The 24/7 escapism of transmedia storytelling

            Multimedia combines two or more forms of media to enhance one final product. A New York Times online article may be enhanced by a video or photo gallery on the same page as the article, helping the reader better comprehend the subject of the journalist’s writing. Transmedia takes the concept a step further by producing a product that serves as the main source of a larger canonical universe. That main source is then expanded upon through separate but related forms of media to enhance and progress the story of the original product.

Titan Prometheus

            Ridley Scott’s Prometheus (2012) serves as the main source of a transmedia campaign that includes TED Talks (performed by a character in the film), comic books, clue-containing business cards, an interactive twitter account and telephone hotline, and a thoroughly detailed website for a fictional corporation alluded to in the film. The film itself serves as a prequel to the original film in the Alien franchise that Scott created in 1979.

            Initial critical response to the film was lukewarm. Overall, film critics appreciated the atmosphere and acting in the movie, but found that it left too many unanswered questions about the references and mythology of the film’s universe. The title of the film itself is a reference to a Greek mythological Titan. Scott includes references to other Greek, Aztec, Roman, and Christian myths and symbols throughout the film. He creates a dense world filled with these mythological references along with other fictional ones created for the film. The average filmgoer would have a difficult time processing all of this information on first viewing, at least not without investing time to research beforehand.  This is where Prometheus’s transmedia campaign comes into play.

Screenshot of Peter Weyland's TED talk blog post

20^th Century Fox knew the Alien franchise already had a dedicated built-in fan base previous to the film’s release. To capitalize on this opportunity to hype their product the distribution company launched a viral campaign with a ten-minute TED talk video “recorded in 2023” featuring the film’s actor Guy Pierce. In character as “Sir Peter Weyland,” the head of Weyland Industries (the company alluded to in the film), Weyland details his life and rise to go on to “create the largest and most successful company in the world.” The Ridley Scott-directed video was featured on TED’s official blog and included a written biography about Weyland and a description of his company’s accomplishments. This release was followed by the creation of an interactive Weyland Industries website; complete with details of its company’s products, future projects, a careers page, and an alternate-reality game in which fans could compete with one another and act as “outside agents” to search for ancient artifacts that would help the company find the origins of human life. Every time a fan found an artifact their name and finding would be posted on the website. A URL listed in the end credits of Prometheus directs fans to a cryptic website with a Nietzsche quote and a video from Weyland Industries.

Modes of transmedia production such as these allow the consumer to dive deep into an “encyclopedic [world] containing a rich array of information that can be drilled, practiced, and mastered by devoted consumers” (Jenkins 99). The consumer becomes a participant in the alternate-reality by helping Weyland Industries find the origins of life and by being given the social ability to communicate with characters in the film via their official Twitter accounts. The information overload immerses the consumer in an interactive world where (s)he can participate, communicate, and compete with other fans. Transmedia satiates the fan’s appetite months before the film’s release and allows word-of-mouth to spread amongst the fan’s less-devoted friends in order to establish a strong opening weekend box office gross for the distributor.

Canon company logo and web address

            Companies use this marketing strategy to instill a strong emotional attachment between the consumer and its products. Instead of directly associating products with love and happiness like in common advertisements, companies overwhelm the consumer with supplemental information (s)he must sort through to fully comprehend what occurred in the canonical universe before and after the events depicted in the film. Devoted fans are an investment into the future of the product’s success as the company churns out more products based in the film’s universe.

            By using movies, blogs, games, websites, and comic books, 20^th Century Fox builds an overstimulating transmedia event that utilizes nearly every form of media available in the real world to provide the consumer with 24/7 escapism. The consumer can go out and view Prometheus in theaters, watch the eight hours of bonus features on the Blu-ray release, log on to a virtual community of online gamers, communicate with in-character Twitter account users on her smartphone, or hold a physical comic book filled with supplemental stories that are part of the film canon. Transmedia storytelling gives the consumer access to escape the real world for the alternate anywhere (s)he goes.

