What is interactive video?
Interactive video is a dynamic viewing experience that allows audiences to actively participate in the storyline or the sequence in which they view parts of the video. Unlike traditional linear videos, interactive video provides viewers with choices that influence the narrative’s direction. This engaging format often incorporates clickable elements like buttons and hotspots, branching storylines, and scoring, transforming passive consumption into an immersive and personalised journey.
Why use interactive video?
Video is already well established as the most engaging media, whether it’s used for learning, marketing or sales.
Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to 10% when reading it in text.
More and more studies show that when you make your video content interactive, you increase engagement.
Interactive video creates 66% more engagement and 44% longer viewing time.
This in turn means content is more likely to be absorbed, remembered and acted upon than in an equivalent linear video. This makes interactive video extremely useful in situations such as learning, education and training, marketing, storytelling, gaming and customer service.
So, what makes a video interactive?
An interactive video could be made up of several things: an end card with a clickable link for more information, responsive quizzes or surveys and branching storylines. Here’s an example of one we made earlier. Any video that provides opportunities for user interaction qualifies as an interactive video.
Types of interactive features:
Hotspots: Hotspots can be clickable objects, overlays or areas in an interactive video. When the end-user clicks on the hotspot, it will trigger a reaction, such as: jump to another clip, to create a branch, or provide additional information about the object in the video that was selected.. You can use clickable hotspots in a 2D or 3D interactive video.
Overlays: Interactive video can use overlays such as text, images and videos that are made interactive. This means clicking on them can lead the user to a new scene/slide, trigger a pop-up or link to a website.
Drag to explore: VR or 360-degree interactive video can be interactive by allowing the end-user to click and drag to explore their environment.
Link to page : Interactive video can use links that redirect the end-user to a website. This is a great way to provide the viewer with more information, or direct them to a service that may be of use to them.
Data input fields/forms: Data input fields or fordms can be used for surveys, feedback, or registration purposes. They collect information from viewers while they are experiencing the video.
Video timelines: Interactive timelines or ‘jump-to’ features can allow the user to jump to certain timestamps, skipping parts of the video. This could be great if someone wants to only view highlights from a video, or jump to information that is more relevant, saving them time.
Near-Life’s Features:
With Near-Life you can easily transform content into interactive video, VR and gamified experiences. Here are some of our top features. You can check out a full list here.
- Buttons, hotspots, icons, images and videos: Add your choice of overlays for your users to click on. You choose what happens when they do: branching to another video, skipping to a new point in the video, opening a pop-up or even a new URL. A simple timeline feature allows you to easily control when your overlays appear.
- Simple branching design: The easy-to-use design canvas allows you to drag and drop graph nodes to quickly build out and storyboard branching sequences that you can then add your media to.
- 2D, 180 / 360 video or static images: Author fully immersive VR content, standard 2D content or mixed media using static slides, images or video. Simply upload your media assets and drag and drop the files into your storyboarded diagram.
- Free text input: Get your users to express themselves. Near-Life’s free text input is a handy tool that allows you to do just that. You can choose when and where the text box appears – and for how long.
- Scoring: If tracking a score is important to you, you can set a score against different choices users make and also set a pass / fail score. Near-Life is SCORM compliant so these outcomes can also be communicated to an LMS.
- Skip to time: Allow users to jump to a particular point in a single video. Ideal for chaptering longer video content.
- Notebook: Do you want your users to create their own notes during your interactive video or slide presentation? Simply enable the notebook feature and they can add notes as they go.
- Conditions and achievements: Build more involved games and simulations with conditions and achievements. Track achievements based on the actions your users take and set conditions for what happens in the future.
- Closed captions and subtitles: Add VTT files to subtitle your interactive videos and experiences – even add different language options for users.
- Slide and video pop-ups: Create pop-ups as one of your interaction outcomes. Display images and text information or, in VR, add videos that play when an overlay is clicked.
- Time-based experiences: Add time pressure to choices users need to make with a countdown timer. Failure to decide can still have consequences by adding default outcomes.
- Feedback and reports: Give feedback on the choices and interactions users make, these are presented in a bespoke report at the end of the experience to add richer context for users and learners.
- Analytics dashboard: See the responses of individual users as well as aggregated stats on overall interactions.
