Narrative cues within cinematic virtual reality: An exploratory study of narrative cues within the content and motives of virtual reality developers

This exploratory research inquires how narrative cues are constructed within cinematic virtual reality content, together with inquiring the main objectives of cinematic virtual reality developers regarding the use of narrative cues. Within this thesis, narrative cues are elements within the story world that draw the attention of the spectator, and therefore direct a spectator’s gaze towards important plot elements within the virtual world. This study employs a mixed method approach, which combines qualitative expert interviews with qualitative content analysis. The results show that narrative cues, either diegetic or non-diegetic, work collectively towards a similar goal, namely, a spectator who better comprehends the plot. Moreover, maintaining the spectator’s feeling of presence throughout the experience, the type of narrative, and the developer’s aesthetic objectives, have shown to be of vital importance with regards to the use of narrative cues in cinematic virtual reality content.