Netflix has created interactive shows in the past, but it’s probably safe to assume that Black Mirror: Bandersnatch was one of the company’s more ambitious interactive movie projects to date. Now in a video posted onto YouTube, the company shared some details as to what went on behind the scenes, as well as some of the challenges posed during the process.
One of the important things that Netflix tried to avoid, according to Black Mirror producer Annabel Jones, was making the movie feel like a gimmick. Admittedly interactive shows aren’t that common at the moment, but as Todd Yellin, Netflix’s VP of Product states, that is one of the exciting things about working at Netflix where they get to constantly invent what is “internet TV”.
It also appears that the creators of Black Mirror weren’t particularly interested in an interactive version of its show, at least from the initial pitch, but later came up with an idea that seemed like it would be perfect for such a delivery platform. The editing process also proved to be a challenge as it was significantly less straightforward due to the fact that viewers could choose how the story progressed, which would also ultimately lead to different endings.
So far Black Mirror: Bandersnatch has received mixed reviews where some do praise it for the unique way of storytelling, but yet some feel that it falls a bit short compared to the regular version of the show. In any case if you do have a Netflix subscription, perhaps this could be worth checking out if you want to see what the future of entertainment could look like.
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