Interactive documentaries: definition of the concept in Russian and foreign studies

Cherednichenko Lyudmila PhD in Philology Associate professor, Department of Journalism, Pacific National University 680035, Russia, Khabarovskii krai, g. Khabarovsk, ul. Tikhookeanskaya, 136 chchenko@mail.ru Other publications by this author

Introduction. The birth of interactive documentaries

and the formation of the problem field of its research

The development of information technologies, changes in media consumption, ways of processing and distributing information have led to the transformation of traditional and the emergence of new ways and techniques of presenting content in the media. Interactive documentaries (interactive documentary, i-docs, web documentaries, web documentaries, webdocs) have become one of the new forms, combining the possibilities of documentary cinema and new media. Interactive documentaries is a new phenomenon of the modern media space, which appeared as a result of the convergence of new information and communication technologies and documentary films as a response to a social request and a change in the media consumption of the audience, in conditions of increasing interest in interactive content and decreasing interest of the media consumer in large arrays of text.

The development of the webdoc began in 2010, when the Canadian director Katerina Chizek created the web documentary project "Out my window" ^[36]. This project tells about the life of people in high-rise buildings on the outskirts of 13 cities. The heroes of the material are representatives of different religions, races and social status. The user can choose which hero's story of which country he would like to get acquainted with.

The main form of information presentation in the project is a 3D navigation video with a 360-degree viewing angle. This technique allows the viewer to feel himself in the center of events (creates the effect of presence and serves to make the material even more immersive). With one mouse movement, the user is able to change the viewing angle and direction of the frame, which is an interactive option. As one of the first researchers of web documentaries S. Buntasanakul notes: "The director of the project "Highrise / Out My Window" Katerina Chizhek used the new technology not in all videos, but in those cases when freedom in choosing the viewing angle helped the user to immerse himself in the environment and enhanced his emotional experience" ^{[7, p. 156]}. The novelty of the technology of information presentation in this documentary project was a combination of interactivity (as a game beginning), non-linearity (as the realization of the user's right to freedom of choice and preferences), multimedia, as well as the absence of text-centricity (the core of the narrative is video).

The first Russian project in the form of interactive documentaries "Sixteen Minus" was created in 2013 by a creative group of RIA-Novosti journalists. The author of the project, Daria Yarygina, designated the material as a "web documentary" ^[24]. Ilya Lazarev, deputy editor-in-chief of RIA-Novosti, in one of the publications devoted to the material "Sixteen Minus", emphasized its uniqueness: "In the West, web documentary technologies are very common and web documentaries have already received worldwide recognition. In Russia, we will be the first serious media that will make this genre accessible to a mass audience" ^[24].

The first Russian webdoc was distinguished by the non-linearity of the media text structure, thanks to which the user could choose the logic and order of viewing the stories of the five main characters of the project. By clicking on the corresponding clickable window, the viewer could watch a video monologue of his chosen heroine, statistics, photos, texts, and get acquainted with the opinions of experts. The main form of information submission was video, to which all other elements (short captions, clickable buttons and links, as well as graphics) were subordinated.

The first attempts to apply new techniques of reality representation aroused the interest of the scientific community. Many works are devoted to a new form of representation of reality and important social problems. A significant number of studies have been conducted by foreign scientists. Defining the characteristics of interactive documentaries (interactive documentary, i-docs) and web documentaries (web-documentary, web-doc), analysis of documentary practices, methodology of creativity are devoted to the works of A. Gifreu-Castels ^{[34; 35; 49; 50; 51]}, S. Gaudenzi ^{[26; 27; 31; 32; 33]}, D. Aston ^{[26; 28]}, K. Nash ^{[39; 40; 41; 42; 43]}, D. O. Dowling ^[29], P. Favero ^[30], T. Perlmuter ^[44], A. Wil ^[48], C. Mu ^[37], L. Cao ^[28] and many others. The fundamental and conceptual works in this field are the works of A. Gifreu-Castels, S. Gaudenzi and K. Nash.

S. Gaudenzi's research is devoted to the definition of a new phenomenon ^[33], methods of user interaction, types of interactivity, taxonomy of interactive documentary (i-docs) ^[33], forms of interactive narration ^{[27; 33]}, modern creative practices, ethical issues related to the formation of this new form ^[27].

