In this blog entry, the interactive storytelling exercise, I have chosen three examples of interactive storytelling , and considering the visual design , functionality and structure. The three examples are Sound of my Voice , Jungle Something and Bear 71.This entry also look at some ways probably I could implement the ideas, trying to find some useful thing which inspired me making my own digital story.
sound of my voice http://www.soundofmyvoicemovie.com/index2.html
This website is similar to traditional forms of movies trailers on the internet, this is a 12 mins trailers, the interesting is that the first time loading, I just saw a red image and I have no idea how to start this trailer in the website. they didn’t give me a hint how to start it.
Visual Design
On the first loading, I realized that the horizontal width of the page is much wider that my screen when the trailer start, the first time I realized that it probably is an old movie but I quickly realized this is a low quality version, and the funny thing is that we cannot adjust to a high quality.
The other interesting thing is that , Upon viewing, we can saw a red circles with a magnifying glass symbol appear, so we can click on to see a detail of part of the film. But to be honest, I am not interested to click on it in second times. I know it is a way which it make this film to be more mystery. But there is nothing to encourage me to explore more about this movie. In this film, unless I click the symbols with magnifying glass as the video plays, I cannot find any element which encourage me to interact with this video.
Structure
I would surprised that this was a 13mins trailer, and I don’t think it serve this well, I think Trailers should be short and delicate. Trailer makers need to use two mins to convey the premise thing to the viewers, and trying to hook them. I think it fails as the basic function, but I think the red circle with magnifying glass symbol is great idea, because trying to appeal audience’s attention is alway primary thing that filmmakers need to think about.
Functionality
I think this is a way which distinguished from traditional film trailers. There are some tag which you can click in and learn more about the part of film. Such as when you click the interactive symbol, there are two options will be appeared, ‘Educate yourself’ and ‘Let’s discuss’ when you click the ‘Let’s discuss option, and then, it will open a screen saying ‘Tell me you name’ and ‘What do you have to say. So the viewers can write down their comments on it, But you cannot find any other comments or discussions, this is different. We want to know other viewer’s comments and discussion with them. So I probably will not use this function, if they do not allow you to see other comments.
Jungle something http://itslikeajunglesometimes.com/index.html
It is more like a normal website with video. some picture on the top and with some tagline, when you click one of the picture, there is a link which will takes the viewer to the creator’s own Vimeo website.
Visual Design
There is a simple and beautiful page. It simple and clean but it so adorable. In the top of screen the three characters involved in the video. The background image is a brick wall, it really good colour to match the tone of website. the aesthetics match the video content. In the page, there is a interview, video people who are chat with the 3 characters, they are very relaxing and funny. I quite like this type of page. The one thing I have to mention that the horizon width of the page is wider than my laptop monitor(at least in my laptop) but it is not a big deal.
When the initial video finishes playing, the screen appear a link to other video, you can click on it, and you will find anther videos which is from the same account holder, and watch more video in this guy Vimeo account.
There are links to individual character pages, all the individual’s video content is good. providing enough to expand the character.
I really like this visual style in website, and I will to think more about how to make our digital story like this, simple, clean and interesting.
Functionality
There is a function is bottom of right call ‘Credits’ when you click on it, you can see thing like that:
There are some link display on the right hand site, you can click on it. You also can click on the text banner, it led me back to the home page.
Structure
This website layout allows you to pick one of the character when you’ve watched the initial video in the home page. 
You can pick a character which you are interested in. this is a good way to tell a story to people, because videos are short but funny, they did a good job on it, and those types of interview and filmmaking inspired me a lot, the one thing is trying to make you project short, it’s unnecessary to be a perfect but need to appeal viewers’ attention. the one flaw on those video is that when you go to the each individual’s video, the each story is discrete. I mean we’ve watch the initial video, and they have three characters in the video, we might think they have some connection with each other, but actually not. Any way, the music is good.
Bear 71 (http://bear71.nfb.ca/#/bear71)
Bear 71 is a 2012 interactive National Film Board of Canada (NFB) web documentary by Leanne Allison and Jeremy Mendes about a grizzly bear in Banff National Park. These interactive documentary illuminated the way humans engage wildlife in the age or networks,satellites and digital surveillance. But it hard to tell new technologies rise of the surveillance state or it impacts the freedom of animal.
Visual Design
The documentary uses black and white surveillance footage of bear and other animals living the wild .Those camera were setting for monitor the animal’s behavior in wild. We’ve watched the initial video, there is a map which appeared to the screen. It is a map by using bear 71 as an active story map, I mean it is like reality Animal tracking APP. we also can click on links to other animals and at the same time, listening to the narrations of bear 71. Although this is very new way for visual appealing, it still not encouraged me to have a further exploration.
Structure
The film is linear in structure in nature. The video starts with a short footage, A bear was captured and some people did something on the bear and then release bear 71 back to wild, it seems a real story starting to beginning. The story lasts for 20 mins, the whole documentary by using narration style, and this is very great method for making the audiences feel sympathy and want to give support to those animals. This is a successful way to do publicity a documentary.
Functionality
Your could click on any video which show in the map and to get those animals’ brief information and description. But for me , sometimes, I might prefer just wait for the next video. but I also pick one of video. It is really good story to capture viewers attention. The one thing I need to mention the website will requested you to turn on your microphone and video, It is wired for me, It just like a chatting room or something, I am not sure what it is for. Perhaps it was remind people to pay attention to wild animals. But it is really good way to interactive with viewers
albertguoplace 