Useful quotes on transmedia storytelling

In Transmedia storytelling, content becomes invasive and fully permeates the audience's lifestyle. A transmedia project develops storytelling across multiple forms of media in order to have different "entry points" in the story; entry-points with a unique and independent lifespan but with a definite role in the big narrative scheme. The Labyrinth Project's Marsha Kinder calls them “commercial transmedia superstructures” in her 1991 book Playing with Power in Movies, Television, and Video Games: From Muppet Babies to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. She goes on to say “transmedia intertextuality works to position consumers as powerful players while disavowing commercial manipulation.”

 I didnt realise the concept of transmedia storytelling or 'commercial transmedia superstructures' as it is explained here has been discussed for so long. I have been recieveing the image that it has only been around a few years. This may by true for Henry Jenkins view on transmedia storytelling. 

Perhaps the most comprehensive use of transmedia storytelling so far is by the artist Stuart David, in his work with the fictional character Peacock Johnson, which began in 2000. Peacock's story and character were created across multiple platforms, including in novels by Ian Rankin, on BBC radio and television, in press scandals and internet hacks, in guerrilla theatrical events, as well as in David's own novels, and in songs by his band Looper. This work perhaps differs from most other transmedia storytelling in that the character was actually created by the transmedia method, rather than pre-existing in one fixed text originally and being later expanded, which is more often the case.


In his book Convergence Culture, Jenkins further describes transmedia storytelling as storytelling across multiple forms of media with each element making distinctive contributions to a fan's understanding of the story world. By using different media formats, transmedia creates "entrypoints" through which consumers can become immersed in a story world. The aim of this immersion is decentralized authorship, or transmedial play as defined by Dinehart. Transmedia Storyteller Jeff Gomez defines it as "the art of conveying messages themes or storylines to mass audiences through the artful and well planned use of multiple media platforms."

Frank rose: Deep media

This excerpt is from the blog Deep media written by Frank Rose.

'It’s no secret that movie tie-in games are generally atrocious. Just this year we’ve had the displeasure of experiencing another round of The Lord Of The Rings games, Terminator Salvation, The Godfather II, Up, and a slew of others. It’s not just that these games were poorly designed and hastily put together; they are also unabashedly derivative. None of them provide more in terms of story than their cinematic counterparts; instead of offering a fresh experience, they expect players to play through a plot they’ve already seen at the theatre. Even the few titles whose developers were given the time and license to provide compelling gameplay—King Kong and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, for instance—fell victim to the issues of poorly constructed games: Their storyline and characters felt all too familiar.'

This expresses what I have been thinking for several years now. The games that are created from the back of a film are always awful. This is most often due to the game being produced so fast so it can be released for the film. These games are created for the sole purpose to make money because of the films release. Of course a toy story game will sell just before the third film is released but it seems that the developers have no interest in making a good game. This puts people off buying these type of games because it uses the same narrative or characters as a film. More often than not the game will be an adaption of the narrative from the film, however sometimes it may be an extension of the film but may not sell as well as it could because of its association with lack of originality and just being a bad game.

For me the idea of using different narratives from the same game world in different medias will suggest a lack of originality in the games industry which is already struggling to create new ideas. The issue is not really transmedia storytelling but the adaption of one narrative told several times which begins to bore the audience and is starting to ruin the games industry.

The industry seems obsessed with creating the same game 100 times and calling it something different. I'm not sure it needs an excuse to do this using the same game world over and over. Haven't we seen enough star wars games? some would argue that you cannot have too much of a good thing but soon the games could be so far from the original narrative they will be almost unrecognisable.

A rare few have succeeded in being more than being a decent clone. The first Riddick game, The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, not only pushed the boundaries of first-person combat and stealth but created a new story arc separate from, but consistent with, the films. As Riddick, the player could experience first-hand what being a feared, ultra-violent assassin was like without knowing every plot twist. But Starbreeze wasn’t finished there: The developers released another game in the series (the only film-game sequel I can think of besides Star Wars), Assault on Dark Athena, that built on their previous success and added yet more mythology to the Riddick canon. 

