DC's Hybrid Media

Everyone knows, or has at least heard of, what multimedia is. It is, as One 3 Productions beautifully and compactly put it in their video, “telling a single story in multiple mediums.” It is one story being told over and over again in different formats such as film, television, novels, and even video games. This used to be the main strategy companies used in order to get their product to a wide variety of audiences. The main problem that faces this strategy is that if one person did not like the story in the book, they wont give it the time of day in any other format because it is the same story. This is where transmedia comes into play. 

Transmedia, as defined again by One 3 Productions, is “telling multiple stories over multiple mediums that fit together to tell one big pervasive story.” There is one problem I have with that definition and it is at the end. Saying it fits together to tell one big pervasive story sounds like multimedia. I would prefer to say that it fits together to showcase one big pervasive world or universe. One story within the big pervasive world that is being told in one or many different formats. The access points within the world are now numerous, and this is the main difference with transmedia and multimedia. Now, multimedia is a cog in the bigger machine that is transmedia. One person can choose what ever format they want and whichever story they want and they are then able to enter that world.

There are many examples of this in todays media. We have Star Wars, which not only has multimedia elements (Episode I is currently available as a film, book, video game, and graphic novel) but bigger transmedia elements as well (There are numerous characters in the Star Wars universe whom each have their own stories, and those stories are told in various formats). The only catch (for lack of a better word) to Star Wars is that Lucasfilm, and now Disney, have made a great effort to make sure that every story told within the Star Wars universe coincides with the other stories (the legitimate “canon” stories that is). 

Pretty much everyone in here effects everyone else...

The main entertainment powerhouse that I will be discussing avoids this catch and takes transmedia one step further than Star Wars, and that ppwerhouse is DC. In terms of companies that use transmedia, DC is one that takes a bold approach to the idea. They have multiple access points to their content, which has different stories, but they do not use one universe to tie it all together. Instead, they use characters.

DC does something that most other companies that dabble in transmedia either don’t do at all, or don’t do nearly as much. Where there is one Star Wars universe, there are several DC universes. The content that DC has to offer is so vast that it would not only be nearly impossible to put into one coherent universe, but it could also be detrimental.

As of right now, everything involving Star Wars connects. The TV shows are part of the same story lines as the films, novels, and even games. There is one universe with several points of access into the universal story. DC on the other hand does not use one universal story. What keeps the DC universe together are the characters and some of the general information about them, and they offer different points of access into their universal characters.

Some say that if you name every DC character, you will learn the meaning of life.

Very recently, DC had done an overhaul in their comic books called “Flashpoint,” which gave all of their comics a fresh #1 issue. These new issues would be called the “New 52.” DC did this because they knew that, in order to get new readers, they would need to give people a clear solid starting off point, and it worked (I myself am an example). 

Say goodbye to all that money you thought you had in your wallet!

However, unlike in Star Wars where the comics bleed into everything else, the New 52 starts and stops in the comics. Their television and film productions remain unaffected by the events in the comics. As a matter of fact, DC’s big branches (film, television, comics) do not effect one another. There are currently Four DC television shows on three different networks and none of them effect what goes on in the films that DC is releasing. Even more interestingly, only two of the four TV shows are confirmed to connect to each other. The more narrowed down you go into their media, the lesser options become available.

Gotham on FOX

This use of characters as the connection between media outlets has its pros and cons. One con is that it narrows the selection a viewer has if they like a specific story. They don’t even have the pros of multimedia when choosing. For example, if someone likes DC’s tv series Gotham on FOX, they are only able to watch it there, and because it is in its own story (meaning not connected to the other TV shows) it is Gotham on FOX or nothing. Conversely with the films, if you like the story, then the films are your only way to follow it because they do not bleed into the shows or comics. However, it is not all bad. Using characters as connections instead of a universal story is not as alienating as one may think. Fans of Superman or Batman now have many different takes on their favorite heroes, instead of just one version through out. If I do not like how Batman is being portrayed in the films, I can just read the comics. Another plus is that if the films start to go in a direction one might dislike, then they can watch the television shows or read the comics, which are not bound by the story lines of the films. 

