The illusion of co-authorship in interactive cinema

We dedicated the article to the theme of interactive cinema and the illusion of co-authorship, which is, in one way or another, the foundation of this genre. This element can be observed both at the authorial level, when creating a work, and at the viewer level, during interaction with that work. We analyze films and video games where the illusion of co-authorship is vividly expressed. The objects of our research include projects that place a particular emphasis on branching narratives where viewers or players are given choices that influence the plot. All such elements are predetermined by the authors, and one of our main goals is to reveal how screenwriters skillfully conceal the lack of real choices and create the illusion that such an option exists. For example, we take various interactive media, with a particular emphasis on different video games: "The Walking Dead: The Game," "The Dark Pictures Anthology," "Until Dawn," "The Quarry," and "Detroit: Become Human." Our primary research methods include theoretical aspects such as the analysis of scientific texts on the topic and media materials relevant to the subject. Additionally, one of the methods of our research is induction and deduction. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that interactive cinema is becoming an increasingly popular form of art in the media landscape each year. For this reason, it is also becoming a sought-after topic for research in both the global and domestic academic community. The development of the genre is an important topic for understanding how new media are formed. Our research enables the first steps towards highlighting interactive cinema as a distinct form of art alongside cinematography and video games. Despite the fact that interactive cinema consists of separate elements from film and video games that have synthesized into a new medium, we still find elements that distinguish interactive cinema as a separate and new direction in art. This research highlights a key feature in the form of the illusion of co-authorship in the work as a unique element inherent only to the genre of interactive cinema.