Narrative Structure Transformation in Mixed Reality Moving Images: A Study on Cross-media Screenwriting Practice
Abstract
Mixed reality (MR) fundamentally alters the spatial and temporal conditions of moving-image narratives. Unlike conventional cinema, where the frame dictates visual access, MR enables physical space and digital elements to coexist, repositioning the spectator as an active participant. This paper examines how narrative structures transform under these conditions and what this entails for screenwriters. Drawing on classical narratology and practice-based research, the study analyzes three works—Bettina Frankham's In a Minor Key, Alejandro G. Iñárritu's Carne y Arena, and Edward Berger's Submerged. Three principal shifts are identified: plot architecture becomes modular rather than sequential; point of view becomes embodied rather than optically directed; temporal organization becomes elastic rather than fixed. These findings suggest that traditional three-act models give way to spatially distributed, non-linear designs, requiring screenwriting to expand beyond the master-scene format toward diagrammatic and modular documentation. Cross-media screenwriting in MR is less about adapting film scripts and more about designing experiential systems that balance authorial intention with participant agency.
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