Don't worry DC lovers, you have alternatives.

What DC has done in their use of media is unique. As a whole, it is not doubt transmedia, but once one looks closer, they will start to notice that things get very specific. This seems to be negating what transmedia is trying to do by allowing multiple access points, but because the universal connection between the media is characters rather than just one world, it still keeps things open. It is both transmedia and singular media at the same time. It is hybrid media.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Image 1 - http://www.popoptiq.com/admirals-jedi-aliens-ten-notable-characters-star-wars-expanded-universe/

Image 2 - http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/rorschachsrants/news/?a=22894

Image 3 - http://wordballoon.blogspot.com/2011/09/take-dc-comics-nielsen-survey.html

Image 4 - http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/first-look-gothams-season-2-813290

Image 5 - http://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/

One 3 Productions, "Transmedia 101 by One 3 Productions" YouTube video

Gerald Allen

November 18, 2015

            With developments in technology, humans are always finding new and creative ways to present stories. Multimedia stories were ground breaking when they first arrived on the scene because for the first time we were able to combine many different forms of media to tell a single story. Transmedia storytelling represents a process where integral elements of a fiction get dispersed systematically across multiple delivery channels for the purpose of creating a unified and coordinated entertainment experience (Jenkins). An extremely common practice of online publications is to include a video that coincides with the written story; before the advent of the internet, writers were not able to include videos with their articles. Transmedia takes multimedia to new heights, authors are able to tell one story in an eventful way.

BTI Album Cover

            One of the most creative ways that transmedia has been used to tell a story was done by entertainer Donald Glover. Glover is an accomplished screenwriter turned rapper (under the stage name Childish Gambino) and his creativity and knowledge about media were on full display when he released his Grammy-nominated album Because the Internet in December 2013. Before the album’s release, Glover wrote and starred in a short film called Clapping for the Wrong Reasons in August—approximately four months before the release date. Though the film was met with positive reviews, it was definitely not something that a typical rapper would do—the film depicted Glover and his friends during an ordinary day in Los Angeles mansion, however, there were many strange occurrences in the film that left viewers confused. Around the same time Glover inexplicably started to wear the same outfit every day and his typically upbeat demeanor changed to a somber one.

            The album was released and it was actually accompanied by a 72-page screenplay, in which the album was supposed to serve as a soundtrack to. In fact, the screenplay and album answered a lot of the questions that fans asked. It turned out that Glover, an actor, was playing a role in real life. He was playing a character known as the Boy in the screenplay and everything he had done up until that point was him getting in the role. The Boy was a young man who spent his time smoking marijuana with his friends and partying in his mansion. One day, he receives a phone call from someone saying his father died, which was his main source of income. This prompts him to start selling drugs and the story ends with him getting involved in a shootout with the cops.

            The album, itself, explored several themes that are relatable to the younger generation, like how prevalent the internet is in our daily lives, how the internet allows people to be connected but not connected at the same time, and how people have dealt with these changes in communications. In a review of the album by Phillip Cosores, the Glover’s goal is further explained. “With the announcement that there is actually a script based on the songs of Because the Internet (or, more likely, vice versa) and the convincing theory that Glover has been living the plot over the course of the last year (creating a “concept world” rather than a mere concept album), Childish Gambino fans now have all the more reason to proclaim his genius. Likewise, his detractors now have all the more reason to question everything about him. When, as has been suggested, Glover is using interviews, social media, and every other public communication to actually create the multimedia concept art, there has to be a reason for it” (Cosores).

Clapping for the Wrong Reasons Scene

            Most musicians are aware of the benefits of using social media to connect with their fan base, however, Glover took this idea to the next level during the album’s release. On his website, Glover also used strategically-placed computer code to alert fans of upcoming concerts and other pertinent information. Essentially he used a web-based scavenger hunt to help promote his album. He connected with fans on various levels, although, he had hidden messages encoded in his website, he still utilized Twitter and Instagram to his advantage. 

            Henry Jenkins sums it up perfectly in Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide, he says that “you pitch a world because a world can support multiple characters and multiple stories” (Jenkins Pg. 116). Glover took a major risk by taking a transmedia approach to releasing his album, however, he did successfully manage to create a world where fans can experience and speculate about the story in many different ways.

