My report on  ‘I Am Orion‘ is now available to download via the ORION website. It describes the research behind ‘I Am Orion’ and how we have created a new term to describe the outcomes of this research. It describes ‘wraparound filmmaking’ as being filmmaking with extended content, which involves the application of audience research to create new possibilities for participation in the making and viewing of the film. Whilst it sits alongside other concepts such as transmedia storytelling and multiplatform production, ‘wraparound film-making’ describes a rapidly developing area of practice, which until now hasn’t been given a name.

There are numerous examples of live or event-based cinema plus a whole range of interactive extensions to films, which incorporate the web, installation work or live theatrical events. Wraparound filmmaking embraces all of these concepts and offers a range of different ways in to the core themes of a film. At the heart of this is a desire to enhance engagement and participation by encouraging the audience to become more invested in the story. The intention is that the report will provide useful insights for the creative industries and have wider purchase beyond the specific work on ‘I Am Orion’.

The film recently had its world premiere at Tribeca in New York and has just won the Grand Jury Prize at Nashville Film Festival, so these are exciting times.