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Transmedia sorting hat

The presentation by Nick DeMartino on transmedia storytelling explores its definitions, history, and implications in media. Drawing from his experiences at the American Film Institute and recent consulting work, DeMartino highlights the collaborative nature and audience engagement techniques of transmedia, distinguishing it from traditional media adaptations. It emphasizes that transmedia storytelling involves creating cohesive narratives across multiple platforms, making the experience richer and more immersive for audiences.

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Transmedia Sorting Hat Understanding the Emerging Market for Transmedia I will make this available if you leave me your email address or business card.
Presentation to FIELDING GRADUATE UNIVERSITY January 16, 2012 These slides were produced for a presentation to the Fielding Graduate University, January 16, 2012
The famous Harry Potter sorting hat. It’s a fitting metaphor for this presentation, as I sort through the emerging history of transmedia storytelling. I will start by discussing my own background, and sharing my current obsessions for certain stories, explore definitions, precursors, breakthroughs, current examples and resources.
WHY ME? Movie Geek Journalist Filmmaker Marketer Strategist What qualifies me to give this talk? I am a movie geek. I am an ex-journalist, filmmaker and marketer. And I spent 20 years running digital programs and initiatives at the American Film Institute, some of which are listed here. To learn more about my career, check out my website at http:// www.nickdemartino.net
WHY ME? 20 years at AFI: Computer Media Salons Enhanced TV Workshop Digital Content Lab DigiFest I discuss a few highlights of my years at AFI and the relationships I developed with innovators at the intersection of Hollywood and Silicon Valley. I discuss a few highlights of the training-based programs and the showcase programs, leading into our signature approach: collaborative prototype development around content. To learn more about my career, check out my website at http:// www.nickdemartino.net
WHY ME? Nick DeMartino Consulting Digital media strategy Content, distribution, markets. I started a consulting business last year after leaving the AFI in which I help companies make the transition occasioned by the disruption that the Internet is bringing to every market. Most of my work is in the content production and distribution markets. To learn more about my career, check out my website at http:// www.nickdemartino.net
WHY ME? Having heard the word ‘transmedia’ for some time, even as we were incubating many cross-media applications at AFI, I became intrigued by the rise in the use of the term last spring, especially because there seemed to be a lot of fighting going on. This lead to a lot of research and a series of interviews with many of the leading practitioners in the transmedia field, and a three-art series “Why Transmedia is Catching On” which was posted on the Tribeca Film Institute’s “Future of Film” site, and syndicated to sites around the world, including Huffington Post, The Wrap, MIPblogs, x-media Lab (Australia) and others. The series lives on my own blog: http://www.nickdemartino.net/blog (Here is a post that includes the links to all the different versions: http:// www.nickdemartino.net/blog/2011/7/11/where-to-read-my-transmedia- series.html )
TRANSMEDIA: What is it? Why Should You Care? So… what is transmedia, anyway….
DEFINITION Commercial transmedia supersystems From “Playing with Power in Movies,Television and Videogames” by Marcia Kinder (1991) The first citation I could find that uses the “transmedia” adjective was this one, from USC’s Marcia Kinder, who is famous for launching the “Labyrinthe” project –http://dornsife.usc.edu/labyrinth/ about/about1.html In my Tribeca post, I added my own attempt at a definition: “Transmedia” is shorthand for a grab bag of production and distribution practices and audience engagement techniques that have emerged over the past decade, and when taken together, promise a new kind of media experience.
DEFINITION… Transmedia Storytelling: > Across multiple media > Each contributes to story > Multiple entry points into story Henry Jenkins:Transmedia Storytelling The term transmedia storytelling is, by all accounts, a coinage from Henry Jenkins, a much-published academic from MIT, now on the faculty at the University of Southern California. Henry is a good source for info, particularly his courseware, which is published on his blog: http://www.henryjenkins.org/ The specific article is from MIT Technology Review, "Transmedia Storytelling.” Jenkins, Henry (2006). Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: New York University Press. ISBN 9780814742815. Jenkins, Henry (2006). Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: New York University Press. ISBN 9780814742815. Jenkins, Henry (2006). Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: New York University Press. ISBN 9780814742815.
DEFINITION… > Immersion in story & its world > Game-like play > More than an adaptation Henry Jenkins:Transmedia Storytelling Henry Jenkins also says that most of the “transmedia” projects he has studied tend to focus upon one of three goals: •Building out the “back story” of the “primary” story •Providing a different view of the world from the subjective point of view of one or more characters (swapping subjectivity). •Mapping the world in which the story takes place.
DEFINITION… “The art of conveying messages themes or storylines to mass audiences through the artful and well planned use of multiple media platforms." Jeff Gomez, Starlight Runner Jeff Gomez is a game designer who cofounded a firm in NYC called Starlight Runner which consults with media properties and brands to create transmedia properties. He has been very active in evangelizing the term “transmedia,” including within the Producers Guild of America. This is his definition. http://www.starlightrunner.com/
DEFINITION… “A Transmedia Narrative project or franchise must consist of three (or more) narrative storylines existing within the same fictional universe on any of the following platforms:  Film, Television, Short Film, Broadband, Publishing, Comics, Animation, Mobile, Special Venues, DVD/Blu-ray/CD-ROM, Narrative Commercial and Marketing rollouts, and other technologies that may or may not currently exist... The PGA defines criteria for various credits on films and television. In 2010 a new credit was approved for “transmedia” producer. Certainly in the years prior to this development, a new class of creative professional had emerged to collaborate with the primary creative team on extending the story-world of media properties, especially television. The PGA credit is an answer to that, but it seems to have triggered a lot of controversy, including a movement against using the term.
DEFINITION …These narrative extensions are NOT the same as repurposing material from one platform to be cut or repurposed to different platforms.”  This is the last part of the definition, which makes a key point, which is that transmedia is not what we used to call “shovelware” – e.g., dumping content from one medium into another platform.
DEFINITION “Transmedia storytelling” is the   label for when you’re creating a story as the primary storytellers and intending to tell your story across multiple channels.” Brian Clark, GMD Studios Brian Clark is a very active transmedia producer and a leader in the field. GMD Studios is based in Florida. http://www.gmdstudios.com/ Clark’s Facebook post in mid-2011 tried to define the differences between the “East Coast” school of transmedia (where he counts himself) and the “West Coast” wing, which is what the PGA definition came from, e.g., mother-ship type entertainment properties with extensions on additional platforms. http://www.facebook.com/notes/brian-clark/ reclaiming-transmedia-storyteller/10150246236508993
DEFINITION “Transmedia storytelling is the future of marketing. And those who can span across formats and share their expertise will stand out in an age of Digital Relativity.”  Steve Rubel, Edelman Digital This quote from high-profile PR guru Steve Rubel sent shivers down my spine, only because I thought the transmedia storytelling term was focused upon the artform, not commerce, per se. This is a good example of how the methods of the multi-platform storyteller, having been proven to be attractive to fans, are irresistable to marketers. http://www.forbes.com/2010/10/11/google-eric-schmidt- bieber-facebook-social-networking-storytelling-steve-rubel-cmo-network.html
EXAMPLE? So, is the Royal Wedding a transmedia story?
EXAMPLE? Or the Bible & Jesus Christ?
EXAMPLE? Certainly Star Wars is transmedia, with many different media and formats. Though, there are those in the field who prefer to think of Star Wars as the first major storytelling FRANCHISE, not really transmedia. What is the distinction? Whether new elements to the story are added in every platform, and therefore make the experience of all platforms necessary for a full experience of the work.
