New Genre Visually Augmented eBooks

[Jeff]

Hello all. Just signed on. I am an internationally published motorcycle journalist, a former filmmaker, and proud first time author of a science-fiction novel.
To curb my edge in the publishing world, I decided to present my first novel in an unusual format. Drawing on my background as a filmmaker I photographed my novel with actors, in stills, and then comped them into sets for a rich, full feel. We then introduced visual FX such as fades and dissolves and added VO and music. The end result is what we're calling Cinenovel.
I would genuinely appreciate feedback on the concept, certainly, with interest in selling books and garnering the much coveted positive review. I must put faith in this group as being compassionate toward such a difficult endeavor as writing. I am starting with you. Please do check it out and perhaps begin a constructive conversation about books, writing, new forms of publishing.

If interested, cinenovel.com

Thank you all,

Jeff

[David]

Do the images complement the words, or replace them? Either would be very interesting to see, but I would hesitate to use the word "novel" if it lacked words.

[Jeff]

David,

We mix visuals (stills) with a full literary manuscript, so the words are very present, with the text augmented by pictures. In essence, the words compliment the words, and vice versa.

Does that help? take a look at the site to see some static samples, keeping in mind that there are fades and dissolves and sound.

[Richard]

The text is shown on screen, or read as narration? If the latter, I guess it'd be an 'illustrated audiobook' which might be a cool concept. if the former it'd be a text with moving illustrations, like 'The Daily Prophet' in the Potterverse. I just hope neither becomes the norm, or it'll squeeze out authors who just want to write, and not pay for all those production values. Best of luck with it, though!

[Jeff]

Certainly not interested in usurping the written word. Just providing a storytelling tool for more choice out there. I came to this as a filmmaker who was finding it harder and harder to get projects green lit. Since I don't have a love of action films, or super heroes, or comic books, the opportunities were vanishing.
With Cinenovel the idea is to attract a reader who otherwise might not have considered an visually-augmented book.
Regardless, it's been an enthralling experiment.

[Ubiquitous]

New storytelling methods and techniques are great. I'm all for them. Your idea sounds intriguing to me even if I wouldn't use it myself.

[Christina]

I checked out the video. Interesting, but I would have a hard time staying in the story with the background image constantly shifting. Maybe if it was something like cut scenes in video games, where you have pages of text, then on one page, it goes into cinematic scene for a few lines, then back to text, I could see that being fun.
Take my opinion with the added warning that I am easily distracted, so this may not apply to the general public.

[Richard]

I've become fond of the format used in the BBC News site, where there is normal text with embedded illustrations, some of which are videos. It's not fiction, but I can imagine formatting my books that way. Because I'm not using the standard sci-fi trope, much of the setting for my books is unfamiliar to the reader, so there would actually be some point in having pictures. For me, though, anything which moves or any video that played without the user clicking on it would be unacceptably distracting. The big disincentive to anything like this is production costs/times. I can describe a scene in ten minutes at zero cost. To animate that same scene would take hours, even if I had the software and the skills.

[[deleted user]]

Really interesting Jeff; there's a lot of experimentation going on in the world of publishing, where independents are engaging with the possibilities of narrative embedded in a multimedia experience. The runaway success of graphic novels in the current market testifies there's a market out there for this kind of thing. Again, the only really impediment is the production and download costs, but as technology advances this will become a thing of the past. You're probably at the vanguard of a new era in the novel's format. There's no doubt this idea has appeal and there is an audience out there for it. However, for those who love books and the written word such new formats will not have the same appeal because part of the pleasure with reading is the reader goes on a journey with the author, engages their imagination and co-creates a world describe within the novel.

[Eugene]

To some degree it's merely a high-tech picture book. Video that is scanning over background would be pretty much the same, as opposed to video that acts out scenes. Actually, I could imagine a format of central text surrounded by scenery from the setting. Kind of like an illuminated manuscript. The Search for WondLa would adapt to this easily.