A. Gifreu-Castels develops a conceptual framework that allows to characterize and classify interactive documentaries (interactive documentary, i-docs) as a special audiovisual genre, describes, classifies and analyzes works related to this form ^[49], studies the effectiveness and potential of interactive documentary (i-docs) in immersing and involving users in history ^[51], the form and structure of the narrative of an interactive documentary ^[50] navigation methods ^[49]. compares and differentiates traditional linear videos and interactive documentaries ^[49], explores the history of the development of a new form ^[49]

To. Nash considers interactivity as a representative strategy of the webdoc, its interactive structures ^[42], analyzes the features of interactivity ^{[39; 40]} and social functions of the webdoc ^[41;43].

This topic has repeatedly become the subject of domestic research. The main characteristics of interactive documentaries are devoted to the works of N. I. Dvorko ^{[10; 11; 12]}, A.V. Ekimova ^[15], A.V. Antonova ^[4]; the innovative nature of interactive documentaries and the role of new technologies in the creation of documentary materials are noted by S. Buntasanakul ^{[8; 9]}, P. R. Sheremetyeva ^[23], A. G. Kachkaeva ^[17], A. A. Nikitenko ^[19]. The scientific works of such researchers as E. V. Shapkina ^[22] and D. V. Zubko ^[16] emphasize the role of web documentaries in the formation of audience preferences. The features of composition and the main means of expression used in the creation of web documentary projects were studied by S. Buntasanakul ^[7], N. I. Dvorko ^[11] and V. S. Baydina ^[5]. Individual forms and types of interactive documentaries are indicated in the study of N. I. Dvorko ^[10].

Definition of the concept of "interactive documentaries"

foreign scientists

One of the significant problems of modern research of interactive documentaries is the definition of the boundaries of this concept. To designate a new form, domestic and foreign researchers and authors of documentary projects use a wide range of names: interactive documentary (i-docs), web documentaries (web-documentary, web-doc), documentaries of new media (new media documentary), cross-platform documentaries (cross-platform docs), transmedia documentaries (transmedia docs), documentary games (docugames), locative documentaries (locative doc), sensory documentaries (touch doc) ^[25], hybrid documentaries ^[15], multimedia applications, hypermedia applications, hyperdocuments, interactive multimedia applications ^[34], interactive multimedia documentary ^[20], collage documentaries, hypertext documentaries, interactive facts ^[38] creative documentaries ^[14] and others.

The use of these concepts as synonymous, interchangeable is an obstacle to terminological clarity in the field of interactive documentaries. The widest range of names is presented in foreign studies. At the same time, the most frequent concepts are "interactive documentary" (interactive documentary, i-docs) and "web documentaries" (web-documentary, web-doc). In translations of foreign studies and in the Russian academic environment, the word "documentary" is often translated as "documentary", although many researchers note the inaccuracy and inappropriateness of using the word "film" in relation to this form.

The definition of the concept of "interactive documentaries" in foreign and domestic academic discourses is built on the basis of different approaches, theoretical foundations, and the allocation of different characteristics as basic.

A. Gifreu-Castels examines the interactive documentary in comparison with the traditional documentary. Summarizing some ideas expressed by various studies and relying on the approach of S. Gaudenzi, A. Gifre-Castels defines interactive documentaries as "interactive online/offline applications made with the intention of representing reality using their own mechanisms, which we will call navigation and interaction modalities, depending on the degree of participation considered" ^{[34, p. 372]}. In this definition, the autonomy of the placement and functioning of IDOC is the leading type-forming feature. It also draws attention to the fact that the author refers to this form not only online, but also offline projects.

A. Gifre-Castels considers interactive documentaries in the structure of the genre of "documentary and informational interactive multimedia applications" ^{[34, p. 373]}, as well as as "a type of format related to non-fiction genres" ^{[34, p. 374]}.

S. Gaudenzi describes interactive documentaries as a relational object in which, unlike cinema or television, the text does not exist independently, but rather relies on the collective activity of the user, the author and the system ^[31].

