Hi I鈥檓 Michael Kibblewhite, a producer for the Fusion project. We are part of the and support the development of new skills in creativity and technology both within the 主播大秀 and for the wider industry.
We recently held an event in London called and I want to share some of the insights from the day here.
Future Fiction posed the question: where next for drama? In recent years there has been a surge in new and disruptive platforms to distribute content. From 鈥檚 distribution of to Toshiba funding , change is in the air.
We gathered speakers from across the world of digital distribution and drama production. They discussed how the digital revolution is changing not only the way we consume drama but the way it is developed, produced and commissioned.
Watch a clip of writer Luke Hyams at 主播大秀 Future Fiction
You can watch them in action on our or I have distilled some of their key points below.
Introducing 鈥榚spresso fiction鈥�
Shot-sized stories are winning, YouTube鈥檚 Rosie Alimonos told our audience of writers and digital creatives. Rosie noted the pulling power of online formats such as and where the story develops in real time and the main character talks directly to the audience.
鈥�Be a catalyst, pack a punch and leave them wanting more鈥� is Rosie鈥檚 mantra for success for original programmes.
For writer Luke Hyams broadcasting original short-form content through YouTube and other online distribution channels is successful because it enables a connection to the audience, instant feedback and therefore more reactive storytelling.
Producers are able to make use of the specific data available to them and can adjust storylines according to audience behavior as in his popular online series .
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Does digital limit storytelling?
鈥�Computers are stupid鈥�. You don鈥檛 hear that often, but they remain inferior to writers in the storytelling process technologist Paul Rissen believes. (Best to watch this video of him belowexplaining why.) Essentially, more human touch is the key to development in this space said Nicole Yershon, director of innovative solutions at .
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Watch technologist Paul Rissen speaking at Future Fiction
Keynote speech: Q&A with writer Peter Moffat
Box-set culture 鈥�is a great moment for television and the opportunities are profound.鈥� Writer Peter Moffat says that video on demand combats audience inattention and lets the writer take more control.
Commending House of Cards and it鈥檚 method of distribution, he is still wary of the future for the series. Netflix reputedly used big data to determine the success of the show so he is mindful of the possibility that statistics will shape its future more that the writers.
How can drama production be agile?
We talk of in software teams, but iterative and incremental working can yield results in drama too.聽聽 ITV鈥檚 head of digital soaps Danny Whitfield is an advocate. It鈥檚 about 鈥�taking away that comfy chair, making the audience share the story, and create familiar frames in different places鈥� to make innovation easier.聽
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Formats for the future of fiction
Author Naomi Alderman wants objects to flow from the story world she creates into the real world of her audience. She鈥檚 had great success in turning the average jog into a zombie apocalypse in her app
Meanwhile, the case for perceptive media was offered by from .聽 He sees a future with more immersive drama experiences, as the connected experience reacts to body gestures and analyses your data to offer a tailored experience.
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The day was supported with workshops, such as lessons on the five-act structure by former 主播大秀 Drama Controller . He argues that despite recent advances in technology, the fundamentals of storytelling remain the same.
So the future of fiction is not all about reinventing the wheel after all.
What do you want the future of fiction to look like?
Michael Kibblewhite is a producer for 主播大秀 Fusion.