Branching storylines
A branching storyline, also described as a branching scenario, is a type of interactive video that allows the viewer to choose alternate pathways in a video or film. The viewer effectively branches off from the main storyline. Bandersnatch is a great example of a branching, interactive video. This interactive film is available on Netflix and is part of the science fiction anthology series Black Mirror.
The viewer may choose how a character responds or the viewer might be more directly involved in a point-of-view film and have to respond directly to the film characters. All choices determine which branch of the storyline the viewer will follow.
Branching scenarios are popular in interactive video learning design because they allow the viewer, or learner, to experience alternate perspectives. They are extremely useful in change management where you want to demonstrate how someone’s behaviour impacts on the wider community or organisation. This type of interactive video can also be used as an assessment, by asking the learner to apply learning to different situations and respond accordingly.
Branching scenarios are easy with Near-Life, and the storyboarding feature makes planning your branching scenario easier than ever. Check out this example of a branching scenario made with Near-Life.
Interactive video and AI
AI is having an ever-growing impact on the world of interactive video. Its contribution can come in various forms, from generating scripts, to images, to the base of your interactive video.
Generating scripts:
AI tools such as ChatGPT can take the hassle out of writing a script and making a detailed plan for your interactive video. Simply tell the AI what you want your video to be about and any key points, and let them take it from there! This can save you a lot of time and energy. Check out this interactive escape room made using ChatGPT’s script and Canva’s AI.
Generating 2D images:
With Near-Life’s AI image generation tool, creating content for your interactive video is easier than ever! Simply type in your prompt, select the style and let our AI take it from there. Check out this interactive game made with Near-Life’s AI image generator.
Generating VR/360-degree media:
Platforms like Skybox AI can generate VR and 360-degree environments for your interactive video based on detailed or simple prompts in the style you want. You can then take this content and make it interactive using Near-Life’s various VR/360-degree features. Check out this VR interactive VR tour made using Near-Life and Skybox AI.
Generating a storyboard:
Near-Life is now making interactive video design even easier, becoming the world’s first AI-powered interactive video authoring tool. Our Magic Wand feature will generate your interactive video storyboard for you (which is like the skeleton of the interactive video that will hold the content you make). By combining this feature with other AI tools, you can put the entire process of making an interactive video in the hands of AI, saving yourself time and energy.
VR and 360-degree interactive video
You can create 360-degree videos, also known as immersive or spherical videos, using a special type of camera that will record a view in every direction at the same time. This will leave you with a 360-degree video. You can then scroll through it to see the shot from any direction, using a compatible device or app to view it on.
Virtual reality or VR is different to 360-degree content. It takes the user into a digital or ‘virtual’ world, so the photography or virtual space is created digitally. The user can normally ‘walk around’ or explore the virtual world. With 360 video they are limited to the filmmaker’s movements or standpoint. 360-degree video is real film taken of the real world, so it is not the same as VR.
With Near-Life, you can make 360-degree and VR interactive video.This is an amazing way to take the immersion of 360-degree content even deeper. Not only are you engaging the user visually, but when they also are making choices or answering questions, you are engaging their brain too. With features like icons, buttons, text overlays and even video overlays, you can take your 360-degree and VR clips to the next level by making them interactive. Check out this example of a 360-degree interactive video tour made using Near-Life.
Latest features for VR and 360-degree interactive video:
VR Editing and Position Controls
We now allow you to edit in VR mode, making interactive overlay placement more intuitive. We’ve also added more position controls to improve precision, making it easy to see exactly how and where your overlays will appear. You can rotate overlays, move them up, down left or right, and tilt if necessary, to ensure they will look their best in the 180/360 environment.
2D and Video Overlays
You can also now add 2D image and video overlays to your 180/360 environments. This is great if you want to give end users a bit more context or information. For example, in an office building tour, you can give the end users a video to explain more about what each room is used for.
Triggers
We’ve also introduced triggers. This means you can use an overlay to trigger another one to appear. For example, you could use a hotspot overlay to trigger a video or image overlay.
Icons
Icons are an easy shorthand for allowing your end-user to navigate the interactive video. These are simple icons such as arrows, a home button, play button and many more that you can add to your video with just the click of a button. You can see examples of these in the VR Space Station Tour.
Types of interactive video
VR/360-degree interactive video
Interactive video can take the form of VR or 360-degree content. This is where the user can interact with a 360-degree or VR environment through various interactions such as buttons, icons and clicking and dragging to navigate.
