1 The Limerence Project: Exploring the Affordances of Digital Media to Shape Narrative

227 Pages·2017·5.69 MB·English

by  Marianna Shek

The Limerence Project: Exploring the Affordances of Digital Media to Shape
Narrative Experiences for Readerly Interactions

By Marianna Shek
Bachelor of Animation (Hons)

Queensland College of Art
Arts, Education and Law
Griffith University

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy

July 2016

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ABSTRACT

This research examines how writers can exploit the affordances of digital media to shape
narrative experiences towards readerly interactions; that is, activities and behaviours
distinct to literacy that give pleasure to the reader. Creating digital literature requires a
multi-disciplinary approach, as it borrows language and design tools from games, film,
visual arts, music, and creative writing. Despite being placed at this artistic confluence,
works of digital literature are usually designed and critiqued based on gaming
interactivity (Uglow 2014). My research seeks to address this imbalance by creating a
story application for the tablet called Limerence. In producing Limerence, I propose a
new framework to design digital literature: the transmedia triangle.

In this exegesis, I draw on the work of Marie-Laure Ryan to classify how digital
narratives can present interactivity, analysing three case studies through a transmedial
narratology framework: Gone Home (2013), Journey (2012), and Device 6 (2013). From
these case studies, I have furthered my understanding of readerly interactions.

I then explored these concepts further through the creation of two minor studio projects.
The first is a game-novel, a classic pathfinding adventure for middle-grade readers, titled
Choose Your Own Death. The second is a community-based arts project called Player
One/Player Two, where I acted as writing editor and co-producer. This project was
produced by the Edge, State Library of Queensland, and was exhibited at the In Real Life
Festival (2015). The processes of developing these early studio works honed my skills to
create my major research output Limerence. This story application presents themes of
voyeurism, love, and friendship facilitated through social media platforms. Its creation
occurred in three iterations, each version being exhibited and refined based on audience
feedback. This led to the final identification of three distinct types of readerly interactions
present in my work: controlling rhythm through digital tmesis, solving multimodal
riddles, and exploring spatial–temporal framing.

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In addition, as part of my studio practice, I conducted a series of interviews with
practitioners in the fields of games, writing, and transmedia. Their insights combined
with my studio output led to the development of the transmedia triangle. This model
realigns digital narratives to consider gaming, readerly, and filmic interactions equally. It
offers a new approach for digital writers to shift away from hybrid reading-gaming
interactivity and to focus instead on the pleasure of the reader when designing for
interactivity.

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Statement of Originality
I declare that this work has not previously been submitted for a degree or diploma in any
university. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material
previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in
the thesis itself.
Marianna Shek
15/07/2016
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Figures 7
Acknowledgements 11
Glossary of Terms 12

PART 1: FRAMING THE PROJECT
Chapter 1: Introduction 16
Chapter 2: Convergence of Media 22
2.1 Is It Transmedia? 26
2.2 Massaging the Boundaries: Cross Media, Multimodality
and Digital Literature 36
Chapter 3: Building a Transmedial Narratology Framework 41
3.1 Old Media/New Media 43
3.2 Traditional Narrative Structures 49
3.3 Digital Narrative Structures 53
3.3.1 Ryan’s Interactive Onion 55
3.3.2 Ryan’s Participatory Dichotomy 63
Chapter 4: Narrative Analysis 65
4.1 Preliminary Review 65
4.2 Case Study One: Device 6 72
4.2.1 Spatial–Temporal Storytelling and McCloud’s
Infinite Canvas 74
4.3 Case Study Two: Gone Home 80
4.3.1 Balancing Ludic/Readerly Designs 84
4.4 Case Study Three: Journey 85
4.5 The Pleasure of the Digital Reader 89
4.5.1 Immersion, Engagement and Flow 93