YOU COULD SAY: Franchise. Multiplatform. ARG. Interactive. Multimedia. Connected Entertainment These are related words describing various story forms. Some would say that none is as complete as “transmedia.” Others say, to hell with the language wars. Let’s get to storytelling! (Note: ARG=alternate reality game)
Is It Really Transmedia START Storytelling? Is it on multiple Is it a single media YES story or multiple platforms? stories NO SINGLE It's not Transmedia! Was the story transmedia from inception? MULTIPLE NO YES Are the pieces of Do you own the content linked and YES in narrative sync IP? YES with each other? NO NO Is it an Is it really a Alternate NO story, or is it a Reality Game? story universe? STORY It's not UNIVERSE Transmedia YES STORY Storytelling, it's just a crummy Entertainment THEME Franchise. C'mon, is it *really* a story, or is it a theme? It's not STORY Transmedia Storytelling, YES WHAT'S MOST EFFECTIVE it's an TO REACH YOUR TARGET adaptation. AUDIENCE Are there action figures? Which is more important when deciding how content NO will be delivered? IDENTICAL It's not UNIQUE Transmedia Are the pieces of WHAT'S MOST ORGANIC story content Storytelling, TO THE STORY unique or it's integrated identical? marketing. YES Is the story just a light narrative Are there YES wrapper? casual games? NO NO NO Congratulations! Do the content You're a YES fragments link Transmedia to each other? Storyteller! 2011 Steve Peters (www.about.me/stevepeters) Steve Peters (@vpisteve) has created a very engaging (and amusing) info graphic “Is it Really Transmedia Storytelling?” You can download here from Scribd: http://www.scribd.com/doc/59897583/Is-It-Really-Transmedia
Is It Really Transmedia START Storytelling? Is it on multiple Is it a single media YES story or multiple platforms? stories NO SINGLE It's not Transmedia! Was the story transmedia from inception? MULTIPLE NO YES Are the pieces of Do you own the content linked and YES in narrative sync IP? YES with each other? NO NO Is it an Is it really a Alternate NO story, or is it a Reality Game? story universe? STORY It's not UNIVERSE Transmedia YES STORY Storytelling, it's just a crummy Entertainment THEME Franchise. C'mon, is it *really* a story, or is it a theme? It's not STORY Transmedia Storytelling, YES WHAT'S MOST EFFECTIVE TO REACH YOUR TARGET Steve Peters (@vpisteve) has created a very it's an adaptation. engaging (and amusing) info graphic AUDIENCE “Is it Really Transmedia Storytelling?” You action download here from Scribd: Are there can http://www.scribd.com/doc/59897583/Is-It-Really-Transmedia figures? Which is more important when deciding how content NO will be delivered? IDENTICAL It's not UNIQUE Transmedia Are the pieces of WHAT'S MOST ORGANIC story content Storytelling, TO THE STORY unique or it's integrated identical? marketing. YES Is the story just a light narrative Are there YES wrapper?
IS IT REALLY TRANSMEDIA? ✴ Is it on multiple media platforms? ✴ Was the story transmedia from inception? ✴ Is it a single story or multiple stories ✴ Are the pieces of content linked and in narrative sync with each other? ✴ Is it an Alternate Reality Game? ✴ Is it really a story, or is it a story universe? ✴ Do you own the IP? ✴ C'mon, is it ‘really’ a story, or is it a theme? Steve Peters (@vpisteve) has created a very engaging (and amusing) info graphic “Is it Really Transmedia Storytelling?” You can download here from Scribd: http://www.scribd.com/doc/59897583/Is-It-Really-Transmedia
IS IT REALLY TRANSMEDIA? ✴Are there action figures? ✴WHAT'S MOST EFFECTIVE TO REACH YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE ✴Which is more important when deciding how content will be delivered? ✴Are the pieces of story content unique or identical? ✴WHAT'S MOST ORGANIC TO THE STORY? ✴Are there casual games? ✴Is the story just a light narrative wrapper? ✴Do the content fragments link to each other? Steve Peters (@vpisteve) has created a very engaging (and amusing) info graphic “Is it Really Transmedia Storytelling?” You can download here from Scribd: http://www.scribd.com/doc/59897583/Is-It-Really-Transmedia
IS IT REALLY TRANSMEDIA? ✴ It's not Transmedia! ✴ It's not Transmedia Storytelling, it's just a crummy Entertainment Franchise! ✴ It's not Transmedia Storytelling, it's an adaptation! ✴ It's not Transmedia Storytelling, it's integrated marketing! ✴ Congratulations! You're a Transmedia Storyteller! Steve Peters (@vpisteve) has created a very engaging (and amusing) info graphic “Is it Really Transmedia Storytelling?” You can download here from Scribd: http://www.scribd.com/doc/59897583/Is-It-Really-Transmedia
PRECURSOR 1981: TAMARA. Interactive Theatre In keeping with some of those words, I’ve collected a few examples of “precursors” from past decades. Tamara was a theatrical event launched in Toronto in which the audience moved into different rooms and interacted with the actors. The story would unfold differently, depending upon your journey and what happened in each room. The show ran for many years in Los Angeles and New York, and was revived in Toronto. This is interactive, but not really multi-platform, though a CDROM was attempted.
PRECURSOR 1990: Hyperland BBC & Douglas Adams Douglas Adams, the creator of A HITCHHICKERS GUIDE TO THE UNIVERSE built this work with the BBC at the dawn of the interactive media age in order to explain and explore hyper-media. It could be said to be multi-platform because the links took the user into different environments and domains. You can tell that the ideas were ahead of the technology by looking at the clunky fonts.
PRECURSOR 1992: MYST from Cyan & Broderbund MYST was a ground-breaking game series on CD-ROM back in the 90’s, which remained the highest grossing title until the SIMS overtook it. Unlike the classic “videogame” format, which were usually shooter or role-playing games, MYST was a journey of discovery in which users proceeded into environments and worlds by finding clues and activating elements of the system. Again, not really multi-platform, but a new way to tell a story. MYST and its sequels are now available in the iTunes store in both a free and $4.99 version.
PRECURSOR 1992: Bram Stoker’s DRACULA Game based on Coppola’s Film Francis Ford Coppola created a successful film adaptation of the Bram Stoker novel about the original vampire starring Gary Oldman, and Sony released a game version that utilized footage shot on the set of the film, which nudges into the terrain of multi-platform. We were excited to show it at the time because of the high profile of the director, who created iconic films like THE GODFATHER trilogy.
PRECURSOR 1995: In the First Degree Interactive CD-ROM from Broderbund Another CD-ROM title from Broderbund was created by my friend Haney Armstrong, a fllmmaker who came up with this extension of the traditional police procedural story by allowing the user to interrogate people.
PRECURSOR 1995: Johnny Mnemonic. CD-ROM from Sony Imagesoft This William Gibson classic was made into a film with Keanu Reeves, not well reviewed, but significant because Sony released a CD-ROM game simultaneously which allowed gameplay in a movie-like setting based upon the same story. The casts were different.
PRECURSOR 2002: Push, Nevada: ABC & LivePlanet Play along with the mystery to win $$ TV interactivity is a whole topic in and of itself. I included PUSH NEVADA in this presentation because it did represent a breakthrough. Clues were peppered throughout the show and the website that allowed users to amass points leading to a winner. I think I remember that some clues involved mobile calling as well, Even though the show was not popular enough to be renewed, it was an early example of multi-platform enrichment of a primary story.
PRECURSOR 2003: Battlestar Gallactica. AFI team: Schematic, Syfy, others When the Sci-Fi Channel wanted to bring back the classic Battlestar Gallactica, representatives of the company, as well as Universal’s game division, came into the AFI’s Digital Content Lab to create a multi-dimensional viewing experience. The user interface, created by Schematic’s Dale Herigstad, allowed seamless movement by the user in and out of the primary story (TV), a first-person spaceship flying experience (game), and deep data about the ship, the characters, and the backstory, which also included clues. This was not the version launched at the time of the show, but inspired lots of others.
