Interactive Media: Who is in Control?
The Netflix original show Black Mirror has gained a loyal following since its premier in December 2011, and since then it has become one of the most-watched shows on Netflix. This fan-favorite series consists of individual episodes with separate storylines, casts and characters. The main connection through the episodes is the theme of technology and the dangers it can pose to society when used incorrectly. In December 2018, Black Mirror released an interactive film called Bandersnatch. In this film, viewers are given the opportunity to make decisions at many moments throughout the film that affect the outcome of the story by choosing between two options presented to them. This is not the first time Netflix has experimented with interactive media, but it is definitely the most complex storyline they have tackled so far. As media becomes more interactive in nature, viewers become more engaged with content and more invested in how the story plays out. Although the viewer is given the illusion of having more control over the medium, the medium actually exerts more control over the viewer.
State Tracking
In order to create Bandersnatch, Netflix created new technology called “state tracking” that allows the platform to remember the choices viewers made as the story progresses. Due to this technology, these choices actually affect the content of the film and the viewer’s relationship with it.
For example, in one scene, the viewer is forced to choose which of two characters will jump off a balcony, committing suicide. The viewer is forced to make this decision in ten seconds, knowing their choice will impact the rest of the story. When they are forced to make this decision themselves within a set amount of time, the panic, fear and guilt they feel towards this scene is much more intense. When I was faced with this choice, I felt an immediate sense of helplessness. I wanted to help the characters, but I was not given this option. Instead, I had to choose between two predetermined choices before ten seconds passed or the film would make the decision for me. The film chose which options would be available for me to select, set a time limit, and threatened to take away control if I did not comply with these rules. It may feel as if I am controlling the story, but Netflix retains all of the real power.
Netflix also has ultimate control over major storyline elements. For example, at the beginning of the film, gaming company Tuckersoft offers the main character a chance to create his new game Bandersnatch. If viewers choose to accept the offer, the film shortly reaches a dead end. Viewers are taken back to the previous scene with the knowledge that they should choose to refuse the offer instead. Netflix controls the timeline and major story elements in Bandersnatch, often forcing viewers to make certain decisions in order to continue down a somewhat predetermined plot path.
Netflix
The interactive elements found in Bandersnatch would not be possible if they were displayed on traditional media such as television. Using a streaming platform as its medium, Netflix is able to give the viewer an active role in the story rather than forcing the viewer to be a passive consumer. Streaming platforms are known for the unique ways they are able to personalize the user experience. In Bandersnatch, the entire film is personalized to each individual user. There are so many possible paths to follow that almost all viewers will have a different experience. This personalization makes the viewer feel important and powerful, when in reality they are simply following the film’s rules.
Netflix is designed to give viewers more control over their media consumption. Instead of flipping through channels or watching shows live, viewers are able to access over100 million hoursof content wherever and however they want. While viewers believe this access to content puts all the power in their hands, Netflix is actually able to exert more control over viewers lives. The term “binge watching” was a runner-up for word of the year in 2013, and this habit has only become more prevalent in the years since. Viewers are devoting more and more time in their day to watching Netflix, which has allowed the streaming platform to become an integral part of its viewers’ lives. At one point in Bandersnatch, the viewer has the option to explain to the main character that he is being watched through a streaming platform called Netflix. This gives the viewer a false sense of control over this character and his life, and it makes the viewer feel powerful. In reality, Netflix is allowing the viewer to do this intentionally and is not giving up any real control.
Bandersnatch fans seem to recognize their lack of control over this story, and they attempt to explore and discover the numerous branching plot paths in order to regain some of this control.
Immediately after its release, fans posted theories and plot graphs to try to make sense of the narrative options. Some plot lines built into the film are more difficult to reach than others, and some seem to appear due to random chance. Netflix does not reveal its different endings to the audience, but rather forces viewers and fans to figure it out on their own. In doing this, they are forcing viewers to devote more time to engage with this content and tightening the control they have over the audience.
In one of the film’s endings, the main character finally receives a 5-star rating for his game Bandersnatch. In order to do this, he eliminates the free will component of the game and gives the players the “illusion of choice,” even though he has chosen the endings for them. Netflix is alluding to the fact that free will does not make for very good entertainment; this fact hints at a future filled with interactive content. Bandersnatch was not the first film to incorporate interactive elements, and it certainly won’t be the last. As artificial intelligence continues to improve, algorithms used to generate content become more sophisticated. Netflix and other streaming platforms will likely continue to expand upon this interactive model, silently gaining more control over viewers in the process.
