Transmedia Storytelling

Harry Potter & Transmedia Storytelling 

With technology constantly changing and evolving, so are the ways in which people devour culture. Previously, multimedia was the only way to really appreciate and absorb a story. Multimedia is a term used to explain one story told over multiple mediums. However, with multimedia, the story didn’t change when the medium changed, the only true change was the way in which the story was told. Transmedia, as described by Jenkins, is  a story that “unfolds across multiple media platforms, wich each new text making a distinctive and valuable contribution to the whole” (Jenkins, 97). By name alone, transmedia transform a story, it adds something to it and should never feel like a rehash of something already experienced. If anything, transmedia storytelling should work as a companion of sorts.

Using franchise films as an example, The Hunger Games series and its expansion would be the perfect example of multimedia. Though the series started with the books, they were adapted for the screen. However, with that adaptation, the same story was told and nothing was fleshed out beyond what was already given in the book. Though, in an attempt to capitalize on what will be their most successful franchise, Lionsgate is currently looking into other ways they can expand The Hunger Games universe, including theme park experiences. Whether or not the expansion includes transmedia storytelling remains to be seen.

Harry Potter & The Cursed Child Poster (Independent)

To compare, the Harry Potter series is an example of transmedia storytelling, although it started as simply multimedia. After the success of JK Rowling’s books, Warner Bros. optioned the rights for the film adaptations. Though the films were just a version of multimedia, Rowling went on to release more books that took place within the world of the books and told new stories along with giving further information about the characters. One of those books, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is even getting its own film adaptation, hopefully expanding the Potter-verse even more.

Beyond the books, Rowling manages to keep her story going by sharing information regarding key characters on her own Twitter page. Every so often, Rowling drops tidbits that only serve to enhance one’s reading of the story or viewing of the films. More recently, she announced a Harry Potter play set to open in London next year. The play, titled “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” will focus on Potter’s early years, once again adding to the overall experience while expanding the Potter universe to a time before readers even met the boy wizard.

Pottermore Page (Wikia)

Perhaps, the largest example of transmedia in the Potter-verse is the creation of Pottermore. The website, which launched in 2011, was the first time that the Harry Potter brand went from a mostly multimedia focused one to a transmedia brand. While the site was also created with the idea of selling Potter e-books for the first time, through user participation where people are encouraged to play as though they are part of the world, it also expands the canon that already exists and ultimately enhances the viewing of the films or readings of the books rather than feeling as though one is already playing through something they’ve experienced once or twice before.

Where Rowling and those involved with Harry Potter and its expansion get it right is in their ability to make everything feel like an immersive experience. Not only do they expand their universe through virtual formats, but they go as far as adding things to theme park rides and studio tours for the films. Every new addition to the Harry Potter brand results in a new addition to the canon, and for fans, that’s something that can last long after the books have been written and the movies have been seen.

Transmedia is slowly becoming the new normal, especially in regards to films and how they are marketed to an audience. With franchises taking over the box office, it seems as though there’s an urge to take these films home with them and let the experience stick with them after an initial viewing. For the studios, there’s more of an incentive to create experiences like this for fans, since they receive money from things that are successful and can use the various points of entry to boost the popularity for their main focus, the films themselves. If nothing else, it’s something to hold the people over until the next sequel comes along.

Works Cited

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

Humphrey, Michael. "Pottermore: Expert Explains How Harry Potter's Website Will Transform Storytelling." Forbes. July 29, 2011. Accessed November 17, 2015. http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelhumphrey/2011/07/29/pottermore-expert-explains-how-harry-potters-website-will-transform-storytelling/2/.

Multimedia v Transmedia Post #3 (Ali Ismail). A Grand Story Across Media and Space

       If there's one thing an audience can enjoy it's a great story whether on a relatable realistic level or a grand journey in a mythical land of untold riches. Part of what's great about being a Video Production Major and creating narrative videos is that we are able to create our own worlds whether based on reality or fiction to convey the message we desire. Movies being a visual medium help greatly in order to make stories more accessible to the general audience as people usually prefer to watch a movie over reading a book, especially now in this more digital age. However when we get to having a great story a large amount of people enjoy, one of two things happen. Either the story is preserved and kept the same and simply retold throughout time either in the same or separated media, or the story is expanded upon in other forms of media and work. This right here is what we call respectively multimedia works and transmedia works.