DEFINITION “STORYTELLING WITHOUT BOUNDS” Filmmaker and Transmedia Producer Lance Weiler Lance Weiler has what is the most inclusive and inspiring definition of transmedia. BTW, he gave a wonderful talk at Ireland’s Darklight Festival. http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=8Gzo6gel2mo&feature=player_embedded#at=146 His work is displayed at his home page. http://lanceweiler.com/
2006: LOST EXPERIENCE From ABC & Hi-ReS So what might we consider breakthroughs in the development of this artform? The Emmy went to the LOST EXPERIENCE, an alternative realtiy game from ABC and Hi-ReS, a design and experience company. The TV Show’s millions of fans could deepen their experience of the story world via this comprehensive site.
2007: HEROES 360 (later Evolutions) From NBC & Jesse Alexander Ditto with HEROES, which launched its 360 experience, later renamed EVOLUTIONS. Producer Jesse Alexander worked closely with the TV series creative team.
2007: The Truth About Marika ARG from Company P. My mind was blown by this Swedish alternative reality game from Company P, headed by Christopher Sandberg. They used TV, newspapers, the web, live events and kind of took over the whole country for a few weeks. The premise was a fake event, but it was treated as real, and people engaged with the story in a sort of ambiguous way, not knowing for sure what was real, what was fake, what was conspiracy, etc. Such a fictional trope is often part of ARG work, and many would date it back to Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre’s radio adaptation of H.G.Welles’ WAR OF THE WORLDS in the 30’s.
2008: WHY SO SERIOUS? ARG from WB & 42 Entertainment 42 Entertainment created this multi-platform alternative reality game that invited players during the period bridging the release of the two Batman films, especially the much-anticipated DARK KNIGHT from director Christopher Nolan. Because the Gotham setting and the tone and elements of the franchise are so well known, the creators could play off of that with newspapers and other media released in sequence that contained clues and links to fill in the complex world of the films.
YEAR ZERO: From Nine Inch Nails & 42E YEAR ZERO is an ARG that involved fans of the band Nine Inch Nails at concerts by leaving USB drives in restrooms. Those who activated the files contained therein on a computer got instructions that involved them in launching the viral game, which depicts a theocratic dystopian future, the subject of the album.
I LOVE BEES: For Microsoft’s HALO launch 42 Entertainment produced an ARG called I LOVE BEES to support the release of Microsoft’s HALO game.
2010: CONSPIRACY FOR GOOD. Tim Kring & Nokia Tim Kring created Heroes and in 2010 launched a global ARG called Conspiracy for Good which was sponsored by Nokia. There were extensive live events that contained clues that could be retrieved via mobile augmented reality technologies, as well as many other events. The fictional elements, especially those about the evil corporation, were quite elaborate. There was a real-world charity in Africa that benefited from the activities as well.
2010: HEAD TRAUMA/Hope is Missing Lance Weiler/ Seize the Media This is just one of the properties created by Lance Weiler, whose breakthrough film THE BIG BROADCAST was itself a precursor to more complex storytelling components being added beyond the film “platform.”
2010: COLLAPSUS. From Submarine & VPRO COLLAPSUS was a documentary film on Dutch television that was expanded into a broader transmedia experience that integrated game-play, global mapping, animation and other elements. Directed by Tommy Palotta, who produced Waking Life and A Scanner Darkly. Won the best interactive film award at the SXSW festival in 2011.
UNSPEAK (2011) From Tommy Pallotta Unspeak extends this idea even more by making short films that are outward manifestations of the world wide web. We are a web browser with 20 tabs open at once all playing video and hyperlinking the universe. The effect is hypnotic, we don't know what will happen next, we don't know why the images are related to the words and our brains search to make the connections. This is powerful propaganda. Think of it as propaganda about propaganda. We are now planning to make the clips available and a simple drag and drop editor. People may also upload their own videos and are encouraged to make their own unspeak transmissions. All of this is nice and egalitarian, but it doesn't really matter if we don't activate and empower the viewers. Our aim is to turn consumers into activists. To get people creatively invested is to truly interact. If they are spending the time creating, we know they are invested and spread the idea of Unspeak like a media virus. We give them the tools, inspiration, and encouragement.
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL Tommy Pallotta and other collaborators created a game to support the release of the fifth Mission Impossible Movie called Cobalt, requiring a Facebook Connect log-on. http://cobalt.missionimpossible.com/
FACEBOOK CONNECT INTEGRATION This is the image generated at the end of the Cobalt game, which is then sharable on Facebook.
TAKE THIS LOLLIPOP “Interactive Live Facebook Connect Experience” Take This Lollipop is a cinematic website created in HTML 5 that requires users to launch Facebook Connect and authorize the use of content in the account, which is integrated into a creepy, serial killer type short film. http:// www.takethislollipop.com/
TAKE THIS LOLLIPOP
ARCADE FIRE LEVERAGES HTML 5 VIDEO The Wilderness Downtown. http://thewildernessdowntown.com/ : Indie Rock Band Arcade Fire, working with filmmaker Chris Milk, released a song “We Used to Wait” produced with HTML5. Users enter the zip code of the place they lived as a kid, and the video incorporates street scenes grabbed via Google Map Street View feature. Milk has a slew of experimental video/web projects on his site, including the 2012 FWA Best website (voted by fans), another collaboration with a band, this time Danger Mouse. http://portfolio.chrismilk.com/
LEVERAGES HTML 5 VIDEO AIM HIGH is a web series about a teenaged spy. http://www.imdb.com/title/ tt1730374/ “Viewers log on via Facebook” and by giving permission, become part of the story. https://www.facebook.com/AimHighSeries.
LONELY GIRL 15 Lonely Girl 15 was a very influential early use of YouTube in which actors portrayed young people’s lives as if they were really opening up to the world via video. Most people thought these were real people, and responded in kind with video uploads of their own, creating a tapestry of video storytelling that was quite unique. What has become a standard feature of YouTube was pioneered by Lonely Girl, and the lessons are being applied by the firm founded by its producers: EQAL. http://www.eqal.com/
THEATRICS Beckinfield (2011) – User submitted videos tell the story of a town Beckinfield is a new site that creates a story world, e.g., a mythical California town, and a storyline that comes from the site, but the unfolding of the story is created by users who upload videos to the site that they have made in characters. The originator is an actor who had been helping fellow actors upload “audition” type videos to YouTube, and yearned for a way to let actors use their improv skills to further their careers. The site’s platform company, Theatrix, hopes to license the software to other content companies who want to leverage their experience. http://www.beckinfield.com/
Registered users get a weekly newsletter that provides a framework for “events” in the mythical town against which users can create their characters’ performances in video, and then upload them. There are also auditions and contests conveyed thru the newsletter.
L.A. NOIRE 2011: Rockstar Games Immersive décor, real photos, ebook A slightly different type of platform game from Rockstar Games, creator of the ultraviolent GRAND THEFT AUTO series. The creators used extensive historical research and photo and film collections to create 1940s Los Angeles. Like a great film, the game creates a story-world. Technologies allow a much richer experience than games and CD-ROMs from 15 years before. Plus, they commissioned short stories, available as an e-book, from writers, including Joyce Carol Oates and Andrew Vachss.
NEXUS HUMANUS 2011: Nexus Humanus from Michael Grant Nexus Humanus is a new project, just launched, from Michael Grant, a best- selling children’s book author, and a transmedia team which has created a web-based story world for his next story, which is focused on a mind-control organization. http://nexushumanus.com/
HOLLYWOOD Fourth Wall Studios - first-look deal with Imagine Entertainment Fourth Wall Studios has a first-look deal with Ron Howard’s and Brian Glazer’s Imagine Entertainment, which got a lot of attention in Hollywood. We should be looking for original work coming from these guys. http:// www.fourthwallstudios.com/
HOLLYWOOD RIDES and ELSEWARE: proprietary platforms They raised $15m from LA’s richest man, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, with access to up to $200m for individual properties. They spent more than 3 years developing their platform and toolset.