In an article co-authored with D. Aston, S. Gaudenzi argues that "any project that begins with the intention to document the "real" and uses digital interactive technologies to implement this intention can be considered an interactive documentary" ^{[26, p. 125]}. The authors attribute this form (interactive documentary, i-docs) to genres, significantly expand the range of works falling into this category, and emphasize the possibility of their production and distribution on any platforms that provide interactivity. The leading feature of such projects is interactivity, interaction "as a means by which the viewer is positioned inside the artifact itself, requiring him or her to play an active role in coordinating the "reality" transmitted through i-docs" ^{[26, p. 126]}.  The taxonomy of aidoc S. Gaudenzi is also based on this feature ^[33]. The researcher's remark is noteworthy that different terms that are used for interactive documentaries "are part of the i-docs family" ^[31] indicate that "that i-docs have already been divided into genres" ^[31].

S. Gaudenzi considers interactive documentary (i-docs) to be an independent form, and not "a continuation of linear documentaries", calls it "a form of factual narration", "digital nonlinear narratives that use new media to communicate and describe reality", "a living form" ^{[32, p. 9]}. The author draws attention to the relational basis of interactive documentary and its "ability to generate changes" ^{[32, p. 9]}. To denote all the features of i-docs, S. Gaudenzi suggests using the concept of "living documentary" (live documentary, live documentaries) ^{[32, pp. 24-25]} and defines it as "an assembly consisting of heterogeneous elements connected by interaction modalities. It may have different levels of autopoiesis and may be more or less open to transformation" ^{[32, p. 26]}. From this point of view, living documentary is a dynamic structure that is "born" in the process of interaction between technologies and different actors.

M. Rose defines interactive documentaries as "an interactive text in which participants interact with content", as "an open space where documentaries open up for participation at different levels: production, reception (the audience is an active agent in the process of experience), etc." ^[46].

M. Robbins also considers interaction to be a key concept in the definition of interactive documentaries. "An interactive documentary experience is a platform or media that allows you to consume other media. The evolution of the format has led to the fact that it has become a meta-format or meta-genre, so M. Robbins considers it as a general concept that includes other forms of media, such as books, animation, video, audio, etc." ^[47].

T. Perlmutter considers idoc "a completely new art form" ^[44]. For B. Alkarimeh and E. Butin, interactive documentaries are a new type of documentary film, a genre that emerged as a result of the development of information technology.  The authors consider the characteristics of idoc in comparison with a linear (traditional) documentary in the aspect of three components: user, interactive and documentary proper. B. Alkarimeh and E. Butin, like S. Gaudenzi, understand interactive documentaries "as a relational concept through three main aspects: (a) interactivity as a characteristic of the environment and as a communicative process; (b) the user as perceived interactivity and physical participation; (c) and, finally, a documentary film as authorship and narration" ^[25].

Many foreign researchers pay attention to relativity as one of the key characteristics of idoc ^{[25; 31; 48]}. This characteristic assumes the importance of the user, his interaction with the content of the work, his physical participation, the opportunity to feel himself in the role of the author and influence himself, the environment and other people as a condition for the existence of works of this type. The relativity of this form of content implies an emphasis in the study of interactive documentaries on a system of relationships and relationships of different levels: between the components included in it, between the author and the audience (user), the audience (user) and the text, the audience (user) and the interface, etc. This approach expands the context of Aydoc's research and allows us to consider it within the framework of relational art and relational aesthetics.

Tsch. Mu also refers interactive documentary (i-docs) to genres and defines it as "a new genre that tells about the real and allows viewers to interact with reality through interactive digital technologies" ^{[37, p. 181]}. The author divides/differentiates the concepts of interactive documentary and interactive documentary ("interactive documentary film" (I-Doc Film) and "interactive documentation") ^{[37, p. 181]}.

A. Wil considers interactive documentary in the context of actor-network theory as "relational configurations, that is, as a "node" of discourses and practices, as living assemblies and networks of pragmatic cooperation" ^[48], that is, as a structure in which the primary importance is the system of relationships that form perceived reality.