Cartoon drawing depicting the topic of

discussion: Multimedia vs Transmedia

Drawn by myself in Photoshop.

       Before we can delve into multimedia and transmedia work, it's important to understand what the difference is between the two works as by name they sound similar and are easy to confuse. A Youtube video by One 3 Productions titled "Transmedia 101" gives a simple to understand definition of both terms that through visuals helps to explain the difference between the two. According to the video, multimedia is "telling a single story in multiple mediums" (Transmedia 101 One 3 Productions, Youtube. the link to video here ). This means you take one established story and tell that same story through multiple mediums such as books, movies, games, and more. An example of this comes from popular series such as Harry Potter that started off as a book by J.K Rowling, made into a film, and then have games of the movie released.

Movie poster of the 1st Harry Potter film.
Taken from this website

Front cover of the 1st Harry Potter book
by J.K Rowling. Picture taken from
this website

Front and back cover of 1st Harry Potter game
based on the movie based on the book. Picture
taken from this website

What makes Harry Potter a multimedia piece of work is throughout these different mediums, the same story is being told. It utilizes these different pieces of medium to gain a wider audience to people who may be experiencing Harry Potter for the first time. While of course the game and film is condensed as a book can be read at the reader's desired pace while a film is restricted to normally not go past a 3 hour runtime, they all tell the same story. I've read the book, watched the film, and played the game (which like most licensed games are made just to cash in on the idea through an interactive medium so ordinarily fleshing out a new story isn't the focus) and it all told the same story, but through different mediums. Reboots of movies
      However transmedia work differs from multimedia work through one main idea. Multimedia utilizes different media sources to tell one story. According to the Youtube video from earlier, transmedia can be simply defined as, "telling multiple stories over multiple mediums that fit together to tell one big pervasive story" (Transmedia 101 One 3 Productions, Youtube. Video link here ). What can make it confusing to some is that transmedia utilizes multiple mediums to tell multiple stories, which you would think would be the definition of multimedia. However the key distinction is transmedia utilizes its multiple mediums to tell one story all linked together. While it may be considered a grey line, reboots or reimagining of films are an example of transmedia storytelling. A reimagining of a film takes the same premise of the original film but retells the story in a different way through another director's vision and eyes (The Trek BBS, website) .

Movie poster of Planet of the Apes
by Tim Burton, a reimagining of the
original film. Taken fromthis website

A reboot however is a retelling of a story that does not refer to its previous iterations and makes its own world. This is commonly seen nowadays in superhero films such as the Spider Man and Batman reboots. However these films all join together to tell multiple stories of said superheroes through multiple mediums. The idea of retelling a story has been around since the earliest forms of human civilization. There's even an argument now that our current superhero stories are similar to the stories of Greek and Roman Gods (The Guardian, website. Link here ). In class we discussed about how superheroes are great examples of transmedia storytelling, but however the discussion was primarily based on Marvel's superheroes. DC however has two iconic superheroes that have lasted decades through transmedia storytelling.
       It's very easy to see the idea of transmedia storytelling in everyone's favorite DC caped crusader and the arguable reason the superhero genre is revived, Batman.

"I am vengence. I am the night. I AM BATMAN"
Picture from the cartoon series Batman. Taken from
this website

Batman has a plethora of transmedia versions of his story. There's the comic books, the 60s Adam West TV show, the Tim Burton films in the 90s, various video games that explore new Batman continunities such as the Arkham Asylum trilogy being notoriously popular among fans for being a great Batman story AND a great game, crossover comics such as The Justice League, the Christopher Nolan films such as The Dark Knight, various cartoon series, the new live TV show simply titled Gotham, and a whole lot more.

