Nice Post from John Bennett on Power to the Pixel Transmedia: A Naive But Omnivorous Form - JawboneTV

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Excerpt:

In one of the early talks at Tuesday’s Power to the Pixel Conference, Maureen McHugh, a writer who’s worked on high-profile transmedia campaigns including Halo’s I Love Bees, declared that, “transmedia is a naïve but omnivorous form.”

Before I look at Maureen’s statement in more detail, it’s probably worth taking a little time to try to define what exactly transmedia is.

Actually, there is no clear agreement on what defines a transmedia project, though Henry Jenkins, MIT Professor and author of the canonical Convergence Culture, has defined 7 core principles of transmedia narrative.

More generally I’d argue that all transmedia properties exhibit the following four properties:

1. all platforms are considered from the inception of the project as valid vehicles to support narrative;
2. different platforms are used to tell different aspects of a story;
3. participation and sharing is encouraged (but not necessary);
4. while users are encouraged to draw connections between platforms, stories can exist separately from one another in the fictive universe.

Read full article on jawbone.tv

Dem's Big Numbers: 10,000 Websites Integrate with Facebook Every Day

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From Mashable:

"Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg made a “surprise” appearance on the stage of PayPal’s Innovate Developer Conference today to announce its new integration with PayPal. During her short speech, she dropped a few interesting tidbits of information related to Facebook’s growth.

The first interesting stat surrounded social games. According to Sandberg, more people play games on Facebook than on the top three gaming consoles combined. In other words, there are more FarmVille addicts than Xbox, Wii and PS3 fanatics. Combine that with the news that Zynga is now more valuable than Electronic Arts and it’s clear that social gaming has grown to monstrous proportions.

The other stat Sandberg revealed on stage was that 10,000 websites integrate with Facebook every day. That’s 3.65 million new websites per year, and you can’t forget that tens of millions of websites are already utilizing Facebook Connect or the Facebook Open Graph."

Useful Tool for Your Back Pocket: SCVNGR: Now Playing, Somewhere Near You! | ARGNet

SCVNGR: Now Playing, Somewhere Near You!

August 17, 2010 · By Jane Doh in Info, Reviews 

A relative newcomer to smartphone location-based gaming, SCVNGR is taking the United States by storm and threatens to shake up the geo-location game market. Similar to games like Gowalla or Foursquare, players use their smartphones to check in at locations. Unlike anything else on the market, however, SCVNGR players are presented with location-specific “challenges” that they can complete to earn points.

SCVNGR tasks might be a riddle, a dare, a question, or more, and they are customized precisely for the location. For example, I checked in to my nearby police precinct (No, I was not in handcuffs), and, in addition to the usual “Say something here” functionality common to the other geo-location smartphone games, SCVNGR offered me a few tasks related to law enforcement. It asked me what my favorite constitutional amendment was (Duh, the Fifth!), and in “The Swords & Scales” challenge I was asked to pose as Lady Justice and upload the picture. (Hm, yes well, the zip ties were a problem.)

Originally SCVNGR focused on larger institutions, launching with games created by the US Army and Princeton University. Now, a year after launching, SCVNGR boasts an impressive partner list of over 600 institutions, including universities, museums, and retail stores. SCVNGR is not just a forward-facing game, it is also a development platform, allowing institutions to purchase a number of challenges to customize and then providing them with a web-based application to create challenges. This means that third-party adventure creators and team-building event consultants, like Scaventures, can also tie themselves into the incredibly accessible platform.

Here is a sampling of recent SCVNGR events:

  • Help Vince: a game for the New England Patriots where players complete SCVNGR challenges in the Boston area to unlock a riddle and help Vince Wilfork recover his stolen Super Bowl ring.
  • Dexter Game On at Comic-Con: Completing Dexter-themed challenges, recorded as “kills,” players could cash points in for Dexter swag.
  • The goSmithsonian Trek: Played out in July, participants visited nine Smithsonian museums and competed for an Apple iPad.
  • Inception: A series of challenges for the film involved unique tasks at the tallest buildings in the 100 largest cities in the United States and at movie theaters.

