This entry is part of a small series of entries based on the recent XMediaLab conference in Sydney called "Global Media Cultures'.  Each conference speaker presented individually and I have decided to group them according to a common ground. 

Susan Bond of 42 Entertainment delivers immersive experiences for the audience because of the technology and the openness for boundaries being erased or blurred.  How can we put audience in the game and how can we make it more entertaining and personal?  How can the Hive be harnessed?

Alternate reality games can be a true integrated, 360 degree experience where people can access and interact with the content faster and in more ways than ever.  An example that Susan has cited throughout her presentation were the Dark Knight ARG that tells the story of Gotham City between "Batman Begins" to "Dark Knight" with the main objectives being capturing the current and new audience's attention and involvement in the story and to also engage participants in a campaign to build awareness of this film.  For an Australian perspective on how new media can impact the film industry, go here.

ARG's use distributed narrative where the story interacts with the audience for a certain character's point of view.  Successful ARG's can only be made real by the audience.  What was interesting about this is that the audience can be brought in, the audience can grow and develop globally.  However, this requires considerable upfront planning with the teams involved (see ARG Design Charts) as the experience relies on syncing audience discovery with the proposed narratives. 

Zareh of Animal Logic also called for great stories and great ideas to rule.  He provided showcases of works (some I recognised from the Creative Sydney Festival) from Australia, The Matrix, 300, Happy Feet and more where the work is executed with excellence to fully encapsulate the great ideas behind it.  Zareh provided us a great tip on these large-scale productions/storytelling: "Execute with excellence, don't play it safe".