           

Bibliography

Warren, Christina. "'Prometheus' Ad Shows Us the Robot We All Want." Mashable. N.p., 17 Apr. 2012. Web. 12 Nov. 2015.

"Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Part of Project Prometheus? Visit the Project Prometheus Training Center and Find Out." Project Prometheus. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2015. <http://www.projectprometheus.com/genesis/>.

Sancton, Julian. "TED Goes to the Movies With 'Prometheus' Promotion." Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 22 Mar. 2012. Web. 12 Nov. 2015. <http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2012-03-22/ted-goes-to-the-movies-with-prometheus-promotion>.

Jenkins, Henry. "Searching for the Origami Unicorn." Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: New York UP, 2006. 99. Print.

Levy, Emanuel. "Prometheus: Thrilling 3D Sci-Fi Spectacle." Emanuel Levy. N.p., 31 May 2012. Web. 14 Nov. 2015.

Trans- v. Multi- Media

Fight Club (1999)

The difference between transmedia and multimedia is easily discovered through the prefix of the two. The prefix trans- means across, beyond, through, or changing thoroughly, while multi- means many, much, multiple, or many time. Multimedia is one story being told through multiple mediums. An example would be the ‘90s film Fight Club. It was originally a novel written by Chuck Palahniuk, then it became the cult classic film that we all know. Recently the author of the novel decided to make 10 graphic novels that explore The Narrator’s life after he has moved on from what happened in Fight Club. A story that manages to ascend beyond most transmedia stories is J. R. R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings.” Multimedia is just the adaptation from novels to films. The story crosses into the realm of transmedia when it goes into the gaming world and brought into the real world with the languages that were created by Tolkien. Each medium explores different stories that are mentioned in The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings.

“A transmedia story unfolds across multiple media platforms, with each new text making a distinctive and valuable contribution to the whole. In the ideal form of transmedia storytelling, each medium does what it does best- so that a story might be introduced in film, expanded through television, novels, and comics; its world might be explored through game play or experienced as an amusement park attraction” (Jenkins 97-98). Like I explained previously, transmedia is the difference between one story breaking into smaller stories that come together with the larger, and one story being told multiple times through difference mediums. What Jenkins explains is that transmedia storytelling uses the cross medium effect to expand on different parts of the story and enrich the experience with more knowledge from the smaller stories.

Shadow of Mordor

With an old story like “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” it is more difficult to create a compelling story that does not feel too old or repetitive. To capture gamers, games like “Shadow of Mordor” was created to bring them into the film franchise or the novels. In the game you do missions as Ranger Captain Talion, who is possessed by the wraith of the Elf Lord Celebrimbor. In the movies and novels this Elf Lord is mentioned in the old lore of the land. The game is made to take place 60 years before The Hobbit, and gives you the opportunity to explore ancient Middle Earth as a character that is only mentioned here and there in the novels and movies.

The aim of the studio(s) in charge of the game and Peter Jackson or the Tolkien estate is to maintain their large world but create an arm that reaches into the game world. This arm then in turn will bring those gamers back into the main picture and create a larger fan base. Transmedia serves as a purpose of not only bringing different worlds together through one common title, but also serves as a purpose to make more money.

It becomes shaky ground for stories that try to make a big impact or significant gain from physical merchandise. Since the physical merchandise cannot explain things about the story it only repeats the story or embraces images of characters and settings. This can make a story redundant. The only way for physical merchandise to grow with its fandom is to allow fans to attain a level of freedom that is dangerous to the story.

Tauriel & Legolas

If studios allowed their fandom to roam free with physical products they would possibly face the problem that Lucas Film faces with their fans creating characters and their own canon. This derails their original story and can ultimately take away from original storyline. For example, when Peter Jackson included Tauriel and Legolas in The Hobbit trilogy it threw long-time fans off and frustrated us. Tauriel was never mentioned in the novel and Legolas was only mentioned but never played a big role. This manifestation of new characters in the story distracted people from the story and was used to fill in gaps, or add a conflict for entertainment.

