Understanding the Differences in Production for Interactive Video vs Linear

Interactive video is quickly gaining popularity over linear video formats for a variety of reasons, but one of the greatest reasons for the popularity of interactive video content is the fact that it performs better than linear video content. In fact, interactive videos convert at more than 11%, which is 4x the conversion rate of linear video content.  Interactive videos heave easy to track metrics that make measuring the success of the content quite simple compared to other video formats. What is it that makes interactive video so incredible? It starts with production!

When it comes to filmmaking it’s very important to understand the differences in production for interactive video vs linear video content, especially because of the fact that interactive video content is so much more powerful than linear video content. It’s only natural to wonder how these two types of video are produced, and what the differences in production for interactive video vs. linear video area. 

Difference Between Interactive Video vs Linear Video

Before we get into the major differences in production for interactive video vs. linear video, it’s important to understand the differences in the actual content in an interactive video vs. a linear video. Interactive videos include features within the video that allow the viewer to engage directly or “interact” with the video content.  Linear videos, on the other hand, do not include any added features for interaction, they typically can either be played, or stopped. There are no other user-interaction experiences. 

Interactive videos have a 47% overall increase in viewing time over linear videos and they encourage users to swipe, scroll, drag, click, or otherwise interact with the content contained within the video. These videos provide users with a deeper level of understanding of important concepts whereas linear videos don’t have the added features to engage the learner and help to drive home important concepts.

The interactive video experience is more immersive than linear videos. The result is a personalized, user-driven experience that allows viewers to fully grasp the concepts being presented and, compared to linear videos, interactive videos provide maximum results.

Types of Interactive Video Features

Where a linear video has just a stop and a play feature, and you might use fast forward or rewind in order to adjust the rate at which you view the video.  Interactive videos can include one or more of several different features that make the video content engaging and interactive including:

• Links – URLs that support the content and are placed in the end of the video for users to click and advance to another webpage.
• Hotspots – like links but instead features a clickable area or button in your video that will direct your audience to another browser to learn more.
• 360° views – an interactive element which allows the user to look up, down, left, right within the video to watch different areas of the environment. Great for tourists ads that show off an entire location.
• Branching – an interactive storytelling feature in which the user can answer narrative-driven questions that will guide them along a particular path in which they can click to answer questions or otherwise change the narrative.
• Integrations – the addition of interactive features into a video such as integrating quizzes, polls, or even a link to a meeting that will allow viewers to meet with you and ask questions through Join.me or GoToMeeting.
• Live Streaming – the use of live video in which user audiences can interact and ask questions, take polls, chat with friends, or provide feedback.
• Gamification – the use of quizzes, trivia, and other interactive elements that encourage the audience to engage with different questions or quizzes such that whomever gets the most right answers receives a virtual award. 

With all of these different types of interactive elements that can be incorporated into a video, it’s easy to see the interactive video production would most certainly be more involved than linear video production, but how does it all pan out?

Differences in Production for Interactive Video vs. Linear Video

The production of interactive videos and linear videos have several similarities and equally several differences. Producing both types of videos will look very much the same during the early phases of production when a plan is created for the content, scripts are written, and pre-production planning takes place. However, in production and in post-production, the processes start to vary quite significantly. 

Once the video content is created, the plans and creation of the interactive experience can begin. This typically takes place with software that can be used to incorporate the different types of interaction into the existing video footage. It is important to understand that when creating interactive videos any plans for interactive experiences should be incorporated into the video at the very beginning of the creation process. Even at the earliest stages of production, the technical elements of interactive video production should be considered.

When writing the video script, many scriptwriters encourage the addition of an “interactive element” column to be added next to the script outline in which you have columns for voiceover, action, and then interactive element or interactive functionality. This allows for better planning of any interactive elements that will be incorporated into the production. In the event that branching will be used within the video, a mindmap to outline the different scenarios and potential paths can help to visualize the plan for the video and to provide an outline of any necessary footage that might be required for each chosen path.

The differences in production for interactive video vs. linear video are as follows:

• Interactive videos utilize various types of software and specialty elements to create the interactive points of the video that are not included in a linear video concept. For example, an interactive video might utilized Mindstamp to add Hotspots, or it might use WireWax to incorporate branching or Viar360 to create 360° videos with hotspots. 
• Interactive videos are hosted on interactive video platforms which are essential software tools that allow users to engage in interactive video content and allow creators to incorporate interactive features into their videos.

As you can see, there are some differences in production for interactive video vs linear video, particularly in the planning and script writing where interactive elements must be considered as well as in the editing where those elements must be incorporated into the video content. These steps are not required when producing a linear video that simply has a start, play, and stop feature.