Writing interactive programmes

Interactive multimedia open new possibilities for audio-visual creation. We present in this article an introduction to the theme which contains the background, the scope of contents, and several elements on structure and form. Finally, we contemplate its application to narrative. The latest offer from computers to the audio-visual field is interactive multimedia, which allow presenting texts, sound and images by selective action from the audience. Programmes resulting from the use of this technology are typically presented on a compact disc (CD-ROM, CD-I), but also at a distance by communication networks such as Internet. If we take into account the growing circulation of these two supports, we face a series of challenges, among them the writing, projection and design of these programmes. This study presents a series of considerations on these tasks, with the intention of approaching career scriptwriters to the new medium (1) . Interactive multimedia is not a new technology for collaborating on an application such as text writing, video editing, or musical composition. Neither is it a technology in search of application as often happens with certain inventions. In fact, in the education ambit, it seems proven that interactive learning gives better results than passive learning. Stephen Wilson, an expert in interactivity, says (Wilson, 1994), "Interactive multimedia are seen as allowing users to follow their own associationist paths; to experiment and build on their own cognitive structures; and to link their actions with internal emotional and identity needs. In learning and information retrieval applications, the theories suggest the material will be remembered, used, and integrated better." Wilson himself continues, "In entertainment or art situations, the theories are extrapolated to predict that interactive events can be more profound and moving than non-interactive experiences".