Pacing back to the difference between transmedia and multimedia, transmedia can be seen as the creation of smaller stories that revolve around the larger story that is explored via the main movie or novel. Whereas, multimedia is just the same story being adapted across mediums. A world that is believable but larger-than-life, with languages, history, and civilizations is a perfect start for a story that has plans to cross mediums. By setting up different civilizations within a larger world, multiple stories can be told about the development of a civilization, a character within the civilization, or the history of their interconnected relations. This becomes a transmedia experience only if it is spread throughout comics, video games, movies, novels, and websites. This transmedia experience grabs users from each medium and brings them together to the larger main story, and allows them to cross into each other’s world.

The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings triology

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

Transmedia 101. YouTube. One 3 Productions, 24 June 2011. Web. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvJbY9hUgbc>.

What Is Transmedia? Prod. Ullyses Gordon. YouTube. N.p., 17 Oct. 2010. Web. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=o9uX_65IFpY&feature=endscreen>.

Bret Levinson

Convergence

11/13/15

Transmedia Storytelling

            Multimedia and Transmedia are two totally different things. Multimedia is stories being told through say a book and a movie but both book and movies tell the same story. For example, The Bourne Identity series (1980). Bourne Identity was originally a book; it had a plot and a story with multiple fans reading that storyline. Then they made them into movies with Richard Chamberlain then to continue the series with Matt Damon. The Bourne series is an example of Multimedia because the story doesn’t change when you switch from the book to movie or vice versa.

            Transmedia is when you have a storyline that you make into a movie but then expand and make books, TV series, comic books, video games, etc. Essentially you are going to different mediums to expand that story. “ A transmedia story unfolds across multip

http://thesocietyofthespectacle.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/batman_and_robin_tv_show.jpg

le media platforms, with each new text making a distinctive and valuable contribution to the whole. In the ideal form of transmedia storytelling, each medium does what it does best- so that a story might be introduced in film, expanded through television, novels, and comics; its world might be explored through game play or experienced as an amusement park attraction” (Jenkins 97-98). An example of “Transmedia Storytelling” would be Batman. Batman explores many different mediums for years now. Comic books, movies, video games, books, etc. Batman uses many different platforms to tell the story, but may use a different outlook or different story. In the video game they may have you fighting someone Batman doesn’t fight in the real script. Why? So that people will be excited to play as Batman and explore different villains or superhero’s to fight.

            Many different companies and or makers of certain brands like Batman, Superman, Daredevil use Transmedia in order to make the fan excited about buying a new form of media to explore the different stories they have you reading or playing. A great way to boost your money is to make different mediums because the fan of the original will always want to find out what a different medium has in store for their favorite character even if they don’t like it going to that next level. Curiosity killed the cat is a great quote to relate fans to transmedia storytelling. “ Redundancy burns up fan interest and causes franchises to fail” (Jenkins 98). Like I said above, in order to keep making money and have your fans occupied you must expand your story to different platforms.

            Many video games feature characters from different storylines in order to gain those fans and have them buy their own video games. For example, the Justice League video game features Batman. Why would they do that if Batman weren’t apart of Justice League? They want to add different characters in their own games in order to gain fans from Batman. If you’re a huge Batman fan and you find out he will be featured in a video game where you can play as him, that fan is most likely to purchase that game.