7 concepts of transmedia storytelling

Jenkins creates the idea of their being ‘seven concepts’ of transmedia storytelling. Each concept can turn a narrative into a work of transmedia:

1-Drillability- This is the ability to make the audience ‘drill’ into the narrative to find more content.

2-Continuity vs. Multiplicity- Using different perspectives to explain the story.

3-Immersion/extractability-This is taking something from a narrative and bringing it into the real world. Action figures or toys are a good example of this. Toy story is self-referential  of this because the characters in the film play with the toys and a franchise was created by selling the toys in the real world.

4-Seriality- serialising narratives and using techniques like cliff hangers to maintain the audiences interest. ‘The cliff-hanger represents an archtypical moment of rupture where one text ends and closure where one text bleeds into the next, creating a strong enigma which drives the reader to continue to consume the story even though our satisfaction has been deferred while we await the next instalment.’

5-World building- This is where a world can be built from one narrative which allows different narratives to be constructed.

6-Subjectivity- Telling the same story from the view of a secondary character. This can provide more bulk for the original narrative.

7-Performance- This is where the viewer becomes involved in the media that they are viewing. ‘Videos on YouTube where fans re-enact or lip sync musical numbers from Glee’.

Critical studies- Creating Coherent Worlds

Chris Goodswen-

I spent my morning listening to a graduate of games art and design who then continued his study at the university of dundee where he received a masters. It was interesting to here his thoughts on the games industry as it stands at the moment. It was slightly disheartening hearing it is so hard to get into the games industry because of the recession, although it is good that we are not being wrapped up in cotton wool and told we will all have jobs when we leave.

I found it interesting that Chris suggested we need to create a game to get a career in the industry. I am now considering finding a programmer to help me create a game for both our portfolios. It may be possible to find a student at UEA that is willing to participate.

The one thing that really impacted me from the lecture was how he was so negative about being a 2D artist because it is challenging. he stated he originally wanted to be a 2D artist until he found out how much knowledge you have to have. I myself did not realise it would be so hard to become a 2D artist compared to 3D.

I have found myself looking into 3D environment design as a career after I finish the degree because I think that is where my strength lies. 

Transmedia storytelling-

In Transmedia storytelling, content becomes invasive and fully permeates the audience's lifestyle. A transmedia project develops storytelling across multiple forms of media in order to have different "entry points" in the story; entry-points with a unique and independent lifespan but with a definite role in the big narrative scheme.
To explain transmedia storytelling it is worth while viewing a subject that has been told across varying medias. Batman is a brilliant example of this. To date it has been viewed as:
Film
Game
Comic
Television series

Some of these medias link, for example Batman Begins was released and did extremely well at reinventing the the franchise. Batman arkham asylum was created soon after. The idea is that the audience that enjoyed the film buy the game because they like the narrative and want a deeper understanding into the characters for example. Each media creates a larger target audience for the franchise.

professor, Henry Jenkins used the term in his MIT Technology Review article, "Transmedia Storytelling," where he reflected Kinder's assumption, via analysis of mass-market entertainment, that the coordinated use of storytelling across platforms can make the characters more compelling.

Henry Jenkins; The revenge of the origami unicorn

"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." Some of what I will say here will complicate this conception of a "unified and coordinated entertainment experience," as we factor in the unauthorized, grassroots expansion of the text by fans or consider the ways that franchises might value diversity over coherence in their exploration of fictional worlds.

we can see something like Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader as a extension of the transmedia narrative that has grown up around Star Wars because it provides back story and insights into a central character in that saga. By comparison, a Star Wars breakfast cereal may enhance the franchise's branding but it may have limited contribution to make to our understanding of the narrative or the world of the story. The idea that Storm Troopers might be made of sugar sweet marshmellow bits probably contradicts rather than enhances the continuity and coherence of the fictional world George Lucas was creating.

Henry Jenkins states here that different forms of transmedia storytelling exist because of the outcomes that they produce. A dlc would possibly help the user uderstand the narrative better whereas a cereal would not, however a cereal would promote the game to a larger target audience.

welcome

this is my blog for my second year in games art and design. throughout the year I will be adding my progress onto this blog. enjoy.