What is interactivity for? The social dimension of web-documentary participation

Abstract

Documentary has been so closely associated with the mediums of film and television that the emergence of new forms of documentary, made for computerized mediums such as the Internet, mobile phones and tablets appear fundamentally transformative. The potential for audiences to interact with documentary in various ways is at the heart of what makes these new modes of documentary distinctive; audiences are potentially able to engage in a range of practices from navigating virtual environments, to choosing video content from a database, taking part in ‘chat’ sessions and creating content. Engaging theoretically with these emerging audience practices raises questions about authorship and the social impact of documentary. In this paper, interactivity and participation are considered from a social perspective. It is suggested that there is a need to distinguish between user actions that impact on the documentary text and the ability of users to engage with others through documentary. The concept of documentary voice is interrogated to reveal two distinct dimensions: voice-as-authorship and voice-as-social participation. Drawing on documentary and digital media scholarship, this paper explores the social functions of documentary interactivity and participation with reference to a range of web-documentary examples.

Notes

^1. Several discussion threads focus on these issues. In particular: inaccuracies, this is the most skewed, elitist piece of drivel I have ever watched; the real Canon City and Fremont residents reactions to Prison Valley. Available at: http://prisonvalley.arte.tv/en/forums/discussions/1/

^2. Bsteg, 11 May 2010, Miscellaneous inaccuracies

^3. Tinmarcoo, 13 May 2010, Fremont Residents Reactions to Prison Valley

^4. Novasil, 18 May 2010, Fremont Residents Reactions to Prison Valley

^5. Defence Our Answers to the residents of Fremont County FAQ

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kate Nash

Kate Nash is lecturer in the School of Media and Communications at the University of Leeds, UK. She was previously a lecturer in the School of Social Sciences, University of Tasmania, Australia. Her research focuses on emerging forms of documentary, particularly work produced for the Internet. She has recently co-edited New Documentary Ecologies: Emerging Platforms, Practices and Discourses published by Palgrave.