Cirrus@Austlit

'Current discussions around virtual reality (VR) storytelling have surged in the last few years, along with the growth of virtual reality technology and content. There is a focus on differentiating and defining this medium by discussing the immersive, interactive qualities that give it new ways to tell stories. Questions circle around what it means when audiences are ‘present’ in the narrative and how this creates a desire to have agency. I argue these terms – immersion, presence, interactivity, and agency – can be afforded more nuance as they are often used to discuss two different yet interconnected aspects of telling stories with technology: the technology itself and narrative techniques. In an attempt to understand how to tell stories with VR, I have discussed the terms immersion, presence, interactivity and agency from a technology perspective and a narrative perspective. I discuss the translation of literary techniques to VR narratives to demonstrate how storytellers can alter the way audiences are immersed, have agency and feel present and can interact in digital narratives.'  (Publication abstract)