These are just a few of the time-sensitive SCVNGR-based campaigns that have played in the last month. In addition, there are the pervasive, always available challenges, like those in my city, with challenges created by major municipal tourist organizations and that ubiquitous Philadelphia institution, Wawa. SCVNGR has also added a rewards program for retail locations. Doing a challenge at a Journeys shoe store, for example, a player can rack up points and then cash them in for discounts.

SCVNGR is available for the iPhone and the Android, but for now, only US locations are available. There are two Twitter streams for the latest news: @SCVNGR_Events for events, and @SCVNGR for general game information.

Click here to read about SCVNGR at the New York Times.
Click here to read about SCVNGR at TechCrunch.
Click here to read about SCVNGR at VentureBeat.
Click here to read about SCVNGR at GigaOM.

Most excellent resource!: YouTube Blog: A digital filmmaker’s map to the web

Heather Menicucci, Director, Howcast Filmmakers Program, is writing weekly guest posts for the YouTube blog on filmmaking in the digital age. This is her third post.

Every time I talk to a filmmaker, I learn about a new (often, just new-to-me) website for filmmakers I should check out. I email and text myself the links. Intent on eventually spending some time on the sites, I keep multiple tabs open on my browser. Needless to say, it’s hard to keep track of them all. I thought consolidating a list of the sites I’ve come across through recommendations, articles, and conferences would be helpful to me, and hopefully you, too. So, here I go, with one disclaimer: this list is not exhaustive. I tried to stick to key categories but if I wanted to cover everything cool going on on the web for filmmakers, I’d have to quit my day job. Got another recommendation? Share it in the comments below!

Sites to help you....be in the know

  • Filmmaker magazine Simply put, if you’re an independent film and video creator, and you’re not reading Filmmaker Magazine, or, dare I say a member of the Independent Feature Project, you are seriously missing out. Period.
  • IndieWire IndieWire is all the indie industry news -- big to small. Want to get some costume ideas based on movies of the year? Interested in the hoopla over NC-17 ratings and when they began? They’ve got a network of bloggers and you’ll soon find your favorites.
  • WorkBook Project Founded by Lance Weiler, WorkBook Project is not just articles and blog posts. It’s an open collaborative network that covers the most exciting creative work happening on the web. You can explore case studies, hear thought-provoking interviews, attend workshops, and pick up the tools you need to launch your own web or multi-platform project.
  • Cinematech Of all the things you can read of Scott Kirsner’s, I actually suggest his books, which you can download off his blog, linked here. Scott is out there talking with filmmakers about new technology and sharing all his knowledge along the way at festivals (I heard him at SXSW), conferences (he started The Conversation), and in his books, of which my favorite is Fans, Friends And Followers: Building An Audience And A Creative Career In The Digital Age.
....distribute
  • YouTube Rentals Obviously, you know about YouTube or you wouldn’t be here. But, are you familiar with YouTube rentals? I got to sit in on a talk about the feature at SXSW this year and I think it’s a really intriguing option for filmmakers looking to share short films and longer work and make some money on screening. It’s one way the web is putting distribution and monetization in the hands of creators by letting them control who watches and set the prices for their work.
  • Snagfilms Snagfilms distributes documentaries from longtime masters as well as emerging filmmakers. Viewers can watch free, and documentarians, who have historically had a difficult time getting wide distribution, can tap into a growing viewer network.
  • OpenIndie Started by Arin Crumley, OpenIndie, which is still in beta, aims to be a way for filmmakers to coordinate and launch their own theatrical screenings by connecting them with audiences and exhibitors directly. The exciting idea is based on the Crumley’s own distribution model for Four Eyed Monsters, which he co-directed.
...connect
  • ShootingPeople Want to know what projects others filmmakers are up to? Take a workshop? Find someone to animate your open sequence? Get a new gig? ShootingPeople is the place to network with other filmmakers online (and in person -- lots of cities host nights out for “shooters”).
  • Ning Hopefully you use Facebook and Twitter for things other than planning poker night. Both are excellent platforms for connecting with audiences and potential collaborators. You may not know about Ning though. With Ning you can create your own social network around your film, the topic of your film, or filmmaking in general. It’s a very turnkey solution for engaging with an audience and I think it offers a more dynamic experience for your fans and audiences than a blog alone.
....learn new tricks
  • CreativeCow When a filmmaker writes in with an editing question our Post team can’t solve we head to the CreativeCow forums. There is an unbelievable amount of expertise you can easily tap into.
  • Videomaker When a filmmaker writes in with a question about a camera or software, we head to Videomaker. They’ve also got a really nice stable of nuts and bolts tutorials on things like lighting and green screen.
  • NYVS I just learned about New York Video School and I think it’s going to be a really easy way to pick up new or polish up old skills. They’re building a comprehensive suite of “courses” that include videos on things like choosing a hard drive and uploading to YouTube.
...make some money
  • Kickstarter If you haven’t heard about Kickstarter yet, you may be spending too much time in the edit room. It seems like every week I see a new project being funded on Kickstarter in my Facebook feed...and I contribute. Kickstarter makes fundraising painless (compared to calling Mom and Dad or going to door-to-door) for the filmmaker and fun for the fans to take part in a project.
  • IndieGoGo IndieGoGo offers filmmakers another digital fundraising option and, now, through, access to some distribution platforms like iTunes and Netflex.
  • Howcast Emerging Filmmakers Program Hey, if I didn’t think we offer filmmakers an excellent way to get experience and pick up some extra cash, I wouldn’t be here. Many of our filmmakers call Howcast videos their “fun work.” If you’re familiar with our videos, you know we give filmmakers a ton of creative freedom -- it’s great for their reels and their pocketbooks. Also worth checking out:, TurnHere, Demand, and StudioNow who offer programs for freelancers with different projects, requirements, and rates.
....compete
  • OnlineVideoContests Though I’ve entered plenty and never won, I’ve always been a sucker for video contests. OVC is the place to find out who’s giving away $500 for a :30-spot and who’s doling out $10,000 for a 3-minute music video.
  • Withoutabox Long gone are the days of mailing VHS tapes in manila envelopes. Withoutabox has brought film festival application into the digital age. Apply, apply, apply way!
  • Filmaka Filmaka hosts monthly competitions that boast jury members like Wim Wenders and Werner Herzog -- a pretty unique chance for exposure among industry leaders.
  • Poptent Poptent works with some major brands to bring commercial work to filmmakers all over the world. Download the requirements and upload your video. If your work is selected by that brand you could be looking at a new client and a paycheck.
Overwhelmed by all the new information? Subscribe to these sites’ newsletters and YouTube channels, follow them on Twitter, and become a fan on Facebook -- let their news comes to you.

