'Is technology transforming the art of story telling?' | Sharon Reid | TEDxYork
The speaker argues that while technology enables vastly complex, interactive storytelling, this shift risks diminishing the director's vision and creating echo chambers, as viewers gain too much agency. This tension is illustrated by the massive exponential increase in content required for even a small number of viewer choices, making the viewing experience economically burdensome. The core takeaway is that filmmakers must resist relying solely on interactivity to the detriment of unique, authored artistic statements. ## Theses & Positions - Technology has always transformed the art of storytelling, moving from physical limitations like cave drawings to digital formats. - Traditional storytelling is inherently linear: a clear beginning, middle, and end. - Digital storytelling introduces non-linearity, inviting viewers to enter and exit the narrative at any points. - Viewer agency means the director is no longer solely sharing their vision; the viewer shares in directing the story's unfolding. - The increased capability of technology could lead to "distracted viewing," where viewers multitask while consuming media. - If streaming services like Netflix or Disney leverage viewer data, they could predict viewing habits, potentially leading to an "echo chamber" where algorithms write scripts. ## Concepts & Definitions - **Digital storytelling**: A narrative delivered through visuals and audio that allows for real-time interaction, enabling the viewer to enter and exit at various points. - **Nonlinear stories**: Narratives structurally designed to allow viewers to enter and exit the story at multiple points. - **Branching narrative**: A specific structure offering several defined choice options to the viewer. - **Distracted viewing**: The modern viewing habit where concentration is split across multiple external stimuli (e.g., checking phone while watching a film). - **Wow factors**: Aspects of entertainment designed to feel new, which are becoming less impactful because audiences are now too informed. ## Mechanisms & Processes - **Storytelling evolution:** Progression from oral tradition (cavemen using fire/drawings) through literary works (Shakespeare) to modern digital mediums. - **Building complexity in branching narratives:** The effort required increases exponentially; writing 10 choices with 2 options each requires over a thousand branches. - **Content structuring:** Filmmakers must plan for *all* possible scenarios and interactions, requiring detailed work on pacing, camera angles, and edits. - **Character arc maintenance:** A challenge in non-linear stories, as a protagonist's journey must remain compelling despite the viewer influencing their path or outcomes. ## Timeline & Sequence - **Dark Ages:** Storytelling began with cavemen using fire and drawings to recount stories of hunting or rituals. - **Hundreds and hundreds of years ago:** William Shakespeare created influential works. - **1977:** Year of the first *Star Wars* film mentioned as a key cinematic reference. - **2008:** Earlier examples of interactivity included sitting in a live studio audience or calling in via a landline. - **10 years ago:** Marks the modern period marked by events like Boris Johnson becoming London's first mayor and the success of *Hamilton*. - **Modern era:** Marked by the shift to digital platforms where content consumption is mobile and multi-screened. ## Named Entities - **Enid Blyton**: Author associated with favorite childhood stories like *The Gruffalo* and *Charlotte's Web*. - **William Shakespeare**: Master storyteller whose work influences modern narratives. - **George Lucas**: Filmmaker whose work and style are noted as influential. - **Steven Spielberg**: Filmmaker noted for mastering the crafting of cinematic worlds. - **Netflix**: Platform whose rumored choose-your-own-adventure style episode exemplifies interactive content. - **Amazon Prime**: Mentioned as a service indicating the variety of viewing platforms. - **HBO, Sky, Disney**: Companies whose content development strategies must now account for multiple mediums. ## Numbers & Data - **87%**: Percentage of people reported to use a second screen while watching TV (data from a report last year). - **10 choices and two options each choice**: A calculation resulting in over a thousand required branches for a branching narrative. - **Three choices with turns**: A calculation showing how this elevates a simple 60-minute show to six hundred minutes of footage. - **1977**: Year of the first *Star Wars* film referenced. ## Examples & Cases - **Early Story Examples**: *Enid Blyton*, *The Gruffalo*, *Charlotte's Web*, *Weathering Heights*, *Lord of the Flies*. - **Tech Adaptation Examples**: Audible used for listening to stories while running. - **Cinematic Comparisons**: *The Shining* and *Sarah Connor* vs. *Terminator* are used to compare narrative stakes. - **Interactive Viewing Examples**: Watching *Jaws* in a hot tub; watching *Griefs* at a pop-up cinema. - **Historical Viewing**: Going to Kings Cross in the 90s to obtain early editions of newspapers. - **Technical Comparison**: A death room scenario relying on practical effects versus one requiring VFX and SFX teams for a car crash. ## Trade-offs & Alternatives - **Passive storytelling (Traditional)**: Comfortable, structured, director maintains full control over the viewing experience. - **Interactive storytelling (Digital)**: Offers agency to the viewer but risks diluting the original artistic intent. - **Historical Media**: Limited by the technology available (e.g., oral tradition vs. print). - **The Financial Burden**: The increased creative complexity of advanced tech places a direct "additional financial burden on us as viewers." ## Counterarguments & Caveats - Some argue technology will make it *easier* for filmmakers to execute their visions and challenge the structure of the industry. - It is possible that the initial appeal of interactivity is merely a "gimmick to get attention." - The process of building branching narratives is technically massive, requiring planning for every single outcome. ## Methodology - The speaker employed a comparative analysis contrasting the historical linearity of storytelling with the non-linear possibilities afforded by digital technology. - Analysis covers the historical progression from cave art to modern streaming to evaluate the impact of viewer agency. ## References Cited - Enid Blyton (Author) - *The Gruffalo* (Book) - *Charlotte's Web* (Book) - *Weathering Heights* (Book) - *Lord of the Flies* (Book) - Audible (Service) - William Shakespeare (Author) - Steve Jobs (Keynote speaker) - George Lucas (Filmmaker/Storyteller) - Steven Spielberg (Filmmaker/Storyteller) - Netflix (Platform/Company) - *Black Mirror* (Show) - *The Haunting of Hill House* (Show) - *Jurassic Park* (Film) - IMDb (Website) - Sky, HBO, Disney (Streaming/Content companies) - Amazon Prime (Service) ## Open Questions - Whether the outcome of critically acclaimed films (like *The Shining*) would be less impactful if viewers could alter the ending. - If groundbreaking cinema could exist without the possibility of viewer influence. - Whether viewers genuinely require multiple second screens to consume related content. ## Implications & Consequences - The shift in agency means the story is no longer the director's sole vision; the viewer is now a co-author. - The high combinatorial load of choices can balloon content length beyond what is conventionally manageable (e.g., 60 minutes becoming >600 minutes). - Unregulated data collection allows platforms to predict viewing behavior, potentially trapping users in customized echo chambers. ## Verbatim Moments - *"We don't know how the story goes, and we all have a say."* - *"It's no longer the director sharing their vision with the viewer now we'll have a say in the direction of how the story unfolds and we'll have a part in telling that story."* - *"If this technology really does empower filmmakers and viewers then maybe it's the only way that this industry will grow."* - *"i'm sure everyone did it as they came and sat down in here today because watching a film or TV or at all it's so wildly different from what it used to be to previous generations."* - *"we're going to live in this kind of echo chamber."*