing via narrative. This is a story in which the audience is wrapped, a story blurring the lines between fiction and reality; a story that uses technological tools to tell a tale. Examples include escape rooms, computer games, online storytelling, or any variation that incorporates said elements. The stories exist in virtual settings in which we delve into stories to tell them or transmit content.
Immersive storytelling can be attained via the following tools:
Snapchat is a social network and social media platform that has lately been gaining momentum. Its target audience is mainly 13 to 34-year-olds. Brands and marketing personnel use Snapchat to create stories: a series of snaps that compose a story; short video segments or pictures that create a photographed story that can be told. All Snapchat updates have a short lifespan of 24 hours before they are deleted.
Immersive theatre uses AR (Augmented Reality) goggles, enabling stage actors to perform in an animated setting. Israeli start-up ARshow develops augmented reality software and hardware solutions for live performances.
Immersive movies: London-based Karen Palmer creates digital movies that combine movies, stories, games, art, science and technology.
Immersive journalism: VR technology enables the New York Times , The Daily 360 and CNNVR tell stories innovatively and turn an old genre light and refreshing in order to attract a younger audience with new demands regarding data consumption.
Where are we headed to?
We are undoubtedly steadily proceeding towards a new world that combines reality and VR. The difference between the two will gradually decrease. Our ability to utilize this medium for uses beyond entertainment and gaming such as content and data channeling is immense. I believe that it is a matter of time till we begin to see large organizations generating their own VR content.
As soon as the technology will be both sufficient and available, everybody will want to take part in this next stage of storytelling.
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