The interactive documentary (iDoc) The Hollow is an excellent example of this genre–it is more cohesive and narrative-driven than a website but more dynamic than a traditional documentary. The interactive documentary is a fractured text that presents information to the reader almost as a buffet–the reader is free to make choices as to which materials they will interact, how deeply they will engage with it, and (to some degree) what order they access the materials. Unlike the traditional, linear documentary or essay, the interactive documentary does not rely on the geography of the text to make connections; instead, it relies on the network of connections internal to the reader.
I noted that the structure of this iDoc allows the reader freedom to explore the content (contributions — mostly videos or interviews with 30 residents of McDowell County, West Virginia, plus interactives, music and graphics) with a good deal of freedom. This iDoc experience, however, is not a complete sandbox. The materials are organized into six separate sections which can be navigated between roughly in the same way you can find shortcuts through IKEA–the ability to subvert the planned path exists, but it’s hidden. Within each themed page, materials are presented in a set order, and the content is previewed in visuals and soundbites that are triggered by scrolling, but the actual content is accessed only when — and if — the audience selects it, and in whatever order they select it in for that section.
My fascination with this documentary is as a collaborative document that allows multiple creators to contribute individual pieces that contribute to the purpose of the whole. It can be a living document with the addition, updating, and deletion of materials. This will be a text my students explore and that will be a part of a future assignment.
Sections:
- The way it was
- These Roots
- For each other
- For the land
- When coal was king
- Around the bend