RIDES and ELSEWARE: proprietary platforms A GHOST STORY is the proof of concept for RIDES. Other announced projects include DIRTY WORK, a comedy, ZOMBIES!, a horror-musical, GANGSTER GEEKS, post-apocalyptic story FLARE, and a kinetic action serial called CASCADE. Their content is “delivered via Internet browsers, smartphones, game consoles, TVs, movie screens and in the physical world.”
HOLLYWOOD New transmedia studio from Guillermo del Toro Another of the many recent developments on the Hollywood transmedia storytelling front is Mirada, from fantastical filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, HellBoy, etc.) As a recent New Yorker profile details, Del Toro has a fantastical vision of the world, perfect for storytelling without limits. http://www.deadline.com/2010/12/guillermo-del-toro-in-mirada-studio- launch/
TEST SUBJECTS NEEDED 42 ENTERTAINMENT has created HUMAN PRESERVATION PROJECT, an ARG backed by Wrigley Gum HUMAN PRESERVATION PROJECT http://survivalcode.com/ Test subjects needed Project ICEFLY
COMPLEX & IMMERSIVE Online rumors > Live events > Phone Calls > YouTube videos > Website A > Backstory/Themes Revealed > Register > Objects with QR code mailed > Website B > Back Story > Videos > Gameplay & Levels > Codes from Gum > Facebook > Secrets… > ??? HUMAN PRESERVATION PROJECT http://survivalcode.com/ Test subjects needed Project ICEFLY
RUMORS HUMAN PRESERVATION PROJECT http://survivalcode.com/ Test subjects needed Project ICEFLY
EVENTS HUMAN PRESERVATION PROJECT http://survivalcode.com/ Test subjects needed Project ICEFLY
EVENTS HUMAN PRESERVATION PROJECT http://survivalcode.com/ Test subjects needed Project ICEFLY
OBJECT HUMAN PRESERVATION PROJECT http://survivalcode.com/ Test subjects needed Project ICEFLY
WEBSITE HUMAN PRESERVATION PROJECT http://survivalcode.com/ Test subjects needed Project ICEFLY
FACEBOOK SITE HUMAN PRESERVATION PROJECT http://survivalcode.com/ Test subjects needed Project ICEFLY
INDIE MODELS • No-budget aesthetic • Grass-roots / DIY / “some budget” • R&D • Fan Incubation • Fan Funded (think pre-sale) • Arbitrage plays • Audience Product • Infrastructure Play A review of the Brian Clark talk at Henry Jenkin’s transmedia class can be found at http://metascott.com/2011/09/21/brian-clarks-the-business-of- transmedia/
REMEMBERING 9/11 Clark’s GMD Studios created an interactive experience with the Smithsonian to remember 9/11. Simple, text and image-based. http://conversations.si.edu/
REMEMBERING 9/11 Clark’s GMD Studios created an interactive experience with the Smithsonian to remember 9/11. Simple, text and image-based. http://conversations.si.edu/
ROBOT HEART Lance Weiler created an educational transmedia experience for kids in two schools, one in Montreal and one in Los Angeles, who manipulated a robot across the U.S. He calls this storytelling R&D. http://robotheartstories.com/ about He used IndieGoGo to raise funds to support the rollout of the project: http:// www.indiegogo.com/Robot-Heart-Stories
CHRISTY DENA Australian Christy Dena offers “pre-orders” for her new transmedia experience, which involves audio overlays of the story elements. http:// www.authenticinallcaps.com/
SNOW TOWN Jan Libby has turned to Kickstarter to raise development funds for her interactive app platform within which she hopes to create a more fully realized version of her story SNOWTOWN. http://www.snowtown.me/
KICKSTARTER A search on Kickstarter shows 14 “transmedia” projects, and quite a few were funded.
BOOKS The best single book on “immersive media” is The Art of Immersion by Frank Rose. http://www.frankrose.com/index.htm. He also posts on his blog which he calls “Deep Media,” another term that describes the transmedia universe well. http:// www.deepmediaonline.com/ Henry Jenkins’ CONVERGENCE CULTURE is a seminal work. http:// www.amazon.com/Convergence-Culture-Where-Media-Collide/dp/ 0814742815
E - BOOK http://cl.ly/Cxb3 Simon Staffens ebook, “One Year in Transmedia” http://cl.ly/Cxb3
WEBSITES There are a large number of blogs and other sources about transmedia and related topics: ARGN.com unfiction.com/ movieviral.com/ jawbone.tv powertothepixel.com workbookproject.com yousuckattransmedia.com
WEBSITES There are a large number of blogs and other sources about transmedia and related topics: ARGN.com unfiction.com/ movieviral.com/ jawbone.tv powertothepixel.com workbookproject.com yousuckattransmedia.com
WEBSITES There are a large number of blogs and other sources about transmedia and related topics: ARGN.com unfiction.com/ movieviral.com/ jawbone.tv powertothepixel.com workbookproject.com yousuckattransmedia.com
WEBSITES There are a large number of blogs and other sources about transmedia and related topics: ARGN.com unfiction.com/ movieviral.com/ jawbone.tv powertothepixel.com workbookproject.com yousuckattransmedia.com
WEBSITES There are a large number of blogs and other sources about transmedia and related topics: ARGN.com unfiction.com/ movieviral.com/ jawbone.tv powertothepixel.com workbookproject.com yousuckattransmedia.com
WEBSITES There are a large number of blogs and other sources about transmedia and related topics: ARGN.com unfiction.com/ movieviral.com/ jawbone.tv powertothepixel.com workbookproject.com yousuckattransmedia.com
WEBSITES There are a large number of blogs and other sources about transmedia and related topics: ARGN.com unfiction.com/ movieviral.com/ jawbone.tv powertothepixel.com workbookproject.com yousuckattransmedia.com
EVENTS Story World DIY Days Futures of Entertainment Transmedia Hollywood Upcoming conferences in transmedia-related fields include: http://www.storyworldconference.com/ehome/index.php? eventid=20801&tabid=29548& http://diydays.com/ http://www.convergenceculture.org/ http://legacy.tft.ucla.edu/transmedia/
MEET UPS The Los Angeles Meet-up has a website, in addition to its Meetup board: http:// transmediala.net/. Also, check out the new wiki, which has a lot of interesting content: http://transmediala.pbworks.com/w/page/48427037/FrontPage
MEET UPS The New York Transmedia Meetup has just transformed itself into a non-profit called StoryCode.org. The website is not yet launched but to contact, write: Info@storycode.org
Thank you for your attention. Let me know how I can help. Nick DeMartino Consulting provides strategic services to companies in the digital media and content markets, including marketing initiatives, strategic alliance and partnerships, business development and more. Details available at http://www.nickdemartino.net
NICK DEMARTINO • TWITTER: • WEBSITE: @nickdemartino www.nickdemartino.net • SLIDESHARE: • BLOG (and newsletter): www.slideshare.net/ www.nickdemartino.net/ nickdemartino blog • EMAIL: • DELICIOUS: nrdemartino@gmail.com www.delicious.com/ afinickd/transmedia Please feel free to contact me with questions. I will be posting this presentation on SlideShare. If you give me your card after the talk, I’ll send it to you, as well. Please check out my website, and if you like my blog posts, sign up for my newsletter. Much of the research for this talk can be found on my Delicious site, under either transmedia tag.

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Transmedia sorting hat

  • 1.
    Transmedia Sorting Hat Understanding the Emerging Market for Transmedia I will make this available if you leave me your email address or business card.
  • 2.
    Presentation to FIELDING GRADUATE UNIVERSITY January 16, 2012 These slides were produced for a presentation to the Fielding Graduate University, January 16, 2012
  • 3.
