#SmokeyBear75: Smokey Bear Celebrates 75th Birthday with Celebrity Friends in Innovative New Animated Emoji Campaign

Smokey Bear | Love Thy Neighborhood

In honor of Smokey Bear's 75th birthday – August 9, 2019 – the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, the National Association of State Foresters and the Ad Council have teamed up to celebrate the nation's favorite bear.

To ensure that Smokey Bear's important message of wildfire prevention is heard throughout the nation, Stephen Colbert, Al Roker and Jeff Foxworthy have joined the historic campaign, lending their voices to help expand on Smokey's iconic "Only you can prevent wildfires" catchphrase through the use of facial recognition and voice technologies.

For years, through the voice of Academy-Award nominated actor Sam Elliott, Smokey Bear has only said five words: "Only you can prevent wildfires." Now, to complement this signature message, Smokey's friends are stepping up to say more about wildfire prevention on his behalf and help millions of Americans understand the importance of the issue. 

Utilizing cutting-edge facial recognition and mapping technology, coupled with instantly recognizable celebrity voices, the animated emoji campaign has enabled Smokey's famous friends to speak through him and further raise awareness of fire safety and wildfire prevention, in an effort to reduce the incidence of unplanned human-caused wildfires.

"I can't think of a better birthday gift for Smokey than to have his wildfire prevention message echoed through the use of advanced social media tools like animated emojis," said Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen. "In fact, since wildfire season is year-round, Smokey's message is even more important."

For 75 years, Smokey Bear has been recognized as a symbol of wildfire prevention. In fact, Smokey Bear is the longest-running PSA program in U.S. history, created in conjunction with advertising agency FCB, who has developed Smokey Bear campaign assets pro bono since his first introduction in 1944. 

Smokey Bear | For the Love of the Outdoors

While his campaign began three-quarters of a century ago, and great strides have been made in preventing human-caused wildfires, Smokey Bear's message continues to be as important as ever, as wildfires continue to be one of the most critical environmental issues affecting the U.S. On average, almost nine out of 10 wildfires nationwide are caused by people.

"Smokey Bear and his friends know that wildfire is not just a western issue or a summer phenomenon. It's always wildfire season somewhere in the United States," said Jay Farrell, Executive Director of the National Association of State Foresters. "This is why it is so important that Smokey's message resonate year-round and nationwide with all Americans. This year's Smokey Bear wildfire prevention campaign promises to do just that."

"Ensuring an icon like Smokey remains fresh and relevant for today's audiences is no simple task," said Lisa Sherman, President and CEO of the Ad Council. "With this new work, our volunteer agency FCB created a campaign that not only honors Smokey's past but celebrates his enduring legacy and message of wildfire prevention."

"75 years ago, FCB, in partnership with what would become the Ad Council, gave birth to Smokey Bear. All these years, he's been reminding us that 'Only You Can Prevent Wildfires.' In other words, there's a little Smokey Bear in all of us," said Susan Credle, FCB Global Chief Creative Officer. "This year, we are asking people to listen to their inner Smokey Bear. People sharing stories about why they love the outdoors and how they protect our country's beautiful wildlife — what a perfect gift to give Smokey Bear on his 75th birthday!"

Smokey Bear's 75th Birthday - Artwork by Joe Kulka

Smokey Bear first appeared on a forest fire prevention campaign poster in 1944. Two years later, he and his message were featured on a series of stamps, making his way into households nationwide. 

• Starting in the 1950s, Smokey Bear made his debut first in radio commercials and then on television, paired with a number of well-known actors and celebrities including B.B. King, Barbara Stanwyck, Betty White, Dolly Parton, Leonard Nimoy, Ray Charles, Ted Nugent and more. 

In the decades since first being introduced, the beloved icon has continued to be featured in TV, radio, print and on posters, stamps, billboards, memorabilia and other forms of media. 

First voiced by Washington radio personality Jackson Weaver, Smokey Bear's message has been brought to life for the past 12-plus years by Sam Elliott, and is now amplified through the voices of Stephen Colbert, Al Roker and Jeff Foxworthy.