Heather Menicucci, Director, Howcast Filmmakers Program, recently watched “Flower Warfare: Behind the Scenes." Come back next Friday for another session of our “Modern 101 for Emerging Digital Filmmakers."

Must read: Mapping demand to get straight to the story « The Pixel Report

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Iron Sky's mapping of audience demand for their still-in-production film impressed me as a simple, effective strategy that promotes and locates an audience. And similar strategies have clearly been effective elsewhere - Paranormal Activity in particular.

Crowd Controls is the tool behind 'They Demand Iron Sky!'

Ted Hope on: What are the biggest 3 problems in the indie film community today? | Truly Free Film

I recognize I being very broad.  To simplify what I’ve already said so far, among the biggest problems in indie film are: 1) The creators’ mindsets; and 2) the overall infrastructure from top to bottom of the industry; so what would be the third?  Why, of course, the very stuff we make.

Key insight?

"I think the biggest problem for indie filmmakers is primarily a marketing problem; filmmakers must move from creating a series of “one offs” where they reinvent the wheel each time, sourcing an audience from scratch on every new project, and instead move to maintaining an ongoing conversation with their communities. I say this is marketing, because it demands a change it what we are offering from a series of single projects, to a deeper and ongoing relationship. It requires a change of approach for all artists. We need a shift of focus and appreciation from product to process. This the problem as it is experienced on an individual basis for the creators."

Homefront transmedia plan includes prequel novel & show on SyFy: Analysis: Does Going 'Transmedia' Help Game Properties?