    The famous HarryPotter sorting hat. It’s a fitting metaphor for this presentation, as I sort through the emerging history of transmedia storytelling. I will start by discussing my own background, and sharing my current obsessions for certain stories, explore definitions, precursors, breakthroughs, current examples and resources.
  • 4.
    WHY ME? Movie Geek Journalist Filmmaker Marketer Strategist What qualifies me to give this talk? I am a movie geek. I am an ex-journalist, filmmaker and marketer. And I spent 20 years running digital programs and initiatives at the American Film Institute, some of which are listed here. To learn more about my career, check out my website at http:// www.nickdemartino.net
  • 5.
    WHY ME? 20 years at AFI: Computer Media Salons Enhanced TV Workshop Digital Content Lab DigiFest I discuss a few highlights of my years at AFI and the relationships I developed with innovators at the intersection of Hollywood and Silicon Valley. I discuss a few highlights of the training-based programs and the showcase programs, leading into our signature approach: collaborative prototype development around content. To learn more about my career, check out my website at http:// www.nickdemartino.net
  • 6.
    WHY ME? Nick DeMartino Consulting Digital media strategy Content, distribution, markets. I started a consulting business last year after leaving the AFI in which I help companies make the transition occasioned by the disruption that the Internet is bringing to every market. Most of my work is in the content production and distribution markets. To learn more about my career, check out my website at http:// www.nickdemartino.net
  • 7.
    WHY ME? Having heardthe word ‘transmedia’ for some time, even as we were incubating many cross-media applications at AFI, I became intrigued by the rise in the use of the term last spring, especially because there seemed to be a lot of fighting going on. This lead to a lot of research and a series of interviews with many of the leading practitioners in the transmedia field, and a three-art series “Why Transmedia is Catching On” which was posted on the Tribeca Film Institute’s “Future of Film” site, and syndicated to sites around the world, including Huffington Post, The Wrap, MIPblogs, x-media Lab (Australia) and others. The series lives on my own blog: http://www.nickdemartino.net/blog (Here is a post that includes the links to all the different versions: http:// www.nickdemartino.net/blog/2011/7/11/where-to-read-my-transmedia- series.html )
  • 8.
    TRANSMEDIA: What is it? Why Should You Care? So… what is transmedia, anyway….
  • 9.
    DEFINITION Commercial transmedia supersystems From “Playing with Power in Movies,Television and Videogames” by Marcia Kinder (1991) The first citation I could find that uses the “transmedia” adjective was this one, from USC’s Marcia Kinder, who is famous for launching the “Labyrinthe” project –http://dornsife.usc.edu/labyrinth/ about/about1.html In my Tribeca post, I added my own attempt at a definition: “Transmedia” is shorthand for a grab bag of production and distribution practices and audience engagement techniques that have emerged over the past decade, and when taken together, promise a new kind of media experience.
  • 10.
    DEFINITION… Transmedia Storytelling: > Across multiple media > Each contributes to story > Multiple entry points into story Henry Jenkins:Transmedia Storytelling The term transmedia storytelling is, by all accounts, a coinage from Henry Jenkins, a much-published academic from MIT, now on the faculty at the University of Southern California. Henry is a good source for info, particularly his courseware, which is published on his blog: http://www.henryjenkins.org/ The specific article is from MIT Technology Review, "Transmedia Storytelling.” Jenkins, Henry (2006). Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: New York University Press. ISBN 9780814742815. Jenkins, Henry (2006). Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: New York University Press. ISBN 9780814742815. Jenkins, Henry (2006). Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: New York University Press. ISBN 9780814742815.
  • 11.
    DEFINITION… > Immersion in story & its world > Game-like play > More than an adaptation Henry Jenkins:Transmedia Storytelling Henry Jenkins also says that most of the “transmedia” projects he has studied tend to focus upon one of three goals: •Building out the “back story” of the “primary” story •Providing a different view of the world from the subjective point of view of one or more characters (swapping subjectivity). •Mapping the world in which the story takes place.
  • 12.
    DEFINITION… “The art of conveying messages themes or storylines to mass audiences through the artful and well planned use of multiple media platforms." Jeff Gomez, Starlight Runner Jeff Gomez is a game designer who cofounded a firm in NYC called Starlight Runner which consults with media properties and brands to create transmedia properties. He has been very active in evangelizing the term “transmedia,” including within the Producers Guild of America. This is his definition. http://www.starlightrunner.com/
  • 13.
    DEFINITION… “A Transmedia Narrative project or franchise must consist of three (or more) narrative storylines existing within the same fictional universe on any of the following platforms:  Film, Television, Short Film, Broadband, Publishing, Comics, Animation, Mobile, Special Venues, DVD/Blu-ray/CD-ROM, Narrative Commercial and Marketing rollouts, and other technologies that may or may not currently exist... The PGA defines criteria for various credits on films and television. In 2010 a new credit was approved for “transmedia” producer. Certainly in the years prior to this development, a new class of creative professional had emerged to collaborate with the primary creative team on extending the story-world of media properties, especially television. The PGA credit is an answer to that, but it seems to have triggered a lot of controversy, including a movement against using the term.
  • 14.
    DEFINITION …These narrative extensions are NOT the same as repurposing material from one platform to be cut or repurposed to different platforms.”  This is the last part of the definition, which makes a key point, which is that transmedia is not what we used to call “shovelware” – e.g., dumping content from one medium into another platform.
  • 15.
    DEFINITION “Transmedia storytelling” is the   label for when you’re creating a story as the primary storytellers and intending to tell your story across multiple channels.” Brian Clark, GMD Studios Brian Clark is a very active transmedia producer and a leader in the field. GMD Studios is based in Florida. http://www.gmdstudios.com/ Clark’s Facebook post in mid-2011 tried to define the differences between the “East Coast” school of transmedia (where he counts himself) and the “West Coast” wing, which is what the PGA definition came from, e.g., mother-ship type entertainment properties with extensions on additional platforms. http://www.facebook.com/notes/brian-clark/ reclaiming-transmedia-storyteller/10150246236508993
  • 16.
    DEFINITION “Transmedia storytelling is the future of marketing. And those who can span across formats and share their expertise will stand out in an age of Digital Relativity.”  Steve Rubel, Edelman Digital This quote from high-profile PR guru Steve Rubel sent shivers down my spine, only because I thought the transmedia storytelling term was focused upon the artform, not commerce, per se. This is a good example of how the methods of the multi-platform storyteller, having been proven to be attractive to fans, are irresistable to marketers. http://www.forbes.com/2010/10/11/google-eric-schmidt- bieber-facebook-social-networking-storytelling-steve-rubel-cmo-network.html
  • 17.
    EXAMPLE? So, is theRoyal Wedding a transmedia story?
  • 18.
    EXAMPLE? Or the Bible& Jesus Christ?
  • 19.
    EXAMPLE? Certainly Star Warsis transmedia, with many different media and formats. Though, there are those in the field who prefer to think of Star Wars as the first major storytelling FRANCHISE, not really transmedia. What is the distinction? Whether new elements to the story are added in every platform, and therefore make the experience of all platforms necessary for a full experience of the work.
  • 20.
    YOU COULD SAY: Franchise. Multiplatform. ARG. Interactive. Multimedia. Connected Entertainment These are related words describing various story forms. Some would say that none is as complete as “transmedia.” Others say, to hell with the language wars. Let’s get to storytelling! (Note: ARG=alternate reality game)
  • 21.