• The new creative is being distributed to media outlets nationwide and will run in donated time and space, per the Ad Council's model. 

• To learn more about Smokey Bear and wildfire prevention, visit SmokeyBear.com and follow Smokey on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter with the hashtags #SmokeyBear75 and #OnlyYou.

SOURCE: The Ad Council

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Fly Like a Hero With The Brand New Tello Iron Man Edition

Tello Iron Man Edition

Drone start-up RYZE Tech has collaborated with Marvel and Disney to announce the Tello Iron Man Edition today in the United States, Canada and Europe. 

Building on the success of Tello and Tello EDU, Tello Iron Man Edition comes with a cool new look inspired by Iron Man's iconic armor in addition to a new flight control app featuring his AI assistant, FRIDAY.  

Tello Hero App

New Tello Hero App Features Iron Man's FRIDAY

The new Tello Hero App offers an immersive experience when flying Tello Iron Man Edition. Learn the fundamental skills of flying through training missions as a new recruit of Stark Industries' PILOT program with the help of FRIDAY, Iron Man's AI assistant. Providing guided voice instructions for each mission, FRIDAY helps teach basic flying, camera operation and how to use the intelligent flight modes by dodging incoming missiles and tracking potential suspects.

Heroes-in-training can operate the Iron Man Tello several ways including using a mobile device with the Tello Hero App, Tello App, Tello EDU App or Swift Playgrounds App, or by connecting it with a compatible third-party Bluetooth remote control. 

Tello Iron Man Edition

Aspiring pilots seeking a more in-depth experience can program the drone to fly custom flight paths and maneuvers with simple and popular coding languages such as Scratch, Swift and Python.

Fun and Safe to Fly Using DJI Technology

Tello Iron Man Edition is powered by DJI's leading flight control technology that enables stable flying and multiple interactive flight modes. 

Tello Iron Man Edition uses an HD camera capable of recording 5-megapixel photos and 720p video with real-time video transmission to a mobile device. Users can take advantage of "EZ shot" smart functions including 360° Video and Circle as well as pre-programmed flight modes like 8-Direction Flips and Throw & Go. 

• Additionally, Tello Iron Man comes with soft propellers, propeller guards, a collision detection system and low battery protection features which promote safe and responsible flight.

Tello Iron Man Edition

Price and Availability

Avengers: Endgame arrives in movie theaters around the world starting from April 24, 2019, but until then, join in on the action with the new Tello Iron Man edition, available at store.dji.com and official retail partners in United States, Canada and across Europe, at a retail price of $129/€139/£129.

Each Tello Iron Man Edition box comes with one Tello Iron Man Edition drone, two sets of spare propellers, one battery and a USB charging cable. 

For expanded control, Tello is also compatible with the GameSir T1d Bluetooth remote, which is sold separately and is available for purchase through store.dji.com.

• For detailed information on Tello Iron Man Edition, please visit: ryzerobotics.com/ironman

SOURCE: Ryze Tech

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The Hunger Games: The Exhibition, Reimagined for Las Vegas, to Open at MGM Grand in May

The Hunger Games: The Exhibition

The Hunger Games: The Exhibition is set to launch at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in May and features a new spectacular, fully-immersive archery training experience, as well as new interactives, set decoration and costumes.

• The previous tour of the exhibition included New York, San Francisco, Louisville and Sydney, Australia.

The Hunger Games attraction is based on the world-renowned films from Lionsgate, which grossed over $3 billion at the worldwide box office. It celebrates the epic journey of Katniss Everdeen from her humble beginnings in District 12 to her rise as the Mockingjay. 

The thrilling experience features several inspirational galleries including the Hall of Justice, President Snow's Office, the Tribute Train, District 13, and an archery training experience set within a 60-foot wide interactive digital training lab, which is a climactic highlight of the exhibition and the first of its kind on the The Strip.

A dynamic exploration of the world of Panem, The Hunger Games: The Exhibition highlights iconic costumes, genuine props, and set recreations from Lionsgate's record-setting cinematic series in a visually stunning environment. 

