A group of creators are currently working on an interactive crime drama called Otis. The full motion video project will feature multiple episodes set to debut in 2018. A prototype of the project has been posted up over on Nukhu, which demonstrates how the first seven minute episode will play out while using the keyboard as a means of interacting with the perspective on how everything plays out.

Viewers are presented with the option to cycle through the available perspectives as they happen in real-time, using the ‘A’, ‘S’, and ‘D’ keys on the keyboard to change perspective.

Unfortunately it’s not possible to embed the episode into the article, but you can click the image below to check out the prototype on Nukhu.

The short episode follows the three characters – a husband off to work while leaving his bed-ridden wife in the company of a caretaker; the caretaker who aligns herself with a thief; and the thief who attempts to make a quick bit of cash on the unsuspecting couple.

You can see how things unfold from each perspective, which really opens up a lot of possibilities about how we view the unfolding of stories. In today’s cinema we’re so used to quick cuts and fast tracking it’s easy to lose the audience’s attention or empathy when there’s too much busy-work and movement.

In this case, the long tracking shots, the fixed perspectives, and the ability to change them at will lets viewers control the editing and pace of how the story unfolds. It also means you may have to rewatch it a couple of times over to get the full gist of the character development and overall weight of the story.

It’s definitely an interesting way to tell a story.

It’s also interesting to see FMV make a return to the interactive entertainment space. Just this year alone we’ve seen The Awkward Steve Duology, The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker and the surprise release of the serious crime-thriller, Late Shift, which actually managed to make its way to the PS4 and Xbox One. That’s not to mention that old-school classics like Night Trap have also found their way back into social consciousness of today’s market.

Anyway, expect to see the full episodes of Otis over on Nukhu.