A. Podara, D. Giomelakis, K. Nikolaou, Maria M., R. Kotsakis define idoc as "a genre of hybrid media that uses a full set of multimedia tools to document reality, ensure the sustainability of production and successful audience involvement", combines "traditional documentaries and digital media". The authors emphasize the autonomy of I-docs and their network location, and also pay attention to the "complex and constantly changing way of expression", which is "the core of this hybrid genre" ^[45].

D. O. Dowling calls interactive documentary (i-docs) "an innovative hybrid form at the intersection of cinema, journalism and digital games", "immersive media that expands experiments with narrative journalism in the field of fine arts and social activity", "a cultural form that includes many genres and technologies of digital media" ^{[29, p. 2-3]}.

L. Cao also refers interactive documentary (i-docs) to hybrid forms that appeared as a result of convergence ^[28].

In foreign studies, interactive documentaries are defined either as an independent form, an art form, or are considered as a natural stage in the development of traditional documentary cinema, as one of its types. The question of the genre-format affiliation of aydoc is not raised and is not solved by the Western scientific community. Some researchers evaluate interactive documentaries as a genre, others as a format, without defining either genre–forming or form-forming features. In the scientific works of individual authors, the concepts of format and genre are interchangeable. The key features of interactive documentaries are interactivity, multimedia, documentality. 

Definition of the concept of "interactive documentaries"

by Russian scientists

In Russia, N. I. Dvorko and S. Buntasanakul are among the first researchers who comprehensively analyze interactive documentaries, interactive documentary. According to N. I. Dvorko, interactive documentaries are "one of the successfully developing forms of digital storytelling" ^{[12, p. 116]}. In his research on this phenomenon, the author draws attention to the ambiguity of the English concept of "documentary" when translated into Russian. Based on this, N. I. Dvorko proposes to introduce more specifics into the theory of idoc and, clarifying the definition given by S. Gaudenzi, suggests using the concept of "interactive documentary" (IDF) as a temporary one, defining it as "documenting reality" audiovisual works, the creators of which, putting meaningful user experience at the forefront, strive to to use the unique properties of interactive digital media to embody documentary content in an artistic form ^{[10, p. 306]}. This definition narrows the field of research, emphasizes the novelty of this form within the framework of modern media practice and reflects its main properties.

S. Buntasanakul characterizes interactive documentary as "a rapidly developing new documentary genre" ^{[9, p. 5]}, the formation and development of which is due to the convergence of digital media and documentary film ^{[9, p. 30]}, One of the forms of this genre, according to the researcher, is an interactive documentary (web documentary)^{[9, p. 5]}. S. Buntasanakul uses the concepts of "interactive documentary" and "web documentary" as synonymous ^{[9, p. 5]}, in the definition of the first the author relies on the interpretation of the concept of N. I. Dvorko ^{[9, p. 41]}, in the definition of the second – on the characteristics of D. Aston and S. Gaudenzand ^{[9, p. 9, p. 42]}, according to which "web documentaries include interactive documentaries that use the Web (eng. World Wide Web) as a content distribution and production platform" ^{[26, p. 126]}. Among the significant characteristics of an interactive Web-based documentary, S. Buntasanakul calls "the use of various multimedia means for transmitting information", the presence of different types of content, "programs and media data", "the presentation of information using a combination of a variety of human-perceived media, the need for viewer-user interaction with interactive narration affect the process of perception by the audience of documentary informationorii", attention "to creating an interface that allows the user to interact with content on an intuitive level and not destroy the effect of presence" ^{[9, p. 53]}. The author also emphasizes the relationship of interactive documentaries with traditional documentary films and traditional screen media: "Web documentaries belong to screen media. Therefore, it has a common system of expressive means, visual and audio signals with traditional media. Only these signals can be recorded by the camera (in the case of interactive video) and assembled into a single composition using the author's tools" ^{[7, p. 155]}. S. Buntasanakul, like his foreign predecessors, designates the key property of the new phenomenon – interactivity and the ability of the user to interact with content in a unique way: "In an interactive documentary, the viewer interacts with media content at the physical level" ^{[8, p. 258]}.