The exhibition includes multiple exclusively-designed experiences such as hands-on interactives that invite visitors to engage with behind-the-scenes content and explore the technology that brought the beloved books by Suzanne Collins to life.

Showcasing nearly 30 original costumes worn by the cast, the Costume Gallery will include the most memorable pieces from The Hunger Games films including the Girl on Fire dress, the Mockingjay gown, Katniss' Mockingjay armor and pin, Peacekeeper armor and rebellion tactical gear, as well as Katniss' bow and arrows. 

• The exhibit's retail shop, Capitol Couture, will offer exclusive clothing and collectible items that celebrate the films.

"Cityneon and Victory Hill Exhibitions are thrilled to be working with Lionsgate to expand our portfolio of experiences in Las Vegas," said Welby Altidor, Group Chief Creative Officer of Cityneon Holdings and Victory Hill Exhibitions. "Our partnership to present The Hunger Games: The Exhibition allows international visitors and the local community another opportunity to experience the immersive exhibits we are known for worldwide, and we look forward to revealing additional projects we plan to bring to the Las Vegas Strip in the near future."

"After touring around the world, we're excited to partner with Cityneon and Victory Hill Exhibitions to bring an enhanced version of The Hunger Games: The Exhibition to Las Vegas," said Kirsten Taylor-Hall, Lionsgate Vice President of Global Live and Location Based Entertainment. "The additions of several major new elements, including an innovative archery experience and costumes on display from The Hunger Games: Mockingjay -- Part 2, offer audiences an even more immersive opportunity to explore the world of the films."

Located at The District at MGM Grand, The Hunger Games: The Exhibition will be open daily. Entry to the exhibition includes a commemorative ticket and can be purchased at TheHungerGamesExhibition.com or at The Hunger Games: The Exhibition on site box office. Service fees are additional. Group rates will be available for parties of 10 or more.

SOURCE: Cityneon Holdings Limited

Game of Thrones Takes Over The Fountains of Bellagio [Video Included]

HBO, MGM Resorts and WET Design Debut Exclusive Game of Thrones Production on The Fountains of Bellagio, Running Twice Nightly at 8 and 9:30 p.m. Through April 13

With the world counting down to the final season premiere of the global blockbuster Game of Thrones, fans can experience the on-screen fantasy realm with a first-of-its-kind, immersive production in Las Vegas at the iconic Fountains of Bellagio.

HBO, MGM Resorts and WET Design last night debuted a show that brings to life the epic intrigue, unforgettable music and spectacular imagery of Game of Thrones with a new, limited-run event. 

The production runs twice nightly at 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. through April 13, priming fans for the series season finale premiere, April 14.

This is not any ordinary version of The Fountains show: blizzards rage, dragons fly, and for the first time the lake is set ablaze. 

Exclusive Game of Thrones Production on The Fountains of Bellagio - Dragon

The collaboration between major entertainment brands MGM Resorts and HBO is a spectacular visual symphony that showcases Game of Thrones and The Fountains of Bellagio as never before through incredible music, pyrotechnics and video projections on a wall of water. 

Game of Thrones Production on The Fountains of Bellagio

WET Design, the Fountain's original creators, worked with Game of Thrones' composer Ramin Djawadi to design a custom score that incorporates the show's iconic theme song, while developing a theatrical production that captures its drama and suspense to match.

Game of Thrones Production on The Fountains of Bellagio

The production design marries the precise choreography of nearly 800 fountains overlaid with advanced pyrotechnics and special effects, including motion picture theater-quality projections. 

Game of Thrones Production on The Fountains of Bellagio

From the green glow of Wildfire and falling snow, to the undead dragon soaring above Lake Bellagio breathing vibrant blue flames that set the waters ablaze, and the crashing fall of The Wall, The Fountains interpret some of the most memorable visuals of Game of Thrones in entirely new ways. 

