My father-in-law was a small boy at the end of WW2, the Germans had commandeered the neighbour's house, and he can still vividly remember hearing the 12 year old German ‘soldiers’ crying for their mothers on the other side of his bedroom wall. During my research for October 13th I found many story fragments like this. Heart-rending in their simplicity. Needing to be made into a form that could be told to as many people as possible.
October 13th presents a new way of interacting with stories we may think we already know and understand. The stories that in fact we need to hear reiterated - in as personal and impactful a way as possible. In the face of unpredictable social change, radical nationalism is once again gaining ground the world over, and stories that connect us with our history, our fellow man and our collective future need to be told now, perhaps more than ever.
I envisage the final piece, October 13th, not as naturalism but rather a heightened realism - viscerally realistic, but using artistic means to increase the impact of the story and amplify it. For instance, colour is something I've tried to use to multiple effect: contrasting the muted colours, of things being destroyed, with bright greens of natural landscapes; for symbolic effect; and also, in some places as an additional guidance system for the user.
Secondary action is something I've been careful to look at in detail, so that users revisiting the experience (or those more curious types) have plenty to look at when they are investigating the environment. This could of course be extended, budget allowing, to create a whole area of ‘Venlo’ that could be explored irrespective of the through-line. Something similar was done with the Sleepy Hollow VR experience last year.
October 13th has also been written with with new and developing VR in mind. Combining the best tools of film and visual art e.g. language, colour and drama; with elements of gamification that naturally arise from the story. And rather than glorifying a wartime situation, these gamified parts and environmental storytelling hopefully act as a way to maximise audience engagement. I have tried to amplify the unique perspective and sense of presence that VR brings, and which allows us to put You, personally, right in the middle of the situation. I am aware however, that some things may need alternative scripting to be best achieved with the currently available technology. I think of scripts as a blueprint of a final product not the product itself, and enjoy the collaborative creative process needed to realise a shared vision.
That said, I have tried to write with the practical needs of VR production in mind. For example: splitting the action into parts which would allow for several long, continuous action takes, with feasible hidden segues/transitions between them. Since getting into VR, I have geeked out completely, avidly keeping track of the latest developments in VR tech and everything related to it. Whilst writing all of my experimental VR scripts (seven to date), I have kept in mind the potential of different types of HMD. This experience should work well for a straightforward HMD, e.g. Samsung Gear or Google headsets, but could be layered to provide additional immersion for more sophisticated systems such as Oculus and Vive.
If possible, there are ideas built in that could well be enhanced by the latest haptic feedback devices, actor mounted equipment or 4D immersion (i.e. building a theatrical setting in which to stage the experience for users - as the National Theatre did with the Wonderland VR installation). The more physically immersive the piece can be, the more of a Hybrid - VR experience it becomes.
Chris Milk, CEO of Within VR, is among those who have called VR an ‘empathy machine’. As with my past work, The Crossing, I believe that the dramatisation of real stories allows audiences to be impacted by them in a way that journalism/documentary or historical accounts do not always achieve. Using personal narratives to bring the user/audience closer to the story, is also something I have found to be very effective in the past; and which I truly believe can make people reassess their opinions and beliefs.