Media Interactivity and You

Ever wish you could interact with your favorite television show? I'm sure we've all yelled at the screen, screaming at the woman with the blonde hair to run OUT of the hosue, and not just lock the door and play hide and seek with the serial killer. People from all cultures do this, and it still never changes the outcome (as hard as we might wish). However, all that may be beginning to change. On January 14th, 2013, the television show Hawaii 5-O gave viewers an unprecedented experience. Viewers could interact with the show like never before. The audience was able to influence the outcome of the episode. The plot revolved around a "whodunit" storyline and the audience could follow along and choose who they think committed the crime. Towards the end of the show, they could vote online for who they thought did it. Then, the person with the most votes got their ending aired. If the majority thought the student did it, the ending showing the student's guilt would be aired. How cool is that? This isn't the only tool the media has used to get the audience actuvely involvde in the medium. Recently, WWE's Raw has begun to broadcast a segment using audience interactivity, called "Raw Active". This segment lets the audience do everything from vote for participants in a match to even naming tag teams. The WWE Superstars also "Tout", which is a small recording device. They are like mini-podcasts from the wrestlers. They air from time to time during Raw and Smackdown, as well as being published online on WWE.com. The XBox continues to lead the way in the realm of interactivity. The XBox has come up with Kinect, applications such as Skype on your console, and even the ability to watch movies and television with your friends online (which has since been disbanded). Technology is rapidly changing, and we are all in for a great treat. As time wears on, we will get more involved in television and games. We are going to be the one's to make a difference. In fact, I think it's pretty evident that we already are. Since interactivity is found almost everywhere, I have decided to add examples to this post so you can see just how prevelant (and fun) media interactivity can be. Tonight, I found a website that contains an interactive script from the indie hit Moonrise Kingdom (2012). The interactive script lets you read the script while viewing production photos, looking at maps of the country, and so forth. What a cool concept and piece or technology to enjoy. If you're interested, take a peek!