The ACM International Conference on Interactive Media Experiences (IMX) focuses on challenges and innovations across diverse forms of media engagement and experience. The aim is to provoke and promote discussion and the sharing of exciting ideas amongst researchers, industry practitioners and the academic community in all forms of media: VR, AR, MR, XR, 360°, live-streaming, online media content, authoring and production, TV as well as multimodal content. We encourage authors to submit their novel research findings in analysing, developing, creating, installing, evaluating, critiquing or distributing interactive media experiences. Possible topics of interest include:

New Forms of Media Experience

We welcome papers where the primary contribution is the introduction of novel ways of experiencing media content, including those driven by novel hardware implementation. This includes experiences harnessing new forms of media content (e.g. VR, AR, MR, XR, 360°, live-streaming, haptics, olfactory, gustation, etc.); those that are consumed in diverse ways including across multiple screens, platforms, modalities, and in immersive theatres; and those that arise from contemporary developments in AI. Application areas could include entertainment and information including interactive and generative documentaries, transmedia storytelling, volumetric filmmaking, live performance broadcasts and object-based media productions. Papers in other application areas, such as education, healthcare, wellbeing and governance and decision-making, are also welcome.

Analysis of Audiences and their Interactions

Advances in content, platforms and devices are rapidly changing how audiences engage with media. We welcome contributions that seek to understand audiences using a rich variety of analytic approaches including sensing audiences, sentiment analysis, and measuring and monitoring quality of experience, including ones inspired by psychophysics approaches. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, consumption trends and behaviours in young audiences, sharing practices and communication strategies, identifying engagement patterns across diverse genres, platforms and demographics, scheduled versus on-demand content consumption, binge viewing, and multi-platform engagement. Papers exploring AI techniques for understanding audiences are encouraged, e.g.: monitoring media bias, misinformation and fake news, predictability of real-world events.

Underpinning Technologies and Systems

This topic focuses on technologies, systems, and interfaces that enable new, or improve and advance our existing interactions with media content online, at home, or on the move. We encourage submissions describing technical advancements in streaming systems, content synchronisation for multi-platform delivery, and recommendation and companion apps. Additional areas for consideration include games engines for content delivery, location-based and context-aware applications and services and object-based media.

Production tools and workflows

We invite papers describing advances in the preparation, design, and development of media experiences. Areas of interest include new production processes for TV, online video, VR, AR, XR, and 360° formats. Novel tools and workflows using motion/volumetric capture, render engines and LED volumes  are encouraged, as are the presentations of innovative authoring and data-driven tools for interactive or multi-platform content development. In addition to papers describing technical innovations, we are also interested in innovations originating from design and humanities perspectives detailing the authoring process for writing interactive content and the human-centred design methods used to realise these narratives. We are particularly interested in papers exploring use of artificial intelligence techniques to generate or support the creation of novel media experiences.

Business Models and Marketing

This topic focuses on the new business, marketing, purchasing, subscription, and monetizing strategies arising from and enabling the creation and consumption of innovative media experiences. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, targeted advertisements, freemium products, programmatic media buying, in-programme recommendations and purchases, exploiting consumption data, monetizing second screen experiences, and social media influencer strategies.

Cultural and Social Studies

The impact of the contemporary developments in media on cultures and societies is powerful and raises many important and challenging topics for consideration. We welcome papers from a wide variety of theoretical and analytical perspectives examining structured reality TV, social media manipulation and targeting, media convergence and platform monopolies, intellectual property, remix culture, fan culture, media activism and participation politics, or tactical media practices. In addition, research concerning media violence, social media addiction, or issues of bias and ethics would also be appropriate for this topic.

Disruptive Concepts and Media Art

We invite submission of research and practice on disruptive media concepts that seek to challenge traditional consumption patterns and expand spectator experiences. This includes cultural, artistic, and creative multimedia experiences that go beyond the scope of entertainment. Technologies, interfaces, and experiences in application domains including but not limited to interactive art, digital performance & opera experiences, online learning/e-learning, musical festivals, museum exhibitions, and digital humanities.

IMX is an inclusive, growing, interdisciplinary community, so if you aren’t sure whether the specifics of your research are in scope then please email paper@imx.acm.org and the chairs will do their best to advise you. Additionally, we are offering a mentoring programme for authors new to submitting an academic paper, those in circumstances which are particularly adverse (e.g. a disability or personal circumstances which impact upon the paper preparation process), those for whom English is a second language or a particularly novel submission which may require additional input.