Trends in interactive non-fiction: producers’ perspective through a Delphi study

Abstract

The influence of technology in the new media ecosystem has caused a redefinition of the forms of representation of the real and the emergence of new ones adapted to the conditions of contemporary communicative contexts. Interactive non-fiction and interactive documentary were involved in a prosperous decade of experimentation that has left certainties and challenges to face the future. The Delphi study conducted with creators, producers and people in charge of innovation and digital media area allows the identification of the main trends on the evolution of these formats. The impact of different technologies, the learning after exploration, the contribution of the webdoc to the media, the business model and its profitability, together with the perspective of the audiences, are aspects addressed in the research. This contributes to the elaboration of an overview of a changeable field, which is also manifestly open, hybrid and complex. Results provide ideas agreed by the group of experts and indicate ways for the sustainability of the production. A greater knowledge of the audience and the adaptation to influential technologies, mainly the Web and mobile devices, will condition the future of these forms that are not considered a passing fad. Besides the great challenge of achieving a sustainable production model, interactive non-fiction has interesting positive features for narrative renovation, connected to interactivity and immersion.