Game of Thrones Production on The Fountains of Bellagio

Viewers can see the series' emblems come to life in water, including the crown, as illuminated water jets perfectly articulate the arches of a headpiece, and the throne, as intricate cannon sprays crisscross. 

Dynamic visuals interpreting HBO's awe-inspiring graphics include projections of Viserion and the Night King, whose silhouettes culminate the show and provide a dramatic tease to the final season.

The Video:

SOURCE: MGM Resorts

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Onwe Press Acquires Rights to "Daughters of Nri" - The Debut Nigerian Fantasy Written by Reni K Amayo

Daughters Of Nri  (Courtesy of Onwe Press)

Independent publishing house, Onwe Press, is thrilled to announce the acquisition of the rights to "Daughters of Nri" the debut young-adult fantasy book from Reni K Amayo, the first installment in "The Return of the Earth Mother" series. Daughters Of Nri will be released on August 27, 2019.

The novel is set in ancient Nigeria and follows twin sisters who, unbeknownst to them, descend from the lost gods. The book explores the discovery of their burgeoning powers and their fight against the corrupt king who seeks to destroy them.

Reni has created a rich and vibrant world, filled with incredible, descriptive detail and characters that very quickly melt into the reader's heart. She beautifully marries forgotten historical facts with a wide and expansive imagination, resulting in a powerful story that is sure to remain ingrained in the mind of its readers for years to come.

Reni's ultimate goal was to reimagine the Nigerian land untouched by the scars of colonialism, and instead enriched with its deep, old and powerful magic. In order to do this, she underwent extensive research on African history and mythology, using various resources such as books and conferences, but most importantly, an arsenal of family tales dictated to her by her parents, passed down through the ages.

Reni K Amayo (image via renikamayo.com)

About The Author:

(Via renikamayo.com)

"Reni K was born and raised in London to two Nigerian immigrant parents. Her father is a doctor and her mother, a midwife, both of whom had dreams about young Reni following in their medical footsteps. Reni K, however, had other plans.

After watching Legally Blonde she was certain that she would grow up to be an amazing lawyer. Those plans were thwarted when her love for mathematics led her to studying Aeronautical Engineering instead. After university, much to the disappointment of her seven year old self, Reni did not become an astronaut, instead she entered the world of finance.

Craving an outlet from the pressures of her job, Reni K did what she always did during stressful periods: she wrote. She wrote poems (that will never see the light of day), she wrote short stories, she wrote the beginnings of many novels. She wrote on the train, she wrote during her lunch breaks, she wrote after work, she wrote on the weekends.

Until one day Reni K wrote a story that she fell in love with. A story that she couldn’t wait to read. She wrote a story set in the ancient Nigerian Kingdom of Nri about two twin sisters who unbeknownst to them are descendants of the lost gods.

The concept of Daughters of Nri was born on a packed train five years ago, and now Reni K is ready to share it with the world."

SOURCE: Onwe Press

Theresa May Loses Another Brexit Vote: Here's Why April 12 Is Now The Key Date To Watch

MPs accused Theresa May of leading them towards a ‘blind Brexit’. (EPA-EFE)

On the day that the United Kingdom was supposed to exit from the European Union, members of parliament effectively voted down Theresa May’s Brexit deal for a third time, despite her attempts to change the substance of the motion on which they were deciding.

The House of Commons voted 344 to 286 against a government motion that would have indicated its support for May’s withdrawal agreement, settling the terms of the UK’s divorce. In two earlier votes, they had been asked to decide on the withdrawal agreement and the non-binding political declaration on the UK’s future relationship with the EU. May had hoped to chart a path forward by decoupling these two documents.

Despite having won over some prominent Brexit supporters in the days leading up to the vote, May failed to bring Democratic Unionist Party MPs and members from opposition parties on board, which ultimately led to her defeat. Notably, the Labour opposition objected to the prime minister’s decision to only present MPs with the withdrawal agreement and not the political declaration. Labour frontbenchers accused her of trying to lead the country into a “blind Brexit”.

Why a vote on the withdrawal deal alone?