    Is It ReallyTransmedia START Storytelling? Is it on multiple Is it a single media YES story or multiple platforms? stories NO SINGLE It's not Transmedia! Was the story transmedia from inception? MULTIPLE NO YES Are the pieces of Do you own the content linked and YES in narrative sync IP? YES with each other? NO NO Is it an Is it really a Alternate NO story, or is it a Reality Game? story universe? STORY It's not UNIVERSE Transmedia YES STORY Storytelling, it's just a crummy Entertainment THEME Franchise. C'mon, is it *really* a story, or is it a theme? It's not STORY Transmedia Storytelling, YES WHAT'S MOST EFFECTIVE it's an TO REACH YOUR TARGET adaptation. AUDIENCE Are there action figures? Which is more important when deciding how content NO will be delivered? IDENTICAL It's not UNIQUE Transmedia Are the pieces of WHAT'S MOST ORGANIC story content Storytelling, TO THE STORY unique or it's integrated identical? marketing. YES Is the story just a light narrative Are there YES wrapper? casual games? NO NO NO Congratulations! Do the content You're a YES fragments link Transmedia to each other? Storyteller! 2011 Steve Peters (www.about.me/stevepeters) Steve Peters (@vpisteve) has created a very engaging (and amusing) info graphic “Is it Really Transmedia Storytelling?” You can download here from Scribd: http://www.scribd.com/doc/59897583/Is-It-Really-Transmedia
  • 22.
    Is It ReallyTransmedia START Storytelling? Is it on multiple Is it a single media YES story or multiple platforms? stories NO SINGLE It's not Transmedia! Was the story transmedia from inception? MULTIPLE NO YES Are the pieces of Do you own the content linked and YES in narrative sync IP? YES with each other? NO NO Is it an Is it really a Alternate NO story, or is it a Reality Game? story universe? STORY It's not UNIVERSE Transmedia YES STORY Storytelling, it's just a crummy Entertainment THEME Franchise. C'mon, is it *really* a story, or is it a theme? It's not STORY Transmedia Storytelling, YES WHAT'S MOST EFFECTIVE TO REACH YOUR TARGET Steve Peters (@vpisteve) has created a very it's an adaptation. engaging (and amusing) info graphic AUDIENCE “Is it Really Transmedia Storytelling?” You action download here from Scribd: Are there can http://www.scribd.com/doc/59897583/Is-It-Really-Transmedia figures? Which is more important when deciding how content NO will be delivered? IDENTICAL It's not UNIQUE Transmedia Are the pieces of WHAT'S MOST ORGANIC story content Storytelling, TO THE STORY unique or it's integrated identical? marketing. YES Is the story just a light narrative Are there YES wrapper?
  • 23.
    IS IT REALLYTRANSMEDIA? ✴ Is it on multiple media platforms? ✴ Was the story transmedia from inception? ✴ Is it a single story or multiple stories ✴ Are the pieces of content linked and in narrative sync with each other? ✴ Is it an Alternate Reality Game? ✴ Is it really a story, or is it a story universe? ✴ Do you own the IP? ✴ C'mon, is it ‘really’ a story, or is it a theme? Steve Peters (@vpisteve) has created a very engaging (and amusing) info graphic “Is it Really Transmedia Storytelling?” You can download here from Scribd: http://www.scribd.com/doc/59897583/Is-It-Really-Transmedia
  • 24.
    IS IT REALLYTRANSMEDIA? ✴Are there action figures? ✴WHAT'S MOST EFFECTIVE TO REACH YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE ✴Which is more important when deciding how content will be delivered? ✴Are the pieces of story content unique or identical? ✴WHAT'S MOST ORGANIC TO THE STORY? ✴Are there casual games? ✴Is the story just a light narrative wrapper? ✴Do the content fragments link to each other? Steve Peters (@vpisteve) has created a very engaging (and amusing) info graphic “Is it Really Transmedia Storytelling?” You can download here from Scribd: http://www.scribd.com/doc/59897583/Is-It-Really-Transmedia
  • 25.
    IS IT REALLYTRANSMEDIA? ✴ It's not Transmedia! ✴ It's not Transmedia Storytelling, it's just a crummy Entertainment Franchise! ✴ It's not Transmedia Storytelling, it's an adaptation! ✴ It's not Transmedia Storytelling, it's integrated marketing! ✴ Congratulations! You're a Transmedia Storyteller! Steve Peters (@vpisteve) has created a very engaging (and amusing) info graphic “Is it Really Transmedia Storytelling?” You can download here from Scribd: http://www.scribd.com/doc/59897583/Is-It-Really-Transmedia
  • 26.
    PRECURSOR 1981: TAMARA. Interactive Theatre In keeping with some of those words, I’ve collected a few examples of “precursors” from past decades. Tamara was a theatrical event launched in Toronto in which the audience moved into different rooms and interacted with the actors. The story would unfold differently, depending upon your journey and what happened in each room. The show ran for many years in Los Angeles and New York, and was revived in Toronto. This is interactive, but not really multi-platform, though a CDROM was attempted.
  • 27.
    PRECURSOR 1990: Hyperland BBC & Douglas Adams Douglas Adams, the creator of A HITCHHICKERS GUIDE TO THE UNIVERSE built this work with the BBC at the dawn of the interactive media age in order to explain and explore hyper-media. It could be said to be multi-platform because the links took the user into different environments and domains. You can tell that the ideas were ahead of the technology by looking at the clunky fonts.
  • 28.
    PRECURSOR 1992: MYST from Cyan & Broderbund MYST was a ground-breaking game series on CD-ROM back in the 90’s, which remained the highest grossing title until the SIMS overtook it. Unlike the classic “videogame” format, which were usually shooter or role-playing games, MYST was a journey of discovery in which users proceeded into environments and worlds by finding clues and activating elements of the system. Again, not really multi-platform, but a new way to tell a story. MYST and its sequels are now available in the iTunes store in both a free and $4.99 version.
  • 29.
    PRECURSOR 1992: Bram Stoker’s DRACULA Game based on Coppola’s Film Francis Ford Coppola created a successful film adaptation of the Bram Stoker novel about the original vampire starring Gary Oldman, and Sony released a game version that utilized footage shot on the set of the film, which nudges into the terrain of multi-platform. We were excited to show it at the time because of the high profile of the director, who created iconic films like THE GODFATHER trilogy.
  • 30.
    PRECURSOR 1995: In the First Degree Interactive CD-ROM from Broderbund Another CD-ROM title from Broderbund was created by my friend Haney Armstrong, a fllmmaker who came up with this extension of the traditional police procedural story by allowing the user to interrogate people.
  • 31.
    PRECURSOR 1995:Johnny Mnemonic. CD-ROM from Sony Imagesoft This William Gibson classic was made into a film with Keanu Reeves, not well reviewed, but significant because Sony released a CD-ROM game simultaneously which allowed gameplay in a movie-like setting based upon the same story. The casts were different.
  • 32.
    PRECURSOR 2002: Push, Nevada: ABC & LivePlanet Play along with the mystery to win $$ TV interactivity is a whole topic in and of itself. I included PUSH NEVADA in this presentation because it did represent a breakthrough. Clues were peppered throughout the show and the website that allowed users to amass points leading to a winner. I think I remember that some clues involved mobile calling as well, Even though the show was not popular enough to be renewed, it was an early example of multi-platform enrichment of a primary story.
  • 33.
    PRECURSOR 2003: Battlestar Gallactica. AFI team: Schematic, Syfy, others When the Sci-Fi Channel wanted to bring back the classic Battlestar Gallactica, representatives of the company, as well as Universal’s game division, came into the AFI’s Digital Content Lab to create a multi-dimensional viewing experience. The user interface, created by Schematic’s Dale Herigstad, allowed seamless movement by the user in and out of the primary story (TV), a first-person spaceship flying experience (game), and deep data about the ship, the characters, and the backstory, which also included clues. This was not the version launched at the time of the show, but inspired lots of others.
  • 34.
