Google Spotlight
Google Spotlight is an app that combines literature with virtual reality. Anyone with a smart device can download the app and begin enjoying a virtual storytelling experience. Actors such as Ian McShane, famous for his role on tv shows like Deadwood, narrate the stories and play the roles of different characters. In the story Age of Sail, Ian McShane is the voice of William Avery, a weathered sailor. Cathy Ang is the voice of Lara, a girl who falls overboard and is rescued by William Avery. Viewers of this Google Spotlight story will be treated to pleasing aesthetic images and moving dialogue. The performance can also be viewed on YouTube:
Age of Sail is only one of the Google Spotlight stories currently available on the app. I describe it here on my young adult literature blog because this is one of the stories I believe will resonate the most with young adult audiences. Apps such as Google Spotlight are becoming more and more popular with young adults. Young adult readers are changing the way we consume stories by demanding that authors and publishers remain current in terms of how their products are released. As a librarian, techie, and reader, I am excited to see what is in store for the future of storytelling, beginning with Google Spotlight.
References
Google Spotlight Stories (2018). “Google Spotlight Stories: Age of Sail Theatrical.” Retrieved from https://youtu.be/TH3HOcRayC8
Kahrs, John (2018). Age of Sail. Google Spotlight Stories. Retrieved from https://atap.google.com/spotlight-stories/age-of-sail/