Interactive Documentaries - iDoc's
What is an “i-doc”?
A still from Quipu i-doc
‘At this point in the development of this fast-moving field we feel that it is important to have an expansive definition that can embrace the many different kinds of work that are emerging. The i-Docs site includes coverage of projects that you may find elsewhere described as web-docs, transmedia documentaries, serious games, cross-platform docs, locative docs, docu-games, pervasive media.’
’What unites all these projects is this intersection between digital interactive technology and documentary practice. Where these two things come together, the audience become active agents within documentary – making the work unfold through their interaction and often contributing content. If documentary is about telling stories about our shared world; we are interested in what happens as the audience get more closely involved in this way. At the heart of i-Docs is the question; what opportunities emerge as documentary becomes something that is co-created?'‘
The i-Docs website is one arm of the i-Docs project which is a research strand within the Digital Cultures Research Centre at UWE Bristol. i-Docs began with a Symposium – the first dedicated to interactive documentary – convened by Judith Aston, Jon Dovey and Sandra Gaudenzi in March 2011.’ - About i-docs
MIT Open Documentary lab have curated Docubase - a curated database of the people, projects, and technologies transforming documentary in the digital age.
It has a great selection of digital documentaries to explore and tons of resources.
Notable 'I-Doc's' and Film makers in this field
Hollow
Hollow is an interactive documentary that explores the stories of small-town America through the eyes of Appalachians. Experience Hollow at hollowdocumentary.com (use Google Chrome).
Quipu
272,000 women and 21,000 men were sterilised in the 90’s in Peru. Thousands have claimed this happened without their consent, but until now they have been repeatedly silenced and denied justice. After almost 20 years their voices can finally be heard through this interactive documentary, which connects a free telephone line in Peru to this website.
1979 Revolution: The game
Question Bridge
Question Bridge is an innovative transmedia project that facilitates a dialogue between Black men from diverse and contending backgrounds and creates a platform for them to represent and redefine Black male identity in America.
TOOLS
There are many, many ways you can construct/ build/ design an interactive Documentary. There are several apps you can use including Korsakow, designed by German Filmaker - Florian Thalhofer, and Klynt. I used Korsakow for our film 'An Eye For An Eye', Klynt is by all accounts the most accessible, user friendly of i-doc interfaces.
MIT Docubase has a comprehensive list of over 44 tools that can be used for digital documentary projects.