PART 2: STUDIO PROJECTS
Chapter 5: Methodology 97
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5.1 Studio Experiments 97
5.2 Practitioner Interviews 98
5.3 Critical Reflection 99
Chapter 6: Studio Experiments 100
6.1 Choose Your Own Death 100
6.2 Player One/Player Two 105
Chapter 7: Major Studio Work, Limerence 119
7.1. The Limerence Project
7.1.1 Themes 119
7.1.2 Visual Design 124
7.1.3 Limerence as a Map 137
7.2 Critical Analysis of Limerence 144
7.3 Digital Writer’s Toolkit 150
Chapter 8: Insights from the Limerence Project 155
8.1 Digital Tmesis 155
8.2 Multimodal Riddles 161
8.3 McCloud’s Infinite Canvas 165
8.4 The Transmedia Triangle 169
Chapter 9: Conclusion 172
References 182
Appendices
Appendix 1: Summary of Propp’s 31 functions 193
Appendix 2: Narrative Analysis 195
Appendix 3: Limerence Cast and Crew Credits 204
Appendix 4: Player One/Player Two Writers’ Guidelines 209
Appendix 5: Player One/Player Two Credits 212
Appendix 6: Player One/Player Two Observations 214
Appendix 7: Digital Writer’s Toolkit Website Links 215
Appendix 8: Digital Writer’s Toolkit Interview Questions 216
Appendix 9: Digital Writer’s Toolkit Interview Transcripts 220
Appendix 10: Interview with Anthony Mullins 223
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LIST OF FIGURES
Unless otherwise noted, all works are by Marianna Shek.
Figure 1 Steve Peters Flow Chart Defining Transmedia Storytelling.CC license. 28
Accessed 12 May, 2015 http://nerdist.com/a-look-at-transmedia-
storytelling/
Figure 2 Robert Pratten Types of Transmedia 2011. Reproduced from Getting Started 29
in Transmedia Storytelling 2nd ed. p14. CC license. Accessed 5 January
2016 http://www.conducttr.com/training/getting-started-in-transmedia-
storytelling-2nd-edition/
Figure 3 Identifying Extensions to an Existing Story 2016. Adapted from Robert 30
Pratten 2011, “Narrative Space” Getting Started in Transmedia Storytelling,
2nd ed. P11. Accessed 5 January 2016
http://www.conducttr.com/training/getting-started-in-transmedia-
storytelling-2nd-edition/
Figure 4 Brick Man Experience 2015. Exhibition at Convention Centre, Brisbane 31
Figure 5 Robert Pratten Diagram of Portmanteau Transmedia 2011. Reproduced 33
from Getting Started with Transmedia Storytelling, 2nd ed. p20. CC license.
Accessed 5 January 2016 http://www.conducttr.com/training/getting-
started-in-transmedia-storytelling-2nd-edition/
Figure 6 Galvin Scott Davis Dandelion (Screenshot from story application) 2012. 35
Played 12 January 2016
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dandelion/id521903725?mt=8&ign-
mpt=uo%3D4
Figure 7 Freytag’s Pyramid 2016 49
Figure 8 Simple Branching Narrative 2016 55
Figure 9 Examples of Mazes. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Public domain. 56
Accessed
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Labyrinth_1_%28from_Nordisk_f
amiljebok%29.png
Figure 10 Sea- anemone Structure. Reproduced from Avatars of Story, by Marie-Laure 57
Ryan. Minneapolis, MN, USA: University of Minnesota Press. p103. By
permission of Marie-Laure Ryan.
Figure 11 Network Structure. Reproduced from Avatars of Story, by Marie-Laure 57
Ryan. Minneapolis, MN, USA: University of Minnesota Press. p103. By
permission of Marie-Laure Ryan.
Figure 12 Structure of a Game with Predefined Scenario and Multiple Endings 58
Reproduced from New Narratives: Stories and Storytelling in the Digital
Age, edited by Ruth E. Page and Bronwen Thomas, by permission of the
University of Nebraska Press. Copyright 2011 by the Board of Regents of
the University of Nebraska. Created by Marie-Laure Ryan.
Figure 13 Embedded Narrative Structure 2015 60
Figure 14 Open World Narrative 2016 61
Figure 15 Diagram Showing Navigational Pathways for Reading 2016. Original work 69
