The lack of a body of works
Two months into the research project and one aspect has ‘failed’. One of the goals I set myself was to come up with a body of interactive works based on which observations could be made about the technical variety, the genres that are represented and which analytical tools could be developed. The criteria I came up with were first that it had to be interactive in two of the four dimensions of interactivity as formulated by Jensen; namely consultational and conversational interactivity (1999:201). Further criteria were adapted to the collection policy of Sound and Vision, which meant that the productions were to:
a) be a Dutch production or dealing with a Dutch theme
b) be audio-visual in nature
c) be funded and/or produced by public broadcasters, or funding from public funds
d) the productions can comprise game elements but cannot be games
After extensive searching I can come up with only a dozen productions that qualify for selection. They range from THE ALZHEIMER EXPERIENCE, an interactive fiction film in which the viewer can experience the story from the perspective of the different characters, to THE ART OF PHO, an interactive graphic novel.
There is a number of possible observations that we can make. First, there can be discussion about the criteria formulated, and therefore also about the collection policy of Sound and Vision. If, for example, we would drop the criteria of audio-visuality, we could expand to multi-platform/trans-media productions, such as the website for drama series DE GEHEIMEN VAN BARSLET or the forum to documentary series THE SUNNY SIDE OF SEX etc. If we were to leave out the criterium of public funding we could expand our search to interactive commercial campaigns, which opens up an entire new field but simultaneously makes the search very difficult due to the variety in distribution channels. Finally, it could be argued that games, that are educational, ‘serious’, or have a strong narrative structure could be considered important audio-visual heritage and therefore should be a part of the collection policy of Sound and Vision.
Another possible observation is that the production of interactive content in the Netherlands is still in its early days and there is no viable business model, nor a structural financing infrastructure. There also seems to be a lack of creative minds that have ideas on how to engage with the possibilities of networked, digital technology for telling stories. At present it is difficult to see where innovation will come from and also at what pace the developments will take place, especially now that further cuts are taking place in the Dutch Mediafund and the public broadcasters.
There is probably truth in both observations, they will therefore both be discussed at length in my research report.
Archiving Interactives 