Having been granted extra time to get the EU-UK Brexit deal passed, that MPs were voting only on the withdrawal agreement but not the political declaration seemed surprising.

The motivation for separating these two documents is a simple one.

When the UK sought and got an extension to the Article 50 negotiations, the EU 27 made its offer of a longer extension until May 22 conditional on MPs backing the withdrawal agreement by March 29. In other words, if what was now contentious among MPs was the nature of the future relationship and not the Irish backstop, then the EU was open to a discussion about the text of the political declaration. But it wanted to know that the House of Commons could back the text of the withdrawal agreement itself. After all, Article 50 creates a formal procedure for the negotiation of a binding withdrawal agreement that takes into account a framework of a future relationship. Legally, from an EU standpoint, it is the withdrawal agreement that really matters.

The difficulty from the point of view of the UK is that legally, parliament must approve the texts of both the withdrawal agreement and the political declaration. This is laid down in section 13 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, which has been the basis for the two so-called “meaningful votes” that have seen huge defeats for the government.

In separating the withdrawal agreement from the political declaration, it was not open to the government to present this as “meaningful vote three”. Much like the indicative motions debated by parliament earlier in the week, the intention was simply to signal that a withdrawal agreement could pass, triggering the longer extension.

Helpfully, putting forward a different proposition to that defeated in the earlier meaningful votes also allowed the government to satisfy speaker John Bercow’s test that prohibited the Executive from asking Parliament to vote again on the same proposition in the same session of parliament.

The government’s defeat, however, means that the UK has until April 12 to decide what it wants to do next. In the absence of an agreement to further extend the Article 50 process, and despite MPs voting against a “no-deal” Brexit, the UK will leave the EU on April 12 without an agreement settling citizens’ rights, its financial liabilities, the Irish border issue and without any transitional framework in place.

Now what?

The prime minister now has to consider her options. She could ask leaders of EU states to offer a much longer Article 50 extension, keeping the UK in the EU. In so doing the prime minister also has a fundamental choice to make. Should she follow through on her televised address following the second meaningful vote defeat and ask the electorate to instruct its MPs to back the Brext deal – a referendum between remaining in the EU or leaving on the basis of the negotiated deal – or should she accept that her government simply cannot command majority support in the Commons for the defining policy of her premiership and trigger the process for an early general election? Is there one last roll of the dice that would allow a new and different vision of the future to be enshrined in a political declaration that would get Labour support?

A revised political declaration would open the way for a further section 13 approval vote that would also meet the Bercow test. But time is short and running out fast.

About Today's Contributor:

Kenneth Armstrong, Professor of European Law, University of Cambridge

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

ASCAP Screen Music Awards 2019 to Honor Film Composer Michael Giacchino, Captain Marvel Composer Pinar Toprak and Stage & Screen Songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

2019 ASCAP Screen Music Awards: Michael Giacchino, Pinar Toprak + Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Image via ASCAP)

ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers,has announced its slate of major honorees for the 34th annual ASCAP Screen Music Awards and it is an incredible soundtrack. 

The awards dinner, which takes place in Beverly Hills on May 15, will see Oscar, Emmy and multi-Grammy winner Michael Giacchino receive the prestigious ASCAP Henry Mancini Award. Pinar Toprak, who scored the recently released #1 box office smash Captain Marvel and co-composed the score to the massively popular online game Fortnite, will be honored with the ASCAP Shirley Walker Award for her trailblazing achievements.

Oscar, Grammy, Tony and Golden Globe Award-winning songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul will also be recognized with the ASCAP Vanguard Award, which salutes ASCAP members whose innovative work is helping to shape the future of music— the first time the award has been presented to music creators known for their film and musical theatre accomplishments.

"With such a stellar group of honorees, we couldn't be more excited for this year's ASCAP Screen Music Awards," said ASCAP Chairman of the Board and President Paul Williams. "From Up to Jurassic World to Incredibles 2, Michael Giacchino's beloved scores have powered so many of the blockbuster movies we know and love. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul's undeniable creative chemistry as a songwriting duo has captured fans' hearts and rocketed them from musical theatre school to the world's largest screens in just a few short years. And Pinar Toprak just opened her first #1 box office film with Captain Marvel, and is no doubt on track for many more. We're looking forward to celebrating all of these world-class music creators at the ASCAP Screen Music Awards on May 15."