G. Amirkhanova, defining web documentaries as a "documentary film format", as "a documentary film made for broadcast on the network" ^[3]. The author refers the webdoc to interactive multimedia projects ^[1], compares this form with a longrid and, noting the similarity in the use of different forms of content, highlights the non-linearity and autonomy of placement as a distinctive feature of the webdoc ^[2]. This approach contributes to even greater confusion in concepts, since the name longrid is debatable, there is also no unanimity in its definition.

Based on the terminology presented by S. Buntasanakul, G. Amirkhanova characterizes the web documentary project with two terms relevant to each other at once - "web documentaries" and "interactive documentary": "Web doc is an interactive documentary film that differs from traditional documentary films by using multimedia tools in the production of the film" ^[3]. G. Amirkhanova emphasizes that webdoc is an expensive format, the key core of which is video and a nonlinear structure, which distinguishes web documentaries from another type of multimedia storytelling – multimedia longrid.

E. F. Rusakovich also draws attention to the autonomy of the placement of this type of works, uses the concept of "interactive multimedia documentary" (IMDF) for their designation, thus focusing attention on the simultaneous use of various types of content and media in this form ^{[20, p. 125]}. The author refers IMDF to projects ^{[20, p. 125]}, calls it a new way of creating a documentary film production ^{[20, p. 132]}.

D. V. Zubko defines web documentaries, or web documentaries, as "a documentary film made in a special way, equipped with multimedia elements, its purpose is to provide the viewer with freedom of viewing, and the author is able to combine video materials, audio recordings, text files, photo images, animation, graphic symbols, without overloading the viewer with information" ^{[16, p. 118]}. In the view of this researcher, a webdoc is a format of a documentary film, the peculiarity of which is the combination of the main features of documentaries and computer games ^{[16, p. 118]}.

V. A. Beinenson believes that "such materials often resemble a video game with branched navigation, where the user has the opportunity to watch video clips in any order, study additional multimedia materials "tied" to the video (infographics, photos, text), where details can be revealed, a background can be offered. The viewer becomes, as it were, a co-author of the material, each time "collecting" the story from its elements in different ways" ^{[6, p. 81]}.

According to A.V. Antonova, web documentaries inherited their qualities from the traditional one, and the prefix web or the use of the word interactive in the title emphasizes its new capabilities ^{[4, p. 187]}. It would be wrong to evaluate webdocs as adaptation to the digital environment, the development of this form, the author believes, was the result of the convergence process, it is the transformation of "relationships and social roles within the cinema, changing the mechanisms of mass communication, and therefore a significant change in the functioning of cinema and the media as social institutions" ^{[4, p. 187]}. At the same time, "web documentary projects are subordinated to the drama and logic of cinema" ^{[4, p. 187]}. According to the researcher's definition, a webdoc is a documentary film supplemented with new methods of representing reality that the authors of the documentary did not have before (clickable inserts, combining several multimedia microformats, as well as dynamic graphics), and adapted to the needs of the user, as well as to the conditions of the Internet.

In the understanding of A.V. Ekimova, "interactive documentary is a software product of immersive media, representing documents of physical reality through virtual technologies, the value of which is determined not from the standpoint of a real organization, but from the point of view of possible operations" ^{[15, p. 97]}. The researcher focuses on the fact that despite the external relationship of idoc with traditional documentaries, the borrowing of some expressive means from it, interactive documentaries "is not a natural continuation of cinematography in the digital environment" ^{[15, p. 97]} and retains its uniqueness. The basis of this uniqueness is virtuality, peculiarities of consumption and structure ^{[15, p. 98]}. The conditions of virtual reality give the documentary author new unique opportunities in the representation of reality: "In the IDF, the document is immersed in virtual reality, as if in a kind of electronic passepartout: it retains the authenticity of its empirical origin, but loses the uniqueness of the chronicle frame and temporal adequacy" ^{[15, p. 98]}.

According to this approach, the user's attention is focused mainly on the aesthetics and comfort of the material and to a lesser extent on the reliability of the information. This position is potentially debatable, since the reliability of the material can be for a significant number of users no less significant characteristic than the readability of the material or its aesthetic component. ^{[15, p. 97]}.

