Cinema by committee

UK – The Vue cinema chain will release the first interactive film Late Shift across the nation next year.

The film contains 180 decision points that result in seven different endings
Viewers have three seconds to vote via a bespoke smartphone app

Dubbed as ‘the world's first cinematic interactive movie’, Late Shift lets audience members decide how its narrative unfolds via a dedicated smartphone app. The film contains 180 decision points, ranging from large plot shifts to smaller alterations.

The audience can end up with one of seven different finales depending on the path they select. While the films tend to run for about 90 minutes, there is a total of four hours of footage to choose from.

Viewers download the app and login to a special wi-fi network before the film begins. Once under way, a two- or three-option decision will appear at the bottom of the screen every few minutes, to which viewers have just a few seconds to respond.

The choose-your-own adventure film premise will not only create an interactive cinema experience, but will draw in repeat viewers who want to see every possible ending.

The Big Idea

Generation D prizes interactivity over linearity. Content-creators need to take advantage of technological innovations to bring them stories they can really feel part of. Read our Choose Your Own Adventure microtrend for more.