In the article, the author takes us through a lot of what we need to consider when writing for VR, and I found their advice quite practical in a broad sense of understanding the medium.
Beginning with IMMERSION the author explains that the end goal of a VR narrative designer is to "...create such a high degree of immersion that users aren't caught up thinking, "Man, this is a cool experience," because they're too busy participating in what's happening around them." (Damiani, 2016)
When immersion is created in a VR experience, a player will inevitably experience a sense of PRESENCE. Presence is described as "...the sense of the body, the spirit and the mind feeling it is somewhere that it is not." (Nelson, 2015) When we talk about presence here, I believe what we are really talking about is a kind of "religious experience" a sense of ekstasis creating as the Greek Lexicon describes a state "...that of a man who by some sudden emotion is transported as it were out of himself..." (The NAS New Testament Greek Lexicon)
But how do we create immersion, and how do we reach that peak point of presence for a player or viewer in VR?
The first step to creating this is AGENCY - "the ability to "do something" in the experience - to interact or react rather than simply perceive." (Damiani, 2016) This could be anything from choosing where they (the viewer) looks in the scene, or something more complex as is the case in many VR games where the viewer's interaction with the environment can fundamentally change how the story plays out.
Next is EMPATHY. Through using immersion and giving agency to a player of viewer, we are creating a field in which they can easily establish empathy with other characters or the character they are inhabiting themselves, within the experience.
"...when you are a given person (or "with" them), rather than watching them from a remove of time and space, you experience a greater degree of empathy." (Damiani, 2016)
another tool to consider is that of POV AND PERSPECTIVE.
"POV refrers to who is telling the story. Perspective is how the story is told." (Damiani, 2016)
Lastly the author talks about the audience as an INFLUENCER, about how one needs to write VR with multiple "readings" in mind. We cannot guarantee that an audience will follow or even be interested in the story we are trying to tell. While an important dramatic scene may be taking place in front of them, the player may simply choose to stare at a picture on a wall. To combat this, as writers we have to consider how to tell the story not only in ways that directs their attention (i.e. light and sound) but also ways to further unfold the story in every direction: "Maybe eyes appear in the painting when you stare at it long enough. Maybe the crown molding has a hidden message carved into it that begins to glow, alerting you to a vital piece of information relating to... (a) ...conversation." (Damiani, 2016)
This short, snappy article, although being a bit light on the nitty gritty was a good overview of hugely important aspects in VR storytelling.
REFERENCES
Damiani, J. (2016, June 16). Storytelling in virtual reality: The basics | The huffington post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jesse-damiani/storytelling-in-virtual-r_b_10448832.html
The NAS New Testament Greek Lexicon. (n.d.). Ekstasis - New Testament Greek Lexicon - New American Standard. Retrieved from http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/ekstasis.html
Nelson, N. J. (2015, August 12). All vr’s a stage: Presence, story, and the birth of the new medium. Retrieved from https://turnstylenews.com/2015/08/12/all-vrs-a-stage-presence-story-and-the-birth-of-the-new-medium/
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