Holy cow!!! That's a lot of Batmans.
Taken from this website

       Batman is one of the kings when it comes to transmedia storytelling as he covers almost every base and has been around for almost 70 years. Everyone knows of the Batman in some way or form because of the large access of Batman stories there are for anybody to get started in. Whether your a fan of movies, video games, television, there is a Batman story for you to begin to be absorbed into the grand fictional world. Batman engages participation in this sense because of not only how easy it is to get into the series and how many options there are, but from how realistic the idea of Batman is. There's no way anybody can be like Spider Man or the Hulk or Superman, its just unrealistic. Batman however is someone who has endured great pain and has gone through intense training to better himself as a person, an idea thats believable and desirable from an audience (Girloncomicbookworld, Website. Link here ). Among those traits he also has a large amount of wealth, which is a more believeable obtainable goal that radiation/mutation or being a part of an alien race) and fights for good. He's an endearing character with a lot of depth in him, his stories, his villians, and his multiple worlds.
       The fact that Batman utilizes all these medium sources help Batman out greatly to remain relevant. Batman started off as a comic book series, a medium that is not as popular in this day and age and would not last 70 years just as a comic. Expanding to other mediums such as television in the 60s around the time television was brand new helped to popularize the series. From there the series kept on building with movie adaptations, games that were released on the newest console, and much more. There's so many Batmans that someone could be a fan just by watching the Nolan films, or by just playing the Arkham video game trilogy. There's a piece of Batman everywhere, and it's easily accessible with all these media options.
       After looking at a large popular version of transmedia storytelling and based on what I've learned and research, I'm going to make a bold prediction on a new medium that I predict will become popular in months time and become a transmedia work. I am referring to the Indie Game released a month ago made alone by Toby Fox, Undertale.

Title screen of the game. Taken from this website

To briefly summarize the game without spoilers as it is a very story driven game and would ruin the experience, Undertale is a game where a human child falls into an underground world inhabited by monsters and has to make his way back home. The selling point of the game is something that breaks the mold of a traditional RPG game, you do not have to kill any enemy in the game. It has a unique morality system where the game remembers the actions you have done even in multiple playthroughs and cleverly utilizes 4th wall breaks to make the player take it's message seriously that it's not just making fun of you. There's 3 main endings to the game: A Neutral Path that players that treat the game like a standard RPG are most likely to get their first time playing, a True Pacifist ending where you do not kill a single enemy and befriend every major boss, and finally a Genocide Run where you actively kill every single monster in each area of the game and kill everyone. It breaks the mold of what's expected in an RPG game and has fantastic visuals, soundtrack, and endearing loving characters and world. Needless to say, Undertale has taken the Internet by storm being the highest rated PC game for a moment according to a tweet from the creator of the game.
       I feel that Undertale will become a transmedia form of storytelling in the future because it meets the criteria of transmedia as well as becoming rapidly popular in such a short amount of time. The same concept happened with Baratunde Thurston's #how to be black that quickly became popular and eventually became a book. Undertale ends its Happy Ending with the characters entering a new world leaving the possibility for a sequel or retelling of the story through the game's achknowledgement of multiple timelines. Hidden in the game are secrets that expand the story even further that are left purposefully by the game creator, who also states he plans to make a continuation comic of the game's story. In the meantime there is tons of fanart all over sites such as Twitter or Tumblr that depict people's interpretations of alternate worlds or continuations of Undertale's story such as this comic that depicts an alternate world where the monsters are inherently violent, or this one here. There are much more examples out there and I wanted to prevent linking the ones that contain massive story spoilers to the game, but those are to just name a few. The game is very new and has only been out for two months. However with how many people its touched through its message, morals, and story, and how it proves video games can be a high form of art that can be just as effective as cinema, I am confident and would not be surprised if Undertale becomes a transmedia phenomenon that everyone will soon know the name of.
       Whether multi or transmedia, a great story and world are ideas we all value. It's amazing to think that many of the things we enjoy now will be told in new ways 20 years from now. The kids we have are going to see our favorite games and comic book heroes in new light, and we can still show to them the stories we grew up with to further expand their enjoyment and keep the story connected through transmedia storytelling.

Works Cited

"Batman Day: Why Is Batman so Popular?" GirlonComicbookWorld. N.p., 26 Sept. 2015. Web. 8 Nov. 2015.