    DEFINITION “STORYTELLING WITHOUT BOUNDS” Filmmaker and Transmedia Producer Lance Weiler Lance Weiler has what is the most inclusive and inspiring definition of transmedia. BTW, he gave a wonderful talk at Ireland’s Darklight Festival. http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=8Gzo6gel2mo&feature=player_embedded#at=146 His work is displayed at his home page. http://lanceweiler.com/
  • 35.
    2006: LOST EXPERIENCE From ABC & Hi-ReS So what might we consider breakthroughs in the development of this artform? The Emmy went to the LOST EXPERIENCE, an alternative realtiy game from ABC and Hi-ReS, a design and experience company. The TV Show’s millions of fans could deepen their experience of the story world via this comprehensive site.
  • 36.
    2007: HEROES 360(later Evolutions) From NBC & Jesse Alexander Ditto with HEROES, which launched its 360 experience, later renamed EVOLUTIONS. Producer Jesse Alexander worked closely with the TV series creative team.
  • 37.
    2007: The TruthAbout Marika ARG from Company P. My mind was blown by this Swedish alternative reality game from Company P, headed by Christopher Sandberg. They used TV, newspapers, the web, live events and kind of took over the whole country for a few weeks. The premise was a fake event, but it was treated as real, and people engaged with the story in a sort of ambiguous way, not knowing for sure what was real, what was fake, what was conspiracy, etc. Such a fictional trope is often part of ARG work, and many would date it back to Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre’s radio adaptation of H.G.Welles’ WAR OF THE WORLDS in the 30’s.
  • 38.
    2008: WHY SOSERIOUS? ARG from WB & 42 Entertainment 42 Entertainment created this multi-platform alternative reality game that invited players during the period bridging the release of the two Batman films, especially the much-anticipated DARK KNIGHT from director Christopher Nolan. Because the Gotham setting and the tone and elements of the franchise are so well known, the creators could play off of that with newspapers and other media released in sequence that contained clues and links to fill in the complex world of the films.
  • 39.
    YEAR ZERO: FromNine Inch Nails & 42E YEAR ZERO is an ARG that involved fans of the band Nine Inch Nails at concerts by leaving USB drives in restrooms. Those who activated the files contained therein on a computer got instructions that involved them in launching the viral game, which depicts a theocratic dystopian future, the subject of the album.
  • 40.
    I LOVE BEES:For Microsoft’s HALO launch 42 Entertainment produced an ARG called I LOVE BEES to support the release of Microsoft’s HALO game.
  • 41.
    2010: CONSPIRACY FORGOOD. Tim Kring & Nokia Tim Kring created Heroes and in 2010 launched a global ARG called Conspiracy for Good which was sponsored by Nokia. There were extensive live events that contained clues that could be retrieved via mobile augmented reality technologies, as well as many other events. The fictional elements, especially those about the evil corporation, were quite elaborate. There was a real-world charity in Africa that benefited from the activities as well.
  • 42.
    2010: HEAD TRAUMA/Hopeis Missing Lance Weiler/ Seize the Media This is just one of the properties created by Lance Weiler, whose breakthrough film THE BIG BROADCAST was itself a precursor to more complex storytelling components being added beyond the film “platform.”
  • 43.
    2010: COLLAPSUS. FromSubmarine & VPRO COLLAPSUS was a documentary film on Dutch television that was expanded into a broader transmedia experience that integrated game-play, global mapping, animation and other elements. Directed by Tommy Palotta, who produced Waking Life and A Scanner Darkly. Won the best interactive film award at the SXSW festival in 2011.
  • 44.
    UNSPEAK (2011) FromTommy Pallotta Unspeak extends this idea even more by making short films that are outward manifestations of the world wide web. We are a web browser with 20 tabs open at once all playing video and hyperlinking the universe. The effect is hypnotic, we don't know what will happen next, we don't know why the images are related to the words and our brains search to make the connections. This is powerful propaganda. Think of it as propaganda about propaganda. We are now planning to make the clips available and a simple drag and drop editor. People may also upload their own videos and are encouraged to make their own unspeak transmissions. All of this is nice and egalitarian, but it doesn't really matter if we don't activate and empower the viewers. Our aim is to turn consumers into activists. To get people creatively invested is to truly interact. If they are spending the time creating, we know they are invested and spread the idea of Unspeak like a media virus. We give them the tools, inspiration, and encouragement.
  • 45.
    MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOSTPROTOCOL Tommy Pallotta and other collaborators created a game to support the release of the fifth Mission Impossible Movie called Cobalt, requiring a Facebook Connect log-on. http://cobalt.missionimpossible.com/
  • 46.
    FACEBOOK CONNECT INTEGRATION Thisis the image generated at the end of the Cobalt game, which is then sharable on Facebook.
  • 47.
    TAKE THIS LOLLIPOP “Interactive Live Facebook Connect Experience” Take This Lollipop is a cinematic website created in HTML 5 that requires users to launch Facebook Connect and authorize the use of content in the account, which is integrated into a creepy, serial killer type short film. http:// www.takethislollipop.com/
  • 51.
  • 52.
    ARCADE FIRE LEVERAGES HTML 5 VIDEO The Wilderness Downtown. http://thewildernessdowntown.com/ : Indie Rock Band Arcade Fire, working with filmmaker Chris Milk, released a song “We Used to Wait” produced with HTML5. Users enter the zip code of the place they lived as a kid, and the video incorporates street scenes grabbed via Google Map Street View feature. Milk has a slew of experimental video/web projects on his site, including the 2012 FWA Best website (voted by fans), another collaboration with a band, this time Danger Mouse. http://portfolio.chrismilk.com/
  • 53.
    LEVERAGES HTML 5VIDEO AIM HIGH is a web series about a teenaged spy. http://www.imdb.com/title/ tt1730374/ “Viewers log on via Facebook” and by giving permission, become part of the story. https://www.facebook.com/AimHighSeries.
  • 54.
    LONELY GIRL 15 LonelyGirl 15 was a very influential early use of YouTube in which actors portrayed young people’s lives as if they were really opening up to the world via video. Most people thought these were real people, and responded in kind with video uploads of their own, creating a tapestry of video storytelling that was quite unique. What has become a standard feature of YouTube was pioneered by Lonely Girl, and the lessons are being applied by the firm founded by its producers: EQAL. http://www.eqal.com/
  • 55.
    THEATRICS Beckinfield (2011) – User submitted videos tell the story of a town Beckinfield is a new site that creates a story world, e.g., a mythical California town, and a storyline that comes from the site, but the unfolding of the story is created by users who upload videos to the site that they have made in characters. The originator is an actor who had been helping fellow actors upload “audition” type videos to YouTube, and yearned for a way to let actors use their improv skills to further their careers. The site’s platform company, Theatrix, hopes to license the software to other content companies who want to leverage their experience. http://www.beckinfield.com/
  • 56.
    Registered users geta weekly newsletter that provides a framework for “events” in the mythical town against which users can create their characters’ performances in video, and then upload them. There are also auditions and contests conveyed thru the newsletter.
  • 57.
    L.A. NOIRE 2011: Rockstar Games Immersive décor, real photos, ebook A slightly different type of platform game from Rockstar Games, creator of the ultraviolent GRAND THEFT AUTO series. The creators used extensive historical research and photo and film collections to create 1940s Los Angeles. Like a great film, the game creates a story-world. Technologies allow a much richer experience than games and CD-ROMs from 15 years before. Plus, they commissioned short stories, available as an e-book, from writers, including Joyce Carol Oates and Andrew Vachss.
  • 58.
    NEXUS HUMANUS 2011: Nexus Humanus from Michael Grant Nexus Humanus is a new project, just launched, from Michael Grant, a best- selling children’s book author, and a transmedia team which has created a web-based story world for his next story, which is focused on a mind-control organization. http://nexushumanus.com/
  • 59.
