Atmatzidou, Avgi Maria (2025), Interactive Documentaries and the Transformation of Artificial Intelligence, Cunoașterea Științifică, 4:1, 235-245, https://www.cunoasterea.ro/interactive-documentaries-and-the-transformation-of-artificial-intelligence/
Abstract
Digital technologies continue to regenerate and metamorphose the methods of producing interactive documentaries and how their audiences consume them in the 21st century. In addition, media practitioners with specialties in producing interactive documentaries are still creating new technological approaches to taint various worldly perceptions while introducing additional strategies for improving efficiency in the production process. Most importantly, contemporary digital innovations such as documentary games, websites, desktop multimedia applications, non-fictional works, and interactive installations explore these types of documentaries and challenge their present formats.
The article examines interactive documentaries and the transformation of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Various journals and academic articles conducted by previous scholars in the field of interactive documentaries are reviewed to establish whether digital technologies fasten the authorship and production of documentaries, improve the distribution of documentaries to the intended audience, and enable the measurement of the effectiveness and timeliness of documentary production processes. The review equally investigates whether technologies such as virtual and augmented reality enhance access to diverse audiences and enhance the immersion and presence of documentary audiences.
According to the findings retrieved in this research article, the use of AI in the production of interactive documentaries results in more personalized experiences that foster deeper engagement levels. It encourages the exploration of different audience perspectives in the interactive documentary sector of the media industry. Nonetheless, these technologies, such as AR and VR, are digitizing the project phase of interactive documentary production by improving their distribution to the intended audience, measuring the effectiveness and timeliness of production processes, and speeding the authorship and production of interactive documentaries.
Keywords: Interactive documentary, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Transformation, Virtual Reality, Machine Learning, Augmented Reality, Immersive Technologies, Audience Perspectives
Documentare interactive și transformarea inteligenței artificiale
Rezumat
Tehnologiile digitale continuă să regenereze și să metamorfozeze metodele de producere a documentarelor interactive și modul în care publicul lor le consumă în secolul XXI. În plus, practicienii media cu specialități în producerea de documentare interactive încă creează noi abordări tehnologice pentru a păta diverse percepții lumești, introducând în același timp strategii suplimentare pentru îmbunătățirea eficienței procesului de producție. Cel mai important, inovațiile digitale contemporane, cum ar fi jocurile documentare, site-urile web, aplicațiile multimedia desktop, lucrările non-ficționale și instalațiile interactive explorează aceste tipuri de documentare și provoacă formatele lor actuale.
Articolul examinează documentarele interactive și transformarea inteligenței artificiale (AI). Diverse reviste și articole academice realizate de specialiști anteriori în domeniul documentarelor interactive sunt revizuite pentru a stabili dacă tehnologiile digitale limitează calitatea de autor și producția documentarelor, îmbunătățesc distribuția documentarelor către publicul vizat și permit măsurarea eficacității și promptitudinea proceselor de producție a documentarelor. Analiza investighează în mod egal dacă tehnologiile precum realitatea virtuală și augmentată îmbunătățesc accesul la diverse audiențe și îmbunătățesc imersiunea și prezența publicului documentar.
Conform constatărilor găsite în acest articol de cercetare, utilizarea inteligenței artificiale în producția de documentare interactive are ca rezultat experiențe mai personalizate, care favorizează niveluri mai profunde de implicare. Încurajează explorarea diferitelor perspective ale publicului în sectorul documentarului interactiv al industriei media. Cu toate acestea, aceste tehnologii, cum ar fi AR și VR, digitalizează faza de proiect a producției de documentare interactive prin îmbunătățirea distribuției lor către publicul vizat, măsurând eficacitatea și actualitatea proceselor de producție și accelerând calitatea de autor și producția de documentare interactive.
Cuvinte cheie: documentar interactiv, inteligență artificială, transformare digitală, realitate virtuală, învățare automată, realitate augmentată, tehnologii imersive, perspective ale publicului
CUNOAȘTEREA ȘTIINȚIFICĂ, Volumul 4, Numărul 1, Martie 2025, pp. 235-245
ISSN 2821 – 8086, ISSN – L 2821 – 8086,
URL: https://www.cunoasterea.ro/interactive-documentaries-and-the-transformation-of-artificial-intelligence/
© 2025 Avgi Maria ATMATZIDOU. Responsabilitatea conținutului, interpretărilor și opiniilor exprimate revine exclusiv autorilor.
