France TV: StoryLab
In September 2023, ‘Empereur’, an interactive and narrative virtual reality experience co-produced by France TV, won the Lion for Best Achievement at the immersive section of La Biennale di Venezia. ‘Empereur’ poetically addresses an illness that affects nearly 300,000 people each year in France, aphasia, by exploring the bond between a daughter and her father's ghost. The international recognition for ‘Empereur’ once again demonstrates the value of telling strong stories about complex issues using new technology.
Creating space for immersive experiences
France TV, France's leading public broadcaster, has been experimenting with immersive content for the past three years through its StoryLab unit. StoryLab focuses on co-producing impactful stories about socially and historically significant topics, such as women's rights, menstruation, end-of-life issues and wars.
The target audience for this innovative storytelling approach is between 15 and 25 years old. According to the CNC (Centre National du Cinéma), Gen Z comprises 45% of the virtual reality user population. This demographic is no longer consuming traditional content in traditional ways. To address this shift, StoryLab is exploring immersive storytelling strategies for each project. This includes creating new ecosystems, tackling distribution challenges, and finding innovative methods to engage audiences. Despite the changes in content consumption, the universal need for stories that connect with people remains constant.
This initiative began with Fight Back (available on Meta), a VR game about female empowerment and violence against women. In this immersive experience, players combat monsters symbolizing violence against women and encounter historically significant, yet often forgotten women. Moving forward, France TV plans to leverage various platforms, including standalone VR experiences, social VR, 360° documentaries and YouTube playlists to reach a diverse audience.
Fight Back
Storylab's latest achievements
Just like Empereur in 2023, ‘Impulse: playing with reality’ received the Venice Immersive Achievement prize this year. This reinforces the StoryLab’s belief that immersive technology is a powerful tool to make different types of stories that are just as meaningful and impactful as those made using more traditional methods.
This interactive mixed reality documentary is told through the story of four people who have been diagnosed with ADHD. The VR experience allows the user to experience what it feels like to live with ADHD by trying to follow the characters’ train of thoughts. Interacting with one’s surroundings sets off a chain of reactions which the user is not always able to control. Impulse visualizes an otherwise non-visible disability.
You can find more about Impulse via the press release published by France TV on: https://www.francetvpro.fr/contenu-de-presse/68171023
Overall, immersive content is a powerful tool for capturing the attention of the younger generation, and its relevance is undeniable. International recognition and showcases can also help audiences discover new and engaging narratives.