Building Stories, a graphic novel by Chris Ware.
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Figure 16 Simon Flesser Device 6 (Screen shot 1 from mobile game application) 2013. 72
© Simogo Studio.
Figure 17 Simon Flesser Device 6 (Screen shot 2 from mobile game application) 2013. 74
© Simogo Studio.
Figure 18 David Morris Frankenstein (screen shot of story application) 2012. © Inkle 75
Studio.
Figure 19 Bd Field of Hotap. From Book of the Dead of Ani showing the afterlife of 76
Hotap. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, public domain. Accessed 3 June
2016. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BD_Field_of_Hotep.jpg
Figure 20 Simon Flesser Device 6 (Screen shot 3 from mobile game application) 2013. 78
© Simogo Studio.
Figure 21 Steve Gaynor Gone Home (Screen shot 1 from game) 2013. 79
© Fullbright Company
Figure 22 Steve Gaynor Gone Home (Screen shot 2 from game) 2013. 80
© Fullbright Company
Figure 23 Steve Gaynor Gone Home (Screen shot 3 from game) 2013. 81
© Fullbright Company
Figure 24 Journey (Screen shot from game) 2012. © ThatGameCompany. 86
Figure 25 Diagram of Branching Narrative Map for Choose Your Own Death 2015 99
Figure 26a Page excerpt from Choose Your Own Death 2015 © Rock On Kitty 100
Figure 26b Tara Brown Amelia 2015. Watercolour and Photoshop. Illustration from 101
Choose Your Own Death © Rock On Kitty
Figure 27 Diagram of Story Application Version of Choose Your Own Death 2015. 102
Figure 28 Player One/Player Two installation 2015. Exhibited at the In Real Life 104
Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse.
Figure 29 Speaker Box 2015. Part of Player One/Player Two installation at In Real 105
Life Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse. Image courtesy of The Edge, State
Library of Queensland.
Figure 30 Portal Station 2015. Part of Player One/Player Two installation at In Real 106
Life Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse. Image courtesy of The Edge, State
Library of Queensland.
Figure 31 Bubble Bobble Station 2015. Part of Player One/Player Two installation at 108
In Real Life Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse. Modeller and photographer:
Jessica Fay
Figure 32 Diablo Station 2015. Part of Player One/Player Two installation at In Real 109
Life Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse. Photographer: Tara Brown
Figure 33 Zelda Exhibit 2015. Part of Player One/Player Two installation at In Real 110
Life Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse. Image courtesy of The Edge, State
Library of Queensland
Figure 34 Caitlin McGowan Player 1 Map 2015. Catalogue for Player One/Player 112
Two installation at In Real Life Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse
Figure 35 Caitlin McGowan Player 2 Map 2015. Catalogue for Player One/Player 113
Two installation at In Real Life Festival. Brisbane Powerhouse
Figure 36 Bachelors Brood in Bonds 2016. Digital image from Limerence story 120
application. Original image licensed from Photodune. Accessed 5
September 2015. http://photodune.net/user/curaphotography
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Figure 37 You Are a Retriever 2016, digital image from Limerence story application. 121
Original image by Rob Kleine under CC BY-NC 2.0 license, Accessed 5
September 2015. https://www.flickr.com/photos/rkleine/4430632386/
Figure 38 Andrew Wood, Nick Drew, Russell Beale and Bob Hendley. 1995. 123
“Hyperspace visualiser.” University of Birmingham. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
UK license. From Martin Dodge and Rob Kitchin. 2001.The Atlas of
Cyberspace. Ediburgh, London: Pearson Education. Accessed 2 February
2016.
http://personalpages.manchester.ac.uk/staff/m.dodge/atlas/Atlas_chapter_3.
