“The moment of shooting”: embracing improvisation towards efficiency in the creation of micro-budget interactive short films

This practice-based project investigates the concept of choice-based interactive narrative, micro-budget filmmaking and improvisation as a basis for the production of interactive short films. 'Choose Your Own Adventure' choice-based features inevitably increase production time and production costs, making interactive film an inefficient visual medium and narrative form. However, with the passage of time and the development of technology, it is relatively easy nowadays for media professionals to make interactive films under different budget conditions. Moreover, a networked interactive environment alongside increasingly simplified, high-tech personal film production methods, brings new possibilities for today's media professionals and independent filmmakers. Under these premises, this project aims to experiment with improvisation and micro-budget filmmaking as a creative method to explore choice-based interactive film structures. It explores the relevant design principles and production workflows that help media professionals/ independent filmmakers to more efficiently reproduce content for a choice-based interactive narrative.<br><br> The significance of this project lies primarily in demonstrating how experimentation with improvisational methods leads to greater efficiency in the creation of interactive film. This is especially of significance for independent filmmakers, bringing them a better chance to convey narrative vividly with the target audiences in today's interactive media environment. This project, entitled The Delivery, will be achieved by combining more than 30 minutes of video clips with interactive functions into a roughly 15 minute interactive short film with 3 to 5 possible endings, using primarily Klynt. The project will feature choose-your-own-adventure style with seamless Quick Time Event (QTE) interactive functions. The choices of the user will have consequences from the very start until the very end. Through this, audiences are transformed from passive consumers into active users, participating in narrative interactions. Furthermore, from a production perspective, this project experiments with production techniques (improvisation, small crew) and audiovisual technologies (mobile phone camera, mirrorless camera, drone) to examine practical, efficient, micro-budget screen production in the area of interactive film.