The ASCAP Screen Music Awards is an invitation-only dinner and awards ceremony that honors composers and songwriters of the top box office film music, top-rated TV series and the most performed television music of 2018. Along with these, the winners of the annual ASCAP Composers' Choice Awards, open to voting by all eligible ASCAP writer members in early April, will be revealed at the ceremony. 

• The Composers' Choice Awards include three categories: Film Score of the Year, TV Composer of the Year and Video Game Score of the Year.

Additionally, this year, in partnership with the Guild of Music Supervisors, ASCAP will for the first time present the newly created Harmony Award to a composer-music supervisor pair for outstanding collaboration.

Michael Giacchino

Michael Giacchino is an Oscar, Emmy and three-time Grammy Award winner, best known for his collaborations with JJ Abrams, Pixar and Disney. 

The New Jersey native began by scoring groundbreaking video games and has become among the most sought after composers in both film and television. While he continues to score the world's biggest box office films, his credits span a variety of mediums. 

His early television credits were for two breakout JJ Abrams series, Alias and Lost. His first major film score was The Incredibles for Pixar and he's never looked back, creating music for the Disney-Pixar film Ratatouille which earned him his first Oscar nomination. He received the Oscar for Best Original Score for the Pixar film, Up in 2009. 

Giacchino's other film credits include: Star Trek, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Jurassic World, Inside Out, Zootopia, Doctor Strange, Rogue One, Spider-Man: Homecoming, War for the Planet of the Apes, Coco, Incredibles 2 and the upcoming Spider-Man: Far from Home.

• The ASCAP Henry Mancini Award is presented to composers for outstanding achievements and contributions to the world of film and television music. Previous recipients include Hans Zimmer, Quincy Jones, Randy Newman, Bruce Broughton, Angelo Badalamenti, Carter Burwell, John Powell and Craig Armstrong.

Pinar Toprak

Pinar Toprak was born and raised in Istanbul, and studied composition at a conservatory there. She moved to the United States to pursue her passion and joined the music production company Media Ventures International (Remote Control) with Hans Zimmer. 

With her eclectic style and experience working with the best, Toprak has established herself in her field and broken down barriers in the process, recently becoming the first woman to score a Marvel film with her score for Captain Marvel. 

Her previous credits span all mediums from Fortnite to the Superman prequel Krypton. 

Toprak has won two International Film Music Critics Association Awards for The Lightkeepers (2009) and The Wind Gods (2013). She recently scored the Pixar SparkShort PURL.

• The ASCAP Shirley Walker Award honors those whose achievements have contributed to the diversity of film and television music. An ASCAP member, Shirley Walker was one of the first prominent female composers working in film and television and is remembered as a pioneer for women in the film industry. Previous recipients include Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman (Wendy & Lisa), Deborah Lurie and Germaine Franco.

Pasek and Paul

Oscar, Grammy, Tony and Golden Globe Award-winning songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul have conquered the stage and screen. They won an Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Original Song for "City of Stars" from La La Land, with another Oscar nomination for "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)" from that same film. 

The duo earned a Golden Globe for Best Original Song and an Oscar nomination for "This Is Me" from The Greatest Showman in 2017. They recently picked up a Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media for that film. 

Pasek and Paul have a Tony Award and Grammy for their score for the six-time Tony-honored Broadway hit Dear Evan Hansen. 

The pair made their Great White Way debut in 2012 with their Tony-nominated score for A Christmas Story, a Broadway adaptation of the classic holiday film. 

Upcoming projects include the live-action movie musicals Aladdin and Snow White at Disney, and an original animated musical at Fox Animation/Blue Sky Studios.

