Viewer can select narrator

..... you enjoy a good television program or movie, but sometimes you feel you would like to follow things from a different perspective.

◊ ◊ ◊

Favre (2002) defines interactive parallel narrative as "a type of interactive fiction that is based on the coexistence of simultaneous, interconnected threads or points of view". Viewers can interact by controlling their path through the story, but are unable to choose their entry point, influence character's decisions or affect the outcome in any way.

Authors use parallel narratives in both interactive and non-interactive media to achieve the following effect:

"when a structure includes more than three or four narrative lines, the viewer's activity will shift from following the individual stories and constructing several fabulas [story lines] to examining the ways in which the narratives relate to each other."(Hassler-Forest, 2003)

That is, the underlying themes of the story and the relationships between characters and/or locations is exposed through the parallel juxtaposition of these narrative strands, and so the viewer gains a more objective and comprehensive understanding of the story and its characters and events.

Creating an interactive parallel narrative, however, is not simply a matter of splitting a linear narrative into simultaneous, parallel segments through which the viewer can navigate. Instead authors of interactive parallel narratives must consider the effect that this method of presentation has on the story being told, in particular on viewer's perception of events. Also, in order to justify its use and usefulness as a means of delivering a story, authors must consider why viewers would want to watch an interactive parallel narrative rather than a traditional, non-interactive linear narrative.

Character based interactive parallel narrative

Character based interactive parallel narrative allows the viewer to switch between characters at certain junctures in the narrative. The aim of character based interactive parallel narrative is to give the viewer a unique and more in-depth comprehension of the story by allowing the viewer to follow events from not one but many different character perspectives.

Character based parallel narratives currently exist in both interactive and non-interactive media:

In literature such as Dickens's Little Dorrit (1857) - the book is split into two parallel narrative strands, one showing events from a rich person's, Clenman's, perspective and one showing the same events from a poor person's, Little Dorrit's, perspective. The juxtaposition of these contrasting character perspectives of the same events is used by Dickens' to highlight the inequalities in the society of the time between the rich and the poor.

In films such as Short Cuts (1993) -the film is split into several different parallel narrative strands, each of which contains different stories and main characters, although the minor characters in each strand are often main characters from other strands. Though their juxtaposition the viewer is prompted to recognise the similar themes that underpin and unify all of the parallel narrative strands.

In computer games such as The Bouncer (2000) - the computer game can be played from one of three main characters and many events are different according to which character's perspective is chosen.

Authors use character based parallel narratives to juxtapose different character perspectives and show:

• the underlying themes of the story.
• the discrepancies between different characters' perspectives of an event by showing it in parallel with a contrasting perspective of the same event from a different character.

In character based interactive parallel narratives, however, the author has less control over the juxtaposition of these perspectives because the viewer can choose which character they will follow and therefore which perspectives they will juxtapose. Understanding the affect this 'free' juxtaposition of character perspectives will have on the viewer is key to creating a meaningful and enjoyable interactive experience.

Location based interactive parallel narrative

Location based parallel narrative allows the viewer to follow events that occur in a particular location. The aim of location based interactive parallel narrative is to give the viewer a unique perspective on the story, characters and events, according to the location they have chosen to watch events.

As with character based parallel narrative, location based parallel narratives exist in both interactive and non-interactive media:

In theatre such as Norman Conquests (1973) by Alan Ayckbourn -the theatre production is staged on three consecutive nights. On each night the viewer watches the same events of a dinner party, but from a different location (either the living room, the kitchen or the garden) and as such their overall perception of events and characters changes each night according to the extra information gained from watching another of the three location based parallel narratives.

In films such as Four Rooms (1995) - the film is split into four separate stories, each of which contain different characters and events, but which are based in the same hotel location (hence the film's title).

Authors use location based narratives to show only the events and characters that exist within a specific location and thus:

• give viewers a unique perspective and understanding of events according to the location that they are in
• 'hide' events and characters from other locations and so affect the viewer's perspective of events by denying them access to all the information

In location based interactive parallel narratives the author has less control over which location the viewer follows and therefore what information is hidden from the viewer in order to affect their perspective of events.

◊ ◊ ◊

PARALLEL NARRATIVE is a form of INTERACTIVE NARRATIVE

Authors: Jennifer Fuller, Ian Smith

Acknowledgement: This pattern was developed from formats in interactive fiction proposed by the groupe of Sorbonne University's DESS Communication Audiovisuelle in Paris, France under the direction of Julien Favre.

Last revision: November 12, 2003 8:46