Experimenting With Branching Narratives in Video Form on Streaming Platforms

Abstract

<p>With a focus on branching narratives in video form on streaming platforms, or more colloquially, interactive films and series, this research aims to understand how certain formal and creative decisions impact aspects of interactor experiences after the high-profile release of Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. By collecting user tweets and developing a descriptive framework for the subjects' formal traits, it attempts to reveal the connections between them. The 4 selected titles respectively employ a unique set of creative choices and receive varying user response. They not only support how certain creators' choices negotiate the experience, but also reveal the wide variety of contexts in which video-based branching narratives are produced and consumed. From there, the research paints a big picture of the development of live-action interactive titles released between 2019 and 2021. </p>