Interactive Documentaries and the Transformation of Artificial Intelligence
Avgi Maria ATMATZIDOU[1]
aatmatzidou@gmail.com
[1] PhD student, Film and Media department at Babes—Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca
Introduction
In the 21st century, digital technologies are revolutionizing the ways in which interactive documentaries are produced and consumed by their audience (Aston & Gaudenzi, 2012; Dowling, 2022). An interactive documentary is referred to as a multimedia documentary or a web documentary (Dowling, 2022). An interactive documentary is defined as a different documentary production form other than the traditional forms of documentary production forms such as texts, audio, and photographic forms through the use of complemented multimedia tools (Dowling, 2022). Practitioners in the field of interaction documentary production have been seeking to introduce new approaches for tainting different perceptions of the world as well as innovative strategies to improve the documentary real efficiency in the last few years (Ogden, 2020). Many digital innovations such as websites and desktop multimedia applications, documentary games, non-fiction works with virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed documentaries, and interactive installations have been exploring the field of interactive documentary as well as challenging the formats of prevailing documentaries (Aston & Gaudenzi, 2012). Therefore, as evident in the contemporary media industry, digital technologies are fastening the authorship and production of documentaries, improving the distribution of documentaries to the intended audience, and enabling the measurement of the effectiveness and timeliness of documentary production processes. In addition, innovations like virtual reality and augmented reality are permitting the access to various audiences and increasing immersion and attendance of documentary audience, by that means resulting in more personalized experiences, fostering deeper engagement levels, and encouraging the exploration of difference audience perspectives in the interactive documentary sector of the media industry.
The effect of digitization on the project phases of interactive documentaries in the media industry
While the introduction of general digital transformation processes and digital tools often defy traditional approaches and introduce new exciting technologies and methodologies, a new changeful and uncertain research domain in the interactive documentary field is equally being introduced (Ogden, 2020). These technologies are fastening the authorship and production of documentaries, improving the distribution of documentaries to the intended audience, and measuring the effectiveness and timeliness of documentary production processes as discussed below.
Fastens the authorship and production of documentaries
Digital transformation impact the project life cycles of interactive documentaries by fastening the authorship and production of documentaries in the media industry. Technological innovations in the media industry have resulted in more evolution regarding how interactive documentaries are produced and released to the intended audience and TV programs (Wang et al., 2021). The interactive capabilities of websites, the increasing use of the internet, and the presence of cheaper and more productive digital technologies in interactive documentary production projects have increased the production of interactive documentaries in the media industry (Varpio et al., 2020). In addition, the producers of documentaries are now able to review their productions simultaneously with the shooting stages, thereby reducing the time taken to produce a complete interactive documentary (Solidoro & Viscusi, 2020). The literature by Ogden (2020) supported this narrative by demonstrating that the incorporation of digital technologies such as AI is enabling producers and directors of documentaries more time in the production process thereby shifting some of the most complex production tasks that used to take longer periods such as week or months into more simpler ones that are now taking few hours or days to complete the production process.
Improves the distribution of documentaries to the intended audience
Digital transformation also impacts the project life cycles of interactive documentaries by improving the distribution of interactive documentaries to the intended audience in the media industry (Podara et al., 2021). While technology is making the documentary field to fall in a crisis period, it has equally fastened the production and authorship of interactive documentary projects, thus embarking in an interesting growth era (Kritikos & Mania, 2022). On the other hand, the introduction of advanced technologies, innovation, and the internet have introduced new avenues for exhibition, thus resulting in the loss of imperative assets by mainstream media institution that initially monopolized audiences’ access (Mundhenke, 2020) Additionally, digital technologies being adopted in the documentary field are creating opportunities for media owners and filmmakers to distribute their documentaries to audiences across the globe, thus developing direct relationships with them (Aston & Gaudenzi, 2012). Lastly, the use of the internet in the media and documentary field keeps challenging the value and long-established function of traditional distributors by making the distribution channel easy, cheaper, and more personal (Dowling, 2022).
