8. A Case Study of VR Story Development: Fire Escape (2019)

Fire Escape (2019) is an award-winning interactive VR series that engages users in a fictional murder mystery set in a Brooklyn apartment complex. Produced by New York-based production company iNK Stories and influenced by Hitchcock’s voyeuristic thriller Rear Window (1954), it comprises three episodes that unfold in real-time as a hostile landlord is murdered and his several tenants become suspects. Designed for the Google Daydream VR headset, the experience includes interactive devices such as the ability to answer phone calls and activate branching narratives. This chapter interrogates the format, writing, and development of the series to highlight the challenges and opportunities related to screenwriting for VR projects with multiple interactive elements. My analysis draws upon a close reading of the series and an interview with co-writer and executive producer, Vassiliki Khonsari. Through my analysis of the elements listed above, I demonstrate the ‘user-focused’ nature of the project’s screenwriting and development process. The study uncovers the technical and logistical factors specific to VR production that impacted on choices made regarding narrative structure, the inclusion of characters, and user agency.