This document provides information about the MED306 module on transmedia narratives and networked cultures. It outlines the structure, assessment components, and expectations of an independent practical project to create a transmedia narrative using multiple platforms. Examples of previous transmedia projects are also provided. Students will work in small groups to develop an interactive narrative that engages an audience across online and offline media.

1. Transmedia Narratives Networked Cultures & A practice strand of the MED306 Independent Practice module. This strand is only for Interactive Media Arts students and looks at using networks, social media, real world events and telematic encounters to tell stories and develop pervasive media.

2. MED306 100% Coursework Module Structure 30% Industry Speaker Reports 20% Work Placement Preparation LT12 – Thursdays 10:15>12:05 – Lectures 30% Independent Practical Project 20% Essay and Folder A111 – Fridays 09:15>11:05 – Workshops

3. MED306 100% Coursework 30% Industry Speaker Reports 20% Work Placement Preparation 30% Independent Practical Project 20% Essay and Folder Students will work in small groups to produce a project which delivers a narrative across multiple platforms. This transmedia narrative will use a range of media so groups should look at involving students with a range of existing skills

4. MED306 50% Coursework 30% Independent Practical Project 20% Essay and Folder This is a group assessed project and students will receive a group mark for this section of the module. This is an independent project, students are expected to manage and direct their own group projects and their role and involvement will be reflected in their essay and folder. This part of your project will we assessed individually. The folder should document your role within the group, your section of development and contribution. The essay should be an academic essay and report on your project; situating it within existing practice and documenting its development, challenges and assess it’s success.

5. MED306 30% Coursework Independent Practical Project Students must develop a narrative which is delivered across multiple platforms. These platforms can be online and offline but the story must have a number of facet's. At least 1 constructed character A video teaser or trailer 1 live, offline event/element A live community An achieve of the project

6. MED306 20% Coursework Production Folder and Essay Student production folders should document the development of the project across the course of the module, it is important that students document their own contributions to the group project and can demonstrate how their contributions helped to make the project come together. The production essay should explain the approach taken to the project, difficulties encountered and how they were overcome and evidence of how critical reading inspired or guided the practical project. 1 Production Folder 1 Essay – 1000 words Must reference existing texts

7. & MED306 Exhibition Display Transmedia and networked projects are sometimes in their very essence ephemeral. Networked projects with live events, distributed and pervasive media exist across multiple platforms, and in many spaces. It is important that projects are properly recorded, documented and achieved. Projects must be display ready at time of submission as students will be asked to produce an exhibition of their project. Make an achieve Exhibit your work Document everything.

8. & MED306 Editorial Supervision Contact Time This project is a group independent project, students are expected to produce work independently under editorial supervision from a member of staff. You will be shown existing examples of projects, ideas on approaches and shown ways of using softwares and services but will be assessed on your ability to direct a project independently Project Managers Achievers Producers Editors

9. & MED306 Editorial Supervision Contact Time Within sessions you will be shown examples of practice based work to help you think about your projects: Narrative Structure Story Shape Audience/Players Pathways Documentation and Achieves Media Aggregation Display and exhibition of work

10. & MED306 Roles Responsibilities A transmedia project, because of its very nature requires a range of skills, abilities and experience. Members of your group will need to take on different rolls within the group to develop a coherent transmedia project. Consistent Visual Style Community Management Publicity Participation Target Audience Measuring Outcomes

11. & MED306 Delivery Technologies Your group will need to think of the ways in which your audience can access your story across multiple platforms and how you can assess their involvement. Connecting with audiences Managing a distributed narrative Working with existing technologies Delivering an engaging story Monitoring audience involvement Thinking about new narrative form

12. & MED306 Stories Remediation Students should consider adapting and/or remediating an existing story, folk tale or recognisable narrative. This will help guide the development and cut down on the amount of character development, story writing and scripting.

13. & MED306 Timelines Delivery A possible timeline The project, because of it’s size and scale will need to be carefully mapped on a timeline

14. O MED306 Story is KING The sign in the lobby of PIXAR studios

15. MED306 People Stories

16. MED306 Virality is Just good design Christopher Sandberg, MIPTV 2011

17. MED306 THIS IS NOT A GAME Alternative Reality Games

18. MED306 Project Example 1 The Beast The Beast is billed as the first Alternative Reality Game, it was developed by 42 Entertainment to promote the film A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) and was one of the first instances of a mixed reality entertainment experience

19. MED306 Project Example 2 Conspiracy For Good Conspiracy for good was developed as a “mixed reality drama” by Tim Kring (the writer behind Heroes). It was marketed as “Social Benefit Storytelling”. It was nominated for the Digital Program: Fiction EMMY in 2011. Conspiracy For Good was a collaborative project between Nokia, TKE Imperative and The Company P.

20. MED306 Project Example 3 I Love Bees I Love Bees is one of the most famous Alternate Reality Games (ARGs), developed by 42 Entertainment to promote the launch of the game Halo 2. We will be returning to I Love Bees to deconstruct it’s narrative path, play elements and community

21. MED306 Project Example 4 World Without Oil World Without Oil was an Alternative Reality Game which ran for 32 weeks in 2007 and was billed as a game for social good. It simulated the global oil crisis through the media and real world events.

22. MED306 Project Example 5 Black Helix Black Helix was the first large scale Northern Irish Alternative Reality Game and ran during February and March 2011. It was designed and developed by Belfast Based Design Zoo.

23. MED306 Project Example 6 Why So Serious Why So Serious, (again) developed by 42 entertainment was a massively expansive ARG developed to promote The Dark Knight (2008)

24. MED306 Project Example 7 [in]visible belfast [in]visible belfast was the longest running Alternative Reality Game in Northern Ireland. It ran for 6 weeks and had a number of live events, performances and websites, an achieve is currently being constructed.

25. MED306 Project Example 8 Where’s Alice Where’s Alice was developed by Interactive Media Arts student Iain McAuley as a transmedia story for his dissertation project during 2011. The story mainly took place on campus.