Identification of the viewer with the character in interactive cinema

In this study, the innovations brought to the cinema by revealing the content and technical formation of the interactive cinema have been tried to be specified. In this context, it has been examined how the new narrative style of the interactive cinema affects the identification of the audience with the character during the movie watching process. In this study, a qualitative method, focus group, was used. Focus group was realized with two different generations, Y and Z. Thus it was revealed in the interactive motion picture experiences of the two generations that what affects the identification of the film with the character in the narrative structure features. In the scope of the study, firstly, the concept of interactive and the forms of interactivity brought by it are examined. The narrative structure forms of interactive cinema, which are formed by the effect of these concepts on cinema, are different from linear cinema. The audience, which is an important element for cinema, is also trying a new cultures of watching while experiencing. This culture of watching affects his identification with the character in the motion picture and the main element of the film. Identification is an important factor in the cinema that allows the audience to connect with the movie Unlike linear films, in interactive cinema films that have a non-linear narrative, the audience is able to intervene in the content and makedecisions in content by means of a character. This affects the viewer's identification with the film universe and character. As a result, the effects of narrative features of interactive cinema on audience and character identification have been revealed separately for Y and Z generations. In this study, Late Shift, an interactive film shown at the festivals, was taken as a sample, the participants in the focus group experienced this film and answered the questions posed in this context. Accordingly, the fact that the interactive cinema allows the audience to intervene in the content, and the viewer's directing the content through a character facilitates its identification with the character. However, the elements such as the limited rights of choice in interactive cinema, the preferences being realized within a period of time, the character responses that do not meet the expectations as a result of the decisions cause the viewer to be alienated from the character.