Transmedia storytelling is the way in which a story is told through multiple media platforms (video games, websites, books, etc.), and each element contributes to a fan’s immersion into the story. Transmedia storytelling can also be viewed as “New Hollywood’s” active marketing technique that has created media franchises.
Convergence Culture uses The Blair Witch Project as the paradigm for transmedia storytelling that began in 1999. Dan Myrick—the producer and director—explained, “To think of The Blair Witch Project as a film was to miss the bigger picture” (103). The book further explained this idea of transmedia storytelling through T.B.W.P as an occurrence in media platforms both before and after the film hit the theatres.
Before T.B.W.P was screened in theatres, it hit several media platforms such as the web and the Sci Fi Channel. These two platforms set the preliminary information needed to understand the concept of the “Witch.” For instance, the website—created a year before the film—explained the Burkittsville witch and the disappearance of the movie crew. Dan Myrick also stated, “The site provided documentation of numerous witch sightings over the past centuries…[which] forms the backdrop for its action” (104). The Sci Fi Channel also set the backdrop of T.B.W.P by investigating the witch in the movie. Ultimately, these two media platforms served as “the part for whole” of the transmedia story as they lured the audience into T.B.W.P before it even hit theatres.
After T.B.W.P hit theatres, the witch phenomenon continued to grow through other media platforms such as a comic book, soundtrack, and another website. For instance, Ed Sanchez—a crew member of T.B.W.P—wanted to continue with the Blair Witch phenomenon by creating a website that was framed in such a way to make it seem as though people were investigating the witch as though the witch really existed. Ed Sanchez stated, “We started fabricating artifacts, paintings, carvings, old books, and I would scan them in…What we learned from Blair Witch is that if you give people enough stuff to explore, they will explore” (105). Thus, T.B.W.P is not only a movie, but a transmedia story that unfolded through several layers of different media outlets.
As transmedia storytelling is implemented as a marketing strategy, I see a clash between old Hollywood and new Hollywood. Jenkins explained, “The old Hollywood depended on redundancy to ensure that viewers could follow the plot at all times…The new Hollywood demands that we keep our eyes on the road at all times, and that we do research before we arrive at the theater.” Although the new Hollywood has turned us onto transmedia stories where we become active audience members who “do research before we arrive at the theatre,” I still miss old Hollywood. Yes, the futuristic and thought provoking films like The Matrix are fascinating, but I miss the “redundancy” used in old Hollywood films like Gone With the Wind and Casablanca.
Now the question is, what will define a movie as a “classic” according to new Hollywood? Will a “classic” be the movie that engaged the audience the most through different media platforms?
Is the redundancy of old Hollywood so bad?
Another question that comes to mind is how can transmedia storytelling be used to be a money making tool? I can think of one example of the top of my head—Entourage. HBO could have made more money off of Entourage by using transmedia storytelling. For example, HBO could have made “Aqua Man” into an actual movie played by Vince, or Median could have been based on a novel. Just think of all the possibilities! What other shows or movies would work with transmedia storytelling?
I think transmedia storytelling might actually win out over "old Hollywood." Even Youtube series have joined the trend. One of my favorite series called "The Guild" has gotten popular over the years and now has a comic book that explores only one aspect that the series covered. The series also has guest stars from other popular media that only, if known, adds more to the viewing experience. I read a paper last semester about how complex television has become over the years. For example, Lost and The sopranos have challenged the minds of viewers in recent years and people liked the shows because it kept them entertained. With transmedia storytelling, it seems like it's the only way that audiences will stay entertained for years to come.
ReplyDeleteAs for your first question, I don't think the redundancy of Old Hollywood is bad per se, it's just old. People don't enjoy films that way they used to be enjoyed, partially because filmgoer expectations have changed. There are way more movies that lend themselves towards creating transmedia experiences than there were in the past. However, I don't expect every film to do so, nor do I think an attempt to expand transmedia to every new film would be good.
ReplyDeleteAs for your second question, I think Lost was a good candidate for transmedia storytelling. I know that there was a small attempt at creating content outside the show - there was a video game, although I heard it wasn't any good - though it seems that the show could lend itself very well to transmedia storytelling. If we look at current shows, I think Fox's Fringe is also a potential candidate. There's already an official Fox website devoted to creating lesson plans that explain the science used in the show, and the show contains many interesting characters and plot events that can be explored outside the official universe.
Transmedia storytelling is a lot like manipulative romantic relationships. You always desire the person more, when there is still a mystery to them. You spend your interactions with them trying to figure out what they're all about. Less is more, and in transmedia storytelling, less information given to audiences results in more hype around a story, which then leads to more money in the bank. Producers are starting to purposely create addictions in order to make money off of our curiosity. I'm not saying that it's bad, I'm just saying what it is in all honesty. Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back, after all. Through transmedia storytelling, perhaps we will find that plots are more complex and original. Or perhaps we'll also find out that transmedia storytelling is just really long storytelling that creates more products that consumers must consume in order to try to fill the void left behind by movies like "The Matrix."
ReplyDeleteI think your question about whether transmedia storytelling can be used as a money making tool is a really interesting one. I do believe that it can be used to make money, and that is why they try to push the idea on the consumers so hard. There are endless opportunities for commercialization in transmedia stories in addition to the base amount of money a consumer must pay in order to simply "get" the whole story. Some of the parts of the story might be offered for free, but you can bet the major parts of it all cost money. I feel like crime shows could really benefit from a transmedia angle. I know some of them have online components, such as character bios or games, but the story could be extended so much farther if other avenues like comic books or web shorts based on the show were added into the mix.
ReplyDelete