I’m currently working on an interactive documentary with the goal of illuminating the subject of introversion for an audience that lives in a world built for extroverts. I’ve been interested in this topic for a while, and I’ve done a bit of reading on the subject. I drew inspiration from Susan Cain’s TED talk “The Power of Introverts”. Between a third to a half of the world is made up of introverts, but the world is currently designed to heavily favor extroverts. Because of this, many introverts can’t be as productive members of society as they could be otherwise.
The story will be told using Popcorn.js to provide an interactive, fishbone style narrative. Here’s a mockup of the plot structure, along with some details about the different plot lines and the aesthetic I’ll be using.
The main plot will de-mystify the term “introvert,” pointing out common misconceptions and providing an accurate definition. Then it will explore the complexity of introversion by mentioning the four temperaments that introverts(and extroverts) might have, which play a large part in how introverts function. From here, the user can click on an option which will allow them to fishbone out and go into more depth with each temperament. Then the main plot will continue, discussing the problem introverts have living in an extrovert-focused world. Once again, users will be able to pop out of the main story line and hear personal accounts of introverts who have felt alienated. The main story will then conclude by offering tips on how to encourage introverts to function in their natural state.
Visually, I’ll use a combination of simple animations and one-on-one interviews to tell the story. Popcorn.js will be used to bring my narrative together by linking videos in a webpage, and overlaying animations where needed.