            Although the album’s release was met with varying degrees of acceptance, it’s hard not to commend Glover on his successful attempt to create something more than a rap album. Because the Internet was an extremely immersive project that allowed fans to follow the story of the album in many different ways and most of the different components of the story can be consumed by themselves but when viewers/readers/listeners combine all the different stories together it really creates an experience that has not been done in hip-hop before.

Works Cited

Cosores, Phillip. "New Childish Gambino Album’s Fatal Flaw: It’s Just Not Cool | TIME.com." Entertainment New Childish Gambino Albums Fatal Flaw Its Just Not Cool Comments. Time, 10 Dec. 2013. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.

Jenkins, Henry. "Transmedia Storytelling 101." Confessions of an AcaFan. N.p., 22 Mar. 2007. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.

Jenkins, Henry. Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: New York UP, 2006. Print.

Tahir Russell Transmedia/MultiMedia

Tahir Russell

Convergence

Transmedia/MultiMedia Storytelling

Kingdom Hearts

            Multimedia and transmedia storytelling are two forms of telling a story of media type across multiple platforms. They are similar in a way that both originate from one central story however they are both different. Transmedia originates from one central story where there are other stories that are told over multiple platforms. Multiple platforms which include, video games, comics, television, movies, etc. Multimedia is telling a single story through multiple platforms. An example of multimedia would be Twilight stories or HBO’s True Blood, while those forms of media originated as books the same story is told on television and movies. An example for transmedia is Disney and Square Enix video game collaboration of Kingdom Hearts.

Kingdom Hearts is a video game series collaboration between two very different companies which surprisingly worked very well with one another.  Kingdom Hearts combines characters from the ever expanding world of Disney with the world of Final Fantasy made by Square Enix. New characters are created with this collaboration and together the characters fight “monsters” known as heartless across many different worlds.

“A transmedia story unfolds across multiple media platforms, with each new text making a distinctive and valuable contribution to the whole” (Jenkins 95-96). Similar to The Matrix, Kingdom Hearts started off as one video game on the PlayStation 2 videogame console. The game became an instant success and fans wanted more from the series.

The original Kingdom Hearts was released in 2002, the direct sequel to the game was released in 2004. The sequel, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, however was released on Nintendo’s Game Boy Advanced, while still video game it was a completely different platform. In order to play the sequel you had to buy a completely different device in order to play the game. With the release of this new game, a Japanese comic adaptation was made of the game as well. The comics utilize multimedia, the same exact story is told with the games, it is just a different form of media to present the central story.

Within the world of Kingdom Hearts it encompasses new characters with brand new story lines while also including old Disney characters such as Donald, Mickey, and Goofy. In regards to old characters their backgrounds are expanded in this Universe to make to make the overall story make sense. The Disney characters original storylines began on television, movies, and theme parks and have continued to grow and prosper over the years.

The world of Final Fantasy created from the Square Enix Company has characters who originate from the video game Final Fantasy and its multiple sequels. The franchise and its characters have crossed over from multiple platforms of video games and movies. Similar to the Disney characters in Kingdom hearts their stories are expanded as well in order to mesh well with the Kingdom Hearts universe.

Transmedia is a unique way to get a new audience to invest in products. “The consumer who has played the game or watched the shorts will get a different experience from the one had the theatrical film experience” (Jenkins 104). Although Kingdom Hearts itself has not yet been made into a television show or movie, those who know Disney characters in their movies began drawn to them in this video game story telling. This combination of different companies continues in expand into multiple platforms today.

 Currently Disney and Square Enix are working together to bring Kingdom Hearts 3 to next-gen video game consoles such as Xbox One and PlayStation 4. There have been prequels, sequels, and other additional stories surrounding the Kingdom Hearts Universe on multiple gaming platforms. All with different names, and different characters but stemming from the main story.  Perhaps in the future they will expand their multimedia and transmedia story-telling in other ways as well.

"Kingdom Hearts II Commercial

Biography:

"Kingdom Hearts II Commercial." YouTube. YouTube, 2006. Web. 14 Nov. 2015.