Branching interactive video
Interactive video can take the form of a branching scenario – a type of interactive video that allows the viewer to choose alternate pathways in a video or film. The viewer effectively branches off from the main storyline. They are extremely useful in change management where you want to demonstrate how someone’s behaviour impacts on the wider community or organisation.
Gamified interactive video
Interactive video can take the form of a gamified scenario. This is where you use game-like elements such as scoring or inventory to create a more immersive experience. Gamified learning is a great way to create more impactful learning content that will increase knowledge retention.
Interactive quizzes
Interactive video can take the form of a quiz. This is where you ask the end-user questions and they must respond with an answer or feedback. Near-Life’s scoring and inventory options are great for building quizzes. We even offer the option to collect user names and emails so you can look at how users have performed on the quiz at an individual level. Without collecting this information, you can still view insights into overall performance.
Interactive video tutorials
Interactive video can take the form of a tutorial. This is where you recreate a How-To guide in a gamified, immersive experience. This is excellent for healthcare services or in fields that require specific training. It removes all danger from the scenario, but lets the end-user make decisions and see the consequences of their actions play out.
Interactive surveys/polls
Interactive video can take the form of a survey or a poll. This is where you use the video to gain feedback, opinions or preferences from the end-user. You can make it as simple as text slides with interactivity or use animation to make it more dynamic. For a more personal experience, create a video selfie asking viewers a series of questions and then provide a video response for each outcome. This way they’ll get immediate feedback on their selections. Chances are, the more creative you get, the greater the likelihood your survey completion rate will improve. Near-Life’s insights feature makes it easy to collect feedback from the end user and view it, either at a personal level or anonymously.
Interactive video provides 62% interaction rate for quizzes while the average survey response rate is around 33%
Use cases for interactive video
Interactive gamified lessons
A potential use case for interactive video is a gamified lesson. This levels up your learning resources by making them more immersive and engaging, increasing learner retention.
Check out this example of a gamified lesson made with Near-Life.
Interactive product guides
Product guides can show off all the various features the product has, allowing the user to learn more about whichever interest them the most. Near-Life’s easy-to-use canvas and AI building features make building product tours easy!
Check out this example of a product tour made with Near-Life.
Interactive onboarding videos
Onboarding can be an overwhelming process. Interactive video allows you to give the end-user all the information in one place, so they are free to navigate in a more engaging format. Someone in one department may not need to know about the ins and outs of a different one, so allowing them to view what is relevant to them saves them time and allows them to focus on what’s important.
Check out this example of an onboarding video made with Near-Life.
Interactive tours:
Location tours work especially well in a VR/360-degree format where the user can click and drag to explore, and use other featuers like icons and overlays to navigate. Near-Life has lots of features for building interactive VR and 360-degree videos.
Check out this example of a 360-degree tour made with Near-Life.
There are countless other use cases for interactive video – the opportunities are endless!
Did we mention Near-Life allows you to track your interactive video?
This might be the best part so far. With Near-Life, not only do you give your viewers a more interesting and engaging experience, you also get to see how they interact with your content because all the interactions are tracked. By tracking interactions, you can give the end-user feedback and a score based on how they’ve interacted with the content. You can see insights into how the end-user has interacted with your video by going to the insights sections on the video canvas. If you want to see at an individual level how each person has performed, simply choose to take their emails at the beginning of the video. Their performance will then be found alongside their email when you go to the insights.
Obviously, this is essential for a survey or questionnaire, but:
- What if you could identify unconscious bias through a short interactive film?
- What if a tracked interactive video could help see and understand exactly where your corporate message failed to connect with employees?
- What if the insights could help you identify organisational learning gaps easily and redeploy your training budget to address them?
THAT is the true power of interactive video.
Interactivity with a purpose
Interactive video is not exactly a new concept. CD-ROMs and Flash-based content provided video that viewers could interact with. With the introduction of HTML5, its delivery method and creation has changed drastically. You no longer need clunky loading times or software updates to enjoy interactive video. And with Near-Life, making interactive videos has never been easier!
The best interactive video will have well thought-out interactivity: interactivity with a purpose, not just for the sake of it. And the data insights that you can gather from a well-crafted interactive video are invaluable.
Get started with your own interactive video
Near-Life makes it easy for learning professionals, educators and anyone seeking to communicate knowledge effectively to create immersive and engaging interactive video, VR, and gamified content. Click here to get started for free!