"Define "reboot" vs. "remake" vs. "reimagining" - The Trek BBS." Define "reboot" vs. "remake" vs. "reimagining" - The Trek BBS. The Trek BBS, 26 Aug. 2011. Web. 10 Nov. 2015.

HCDMediaGroup. "Henry Jenkins" Online video clip. Youtube, 21 September 2009. Web. 6 Nov. 2015

Gordon, Ullyses. “What is Transmedia?” Online video clip. Youtube, 17 October 2010.           Web. 5 Nov. 2015. 

Jones, Jonathan. "Batman Steps on Achilles Heel." The Guardian. The Guardian, 28 Nov. 2008. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.

Moloney, Kevin. "Multimedia, Crossmedia, Transmedia...What's in a Name?" Transmediajournalism. N.p., 21 Apr. 2014. Web. 14 Nov. 2015.

One 3 Productions. “Transmedia 101 by One 3 Productions”. Online video clip. Youtube, 24 June 2011. Web. 5 Nov. 2015

O'Reiley. "TOC 2012: Baratunde Thurston "Keynote" " Online video clip. Youtube, 14 February 2012. Web. 5 Nov. 2015

Undertale. 1.0 Toby Fox. 2015. Video Game.

Transmedia vs Multimedia Antonio Serrano

              Before I get into the academic or intellectual definition of the differences, multimedia and transmedia, to me, align themselves on the same vertical/horizontal path “with the whole, being worth more than the sum of the parts” (Jenkins104).  As a quick example, taken straight from Convergence Culture, they highlight this relationship from The Matrix: Each franchise entry needs to be self contained so you don't need to have seen the film to enjoy the game, and vice versa (Jenkins98). Now again, to me, this boils down to a VERY simple formula that looks something like this 

CONTENT: The Matrix

OUTLETS: T.v. Radio Magazines Films Etc

SPECIFIC CONTENT FOR THOSE SPECIFIC OUTLETS, E.P.’S:  The video game Enter The Matrix had a different story line for the second video game - which was multiplayer - The Matrix. Contrast this example with The Animatrix. The Animatrix was a ninety-minute program of short animated films, created by some of the best animators in all over the world (Jenkins103).

              So with all of that, one could see where the distinctions and similarities lay on this transmedia vs multimedia discussion. The content is being shared on specific outlets — in other words multimedia — but then it gets told (slightly differently) to specific media consumers on specific outlets — transmedia. TA-DAH !   *I hope I was kinda right with all of this* 

            

By Any and All Means
Credit: Byran Kramer

  According to Kevin Maloney, “with multimedia you put many forms to work by telling the story and place them all on one channel”. He goes on to cite an example The New York Times uses, but to place my spin on it I’ll use Complex’s internet magazine as an example. Complex is a pop-culture-driven-entity with a focus on Hip Hop. The other day I came across an article titled “How Meek Mill Can Save Himself” (Justin Charity). Inside that link, Justin was able to draw me inside his world view by placing emoji driven images,  twitter hyperlinks,  YouTube videos and Instagram GIF’s to drive his point home. And this was all done on one website using different multimedia tools. 

     Citing a more detailed example of transmedia on the other hand, I’ll take you no further than Spiderman. Instead of being originally conceived through film — like The Matrix — Spiderman was first imagined through a comic book in 1962 (Tucker). 

Slowly but surely, as the saying goes, Spidey quickly adapted and thrived onto television cartoons. Then films. Then coloring books. Then novels. We get the point. But what makes transmedia an inspiring landscape, is how the same — or very similar story — is being told but with distinct twists and turns for each form of media. It’s an all encompassing story world that makes whichever character(s) much bigger than originally intended. 

The Swirl of Things
Credit:irmatters

Works Cited

Tucker, Reed. "The Billion-dollar Spider-Man 'cover Up'" The New York Post. NewsCorp, 2015. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.

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

Maloney, Kevin. "Multimedia, Crossmedia, Transmedia... What's in a Name?" Transmedia Journalism. N.p., 21 Apr. 2014. Web. 18 Nov. 2015. 