            “ A media conglomerate has an incentive to spread its brand or expand its franchises across as many different media platforms as possible” (Jenkins). Its up to the makers to spread the characters in multiple platforms so they can make as much money as possible. If you have a fan base for a certain movie, book, comic, video game, etc. then you can definitely expand on that one medium and unravel your story to multiple mediums. Makers of these stories tend to intertwine other relating stories so that the fans can experience something new and not have to deal with the same one platform and the same one story. A story can only get you so far in the media world, in today’s day in order to keep your viewers you must expand to other platforms, or your brand will fail according to Henry Jenkins.

http://goldenagecomics.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/bm30to70.jpg

            Jenkins explains that many makers may switch up their stories to different platforms in order to gain different viewers. For instance, Batman the movie might be to graphic for younger children, the comic may be too complex for younger children. So the makers then brainstorm ways to get that story out there to a different/younger crowd and make a batman Lego game. These games then grasp the young viewers and then turn them into fans of the storyline. Targeting different age groups is a strategy that many makers use in order to gain viewership and continue selling their product.

            Of course the different platforms explore different stories of Batman. For instance, the comic book is telling a different story then the video game, and the movie is covering a different story then the book. But overall using Batman as your base character engages fans, and expanding your platform (Transmedia Storytelling) to other mediums gain viewers that you would have never thought you could get. Bob Krane and writer Bill Finger created batman in 1939. Did they ever think there would be Lego games about their character 70 years later? Did they think that they could expand Batman to an action figure, a game board set, and a video game? Who knows, but without Transmedia Storytelling and the brilliant minds of the creators of these different mediums there would be no extended

http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/batman/images/c/c9/LBatmanTVG.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20111231210447

story for these characters such as Batman to continue living 70 years later.

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

"Transmedia Storytelling 101." Confessions of an AcaFan. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.

"The Unofficial Batman Biography." The Unofficial Batman Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Transmedia Storytelling!

Superman   Photo Credit: DC Comics

Multimedia and transmedia are two very different things indeed. Multimedia is a term that is much older than transmedia, dating back the beginning of the computer age. Multimedia is essentially telling one story with more than one form of media. So for example your Fifty Shades of Grey is the same thing in book form and on the screen. The universe of Grey never expands further from one medium or the other. Transmedia, a term coined by Marsha Kinder in 1991 and later becoming “Transmedia storytelling” by Henry Jenkins is “Literally, across media; more recently, a description of media projects that use multiple platforms (print, film, web, etc.) to communicate an idea, a narrative, or information with greater complexity and dynamic potential than is possible in a single medium” (Rholetter). Of course that is the nice, short, neat answer. Jenkins has written what could be called 10 characteristics of transmedia storytelling. Allow me to explain these characteristics with one of the greatest fictional characters/ franchises of all-time, who stands for truth, justice and the American way, Superman.

First Appearance of Superman
Photo Credit: http://www.tuffgnarl.com/

1. “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. Ideally, each medium makes its own unique contribution to the unfolding of the story”(Jenkins). Superman which initially started as a comic in 1938 as appearing in the first issue of Action Comics quickly became a national phenomenon sweeping the nation making his way to radio, books and film. Which each one delivering something different from the others.

2. “Transmedia storytelling reflects the economics of media

The Many Forms of Superman
Photo Credit: DCentertainment.com

consolidation or what industry observers call “synergy.” Modern media companies are horizontally integrated – that is, they hold interests across a range of what were once distinct media industries.A media conglomerate has an incentive to spread its brand or expand its franchises across as many different media platforms as possible.” (Jenkins). Superman back in his early days really had just one company to deal with, Detective Comics. It was up to them to “outsource” work to other studios that they felt was best to do business with. Like with the old Max Fleischer cartoons. Today things are much different with media conglomerates. Warner Brothers owns DC as well as their own television and movie studios thus having Superman go multi-platform in house.

