Have you ever thought about voting in a movie theater to determine the direction of the story? The format might have been unthinkable before, but there are some interactive films and dramas, such as "Late Shift" and "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch," which made the audiences' "dreams" come true when they were released in 2016 and 2018.

"The Golden Eyes," a Chinese adventure-fantasy story, is already on the shooting schedule, according to Chinese box office and film data provider Maoyan. The film will be released as an interactive theatrical film and domestic audiences will soon be introduced to the new format.

Do you think interactive movies are a novelty? It's actually older than you think. The first example of interactive cinema was "Kinoautomat" (1967), which was written and directed by Raduz Cincera. This movie was first screened at Expo '67 in Montreal, Canada.

"Late Shift" is an interactive film directed by Tobias Weber. But unlike other films that have been shown on mobile phones and electronic facilities, it has also been shown in cinemas. In the theatrical version of "Late Shift," the audience takes decisions on behalf of the protagonist via their smartphones while the film keeps running seamlessly. The participative cinema event offers a unique experience and can exclusively be attended in selected cinemas and at festivals.

The title was released in 2016, and is still a hot topic on Chinese online movie review platform Douban, with many loyal audiences and a score of 8.0 on it.

Even before Netflix released its interactive film, "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch," "Late Shift" was a global phenomenon. The title was screened at many international film festivals, including The New York Film Festival, Raindance Film Festival and the Festival du nouveau cinéma.

Compared with many previous interactive films, "Late Shift" has matured in technology. In the process of theatrical release, although there are audiences voting for the plots, each interactive plot can be seamlessly connected.

The movie's plot moves to be voted on by the audience on their mobile phones, and the experience of "making choices with others" is more of a social experience than a viewing format.

"This is the first time I felt the difference between going to a movie alone and going to a movie with a lot of people," said a moviegoer watching the "Late Shift" whose sentiments were shared by many.

Beyond Hollywood, the development of interactive film is accelerating in China, where the country's first interactive theatrical film, "The Golden Eyes," is about to be released.

The story is based on the novel of the same name in Mandarin written by Chinese author Dayan. The television version was aired on iQiyi from February 26, 2019 until April 12, 2019. The novel incorporates popular elements such as treasure hunting, fantasy and adventure, and it is also worth looking forward to how it can be better integrated with interactive films.

Outside of China, other Asian countries are also rapidly expanding their interactive film distribution. Thai film and television production company Artop Media has announced that it will produce the debut novel from author Leopoldo Gout – "Ghost Radio." The first interactive cinema film in Thai language will use interactive technology to enhance the suspense and story depth of horror films.

In fact, be it interactive films or interactive film games, there have been a lot of controversies, as The Paper reported. Some film lovers prefer the unique experience produced by the film team and do not want to change the story at will, while some gamers, however, think that watching only the plot without challenges is no fun at all.

Compared with the highly mature interactive video games, interactive film and drama should be said to have just started again, according to The Paper. Film and television producers need to continue to grow in the feedback of the audience so that the potential of interactive film and drama can be fully explored slowly.

(Cover image from VCG)