Building connections across platforms was the unifying thread that weaved all of commentators’ ideas about transmedia, together. Of course there was plenty discussion on the different opinions about what the definition of transmedia is, debate if transmedia should even be called transmedia (crossmedia; multiplatform), the difference between Hollywood transmedia (for profit marketing) and community storytelling (social and/or political impact), and how a transmedia story will endure after the hand-0ff for longevity. I found myself chuckling when several panel members had their own definitions, or at the very least, their own word for it. And ‘it’ still being a little too vague and squiggly to be defined.
But I like Henry Jenkins succinct definition the best: It’s the relationship between different media platforms and practices. He goes on to say that in storytelling, transmedia represents a process where integral elements (characters within the story) get dispersed across several multimedia channels for the purpose of creating a cohesive experience for the end user. For me, this definition sets the landscape in my mind of how transmedia can evolve along with technology.
Lexicon
I loved how each panel member talked about their struggle with defining what transmedia is (crossmedia; multiplatform; the difference between Hollywood transmedia (for profit marketing) and community storytelling) and how one’s story becomes transmedia (I felt Ingrid Kopp’s frustration with having to define what transmedia is, and the skill set that it requires) and how no one wanted to contain the definition in fear of it quickly evaporating… I mean, evolving, into the next thing. Not to jump puddles, but this sentiment was lightly referred to in the New Yorker article, Burying the Hatchet, in how technology is playing a bigger and bigger role in the way we write and disseminate stories.
Several different platforms were mentioned, such as internet, print, film, radio, video series, etc. Jo Ellen Green Kaiser nailed it when she said that “you have to go where the audience is, and that means you have to be on multiple platforms.” What I thought about was how newer story channels, such as Facebook and YouTube, will play a role in disseminating stories, and how KickStarter has the potential to open the doors to new storytellers that may never had the opportunity to fund a project before. This isn’t a new, radical thought, but it will open the door to all the possibilities that storytellers can fly towards.
You built it, and they saw it. Now what?
I am so glad that they were willing to discuss one of transmedia’s challenges: a story’s shelf-life across the transmedia spectrum. How does a storyteller plan for hand-off, and who will become its curator/archivist? I shudder to think how many powerful stories have shriveled on the vine because of the lack of a sustainable way to keep it alive. Mark Smolowitz was correct when he said that ‘ the key to a story’s longevity is first creating the infrastructure.’
All in all, I really enjoyed this panel discussion. It reminded me of how I want to connect with my audience. And in the end, that’s what we all want, isn’t it?
Week 1: Responding to Transmedia – Jamie Schaub
Building connections across platforms was the unifying thread that weaved all of commentators’ ideas about transmedia, together. Of course there was plenty discussion on the different opinions about what the definition of transmedia is, debate if transmedia should even be called transmedia (crossmedia; multiplatform), the difference between Hollywood transmedia (for profit marketing) and community storytelling (social and/or political impact), and how a transmedia story will endure after the hand-0ff for longevity. I found myself chuckling when several panel members had their own definitions, or at the very least, their own word for it. And ‘it’ still being a little too vague and squiggly to be defined.
But I like Henry Jenkins succinct definition the best: It’s the relationship between different media platforms and practices. He goes on to say that in storytelling, transmedia represents a process where integral elements (characters within the story) get dispersed across several multimedia channels for the purpose of creating a cohesive experience for the end user. For me, this definition sets the landscape in my mind of how transmedia can evolve along with technology.
Lexicon
I loved how each panel member talked about their struggle with defining what transmedia is (crossmedia; multiplatform; the difference between Hollywood transmedia (for profit marketing) and community storytelling) and how one’s story becomes transmedia (I felt Ingrid Kopp’s frustration with having to define what transmedia is, and the skill set that it requires) and how no one wanted to contain the definition in fear of it quickly evaporating… I mean, evolving, into the next thing. Not to jump puddles, but this sentiment was lightly referred to in the New Yorker article, Burying the Hatchet, in how technology is playing a bigger and bigger role in the way we write and disseminate stories.
Several different platforms were mentioned, such as internet, print, film, radio, video series, etc. Jo Ellen Green Kaiser nailed it when she said that “you have to go where the audience is, and that means you have to be on multiple platforms.” What I thought about was how newer story channels, such as Facebook and YouTube, will play a role in disseminating stories, and how KickStarter has the potential to open the doors to new storytellers that may never had the opportunity to fund a project before. This isn’t a new, radical thought, but it will open the door to all the possibilities that storytellers can fly towards.
You built it, and they saw it. Now what?
I am so glad that they were willing to discuss one of transmedia’s challenges: a story’s shelf-life across the transmedia spectrum. How does a storyteller plan for hand-off, and who will become its curator/archivist? I shudder to think how many powerful stories have shriveled on the vine because of the lack of a sustainable way to keep it alive. Mark Smolowitz was correct when he said that ‘ the key to a story’s longevity is first creating the infrastructure.’
All in all, I really enjoyed this panel discussion. It reminded me of how I want to connect with my audience. And in the end, that’s what we all want, isn’t it?