Beyond Conventional Screens: New Approaches to Audiovisual Storytelling - Call for Chapter Proposals

Edited by Sotiris Petridis 

• Deadline for proposals: 01 June 2026
• Notification of Acceptance: by mid-June 2026
• Deadline for chapters: 15 November 2026

Editor Dr. Sotiris Petridis invites chapter proposals for an edited volume titled Beyond Conventional Screens: New Approaches to Audiovisual Storytelling. This book seeks to explore the explosive evolution of short-form audiovisual storytelling in the digital age. As audiences migrate from traditional television and cinema screens to mobile devices and vertical displays, the very mechanics of storytelling are being rewritten. From the seriality of web series to the algorithmic loops of TikTok and Instagram Reels, new formats are challenging established norms of scriptwriting, cinematography, and production.

The objective of this volume is to evaluate how these alternative short forms are constructed, focusing on the intersection of poetics (narrative structure) and technique (visual language). While much scholarship focuses on the sociological impact of social media, this book aims to bridge the gap between academic theory and creative practice. It investigates how the "script" is reimagined for the attention economy, how "cinematography" adapts to the vertical frame (9:16), and how production models evolve in an era of democratized content creation.

Contributions that address various global settings, and those that combine theoretical analysis with an understanding of practical/industry constraints, are strongly encouraged.

Contributions may include (but are not limited to) the following topics:

• The Poetics of Micro-Narratives: Analyzing script structures in under-60-second formats (the "hook," the "loop," and fragmented storytelling).
• Web Series and Seriality: Case studies on narrative arcs, cliffhangers, and character development in web-native series.
• Vertical Cinema and Visual Aesthetics: The impact of the 9:16 aspect ratio on mise-en-scène, framing, and blocking.
• Editing for Dopamine: How rhythm, visual triggers, and rapid cutting techniques are employed to hijack the viewer's attention and sustain engagement in the scroll economy.
• Production Cultures: The shift from traditional crews to the "creator economy" (one-person crews), and the use of native app tools (filters, text-to-speech) as production assets.
• Interactive and Transmedia Storytelling: How comments, remixes, and "duets" influence the script and extend the narrative universe.
• Genre Hybrids: The evolution of specific genres in short form (e.g., micro-horror, comedy sketches, educational video essays).
• Algorithmic Authorship: How platform algorithms influence creative decisions in pre-production and editing.
• Industry Perspectives: The blur between amateur content and professional, branded short-form entertainment.

• Screen-Life and Vernacular Video: The aesthetics of the interface, including text-on-screen, stickers, and the replication of digital life as a narrative device.
• Generative AI and Synthetic Media: The impact of AI video generators (e.g., Sora, Runway) on production workflows, visual consistency, and the definition of "filmmaking."

Please send your 300-word proposal and short bio to beyondconventionalscreens.cfp@gmail.com at the latest by 01 June 2026. Acceptances will be sent out in mid-June 2026. Final chapters will be expected to be around 5,000-7,000 words, including references, and are expected by 15 November 2026.

Brief Editor Bio

Dr. Sotiris Petridis is an adjunct professor of Film Studies at the Hellenic Open University, Greece. He has published two monographs on the audiovisual horror genre: Anatomy of the Slasher Film: A Theoretical Analysis (McFarland, 2019) and The Netflix Vision of Horror: A Narrative Structural Analysis of Original Series (McFarland, 2021). He has also served as an editor for four volumes: Streaming Horrors: Essays on the Genre in the Digital Age (McFarland, 2025), ReFocus: The Films of Antoinetta Angelidi (Edinburgh University Press, 2022), Television by Stream: Essays on Marketing, Content, and Audience Worldwide (McFarland, 2023), and Animated Queerness: LGBTQIA+ Representation in Animated Media (Bloomsbury, 2026). Dr. Petridis is a member of both the European Film Academy and the Greek Film Academy.