【Historical Archives】

Though it's still in preproduction,Historical Archives Steven Soderbergh's upcoming series Mosaicis already unlike anything HBO has ever done.

In an extensive, new interview with Lincoln Center's Film Comment, Soderbergh shared more about the project and how it will tie in to an app due out in November -- an app that lets users familiarize themselves with the story of Mosaicand choose how it unfolds.

"Branching narratives have been around forever, but technology now allows, I hope, for a more elegant, intuitive form of engagement than used to be possible," Soderbergh said in the interview.

"We spent a lot of time on how you touchthis thing. I wanted to make sure that it was beautiful and simple, so that when the opportunity arises for you to decide whose perspective you want to follow, it feels organic and not like an interruption—like the thing is just stopping cold. So there was just a lot trial and error about how that would work. I’m really happy with it now. The question now is if a million people log on at the same time, will it crash?"

The traditional, episodic version of Mosaicwill air on HBO next year, starring Garrett Hedlund and Sharon Stone.

"I offered HBO the possibility of doing a linear cut because I needed more money to develop the technology," said Soderbergh, who initially only wanted the app version. "I called them and said I have a lot of material that’s not in the app; 'I can cut a six-hour episodic version of this that will be its own thing.' And they said, absolutely."

It's unclear if HBO will directly finance the app or Soderbergh just plans to use his checks for it. The free app will be available for iOS, desktop, and Android, and all the different "nodes" add up to about seven-and-a-half hours of story, according to Soderbergh. Users start with one chapter, and at the end they can choose which way to move forward.

"I’m not a gamer and when people say 'choose your own adventure,' I just blow up," Soderbergh added. "Mosaicis a fixed universe. Your choices don’t alter what happens. You get to decide how you want to navigate your way through this universe. [As a user or viewer] I don’t want to do the storyteller’s job. Just give me the story. So this for me rides a seam of traditional narrative. It’s not a game — it fell right in this pocket I could relate to."

Soderbergh didn't say if the app would contain footage or photos, just that viewers can "watch" the nodes. If there's actual footage, it might overlap with the HBO version, or tell the same story from different angles or viewpoints. The most notable thing is that the app will release before the show, rather than afterward as a companion experience. The app is the main course here, and Soderbergh wants to serve it up right.

Be on the lookout for Mosaicthis fall.

(Editor: {typename type="name"/})