Writing in New Scientist, Wendy Zukerman, Asia-Pacific reporter writes that it is time for cinema to take its next step. 3D technology now fills our screens with beautifully rendered characters and virtual environments, but we could have so much more.
So says Dennis Del Favero, director of what he calls the world’s first 3D interactive film,Scenario. Rather than having audience members sit back and enjoy the action, the interactive narrative has them drive the story.
Undoubtedly, the ultimate synthetic interactive environment must be the virtual worlds generated by Star Trek‘s “Holodeck”. To date, steps in this direction have been restricted because computer-generated characters cannot yet understand and speak in natural language. One solution is to sidestep the need for language and interact with audience members using physical markers, like movement.