Measures the effectiveness and timeliness of documentary production processes
Digital transformation impacts the project life cycles of interactive documentaries by measuring the effectiveness and timeliness of documentary production processes in the media industry (Ducasse et al., 2020). The use of technology in the production of interactive documentaries has resulted in the invention of new, advanced, and sophisticated equipment such as cameras enabling cinematographers to produce high definition graphics to give the audience personalized and amazing content (Dowling, 2022). On the other hand, the use of digital technologies has enabled the producers and authors of documentaries to produce them at shorter periods compared to the initial use of traditional production methods (Gaudenzi, 2018).
The effects of virtual and augmented realities on documentaries as a result of digital transformation
The effects of virtual and augmented realities on documentaries as a result of digital transformation mentioned in existing evidence include; enabling the access to diverse audiences, enhancing immersion and presence of documentary audience, and facilitating interactive storytelling to the audience as discussed below.
Enable access to diverse audiences
Virtual and augmented realities are affecting interactive documentaries by enabling the access to diverse audiences as a result of digital transformation (Kapur & Ansari, 2022). As explained by Kapur and Ansari (2022), the diverse audience in the interactive documentary context often described an array of audience and viewers with varying interests, knowledge levels, population statistics, and economic situation. Otherwise, Mundhenke (2020) mentioned that the presence of diverse audience facilitates the use of interactive formats to aid in catering for the needs of the audience through the provision of various navigation and entry points, allowing individuals to explore the documentaries’ contents in ways that excites them. This often includes individuals from various socioeconomic groups, geographic locations, digital literacy levels, various cultures, as well as those of different ages and gender (Mundhenke, 2020). AR and VR are offering the authors, directors, and producers of documentaries the added advantage of attracting and engaging more diverse audiences across various entertainment and media avenues (Kirchengast, 2020). On the other hand, Mundhenke (2020) discussed that immersive interaction and integrations in interactive documentaries are reigniting more audiences’ interests that keep fostering deep connections with potential audience, thus opening more streams of revenues for stakeholders.
Enhance immersion and presence of documentary audience
Virtual and augmented realities are affecting interactive documentaries by enhancing the immersion and presence of documentary audience as a result of the integration of digital transformation (Podara et al., 2021). For purposes of enhancing immersion in the production of interactive documentaries, digital technologies are being utilized to enhances techniques such as user-controlled perspectives, thoughtful data visualization integrations, introduction of 360 degrees videos, use of spatial audios, integration of realistic visuals, incorporation of branching narratives, use of detailed designs of sounds, and the use of interactive elements of documentaries elements often relating to stories and the subject matter (Podara et al., 2021). In the use of thoughtful data visualization integration technique, the audience is often allowed to deeply engage and participate in the subject matter my enabling them feel as if they are inside these stories rather than just having to watch them (Kritikos & Mania, 2022). As documented by Mundhenke (2020), AR and VR have played integral roles in the revolutionizing of the documentary field. The two technologies are enabling viewers of interactive documentaries to get absorbed in the immersive world and experience documentary stories in ways they had never experienced before (Kritikos & Mania, 2022). Further, Kapur and Ansari, (2022) explained that digital innovations such as VR and AR are enabling authors, directors, and producers of interactive documentaries to possess powerful tool for engaging diverse audiences on deeper levels, from interactive narratives to 360 degree visuals.
The effects of digital transformation on the engagement of media users with interactive documentaries in new and immersive ways
The effects of digital transformation on the engagement of media users with interactive documentaries in new and immersive ways discussed in this section as explained by evidence from existing studies include; facilitating more personalized experiences, enhancing the exploration of different audience perspectives, and fostering deeper engagement levels.
Facilitates more personalized experiences
Digital transformation affects the engagement of media users with interactive documentaries in new and immersive ways by facilitating more personalized experiences of audience (Aston & Odorico, 2022). In the digital world, personalized experiences refer to the audiences’ ability to engage as well as navigate with interactive documentary content in ways that are tailored to the choices, preferences, and interests, and these audience, thus enabling them to engage deeper into various aspects of the documentary’s stories, explore audiences’ perspectives, and shape their perceptions, narratives, and beliefs within the framework of documentary works (Aston & Odorico, 2022). This is due to the interactive nature of interactive documentaries often elevated using branching storylines, clickable hotspots, and decision points which are user-driven. As discussed by Ducasse et al., (2020), the integration of digital technologies such as AR are aiding immersive documentary theaters to push their storytelling boundaries, provide maximally personalized and engaging experiences. Additionally, the integration of digital technological aspects into production experiences reduced the cost of marking physical schedules, information, and maps, thus enabling more resources and focus to be channeled towards the production of more personalized experiences for all kinds of audience related to the production as well as encouraging and attracting future attendance (Kapur & Ansari, 2022).
