ABSTRACT
The one thing creators all have in common is that something about the lure of immersive storytelling drew them in so powerfully that they were willing to take a risk to bring their projects into reality. This motivation brings creators and viewers to a wide variety of places, the surface of Mars, the top of Mount Everest, a war zone in Iraq or the tents in a refugee camp in Jordan. Stories that aim to build empathy vary in how they position the viewer, but they tend to play with perspective. Some of them try to create a first-person experience of being in someone else’s position—for example, as a refugee trying to navigate an unfamiliar city or a female coder dealing with sexism in the workplace. While empathy through shared experience is one angle into understanding another person’s story, another way to build this understanding is by fostering compassion through a feeling of intimacy.
