Upon further research looking into case studies of artistic narrative concepts within immersive spaces where creatives have used stylised art to create immersive or tales with their works. Even after covering that art itself can be immersive there are a range of different styles of storytelling through art which could be explored further. So, to further look into the idea of the narratives in art, we have to look at how style creates mood.
Studying stylization:
The study of stylization covers the idea that different styles of art can portray different stories, this includes the use of colour, atmosphere and contents. Fantasy often uses unknown or creature-like elements, whereas horror art often just uses dark colours and reds to set the mood. So, to create powerful stories artists such as Yuumei or Kurtz create fantasy style pieces using concepts such as flying animals or fishing for stars.
Not only is the stylisation important for storytelling so is the type of art as 'digital storytelling is powerful as it integrates images, music, narrative and voice which bring life to characters, situations, experiences, and new understanding' (Choo, Abdullah and Nawi, 2020) which allows there to be an in depth story or even the chance for interactivity. The art of the product is just as important as the other immersive aspects such as audio or other visuals.
Even though this is the case, speech and audio is still powerful and this is demonstrated within shows such as Doctor who, where they often use dialogue to empower the audience and make them invested. Monologues can be a useful aspect to connecting with an audience and making a piece stand out more than others. The power of speech demonstarted through Matt Smith's Doctor:
"We all change, when you think about it, we're all different people; all through our lives, and that's okay, that's good, you've gotta keep moving, so long as you remember all the people that you used to be. I will not forget one line of this, not one day, I swear.' (IMDb, 2013)
Another part of art that adds to narrative is using lighting and colour to further the concept of different media holding powerful stories, this is often done within fantasy when forming new worlds and creating the idea of magic. It is also accomplished to create spooky atmospheres to enhance tension in horror.
Where the art style is a major part of telling the story and immersing the audience it allows a consumer to step into another world whether it is cartoon worlds or other universes. Games such as Far: Lone Sails (Okomotive and Mr. Whale’s Game Service, 2018) and Night in the Woods (Finji, 2017) as well as Stray (BlueTwelve Studio, 2022) rely heavily on style and music to create atmosphere and draw you in. The styling choices of each of these games is what makes them so unique for the audience.
'At the same time, however, this impression of immersion is counter balanced by a latent rational distance resulting from a culturally acquired awareness of the difference between representation and reality. Aesthetic illusion is a basically pleasurable mental state that frequently emerges during the reception of many representational texts, artifacts or performances. These representations may be fictional or factual, and in particular include narratives' (Young, 2018)
Compared to the gaming industry there are animations that focus so heavily on creating worlds and as 'Animation is a limitless storytelling medium. Artists can create worlds, defy gravity, flip from factual to fantasy, and transport audiences to places they never imagined.' (Blazer, 2019) The world that is created within the media can make or break the immersion of the audience and one studio that has been successful with both the whimsical worlds they have created, keeping the viewer engaged and having phenomenal storylines would be Studio Ghibli.
Specific Case Study : Stray (BlueTwelve Studio, 2022)
A stray cat, lost, alone, and estranged from their family, must go on an adventure to unravel an old secret in order to escape a long-forgotten city. Stray is a third-person cat adventure game set in the intricate, neon-lit alleyways of a crumbling cybercity and its unpleasant environment. Navigate the surroundings, defend against unexpected threats, and unravel the mysteries of this hostile environment inhabited by fascinating droids and frightening monsters.
Stray relies mostly on environmental storytelling to progress the storyline and the main attraction that people have for getting immersed in this particular game is the art style as well as the aesthetics of the game. As 'aesthetic illusion consists primarily of a feeling, with variable intensity, of being imaginatively and emotionally immersed in a represented world and of experiencing this world in a way similar (but not identical) to real life.'(Young, 2018) This is a concept that this game involves itself in and allows the viewer to connect to this little life of the cat, especially as a lot of players feel more empathy towards animals than people.
The way that Stray is an effective story would be through each put together environments, as well as the other stunning visuals, the audio being a major part of the game but also the style of which it presents itself throughout the game as the animations a beautiful and engaging and the character: cat, that you play as is such a sweet concept as there is no dialogue of the cat but you end up gaining an attachment to the little being due to the story.
Even though the game's gameplay and atmosphere are interactive, it already incorporates and engages the audience's emotions throughout the game. One of the game's outstanding features is its depiction of AI/Robots, the lighting and sound of the environments as you progress through each stage, and the overall cat animation. Stray however could have the opportunity to incorporate other immersive technology in its game such as VR, possibly by making the audience perspective be a robot.
Conclusion:
To conclude this overall art and animation surround a narrative with ecstatic beauty and end up being an essential part of engaging the audience in both gaming and immersive environments. Looking upon what makes immersive animations so unique and creating more would allow there to be more of a diverse range of art pieces that include various different technologies. So, it would be fascinating to see where immersive animation could take us as technology develops and more diverse ways of creating come about within our society.
References:
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Stray Gifs (Presentation):
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Google Images (n.d.). Title: Stray Development GIF (2017) | Stray (Video Game) | Know Your Meme. [online] www.google.com. Available at: https://images.app.goo.gl/1Sn6s75utjowKAc47 [Accessed 13 Dec. 2023].
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Tenor GIF (2022). Stray Stray Game GIF – Stray Stray Game Cat – discover and share GIFs. [online] tenor.com. Available at: https://tenor.com/en-GB/view/stray-stray-game-cat-dead-city-cyber-punk-gif-26746516 [Accessed 13 Dec. 2023].
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