In a world where numerous
technology and animated ventures are possible, the ways of multimedia have inevitably
transformed. Multimedia was a term that was used to refer the way a story could
be produced to the public through a newspaper and, at the same time, reproduced
through a different medium such as a television or radio. This showed the
growth of media and how it was capable of crossing various outlets. With time,
the vines of linear story-telling outgrew the “multimedia” sphere and spread to
what is now known as transmedia. Transmedia is described as a story that “unfolds
across multiple media platforms, with each new text making a distinctive and
valuable contribution to the whole” (Jenkins, 97). Using transmedia, plot
developers are now given more creative and economic opportunity.
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| The Evolution of Lara Croft |
One media franchise that has
utilized transmedia story telling is the Lara Croft Tomb Raider franchise. Today
she remains a dominant female character in the gaming world. She is depicted as
an intelligent, beautiful, highly-skilled, and athletic archaeologist that
engages in dangerous missions. Starring in Tomb
Raider in 1996 and created by Core Design, 21 year old Lara experienced a
plane crash in the Himalayas and was forced to learn how to survive. Since the
1996 release, at least ten more interactive games have been created. A renewal
of the video games was employed, and Tomb
Raider (2013) debuted a new Lara Croft, shipwrecked on Yamatai Island and
forced to become a survivor. Most
recently, Rise of the Tomb Raider
(which was released about a week ago) is the second adaptation of the renewal of
the video game series.
Because of the popularity that Lara
demanded in the gaming world, more of her adventures were chronicled in comics.
The older comics, published by Top Cow Productions, ran from 1999 to 2005. As
Jenkins stated, “A good transmedia franchise works to attract multiple
constituencies by pitching the content somewhat differently in different media”
(Jenkins, 98). Now viewers were not only limited to game play on a screen, but
could follow Lara on paper and in books. The
Man of Bronze is the “third exciting book in bold new series of Lara Croft
novels tying directly into the popular video games” (Tomb Raider Chronicles).
In addition, Dark Horse comics became the new publishers of Lara’s comics, and
chronicled her time coping with survivor’s guilt after Yamatai between Tomb Raider and Rise of the Tomb Raider. While using another media platform to
connect the video games, the developers of the comics and books added new
dimensions to Lara’s world, “further expanding the range of potential meanings
and intertextual connections within the franchise” (Jenkins, 115). This gave
fans a chance to participate and still keep up with their favorite heroine
while waiting for the next release of a Tomb Raider game.
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| Tomb Raider Comic |
Due to the phenomenon of the
franchise, it wasn’t surprising when it became the plan to move Lara Croft to
the big screen. With Angelina Jolie stepping into Lara’s combat boots, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) pulled in
a little over $131 million (Numbers.com) in the domestic box office. Whereas, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life
raked in less than half the debut film, with $65.6 million in the domestic box
office (Numbers.com). Jenkins explains that the reason for the failure of
sequels is due to “franchise products [being] governed too much by economic
logic and not enough artistic vision” (Jenkins, 107) At this point, it was all
about getting Lara out on every platform possible while promoting the
franchise- making the economic gain outshine actual theatrical perception.
The
branching out of Tomb Raider didn’t
stop there. Tomb Raider games became
available on Nintendo and hand held devices such as Nokia N-GAGE and Pocket PC
in 2002. By spreading the story of Lara onto devices that were easier to
access, creators of the game are hoping that “you would play the game and that
would motivate you to watch the films with this new piece of knowledge which
would shift your perception of what has happened in the previous films”
(Jenkins, 127). Because the games were made available on handheld devices
between the release of the movie franchise, this was a strategic plan to draw
more attention to the franchise and Lara
Croft: Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life. Now, in the wake of the renewal of the video
games, apps such as Lara Croft Go and
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
are available for iPhones at $4.99. Rather than in multimedia, where the story
of Lara could have been told in one game or in a book, she now has all of her
life’s adventures chronicled through novels, comics, movies, games and apps-
further showing the complexity and power of transmedia story telling.
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| Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft in Lara Croft:Tomb Raider |
Transmedia story telling also gave
the Tomb Raider franchise legs on
social media. Staying true to 21st century fashion, @tombraider is
the official account that keeps fans updated on news regarding game play and
Lara Croft. The very creation of this Twitter page allows for a bridge of
communication between franchise and fan base. This engages participation among
fans and spectators, to Tweet and voice their opinions or concerns about
anything pertaining to the franchise. Even in game play, the success of the franchise
relies on the interactivity between the gamer and Lara. When playing the game “the very effectiveness
of the experience depends on you becoming Lara Croft… Every choice she makes,
whether to shoot, to leap, to run, to change weapons, is your choice”
(Transmedia Journalism). During the game and developmental stages of new media
for Tomb Raider, the public is now given more opportunities for participation.
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| The new Lara Croft in Tomb Raider (2013) |
The use of various platforms in
transmedia benefit the story of Lara Croft by expanding the story telling
world. “With transmedia we no longer tell just one story. We tell many stories
that put the flesh on the bones of a storyworld” (Transmedia Journalism). While
the increase of platforms increases the number of stories being told, some
die-hard fans of a franchise may be more well-informed than others when watching
films or following the franchise’s series. “New Hollywood demands…that we do
research before we arrive at the theater” (Jenkins, 106). Also, using more
modern things such as apps, Twitter, and new video games with modern plots, the
Tomb Raider franchise has made Lara Croft available to a completely new
generation. In this way, the various dimensions of transmedia prove to be the
ultimate titan in story-telling.
Bibliography:
"Box Office History for Lara Croft Movies." Lara Croft Franchise Box Office History.
N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.
Jenkins, Henry. Convergence
Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: New York UP, 2006.
Print.
Moloney, Kevin. "Agency, Game, and Transmedia
Story." Transmedia Journalism.
N.p., 14 Sept. 2011. Web. 17 Nov. 2016.
"Multimedia, Crossmedia, Transmedia... What's in a
Name?" Transmedia Journalism.
N.p., 21 Apr. 2014. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.
"Tomb Raider Chronicles." Tomb Raider Chronicles. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.
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