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Excerpt from Gamasutra editor Chris Morris' article:

[Gamasutra editor-at-large Chris Morris looks at how initial releases in game franchises are extending across film, books, action figures and beyond, talking to THQ's Danny Bilson about the just-announced Homefront prequel novel and why the "fiercely competitive" market demands that extra transmedia step.]

The video game industry, if you haven’t noticed, isn’t just about games any more.

Sure they’re important, but for many publishers, they’re the hub of a broader entertainment property.

In the end, that property could be one that’s more inviting to a larger audience and one that can prove to be a lot more lucrative than a standalone franchise (even an enormous one) could ever be.

THQ is certainly taking note. The company on Monday announced it had partnered with Random House’s Del Ray label to publish a novel set in the Homefront universe early next year – a short while before the game ships to stores.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg for the company, however. Already in the works is a pilot episode for a show based in the Red Faction universe for the SyFy Channel, which will bow right as the next installment of the game hits stores.

Think Holistically! Generation D(isruption) is coming!: There is No New Media: It’s All New Consumption: Tech News «

So, now television broadcasters are blocking Google TV from getting access to the content they’re putting online. They want to make sure they don’t lose their advertising dollars. News flash: The cat is out of the bag. All information (including your precious television shows) are nothing more than bits on one network to rule them all — the Internet.

The knee-jerk response from the television industry and media to services like Google, Apple, Amazon and Netflix is a typical reaction from institutions of the past century, and a result of limited and short-term thinking. Unfortunately, the broadcast industry aren’t the only ones.

Every so often, you hear executives bemoaning the demise of the newspaper business, the declining fortunes of radio networks and the crumbling of the television industry. There’s talk of the music industry being at the point of no return, and one could probably add Madison Avenue to this gloomy outlook.

When I look at these industries and the failure — or impending failure — of these institutions, I see a fundamental mistake on their part to understand their own core businesses. They fail to see the world in a larger context, and instead, choose to focus on maintaining the status quo. If they took their cue from Apple (everywhere computing) or Amazon (any content anywhere), they could have found answers to their problems.

Read Om Malik's full article:

http://gigaom.com/2010/10/22/there-is-no-new-media-its-all-new-consumption/#

FB World Domination Underway: The Business Guide to Facebook Part 1: Your Brand Page for the Social Web | Fast Company

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Excerpt:

BY FC EXPERT BLOGGER BRIAN SOLIS, Mon Oct 25, 2010

"Facebook is, at the moment, the most important social network in the world. Over 500 million people connect to one another in the "Social Network." And, with the introduction of the Open Graph, we are interacting with our Facebook connections on our favorite websites where our social graph and the corresponding activity of Likes, interaction, and commentary become the centerpiece for social curation and more importantly, our focused attention. We are putting our social network to work and we are learning how to share, discover, and collaborate in public.

Brands, regardless of size and focus, are converging on Facebook where the idea of connecting with customers and prospects represents a potential boon for both earning relevance in a new domain as well as expanding overall reach. Facebook is a sparkplug for word of mouth and when engaged, contributes to the end of business as usual and the beginning of social commerce. If fact, the top 10 brands on Facebook today host over 100 million "Likes" on Facebook."

Points covered:

The Top 10 Brands by Population (Rounded Out)

By This Time Next Year

"By this time next year, you as a brand or as a brand representative, will spend more time and resources on Facebook than you will on Twitter..."

The State of The Facebook

"With over 500 million active users, Facebook is by far one of the most important networks in the world. 5o% of those active users log on to Facebook in any given day. And in total, people spend over 700 billion minutes per month posting, sharing, Liking, commenting, poking, playing games, and interacting with one another as well as the content and applications that define the pervasive social ecosystem..."

May I Have Your Intention Please?

"Many brands underestimate Facebook and what's truly required to attract and captivate the social consumer. In my research, I find that a significant number of brands focus their efforts primarily on Twitter, treating Facebook as an afterthought. Rather than engage in each community with purpose and dedication, examples are abundant where companies are simply syndicating tweets to Facebook rather than updating each network individually..."

"Likes become a form of social currency and contribute to the overall social capital earned by a brand within Facebook."

Read the full article:

http://www.fastcompany.com/1697731/the-business-guide-to-facebook-part-1-your...