Fan art Justice League Poster
Photo Credit: justkillingti.me

 3. “Most often, transmedia stories are based not on individual characters or specific plots but rather complex fictional worlds which can sustain multiple interrelated characters and their stories. This process of world-building encourages an encyclopedic impulse in both readers and writers.” (Jenkins) Over the last few years Marvel has begun interweaving their films and comics and setting them all in the same universe with characters appearing in films of other characters hence creating continuity between films and allowing the consumer to get something new by watching a previous film or another film by the same studio allowing the viewer to learn information otherwise not known. By watching the single film on it’s own. DC has begun to follow suit by rebooting Superman with Man of Steel” and the widely anticipated Batman Vs Superman. While it is still early to tell whether this will be as successful as the so-called Marvel Universe, DC already has plans for Wonder Woman (2017), Justice League (2017), The Flash (2018), Aquaman (2018) thus creating what is known as the “Expanded DC Universe.”

4. “Extensions may serve a variety of different functions.” (Jenkins) For example, DC used radio

Promotional Newspaper
Photo Credit: http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/

dramas to maintain audience interest in Superman during World War II when Jerry Siegel was drafted and comic production was slowed. The extension may flesh out aspects of the fictional world (as in the web version of the Daily Planet published each week by DC comics during the run of its 52 series to “report” on the events occurring across its superhero universe.

5. “Transmedia storytelling practices may expand the potential market for a property by creating different points of entry for different audience segments.” (Jenkins) For example, DC produced a comic spun off the original about the the origin/childhood of Superman called Superboy, which was aimed for the younger audience interested in seeing the Man of Steel as a child, or for ever younger readers (coloring book or picture book versions of the classic comicbook stories ). Today, you can go to any comic shop and see sections with comics specficially targeted at young children varying drastically from the regular comics.

 6. “Ideally, each individual episode must be accessible on its own terms even as it makes a unique contribution to the narrative system as a whole. Game designer Neil Young coined the term, “additive comprehension,” to refer to the ways that each new texts adds a new piece of information which forces us to revise our understanding of the fiction as a whole.” (Jenkins) In other words each addition of media to the franchise has to be able to make it as its own, provide new insight to the story and fit in as part of a larger picture. During the first run of the Superman Radio show in 1940, Batman would make the first of many appearances in Superman’s Universe. This would be the beginning of the idea of continuity across comic universes even if it was a marketing ploy at the time.

Superman: The Animated Series Poster
Photo Credit: toonami.wikia.com/

7. “Because transmedia storytelling requires a high degree of coordination across the different media sectors, it has so far worked best either in independent projects where the same artist shapes the story across all of the media involved or in projects where strong collaboration (or co-creation) is encouraged across the different divisions of the same company.” (Jenkins) As mentioned previously in number two DC has stakes in all forms of media. Therefore, the coordination to create a game, comic, novel, film, and television series to all interconnect is much easier. Hence today there is Supergirl on television, the Superman movies, the comics, video games and so on. For example Superman: Shadow of Apokolips and Superman: Coutdown to Apokolips are based heavily on Superman: The Animated Series.

8. “A transmedia text does not simply disperse information: it provides a set of roles and goals which

Nashville Comic Con                 Photo Credit: Zambio.com

readers can assume as they enact aspects of the story through their everyday life. We might see this performative dimension at play with the release of action figures which encourage children to construct their own stories about the fictional characters or costumes and role playing games which invite us to immerse ourselves in the world of the fiction.” (Jenkins) In the world of comics in general there is an immense amount of creativity among fans to write their own stories or dress up as their favorite superheroes. In fact there is a convention just for this sort of thing called Comic Con where people go all out. Superman, at least early Superman for me represented someone I wanted to be. He is a role model for and a symbol of hope for the weak and oppressed. Kids and adults alike pretend to Superman and many at times wish they could be Superman.

