Today’s viewer sits at many different angles. Sometimes she leans forward to interact with the action. Other times, she leans back and lets the action take her away. There are many other possible angles in between.
The next generation is likely to enjoy more narratives that invite several angles, just as some of today’s best video games use meaningful cut scenes to organize the improvised, user-driven plot.
Already, fans of the TV series Lost are rewarded for leaning in (and huddling up) to decipher the show’s elaborate plots. Fans of American Idol not only determine the show’s outcome, their taped reactions are becoming part of the show’s narrative.