Since its birth, most electronic media (TV, film, radio, etc) has demanded passive consumption. A classic example of this would be the passive viewer – someone who watches a situation without impacting on the outcome. However, humans are essentially social and communicative animals. We tell stories, we like to express ourselves, and now the Internet provides the networked millions with the means to do precisely that - in an almost endless variety of ways. According to Frank Rose, we are no longer passive receptacles for various forms of media - we are media. 

Frank Rose, who has spent much of his life writing stories, asks ‘how do you tell a story today ?' Frank took a hiatus from writing for a few years to consider this question, and the result of this was The Art of Immersion: How the Digital Generation Is Remaking Hollywood, a book that chronicles how the Internet is changing the way we tell stories. In this intriguing talk, Frank discusses many of the ideas explored in his book, and talks about the individuals that are responsible for reshaping the media for a two-way world.

As a contributing editor at Wired, Frank Rose has covered stories ranging from Sony's enormous gamble on PlayStation 3 to the posthumous career of Philip K. Dick in Hollywood. His other books include the best-seller West of Eden, now available in an updated edition. Presented in partnership with Watershed and the Festival of Ideas.

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Frank Rose
Festival of Ideas

A Festival of Ideas event in partnership with Watershed.

Posted on Tue 12 April 2011.

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