Jenkins, Henry. Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: New York UP, 2006. Print

Gaudiosi, John. "Where's My Mickey Mobile Game Launches New Transmedia Mickey Mouse Initiative At Disney." Forbes. Forbes M

Transmedia Storytelling- X-Men

Carl Azor

Convergence

Professor Cacoilo

November 18, 2015

Transmedia Storytelling

            Multimedia and transmedia may sound similar but they are two completely different categories of media. Both use the same business tactics to reel consumers and followers in. The huge difference between the two is that transmedia transcends through a plethora of media outlets with different stories under one umbrella. Multimedia is using more than one medium of expression or communication to tell one story. Both are very effective at how they deliver their media as a whole.

           

Antwone Fisher for instance is a great example of multimedia. Antwone Fisher is a book about an African-American man who had a troubled childhood due to the instability of his family and the poverty stricken area in which he was raised. He changed his life around when he joined the Navy, in which he received counseling, and formed bonds with people that helped him change his life for the better. The book did so well that it was picked up to have a film based on its storyline. Just like the book, the movie did really well and got great reviews. What made the story of Antwone Fisher multimedia is not only just the fact that it was produced through literature and film. It is also multimedia because it conveys the same underlining story.  That is the main difference between multimedia and transmedia.

            “The Matrix is entertainment for the age of media convergence, integrating multiple texts to create a narrative so large that it cannot be contained within a single media” (Jenkins 97).  Jenkins’s insight on the Matrix series shows how impactful an intriguing work can be on various industries. The same is true for Marvel’s X-Men franchise. The X-Men series started as strictly a comic book series in 1963. Through increasing popularity, the series made its way to television. In 2000, X-Men the movie, was released grossing $296 million. Since then, the X-Men film series has grown to encompass 8 movies, the X-Men franchise has its own video games, and the franchise has amusement park rides.

            According to Jenkins, “every franchise entry needs to be self-contained so you don’t need to have seen the film to enjoy the game and vice versa” (Jenkins 98). These sentiments are true of the X-Men series. While the TV shows and movies are based on the original comics in that they include some general storylines and characters, they also tell new stories of their own. Each X-Men film, is its own independent movie, therefore viewers can watch any film, at any time, without having to see the preceding one or have read the comics in order to understand the current film. These movies also highlight certain popular characters such as Wolverine in various films that solely follow his story thereby creating new channels for the expansion of the franchise.

            In order to continue the momentum of the franchise growth, Marvel tapped into the adolescent market. By releasing high action films geared toward adolescents, they were able to market to an impressionable audience, who would likely follow the franchise not only on screen, but in other similar outlets. Gaming is one such outlet that Marvel transcended into, since it is another area with a large adolescent market. The same is true of their theme park attraction, Storm Force at Universal Studios. These tactics create a world for this series that far transcends the world of comic books.

The X-Men comics rose to success due to the fact that the stories told in them were not only those of fiction, but they also incorporated current issues faced in society. The fans of X-Men drew parallels to X-Men and real life issues such as the American battle for Civil Rights. Artist Orion Martin drew depictions of X-Men characters as African Americans in order to compare the treatment of the X-Men mutants to the treatment of blacks in American society (Demby). X-Men mutants were shunned by society, as were blacks during the Civil rights movement. By portraying these social issues by making comparisons to a popular series, the topic of race relations becomes less taboo, and the comic series reaches a wider fan base.

While multimedia and transmedia have similarities, transmedia is a much more powerful category of media because it allows a subject matter to transcend far beyond its original realm. Transmedia allows a franchise to grow in order to target new audiences and create additional outlets for their stories to be given to fans. By allowing fans additional ways of connecting with one franchise, a heightened sense of loyalty to the franchise is ultimately created.

Works Cited

Demby, Gene. Who Gets To Be A Superhero? Race And Identity In Comics. 12 01 2014. 19 11 2015 <http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/01/11/261449394/who-gets-to-be-a-superhero-race-and-identity-in-comics>.

Jenkins, Henry. Convergence Culture. New York: New York University Press, 2006.