Responsive media and non-linear participatory narratives of mental health
Lead Research Organisation:
University of York
Department Name: Theatre Film and TV
Abstract
This PhD research explores the application of non-linear narratives afforded by new forms of interactive storytelling, such as responsive media, to the production of participatory films created by non-professionals with lived experiences of mental health problems. The aim of the research is to bridge the gap between the emerging practice of interactive filmmaking and community storytelling in mental health, with a view at how complex and non-linear narrative forms could suit polyvocal and diverse film productions. The research is practice-based and involves the design, implementation, and evaluation of an interactive film prototype produced in Cutting Room, an object-based media tool developed at Digital Creativity Labs, University of York, in collaboration with BBC R+D.
Organisations
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP/N509802/1 | 01/10/2016 | 31/03/2022 | |||
| 2253427 | Studentship | EP/N509802/1 | 01/10/2017 | 31/03/2021 | Simona Manni |
| Title | Stepping Through Interactive |
| Description | As part of the research, we are completing an interactive film called Stepping Through, an expansion of an existing community film produced in 2016. Stepping Through Interactive has been designed by four participants with lived experience of mental health problems to discuss the impact of isolation and community on recovery. The viewers are allowed to explore the film through multiple avenues, following different segments of video poetry according to their empathetic response to the authors' feelings and thoughts. The film has been designed to create a compelling narrative that offers encouraging support to those facing difficulties related to mental health and to make audiences more aware of elements that play into anyone's mental and emotional wellbeing by personalising the narrative offered to each viewer. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Impact | The film is at its final stages of development and has not been released to audiences yet. We are planning an extensive evaluation with different audience groups which will allow us to explore in detail the impact potential of the product. |
| Description | This research is exploring the creation of interactive film narratives by non-professional filmmakers who have direct experience of mental health problems. We started by exploring an existing traditional film produced in 2016 by five men about isolation and community in recovery. We worked with the same participants through creative research methods and our study found that non-linear storytelling afforded by interactive media could unlock expressive potential that is not possible to access through traditional filmmaking, especially when a group of community members are working together. We have then proceeded into designing an interactive version of the film analysed and, through doing that, have experimented with different design methods and found that working with physical materials (boxes, cards, photographs, ropes of different colours) has been successful into supporting participants with no experience of interactive design in grasping and shaping ideas. After the designing and filming, we are now constructing a film prototype through a collaboration with software developers at DC Labs, University of York, using their developing tool, Cutting Room. So, overall, the research so far has produced as results a framework to design interactive and non-linear narratives with a non-specialist audience and possible workflows in producing interactive films through a collaboration amongst filmmakers, participants, and software developers. |
| Exploitation Route | We are now close to the stage of evaluating the interactive film produced and its possible uses in the mental health contexts for training, community work, and raising awareness. We will consult a number of different audiences (people with mental health problems, mental health professionals and support workers, academics conducting research on mental health and sample of general population). The results from these evaluation will allow us to direct the film towards use in the community as well as disseminating and adapting the workflow to other community settings through future research. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Healthcare |
| Description | Poster presentation at Beyond 2020 Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | I desgined and submitted a poster to Beyond 2020, a conference focused on the relationship between creative research and business innovation. On acceptance of the poster, I presented my research and poster during a Meet the Research session. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://beyondconference.org/ |