Jessica, your Hero’s Journey system of throwing focus is brilliant! I’ve been mulling this problem over ever since watching some 360º ads shot from a drone’s eye view, and becoming frustrated by jump-cuts.

I could also imagine an experience which is similar to a video game with ‘cut scenes.’ The viewer can move autonomously to explore at some points, and for key parts of the experience, they are “taken along for the ride” so to speak, but perhaps in a vehicle or something, to prevent fear and motion sickness.. Maybe there is a way to do this that feels alright and serves the narrative well.

Another idea: if the viewer is using a system that has eye-tracking built in, transitions could be triggered by attention, in either a linear, or a ‘choose your own adventure’ sort of way. Think of all of the ‘hidden’ content to be discovered! One experience could last for many exploration sessions, each a bit different. You could even sneak in more content, or do payed updates to add more plot twists and turns.