Storytelling Via the Transmedia Lens

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Excerpt:

"...Super Session "Transmedia: Telling the Story Through Narrative Content, Games and Real-World Adventures."

"TV is no longer the only canvas," said Jeff Gomez, president and CEO of Starlight Runner Entertainment. "You can now dovetail and provide access across new media channels."

For example, producers of the program "Ghost Whisperer," which aired on CBS, use a transmedia model to drive eyeballs from one medium to another, said Kim Moses, executive producer of Sander/Moses Productions. "Ghost Whisperer" leverages different platforms — mobile phones, the Internet and social outreach — to keep viewers engaged.

"I'm always asking myself, 'What would a fan want?'" said Danny Bilson, executive vice president of Core Games. Fans of the video game "Homefront" are able to experience the game in widely varying ways: through a recently published novel written from the perspective of a journalist, YouTube video clips that advance the game's plot and an interactive online map with video clips shot by a reporter on the run.

It's that fan base that transmedia experts say is the most important element to consider when attempting to branch out into different media.

For hard-core fans of the comic "The Walking Dead," for example, it was imperative to consider the attachment and knowledge the fan base had with the original comic when attempting to re-create it on the small screen.

"These fans have an enormous connection to the material and they're terrified [the new program] will no longer be true to the underlying material," said Gale Anne Hurd, executive producer of the show, which airs on AMC.

In response, the producers worked closely with the comic's creator, put up a website to show the evolution of the television program and made adaptations to the program after seeing viewers' responses, both positive and negative...."

'Chopper' Goes From Comic-Con Indie to Sponsored Transmedia Web Series

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By Barc Hustvedt:

"There are, as it turns out, other reasons to make the annual geek pilgrimage to San Diego Comic-Con every summer besides convincing your friends to dress up with you in authentic Battlestar costumes. Producer J.C. Christofilis spent some time perusing the indie comics corner of the sprawling convention floor, finding comic artist Martin Shapiro and his graphic novel Chopper.

Months later, a teaser trailer for the upcoming Chopper web series is now out (below), and even a clothing line has come on as lead sponsor. To be sure, the actual series hasn’t been shot yet, but the recent addition of horror actor Tyler Mane (Michael Myers from Rob Zombie’s Halloween films) is helping with the early buzz. Mane stars as the titular ‘Chopper’ character, a headless horseman killer—who’s horse is a Harley—seeking vengeance on “mortal sinners.” This means killing and collecting his victims heads of course.

In getting this project off the ground, Christofilis pitched the concept to Southern Cal-based Sullen Clothing, an edgy action sports brand, in hopes of securing enough capital to shoot the first season. Sullen was looking to grow its presence amongst the horror-loving young male demo that Chopper is targeting. “We pride ourselves on being an innovative, art-driven company,” said Sullen co-founder Jeremy Hanna, “and J.C. laid out a clear vision of how Chopper’s creative execution will enable Sullen to authentically reinforce our edgy brand values with our existing fans, while driving awareness of our products with a new consumer base as well....”

Read the interview with J.C. Christofilis on tubefilter.tv:

http://news.tubefilter.tv/2011/02/18/chopper-goes-from-comic-con-indie-to-spo...

Very Handy: SCVNGR’s Secret Game Mechanics Playdeck

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Grazie to Erick Schonfeld for posting deets! read the full post on TechCrunch:

"Some companies keep a playbook of product tips, tricks and trade secrets. Zynga has an internal playbook, for instance, that is a collection of “concepts, techniques, know-how and best practices for developing successful and distinctive social games”. Zynga’s playbook has entered the realm of legend and was even the subject of a lawsuit.

SCVNGR, which makes a mobile game with real-world challenges, has a playdeck. It is a deck of cards listing nearly 50 different game mechanics that can be mixed and matched to create the foundation for different types of games. I’ve republished the accompanying document below, which should be interesting to anybody trying to inject a gaming dimension into their products...."

1. Achievement
2. Appointment Dynamic
3. Avoidance.....

http://techcrunch.com/2010/08/25/scvngr-game-mechanics/

Man With the Movie Camera - Participatory Video Project Remakes 1929 doc

Man With a Movie Camera: The Global Remake is a participatory video shot by people around the world who are invited to record images interpreting the original script of Vertov’s Man With A Movie Camera and upload them to this site. Software developed specifically for this project archives, sequences and streams the submissions as a film. Anyone can upload footage. When the work streams your contribution becomes part of a worldwide montage, in Vertov’s terms the “decoding of life as it is”.

WHERE YOU COME IN
This website contains every shot in Vertov’s 1929 film along with thumbnails representing the beginning middle and end of each shot.

You are invited to interpret Vertov and upload your footage to this site to become part of the database. You can contribute an entire scene or a shot or multiple shots from different scenes.

TO UPLOAD
Goto the scenes, select one, then choose the shot or shots you want to upload to. Or goto shots by tag to see shots broken down by theme or content.

Only upload video or images which you own or have the necessary licenses, rights, consents, and permissions to use.

THE MOVIE
Everyday a new version of the movie is built. On the left is Vertov’s original. On the right is a shot uploaded from a participant. The uploaded shots are rotated each day if there is more than one. So the built movie may never be quite the same. Black shots are still waiting for an upload; perhaps you can fill it in?

BACKGROUND
Vertov’s 1929 film Man With A Movie Camera records the progression of one full day synthesizing footage shot in Moscow, Riga, and Kiev. The film begins with titles that declare it “an experiment in the cinematic communication of visible events without the aid of intertitles, without the aid of a scenario, without the aid of theater.” It is often described as an urban documentary yet the subject of the film is also the film itself –from the role of the cameraman to that of the editor to its projection in a theatre and the response of the audience. It is a film within a film made with a range of inventive effects –dissolves, split screen, slow motion, freeze frame–all of which are now embedded in digital editing software.

TIMING
Vertov’s rhythmic patterning unifies the film. The shots are listed as seconds and as frames as a guide.

INTERPRETING VERTOV
Vertov’s footage was shot in the industrial landscape of the 20’s.What images translate the world today? e.g. instead of the mining scene if you’re living in Silicon Valley you might film inside Apple headquarters, etc.

YOUR NAME,YOUR WEBSITE WILL BE LINKED ON THIS SITE
All material on this site is public domain

CONTACT
Please email perrybard@gmail.com for questions about this project.

*we reserve the right to eliminate inappropriate material

Commissioned and produced by Cornerhouse, The Bigger Picture; ENTER_; Lumen; Site Gallery in association with the BBC.
Funded by the Arts Council of England.
Additional funding : Canada Arts Council, Experimental Television Center via the Electronic Media and Film Program at NYSCA

In progress so jump in!