Enhances exploration of different audience perspectives
Digital transformation affects the engagement of media users with interactive documentaries in new and immersive ways by enhancing the exploration of different audience perspectives (Solidoro & Viscusi, 2020). The attitudes of audience, their interactions with documentary’s content, and the level of audience participants are some of the different audience perspectives in the media industry (Solidoro & Viscusi, 2020). In most cases, the audiences of documentaries interact with them through conversational modes, participatory mode, and hyper textual modes (Solidoro & Viscusi, 2020). Moreover, the audience can often interact with the virtual worlds, explore closed archives of videos based on provided options, and make contributions to interactive documentaries by responding to queries, uploading different media, and engaging in chat sessions (Ducasse et al., 2020). In the view of Aston and Odorico (2022), the technological adoption in the production of interactive documentaries has enable authors and directors to reflect on the diverse perspective of the audience, thus enabling the producers to grasp the intertwined voices of the consumers. Additionally, Ducasse et al. (2020) supported this sentiment sating that the use of digital technologies in documentary production enables directors to demarcate the perspective of their audience through their actions during the process of interacting with their productions.
Fosters deeper engagement levels
Digital transformation affects the engagement of media users with interactive documentaries in new and immersive ways by fostering deeper engagement levels with the audience of interactive documentaries (Aston & Odorico, 2022). In interactive documentaries, user engagements describe the ways in which such documentaries keep encouraging their audience to frequently participant in their storytelling experiences. These experiences often include elements in documentaries such as discussion forums, polls, and quizzes. The major aim of these elements is often to introduce more personalized connections between the subject matter of documentaries and the audience (Aston & Odorico, 2022). As explained by Dowling (2022) and Kritikos et al., (2022), digital technologies in the production of interactive documentaries deepen the connection of audience to the subject under discussion. This connection demonstrates that these technologies have revolutionized documentaries in powerful tools of conveying imperative information to make them understand, change, or foster empathy (Kritikos et al., 2022). As a result, the integration of technologies has resulted in the unintentional increase of the engagement of audience of interactive documentaries, thus making them more different from other types of documentaries.
Conclusion
An interactive documentary are different forms of documentary productions other than the traditional forms of documentary production forms such as texts, audio, and photographic forms through the use of complemented multimedia tools. The article explored how digital technologies have revolutionized the production of interactive technologies by examining the impact of digital transformation on the project life cycles of interactive documentaries in the media industry, the effects of virtual and augmented realities on documentaries as a result of digital transformation, and the effects of digital transformation on the engagement of media users with interactive documentaries in new and immersive ways.
According to the article, the effects of virtual and augmented realities on interactive documentaries are enabling the access to diverse audiences, enhancing immersion and presence of documentary audience, and facilitating interactive storytelling to the audience, the effects of virtual and augmented realities on interactive documentaries are enabling the access to diverse audiences, enhancing immersion and presence of documentary audience, and facilitating interactive storytelling to the audience, and the effects of virtual and augmented realities on interactive documentaries are enabling the access to diverse audiences, enhancing immersion and presence of documentary audience, and facilitating interactive storytelling to the audience. Conversely, the article presented how important knowledge retrieved from existing findings from previous studies affect and are being utilized in the interactive documentary production in the media industry. In the practice and policymaking context, the article demonstrated that the contemporary media industry is sensitizing the adoption and use of digital technologies in the production process of interactive documentaries. The insight is being adopted by policymakers in media organizations to facilitate the adoption of the most advance and innovative technologies to save time and costs often incurred in the production of interactive documentaries compared to traditional methods. Secondly, practitioners in the media industry are adopting advanced technologies such as AR and VR to enhance the immersion of audience as well as their engagement with documentaries.
References
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