A. S. Chernavsky refers web documentary to multimedia formats, believes that it appeared as a result of the "convergence of digital network technologies and the genre of documentary film" ^{[21, p. 216]}, at the same time, when defining this concept, he calls it a genre and identifies it with interactive documentary ^{[21, p. 217]}. The author agrees with the definition given by S. Gaudenzi, the opinion that web documentary is "any project that begins with the intention to document the "real" and which does it with the help of digital interactive technologies" ^{[21, p. 217]}.

E. S. Doroshchuk refers interactive documentaries to the "modern format of documentary cinematography" – creative documentary, "a syncretic product combining creativity, artistic side and technology" ^{[14, p. 64]}. The interactive documentary "as a form of digital narrative" belongs to the second type of creative documentaries – "creative documentary", which is based "on innovative approaches to the technology of film creation, "associated with the introduction of Internet technologies", "transition to new narrative paradigms based on creative interpretation of reality: non-fictional events in expressive means a new genre (narrative strategies, new platforms for content creation and delivery to the user) ^{[14, p. 66]}.

Domestic researchers continue the trends in the study of interactive documentaries laid down by their Western colleagues, defining the boundaries of the concept of "interactive documentaries", rely on foreign scientists, clarify their formulations, highlight similar characteristics. In the Russian academic tradition, two main approaches to the definition of this concept have been formed. G. Amirkhanova ^[3], D. V. Zubko ^[16], A.V. Antonova ^[4], S. Buntasanakul ^[7], E. F. Rusakovich ^[20] consider interactive documentary projects as a result of the convergence of new media, cinema with its traditional norms and the forms of presentation of the material, as well as documentaries, the main purpose of which is to reliably cover the events of reality. Within the framework of another approach presented by N. I. Dvorko's research ^{[10; 11; 12; 13]}, A.V. Ekimova ^[15], interactive documentaries are considered as an independent form.

Conclusions. Prospects for further research

The understanding of interactive documentaries develops with the appearance of new unique materials, as each author brings new methods of representing reality into the practice of using this form, which explains the differences in approaches to its definition.

Different concepts used by researchers emphasize a certain property of interactive documentaries: the form and depth of interactivity, the degree of user participation, features of author control, the platform used, etc. The signs that become the basis of modern definitions often do not allow us to accurately classify the work. For example, interactivity, non-linearity, and immersiveness are characteristic of many digital projects and modern forms of documentary creativity. Many definitions include a wide range of works and do not allow localizing the field of research of a new phenomenon. Some authors are trying to define the boundaries of the concept of "interactive documentaries" and the characteristics of works of a new type through the relationship with other digital forms, in the understanding of which a unified approach has not been formed, or including them in a broader context.

Terminological uncertainty is explained by the process of development of interactive documentaries, the accumulation of experience in creating works of this form, its openness and complexity. Further development of information and communication technologies will contribute to the renewal and development of interactive documentaries, but already there is sufficient research and creative experience to identify the boundaries of the concept and the main type-forming features of the media phenomenon, as well as formulate definitions of often replacing it or related categories. It can be assumed that such concepts as web documentaries, locative documentaries, transmedia documentaries, cross-platform documentaries, documentary games and many others are the designation of various forms or genres of interactive documentaries.

Theoretical observations of modern domestic and foreign researchers require generalization and systematization to highlight a single integrated approach to the phenomenon under study. Some of them are debatable, requiring deeper justification and broad illustration, involving empirical material to confirm the point of view. The question of the genre or format of interactive documentaries remains unresolved (some researchers refer it to the genre, others to the format), its generic affiliation (whether idoc is a stage in the development of traditional documentaries or a new independent form using the means and techniques of both traditional and new media).

It seems promising to approach the definition of interactive pre-documentalism as a meta-genre ^[47], relational structure ^{[25; 31; 48]}, consideration of this phenomenon in the context of relational art/aesthetics, actor-network theory ^[48] and procedural rhetoric ^[18], from the point of view of design and other elements of games. This is due to the importance of the user's role, different levels, types and forms of interactivity of such works, as well as the use of immersive and gaming technologies. Defining the boundaries of the concept of "interactive documentaries" will reveal the most effective approaches to the study of this phenomenon, tools for its analysis and deepen research directions.