The Lowlifes transmedia entertainment project (http://www.lowlifes.tv) gains a layer of social activism. Skip forward to slide 11 if you're already familiar with the project.

1. Lowlifes project presentation
Presentation to
Coalition on Homelessness, SF
Robert Pratten
Producer

2. About this presentation
• About Lowlifes
• What is “transmedia”?
• Transmedia Activism
– definition
– examples
• CoHSF Campaign
– Goals, Narrative, Actions
• Next steps…

3. LowlifeS’ synopsis
• Larry Hayes is San Francisco
homicide detective with a drug
addiction.
• He has a dead informant, an ex-
wife fighting for custardy of
their daughter and a private eye
hired to dig the dirt on him.

4. High Concept
One story, three
perspectives.
Told over three
platforms: novella,
web series, blog.
dETECTIVE
LARRY HAYES EX-WFE
(JEN HAYES)
PRIVATE EYE
(LAUREN ORTEGA)

5. Aim: Whole is greater than sum of parts
Movie Game Book Media Franchise
Whole is less than the sum of the parts:
dissatisfying conclusion to consuming all media
Movie Game Book Transmedia
Whole is more satisfying than the sum of the parts:
euphoria of collecting and connecting the pieces

6. objectives
• Possible to consume each media
independently of any other
• Enhanced satisfaction with each
additional media consumption
• Micro-budget
• Freemium distribution model
• Creative Commons licensing to allow
audience collaboration
• Simple, commercial, transmedia story
(not experimental)

7. Distribution
• Free online
– BitTorrent, Website, YouTube
• With paid options (Kindle, Book, DVD, Mobile)
• Paid workshops

8. Finding opportunities in source
material

9. Online “active graphic” crime scene hides clue
that creates suspense
(reader will know more than character)

10. Ar marker at end of chapter reveals
clue that creates suspense

11. Adding a layer of activism

12. Transmedia activism
• A framework that creates social
impact by using storytelling by a
number of decentralized authors
who share assets and create
content distributed across
multiple forms of media to raise
awareness and influence action.

13. Transmedia to create impact
Actionable
Content
Issue Engagement Action Change
Story
Universe
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Lina Srivastava at info@linasrivastava.com
http://transmedia-activism.com/

14. World without oil

15. Traces of hope

16. Conspiracy for good

17. TmA: Campaign goals
• A. Social Change- what are you trying to
change?
– Address and correct common misunderstanding
– Greater empathy with plight of homeless by
showing as real people who can be helped
– Change of the law?
• B. Storytelling- what is the narrative thread?
– Can we tell fact from fiction? Do we recognize
ourselves (when we ignore people in need)?
• OTHER GOALS
– Build mailing list/ Raise money/ Raise awareness

18. Driving traffic to Cohsf website
CoHSF
Lowlifes Book/
Website
Video/Blog
Street
Sheet
Holy Joe
Website
LowLifes
ARG Shop flyers/
Posters

19. CoHsf website, today

20. Common misunderstandings?
• It will never happen to me
• We deserve what we get
• Drugs & booze come before fall
• There is support for those who
need it
• Other misunderstandings?

21. Narrative theme: Fact or fiction?

22. Joseph “Holy joe” rawlings videos
• Real people telling personal
accounts of their homeless
experiences on the street… in the
context of the fictional world of
Holy Joe’s
• Link to real personal history
pages at CoHSF: “I am not an
actor. This is not a movie set.
This is my life.”

23. Homeless connections...
• Interview families: see
accommodation/places they live
(integrate UFO & ghost stories); how
they got evicted or lost their homes
• Personal stories: how they fell on
hard times (and how they work for
Joe); photos of better times
• Candid improv on the streets outside
important places (shelters, kitchens
etc.)
• Other issues?

24. CoH Alternate Reality game:
“Victim of fate”
• Can you help Hayes informant?
– Four week game to save a family from
homelessness
– Goal: Highlight the obstacles and
how easy it is to fall victim of
fate
– Engagement: twitter, puzzles, email
story installments
• Legislative twitter stream throws up plot
twists (other dark forces?)
• Character-based twitter stream of
thoughts and feelings based on real life
experience (daily diary?)

25. Publicity campaign
• Homeless Facts & Fiction Month
– Lowlifes ARG: Victim of Fate
– Online quiz:fact or fiction? Startling facts about homeless
situations/legal issues etc. – Engage people with issues
• Street Sheet
– Unique content to solve puzzles/enter competition
– Serialize Lowlifes for rest of year: drive more people to donate
• Social media
– Blogs
• Local business
– Flyers & posters for downloadable content
• Mainstream press
– Serialize LowLifes (SF Chronicle)
– PR on unique storytelling for change

26. Next steps
• Interest?
• Resources?
• Timescales?