• The ASCAP Vanguard Award recognizes ASCAP members whose innovative work is helping to shape the future of music. Previous recipients include Kendrick Lamar, Dua Lipa, Björk, Beck, Chris Stapleton, St. Vincent, Janelle Monáe, The Killers, The Strokes, The Beastie Boys, Nine Inch Nails and more.

SOURCE: ASCAP

Beyond 'Bandersnatch,' The Future Of Interactive TV Is Bright

Make a choice to see the next phase of the story. (Netflix)

Make a choice: Do you want to engage with your media passively or actively?

The December 2018 premiere of Netflix’s “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” offered consumers a new way to influence the entertainment they’re watching. Netflix has a growing list of choose-your-own-adventure movies. What viewers might see as a simple choice, such as which breakfast cereal a character begins the day with, could affect the whole show’s storyline. There are other choices to make as well – some of which change the plot, and some of which may not.

Viewers aren’t watching these interactive films just once. Rather, they are watching them over and over again to find each ending and post maps of the diverging plot lines. I think I sat on my couch for nearly three hours straight trying to exhaust all of “Bandersnatch’s” choices as it followed a programmer and designer through the process of game development.

I’ve been teaching and researching game design and development since 2001. I see this type of experience not as just the future of entertainment, but as the expansion of a standard method of storytelling that game designers have been using for decades. Netflix is introducing new technology and new audiences to this type of entertainment, but fiction writers have been exploring similar themes for far longer, creating stories of time travel and alternative realities that let people fantasize about redoing decisions in life.

Controlling your own destiny

There is a kind of game made popular by “Dungeons & Dragons” that provides a way to understand and expand what “Bandersnatch” explores. Role-playing games let players pick characters with multiple traits, such as strength, health and special skills, and work together to achieve story-driven goals.

Fans of “The Lord of the Rings” books and movies will recognize the idea of a team of characters with different backgrounds, abilities and motivations, all trying to work together toward a goal. The adventure is not just in whether they achieve the task, but the encounters, mishaps and even battles that happen along the way. The ultimate outcome depends on the choices players make along the way.

Many role-playing games get people together around a computer to explore a collective adventure. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Role-playing games started with players gathered around a table, keeping notes on paper and rolling dice to incorporate the role of chance and probability into the adventure. A human game master coordinated everything, keeping track of what was happening and working with players to advance their stories and the overall plot of the adventure.

Early computer games, such as the 1980s-era Infocom text adventures, turned the role of game master over to a game designer, who controlled the choices and their consequences. In the decades since, more powerful computers have let modern digital games offer a great many choices. Teachers have begun to use elements of role-playing games to help students learn.

Illusion of choice

With “Bandersnatch,” Netflix used software to process viewers’ choices and deliver the appropriate video. When watching and “playing,” I wondered if there were too few choices. The show offered only two choices of breakfast cereal, and the viewer couldn’t choose to skip breakfast, make eggs or open the freezer to grab some ice cream. But, there’s a very good reason for these constraints.

Every story decision requires more writing and more development. (Tony Hirst/Flickr, CC BY)

I often tell my students that when they’re creating role-playing games, the problem isn’t giving players choices: It’s deciding what happens next. Giving players lots of options is great, and fun – but with every choice the job gets harder. If there are three kinds of ice cream in the freezer, that’s three different sets of video to show vanilla, chocolate and strawberry – and possibly three different scripts, if the choice actually has consequences.

In game design, we call this a “branching narrative,” where every choice spawns as many new branches as there are options, and the tree gets bigger and bigger all the time. A movie with an enormous number of options would require multiple sets, extra time for actors, huge amounts of special effects work, extended production times and increasing budgets.

Such a complex film would also take viewers huge amounts of time to experience. Digital game players can handle this sort of effort by saving their progress and taking a break, returning to resume play hours later, or even days.

With an interactive movie, would a viewer want several days’ worth of watching? I don’t know if anyone has an idea of how long a typical interactive movie experience should last. My three hours on the couch watching “Bandersnatch” seemed about right – and ran through most of the options.