The last two rules are a little repetitive and reiterate some of the stuff I’ve already talked about so I won’t go over them. By looking at these rules and the history of Superman you can see how important transmedia storytelling is to the franchise right from the very beginning .Even before the first official appearance of Superman creators, Jerome Shuster and Jerry Siegel were still working all the kinks out in the Superman universe pitching one concept and then another before going back to their original Superman idea with slight modifications. It is interesting to note that in the early days of Superman, Shuster and Siegel had to minimize the amount of detail and backstory in their Superman comics, for fear of disinterest in the stories. The world of Superman as we know him today would not appear until the 1950’s or so. Anyway, for the first few years of Superman the universe was pretty simple. He was constrained to the comics and stories consisted mostly of simple plots of gangsters and criminals. He quickly gained popularity and soon his universe would coincide with our beginning the expansion of the Superman universe and his own transmedia exploration. Superman could be seen championing the war effort. He made his way over to the newspapers appearing in strips supporting enlistment to the military and other wartime causes. He also appeared in Look magazine in a piece showing him winning the war singlehandedly. In 1940 Superman first made it to the radio airwaves giving us radio dramas of America’s favorite hero. The show ended in 1942 but a new radio program called “Adventures of Superman” began introducing Superman fans to new ideas, some which were scrapped, by Siegel and Shuster during their days of pitching the “man of steel.” Out of this came Kryptonite, the mysterious substance from Superman’s home planet of Krypton that depletes him of his powers. This would be the beginning of the expansion of the Superman universe and series long arcs. As time goes on we are met with many arcs that we know and have become a part of superman culture today, i.e. Lois suspecting Clark Kent is Superman and the introduction of super villains. Superman made his theatrical debut in 1942 in the first of 18 Max Fleischer animated shorts. It was clear Superman was everywhere and in 1943 a novelization simply titled “Superman”, which turned out to be more than just the story of Superman as prose. Author George Lowther, made some slight variations to the original origin story of Superman, some of the changes stuck around, others didn't fair so well. While examining this very short period of time it is important to note how important how each type of media told us something different about Superman. Even the origin story was never consistent between mediums but we are able to get a better understanding of Superman. The 50’s saw the universe get even more advanced with the writing of more details in the Superman story and with the addition of new characters. Of course Superman would make his way to television in the 1950’s and later to films in 1970’s. Superman has thrived for 77 years and wouldn’t be where he is today without transmedia story telling.

Credit: DC Comics

Notes:

1. Weldon, Glen. Superman : The Unauthorized Biography. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2013. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 13 Nov. 2015.

 

2. Jenkins, Henry. "Transmedia Storytelling 101." Confessions of an AcaFan. Web. 11 Nov. 2015. 

3. Rholetter, Wylene. "Transmedia Storytelling." Research Starters: Education (Online Edition) (2015): Research Starters. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.

Bret Levinson
Ali Ismail
Theo Liggins
Group 6


Our project is going to be on the visual mediums of photography, movies, television, and other areas such as the internet and video games. The focus will be on how each of these mediums came to be and how they tell the story and create worlds.

The idea of photography as well as other mediums always existed well before they could actually be implemented. Photographs emphasize the importance of visuals, much like how television and movies are visual mediums. How photographs are constructed helped to create the grammar that would help create movies. Essentially movies are many photographs that come together to make a moving image. The photographic industry today is not as relevant as movies and television.

Movies had a simple start in the early 20th century. Early on they were either simple documentations or simple plays. The Lumieie brothers took Thomas Edison's idea and made it portable and able to be displayed to a large audience. Early films were silent films, as audio was complex to make back then. One of the first premier length films shown in the White House is called "Birth of a Nation". Sound was then introduced in the 1920's as well as color being mainstreamed in the 1950's.  Hollywood originated in the east coast and then moved to the west coast for better weather and better scenery. Their power died down when television was introduced.

Television was mocked in its inception. Hollywood would ban actors for playing roles in television. The idea of looking down at new forms of entertainment relates still to this day with the rise of social media and streaming content. Television grew the fastest out of its fellow forms of medium, and was everywhere. It had broader programs such as news, entertainment, politics, and sports. Now with the rise of sights such as netflix, twitch, youtube, amazon, and much more television is on the decline. Some people state they don't even have television in their homes.