Charity, Justin. "How Meek Mill Can Save Himself." Complex. Complex Media, Inc, 2015. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.

Blog Post 3 - Video Games and Transmedia Entertainment

Transmedia is the next step up from multimedia in a world where bigger is better. The key difference between the two is that, while the aspects of a multimedia approach can be digested independently of each other, transmedia tells one story across multiple mediums. While multimedia has existed in some form for decades, perhaps centuries, the rise of consumerism and, eventually, the internet expanded it and gave birth to transmedia story telling. It made sense from a consumerist stand point, because it essentially spreads the possible fan base to multiple medium, allowing more profits, and the rise of the internet and digital technology allowed to spread even faster and cheaper. The rise of digital technology itself has also lead to the creation of new story telling mediums as well, further expanding the possible reach of transmedia. A good place to look for examples of transmedia storytelling is with video games.

Official Artwork of Halo 2
Bungie and Microsoft

A medium created through the spread of digital technology, video games lend them selves to the possibility of transmedia storytelling, through books, web series and ARGs. Halo, a popular game series, is a good example of transmedia storytelling. The I Love Bees ARG campaign to help promote the release of Halo 2 in 2004 involved a fake website that had been hacked, leaving strange messages on the website. Though the ARG was created for the purpose of marketing the game, it also doubled as a small story that explained events that would occur in Halo 2, ostensibly acting as a short prequel. The Halo franchise has also had several books that expanded on reoccurring characters and back story in the series. More recently, the franchise had a five episode web series produced by famed Hollywood director Ridley Scott in 2014, called Halo:Nightfall, which introduces a character of importance in the latest game in the series, Halo 5, which came out last month.

I Love Bees ARG
42 Entertainment

While Halo started as a video game and then became a transmedia product, there are now franchises that start life as one. Defiance is a franchise conceived as a television series and a video game at the same time. The TV series ran for three season while the game, a persistent massively multiplayer online(MMO) game continues to run. Though not yet released, Quantum Break is a similar product, it is both an upcoming video game and digital television series, but it takes it one step further by having events in the live action series be influenced by the actions of the player in the video game.

The world of video games is a perfect place for this sort of transmedia experimentation to exist because it encourages exploration, a feature unique to video games in the world of media and storytelling. In a way, it expands the playground of a game. The I Love Bees ARG cited above is a perfect example of this because of the mystery behind it during it's launch. Fans of the game where given a few clues and told to figure it out, which they did. Further investigation rewarded fans with a small story that lead into a bigger when Halo 2 was released. In the case of I Love Bees, participation in the ARG meant a deeper connection to both the franchise and the fan base as the mystery behind it forced fans to come together and decipher it, making them active participants in the franchise.

Defiance TV Show cast
SyFy

Defiance Video Game poster
Trion Worlds

The idea of having a choice of what will happen in storytelling as a participants is pretty much exclusive to video games. In a movie, TV series or book, when a character makes a choice, the audience is passive in the story. With video games, the audience becomes an active participant in the story, and in some games, can determine the outcome of a story. A video game series based on the Walking Dead franchise is famous for having the story of the game be determined by the player, by having the player make choices that changes events in the story. Making the player an active participant in the story is an incredibly powerful way of involving you audience, one that no other medium can match. This is why Quantum Break is an interesting development.

Quantum Break, though it hasn't come out yet, is an interesting example of a transmedia product because nothing like it has ever been done before and it will be interesting to see how it turns out. Though the game and the series will follow different sets of characters, the game encourages players to watch the series to see the effects of their choices in the game. The players having invested themselves in the game, will want to see the fruit of their efforts in the series.

Transmedia is still a developing idea that holds much promise, not just for video games but all media. Recently, the film The Martian had a series of web shorts that introduce the film's characters and acts as a prequel to the film's story. One of the most profitable franchises in the world, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is one big stories stretching across films, television and comic books. Transmedia is here to stay and it will be interesting to see how it develops in the world that just keep getting more restless for good entertainment.

Bibliography

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

Shachtman, Noah. "Sci-Fi Fans Are Called Into an Alternate Reality." N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/04/technology/circuits/scifi-fans-are-called-into-an-alternate-reality.html>.