    HOLLYWOOD Fourth Wall Studios - first-look deal with Imagine Entertainment Fourth Wall Studios has a first-look deal with Ron Howard’s and Brian Glazer’s Imagine Entertainment, which got a lot of attention in Hollywood. We should be looking for original work coming from these guys. http:// www.fourthwallstudios.com/
  • 60.
    HOLLYWOOD RIDES and ELSEWARE: proprietary platforms They raised $15m from LA’s richest man, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, with access to up to $200m for individual properties. They spent more than 3 years developing their platform and toolset.
  • 61.
    RIDES and ELSEWARE:proprietary platforms A GHOST STORY is the proof of concept for RIDES. Other announced projects include DIRTY WORK, a comedy, ZOMBIES!, a horror-musical, GANGSTER GEEKS, post-apocalyptic story FLARE, and a kinetic action serial called CASCADE. Their content is “delivered via Internet browsers, smartphones, game consoles, TVs, movie screens and in the physical world.”
  • 62.
    HOLLYWOOD New transmedia studio from Guillermo del Toro Another of the many recent developments on the Hollywood transmedia storytelling front is Mirada, from fantastical filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, HellBoy, etc.) As a recent New Yorker profile details, Del Toro has a fantastical vision of the world, perfect for storytelling without limits. http://www.deadline.com/2010/12/guillermo-del-toro-in-mirada-studio- launch/
  • 63.
    TEST SUBJECTS NEEDED 42 ENTERTAINMENT has created HUMAN PRESERVATION PROJECT, an ARG backed by Wrigley Gum HUMAN PRESERVATION PROJECT http://survivalcode.com/ Test subjects needed Project ICEFLY
  • 64.
    COMPLEX & IMMERSIVE Online rumors > Live events > Phone Calls > YouTube videos > Website A > Backstory/Themes Revealed > Register > Objects with QR code mailed > Website B > Back Story > Videos > Gameplay & Levels > Codes from Gum > Facebook > Secrets… > ??? HUMAN PRESERVATION PROJECT http://survivalcode.com/ Test subjects needed Project ICEFLY
  • 65.
  • 66.
  • 67.
  • 68.
  • 69.
  • 70.
    FACEBOOK SITE HUMAN PRESERVATIONPROJECT http://survivalcode.com/ Test subjects needed Project ICEFLY
  • 71.
    INDIE MODELS • No-budget aesthetic • Grass-roots / DIY / “some budget” • R&D • Fan Incubation • Fan Funded (think pre-sale) • Arbitrage plays • Audience Product • Infrastructure Play A review of the Brian Clark talk at Henry Jenkin’s transmedia class can be found at http://metascott.com/2011/09/21/brian-clarks-the-business-of- transmedia/
  • 72.
    REMEMBERING 9/11 Clark’s GMDStudios created an interactive experience with the Smithsonian to remember 9/11. Simple, text and image-based. http://conversations.si.edu/
  • 73.
    REMEMBERING 9/11 Clark’s GMDStudios created an interactive experience with the Smithsonian to remember 9/11. Simple, text and image-based. http://conversations.si.edu/
  • 74.
    ROBOT HEART Lance Weilercreated an educational transmedia experience for kids in two schools, one in Montreal and one in Los Angeles, who manipulated a robot across the U.S. He calls this storytelling R&D. http://robotheartstories.com/ about He used IndieGoGo to raise funds to support the rollout of the project: http:// www.indiegogo.com/Robot-Heart-Stories
  • 75.
    CHRISTY DENA Australian ChristyDena offers “pre-orders” for her new transmedia experience, which involves audio overlays of the story elements. http:// www.authenticinallcaps.com/
  • 76.
    SNOW TOWN Jan Libbyhas turned to Kickstarter to raise development funds for her interactive app platform within which she hopes to create a more fully realized version of her story SNOWTOWN. http://www.snowtown.me/
  • 77.
    KICKSTARTER A search onKickstarter shows 14 “transmedia” projects, and quite a few were funded.
  • 78.
    BOOKS The best singlebook on “immersive media” is The Art of Immersion by Frank Rose. http://www.frankrose.com/index.htm. He also posts on his blog which he calls “Deep Media,” another term that describes the transmedia universe well. http:// www.deepmediaonline.com/ Henry Jenkins’ CONVERGENCE CULTURE is a seminal work. http:// www.amazon.com/Convergence-Culture-Where-Media-Collide/dp/ 0814742815
  • 79.
    E - BOOK http://cl.ly/Cxb3 Simon Staffens ebook, “One Year in Transmedia” http://cl.ly/Cxb3
  • 80.
    WEBSITES There are alarge number of blogs and other sources about transmedia and related topics: ARGN.com unfiction.com/ movieviral.com/ jawbone.tv powertothepixel.com workbookproject.com yousuckattransmedia.com
  • 81.
    WEBSITES There are alarge number of blogs and other sources about transmedia and related topics: ARGN.com unfiction.com/ movieviral.com/ jawbone.tv powertothepixel.com workbookproject.com yousuckattransmedia.com
  • 82.
    WEBSITES There are alarge number of blogs and other sources about transmedia and related topics: ARGN.com unfiction.com/ movieviral.com/ jawbone.tv powertothepixel.com workbookproject.com yousuckattransmedia.com
  • 83.
    WEBSITES There are alarge number of blogs and other sources about transmedia and related topics: ARGN.com unfiction.com/ movieviral.com/ jawbone.tv powertothepixel.com workbookproject.com yousuckattransmedia.com
  • 84.
    WEBSITES There are alarge number of blogs and other sources about transmedia and related topics: ARGN.com unfiction.com/ movieviral.com/ jawbone.tv powertothepixel.com workbookproject.com yousuckattransmedia.com
  • 85.
    WEBSITES There are alarge number of blogs and other sources about transmedia and related topics: ARGN.com unfiction.com/ movieviral.com/ jawbone.tv powertothepixel.com workbookproject.com yousuckattransmedia.com
  • 86.
    WEBSITES There are alarge number of blogs and other sources about transmedia and related topics: ARGN.com unfiction.com/ movieviral.com/ jawbone.tv powertothepixel.com workbookproject.com yousuckattransmedia.com
  • 87.
    EVENTS Story World DIY Days Futures of Entertainment Transmedia Hollywood Upcoming conferences in transmedia-related fields include: http://www.storyworldconference.com/ehome/index.php? eventid=20801&tabid=29548& http://diydays.com/ http://www.convergenceculture.org/ http://legacy.tft.ucla.edu/transmedia/
  • 88.
    MEET UPS The LosAngeles Meet-up has a website, in addition to its Meetup board: http:// transmediala.net/. Also, check out the new wiki, which has a lot of interesting content: http://transmediala.pbworks.com/w/page/48427037/FrontPage
  • 89.
    MEET UPS The NewYork Transmedia Meetup has just transformed itself into a non-profit called StoryCode.org. The website is not yet launched but to contact, write: Info@storycode.org
  • 90.
    Thank you foryour attention. Let me know how I can help. Nick DeMartino Consulting provides strategic services to companies in the digital media and content markets, including marketing initiatives, strategic alliance and partnerships, business development and more. Details available at http://www.nickdemartino.net
  • 91.
    NICK DEMARTINO • TWITTER: • WEBSITE: @nickdemartino www.nickdemartino.net • SLIDESHARE: • BLOG (and newsletter): www.slideshare.net/ www.nickdemartino.net/ nickdemartino blog • EMAIL: • DELICIOUS: nrdemartino@gmail.com www.delicious.com/ afinickd/transmedia Please feel free to contact me with questions. I will be posting this presentation on SlideShare. If you give me your card after the talk, I’ll send it to you, as well. Please check out my website, and if you like my blog posts, sign up for my newsletter. Much of the research for this talk can be found on my Delicious site, under either transmedia tag.