Multiperspective Convergence in Transmedia Storytelling: A Practice-Led Exploration of Interactive Narratives

Abstract

This practice-oriented design research project seeks to explore the question: How might the creative use of multiperspective transmedia storytelling and interactive media foster convergence? In an era marked by increasing polarisation and partisan politics within contemporary society, it is crucial to investigate how media can promote multiplicity. This PhD research examines how transmedia narratives, as conceptualised by Jenkins (2006) and Murray (2012), can be utilised to create stories that encapsulate a diversity of voices and perspectives. The primary goal of this project is to understand how technology-driven storytelling techniques can facilitate the coexistence of varied narratives. The research holds both ecological and cultural significance, beginning with a Pōhutukawa (myrtle) tree in Central Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand, which serves as the focal point of inquiry. The project explores and represents multiple narratives centred around this tree, using it as a metaphor for the potential of storytelling to promote multiperspectivity. The methodological approach is practice-oriented, with the design researcher employing methods such as prototyping, lens-based media processes like photogrammetry, and filmmaking to gather data and create diverse narrative experiences about the site. This research makes a significant contribution to the fields of transmedia design and interactive narrative studies by demonstrating how transmedia narratives can be crafted to convey stories that integrate multiple perspectives, thus fostering a media environment that embraces diversity and multiplicity.