Making of Defiance Part I: A Transmedia Revolution. SyFy

<http://www.syfy.com/defiance/videos/making-of-defiance-part-i-a-transmedia-revolution>

Souppouris, Aaron. "Xbox One-exclusive 'Quantum Break' Aims to Blend TV with Gaming for a 'revolutionary Entertainment Experience'" The Verge. N.p., 21 May 2013. Web. 18 Nov. 2015. <http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/21/4351412/xbox-one-quantum-break-game>. 

The Rise of Tomb Raider and Transmedia

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. 

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.

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.

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 21^st 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.

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.

Multimedia vs Transmedia

        Henry Jenkins states that multimedia and transmedia assume very different roles for its consumers, readers, and spectators. Multimedia is a single story told by various mediums. Multimedia can use more than one medium of expression to communicate, however the plotline does not change when switching those mediums. In a multimedia form, whether they are just watching a movie on the computer or reading the book, all the content they need to know is right in front of them. They do not need to go on other media platforms to help push forward the content they are viewing.

        A story that is considered multimedia are movies that aren’t based off of books, comics, or any other platform. An example of this is Disney’s family oriented movie “UP” made in 2009. UP was first shown in theaters then moved to different types of mediums such as DVDs or videogames. It makes the same content more available and easily accessible since they are mostly everywhere. There is no other story that goes with this movie, making it one of a kind. Although videogames and toys have been created to help market this movie, they do not add any substance or additional information to keep the story moving. Once the movie has been seen, the audience is satisfied because they do not need to reach out to other media platforms to get an entire sense of what the UP universe is like.

        Unlike multimedia, transmedia is multiple stories set in a single universe. Each are told by different media platforms, but still complement each other to form an overarching narrative. Films and television have one of the most diverse audiences, where as comics and videogames have a much more narrow audience. However, opening up these mediums expand the audience’s interest in the story or product. The media and its content are able to utilize various forms to get their point of view out. According to Jenkins, "a transmedia story unfolds across multiple media platforms, with each new text making a distinctive and valuable contribution to the whole.” (97-98)

        An example of a transmedia story could be a story being told and introduced through a film, which later is expanded through television, novels, comics, or video games. Story lines are connected through transmedia across so many different mediums but are distributed through traditional sources of media such as the internet or television. Online components target certain new media for social exploration. Transmedia brings the content to reality for the consumers giving them the ultimate entertainment experience.

        The Avengers, a popular comic book series, is a perfect example of transmedia. I’m not a huge Marvel fanatic, but I’m sure we all are familiar with the series in one shape or form. Whether through the comics, movies, and now the hit series “Marvel’s Agents of Shield,” the storyline of The Avengers takes on multiple media platforms that help shape the series. Through these different media outlets, the audience is able to engage and shape the story. Allowing viewers to shape the narrative themselves is a particularly smart way Marvel keeps its fan engaged and wanting more. 

        By having various platforms to work with, Marvel is able to keep the series going while expanding its audience. Along with the comic books and movies, videogames have also been implanted to expand the world of The Avengers. The movies and the games are designed differently because they deepen and expand the fiction as well as audience engagement. If the television series “Marvel’s Agents of Shield” simply repeated the material from the comic book it wouldn't gain everyone's attention because not everyone is a fan of the comics. Consumers want to feel connected.The stories are different, but still go hand in hand with one another. As Jenkins states, "It should be organic to what made the film experience compelling." (108)

        Transmedia in comparison to multimedia serves as a greater tool for engaging with an audience. Transmedia allows fans to experience their favorite shows/movies in various ways to make them feel involved. It brings the content to reality for the consumers giving them the ultimate entertainment experience. Transmedia allows an audience to crave more and expect more, separating any normal viewer from a die-hard fan.

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

2. Pavlik, John V., and Shawn McIntosh. Converging Media: A New Introduction to Mass Communication. 2nd Ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2011. Print.
3. Rutledge, Pamela. "What Is Transmedia Storytelling?" Transmedia Storytelling Workshops for Organizations Branding. Web. <http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/>.