The Netflix producers borrowed from game designers, and the classic “Choose Your Own Adventure” book series, to give viewers the illusion of choices when really the alternatives were limited. My own research recommended the same technique: Allow the players some choices, but bring them back to the main narrative thread at key points.

Future of interactive media

There will be more interactive movies. Netflix has built its own software for “Bandersnatch,” which it can use for other stories too. There are already several addictive interactive kids’ shows, including “Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale,” “Buddy Thunderstruck: The Maybe Pile” and “Stretch Armstrong: The Breakout.”

Gamers are already familiar with this convergence of film, interactivity and branching narrative. Cinematic video games, like “Indigo Prophecy” and “Heavy Rain,” let players make choices in dialog and other cinematic aspects, all of which alter the endings. An academically published game, “Façade,” is considered important not just for showing that scholarly games can be fun to play, but also demonstrating that academic concepts of branching narrative and story can create meaningful play: The player visits a couple’s apartment, and depending on where the player moves and what the player says, the couple reacts in different ways.

Engaging with a couple on the rocks. 'Façade,' by Michael Mateas and Andrew Stern., (CC BY-ND)

I anticipate different genres of shows will explore interactive formats. Imagine playing through historical fiction where you can choose to execute Marie Antoinette or not. I also expect viewers will be able to make their choices in different ways than just pressing buttons on their remotes – perhaps by using voice recognition on their phones.

If artificial intelligence and machine learning systems get better at telling stories, viewers might even be able to suggest new possible choices, with the resulting content generated on the fly while people watch. Of course, there’s a strong overlap with virtual reality, offering immersive escapism, which is, in my experience, a key goal of interactivity.

In the meantime, “Bandersnatch” fans who want to continue exploring choosing their own adventures to direct a story can look for local gaming groups and game stores. “Dungeons & Dragons” and “HackMaster” are regaining popularity lately. So is live-action role-playing, in which people physically act out their fictional encounters. In these environments, players can ask “what if” without running into the limitations of software development and movie production teams. Human players can engage in the full extent of their imagination without any illusion of choice.

Live-action role playing.

About Today's Contributor:

David Schwartz, Associate Professor of Interactive Games and Media, Rochester Institute of Technology

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. 

#NutsForAHealthierWorld's Campaign from INC Raises €47,800 to Fight Against Child Malnutrition

The INC and Save the Children join forces to fight child malnutrition. (PRNewsfoto/INC International Nut and Dried)

Since January, €47,800 has been raised for the international NGO Save the Children through Nuts for a Healthier World Campaign. INC International Nut and Dried Fruit Council's global campaign has exceeded the initial €40,000 goal. 

With this achievement, Save the Children can provide a monthly supply of nutritional packs to more than 2,041 severely malnourished children from Mauritania, South Sudan and Bangladesh.

Last year, the INC created a video campaign to raise awareness of the Project, and at the beginning of 2019, Save the Children joined forces and turned all video shares into physical aid. 

• The INC also asked members to join the project by donating, and further empowering the campaign. 

The main video has been shared over 43,000 times, with other content totalling over 1.1 million views. While the campaign visibility through all media and platforms has reached more than 43 million people.

Since the partnership with Save the Children boosted the fundraiser, companies such as Starline Global Trade Inc., Bösch Boden Spies GMBH and Co. KG, Noberasco SPA, Tomra Sorting Solutions, Campos Brothers Farms, John B. Sanfilippo and Son, Inc., MWT Foods, QiaQia Food Co. Ltd., Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc., ShoEi Foods Corporation, Samsons Traders and CWS Ingredients, have become the cause's most prominent flag-bearers.

Goretti Guasch, INC Executive Director, has expressed: "I am delighted to see the nut and dried fruit industry come together again to support such an important cause." As for Save the Children's Director of International Cooperation and Humanitarian Action, David del Campo, "Nuts have much to offer in most situations of malnutrition and this campaign has helped us to ensure that pregnant women and young children have access to an accurate treatment."

• The INC thanks the INC members, the INC community and above all, Save the Children for joining the campaign.

The Video:

SOURCE: INC International Nut and Dried Fruit Council