pdf
Figure 39 Alex Galloway et al. Starrynight 1999, Screen shot of interactive browsing 123
interface. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 UK license. From Dodge, Martin and Kitchin
Rob. 2001. The Atlas of Cyberspace. Edinburgh and London: Pearson
Education. Accessed 2 February 2016.
http://personalpages.manchester.ac.uk/staff/m.dodge/atlas/Atlas_chapter_3.
pdf
Figure 40 Limerence (Screenshot from the story application, 2nd iteration) 2015. 124
Figure 41 Clarice Mahon’s Chapbook Page 2015, digital image from Limerence 2nd 125
iteration
Figure 42 Meggie Brody’s and Joe the Bro’s Chapbook pages 2016, digital image 126
from Limerence.
Figure 43 The Elephant in the Room 2016, Screenshot from Limerence story 127
application. Contains remixed images from:
Photodune under a regular license agreement. Accessed 15 September 2015.
http://photodune.net/item/business-woman-dreaming/7838775
Alinabel/ Shutterstock under a regular license agreement. Accessed 15
September 2015.
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic.mhtml?utm_medium=Affiliate&tpl=42419
-
43068&id=256804108&utm_campaign=Open%20Stock%20Network&irgw
c=1&utm_source=42419
Badkundri, Kirti Krishna 2013 under CC BY-SA 3.0 license
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ACAM01396.jpg
Figure 44 The Mummy Musings 2016, digital image from Limerence story application 128
Figure 45 Rich and Wired Consultancy website 2015, digital image from Limerence 129
story application
Figure 46 Tenderlinks website 2016, digital image from Limerence story application 130
Contains remixed image under PhotoDune Regular License, original image
by Carlo Dapino,
http://photodune.net/item/business-woman-dreaming/7838775
Figure 47 Cheep Cheap website 2016, digital image from Limerence story application 131
Figure 48 Avatars 2016, digital images from Limerence story application 132
Figure 49 Richard and Sheree Wiley Photo Shoot 2016, digital image from Limerence 133
story application
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Figure 50 A Real Woman Meme 2015, digital image from Limerence story application. 134
Contains remixed image under CC BY-NC 2.0 license, original image by
Herbert Johan, https://www.flickr.com/photos/50800971@N03/4669609959
Figure 51 If You Want To Lift Yourself Up Meme 2016, digital image from Limerence 134
story application
Figure 52 Close Up of Prezi Map 2015, from Limerence 1st iteration 136
Figure 53 Complete Prezi Map 2015, from Limerence 1st iteration 136
Figure 54 Redesigned Level 1 Map 2015, from Limerence story application 138
Figure 55 Redesigned Level 2 Map 2015, from Limerence story application 139
Figure 56 Redesigned Level 3 Map 2015, from Limerence story application 140
Figure 57 Limerence (Screenshot from the story application) 2016. Contains remixed 142
images from:
Johan Herbert, CC BY-NC 2.0
https://www.flickr.com/photos/50800971@N03/4669609959
TeamK CC0 https://pixabay.com/en/cat-sweet-kitty-animals-323262/
Figure 58 Diagram of the Narrative Structure of Limerence 2016 143
Figure 59 Photos from the Mix Digital exhibition at Bathspa University, 2015 147
Figure 60 Photos from the TEXTure exhibition at The Edge, State Library of 147
Queensland, 2015
Figure 61 Hans Holbein the Younger The Ambassadors 1533, oil on oak. 209.5cm x 160
207 cm. National Gallery, London. Courtesy of WikiCommons. Accessed 9
June 2016.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hans_Holbein_the_Younger_-
_The_Ambassadors_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg
Figure 62 Diagram of Transmedia Triangle Model, 2016 167
Figure 63 Diagram of Transmedia Triangle Model with Spirograph, 2016 168

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