The Aesthetics and Taxonomy of Film Grammar in Cinematic Virtual Reality

Abstract

Cinematic Virtual Reality (CVR) merges the immersive affordances of virtual reality with the narrative traditions of cinema and the interactivity of games. Unlike traditional film, CVR decentralizes authorship, expands viewer agency, and reshapes the relationship between creator, audience, and system. Despite its rapid growth, CVR has not been sufficiently examined regarding storytelling logic, authorship, and aesthetic grammar. This thesis examines CVR’s narrative and aesthetic dimensions and proposes the Collaborative Narrative Model (CNM) as a framework for understanding storytelling in immersive environments. The study adopts a bricolage methodology, integrating philosophical analysis, thematic and comparative content analysis, and close reading of eleven representative CVR works. These include Gondwana (2022), The Book of Distance (2020), Notes on Blindness: Into Darkness (2016), Clouds Over Sidra (2015), The Key (2019), Giant (2016), Marco & Polo Go Round (2021), Dear Angelica (2017), Wolves in the Walls (2018), The Invisible Hours (2017), and Spheres (2018). The findings show that CVR introduces distinctive narrative strategies based on perceptual realism, spatial immersion, temporal fluidity, and participatory authorship. The CNM conceptualizes storytelling as a triangular process involving viewer, designer, and system, where meaning is generated collaboratively rather than imposed by a single author. By situating CVR within the broader history of immersive media and linking it to cinematic and game-based traditions, the thesis argues that CVR constitutes a distinct narrative form in its own right. It contributes theoretically to digital aesthetics and narrative studies and offers practical guidance for scholars and practitioners in designing coherent, adaptive, and emotionally engaging immersive stories. Keywords: authorship, cinematic virtual reality, collaborative narrative model, digital aesthetics, immersive storytelling, narrative identity, viewer agency