The basic elements of a story might always be the same, but the way you tell it is everything. We saw two innovations from publishers this week that pursue that truth in ever more fun and interactive ways, taking storytelling to a whole new level.
First up, DC Entertainment, the comic makers famous for protagonists such as Batman, announced a story-multiverse which will be music to comic book lovers’ ears. Readers will be able to take control of individual characters and influence the plotlines like never before, within a vast depth of interactive artworks.
And elsewhere Penguin showed off a new Google Hangout web app and it looks like great fun. Called Story time Hangout, it invites friends and family to take on a kids’ book character wherever they are in the world, and act them out for their young audience. Augmented reality masks convincingly bring the characters to life, and it makes for a unique experience every time. We think it’s awesome.
In the meantime, newer social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and others have enabled users and influencers to take creative storytelling to yet another level. These platforms provide unprecedented opportunities for both creativity and in-app editing. TikTok’s short-form videos encourage users to craft engaging, quick narratives, while YouTube offers a platform for longer, more in-depth storytelling. Facebook’s diverse media options and interactive features allow for a wide range of storytelling techniques. These tools empower users to experiment with new formats and reach global audiences, making storytelling more dynamic and accessible than ever before. This evolution in digital storytelling is transforming how stories are shared and experienced across the world.
