Trans Media Storytelling

Transmedia storytelling is when, content becomes invasive and fully permeates the audience's lifestyle. A transmedia project develops storytelling across multiple forms of media in order to have different "entry points" in the story; entry-points with a unique and independent lifespan but with a definite role in the big narrative scheme.

The Labyrinth Project's Marsha Kinder calls them “commercial transmedia superstructures” in her 1991 book Playing with Power in Movies, Television, and Video Games: From Muppet Babies to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. She goes on to say “transmedia intertextuality works to position consumers as powerful players while disavowing commercial manipulation.”

In MIT media studies a professor know as, Henry Jenkins used the term in his MIT Technology Review article, "Transmedia Storytelling," where he reflected Kinder's assumption, via analysis of mass-market entertainment, that the coordinated use of storytelling across platforms can make the characters more compelling.

In his book Convergence Culture, Jenkins further describes transmedia storytelling as storytelling across multiple forms of media with each element making distinctive contributions to a fan's understanding of the story world. By using different media formats, transmedia creates "entrypoints" through which consumers can become immersed in a story world.

Course: BA / FdA Games Art and Design

Year: Two

Unit: BA4: Focus 1

Project Title Creating Coherent Worlds

Project 3 of 3 within this unit

Start Date: 27/09/10

Study Hours: 70

Submission Date: 29/11/10

Tutor(s): TBC

Description

This unit considers aspects of storytelling in digital games, particularly focusing on
contemporary trends towards transmedia storytelling; authoring vast narratives, and
worldbuilding. It will pose questions about the role of narrative in digital games and a
perceived increasing convergence between game and film.

You will gain further understanding of genre and narrative theories introduced in earlier
studies and learn more about creating narrative and dramatic elements for digital
games. You will investigate the increasing move towards vast transmedial narratives
that include digital games as only one contributing element of the storyworld, paying
particular attention to franchises and Alternative Reality Games. You will also evaluate
worlds, particularly online, that contain little narrative structure but provide coherent
spaces of possibility for player experience and interaction. Finally, you will address the
possible impact of the semantic/mobile web and social media on authoring coherent
gameworlds.

Working individually you will produce an online research blog that explores and applies
appropriate theories and concepts through critical analysis.

This project addresses the key areas of study as follows:

Studio Practice: Not applicable for this project.

Business and Professional Skills: You will learn theoretical elements essential to the
practical design process of a commercially or critically successful digital game. You will
gain further understanding of the development of game modes and industries,
presenting findings in a professional and appropriate manner.

Contextual Studies: You will undertake extensive primary and secondary research.

Using analogue (books, journals, etc.) and digital (websites, e-journals, academic
blogs) sources to evidence your understanding of theories and practices you will apply
these through critical analysis and integrate them into your practice. The tone of the
research must be academic and investigative, and should be communicated with clarity and creativity.

Personal Development and Planning: Not applicable for this project.
The table below lists the work you will need to submit and which areas of study each item relates to:
Work required for this project:

Area of study

Which Unit Assessment Requirement this work contributes to:
Research Blog, containing a variety of audio-visual media [Blogger / Wordpress converted to PDF]

Contextual Studies / Business and Professional Skills

All work MUST be correctly formatted and submitted to the Digital 3D server. Folder structures and naming conventions must be adhered to precisely.
Contextual Studies / Business and Professional Skills

Not assessed in this project:
Studio practice / PDP
n/a

The table below shows which of the Unit Learning Outcomes are addressed by this project and what you will need to do to show that you have met them: Learning Outcome How you will be assessed:

LO6: Show the breadth and depth of knowledge of your subject area using independently located visual and textual material. We expect clear, concise, and appropriately communicated research and analysis, professionally presented in the correct format.

LO7: Evaluate a range of practice-based approaches to problem solving, including analysis of different methods, materials, and contexts. We will look for evidence of understanding and evaluation of practical applications of principles such as narrative, transmedia storytelling, and worldbuilding.

Lecture from 8/10/10

The use of thumbnail sketches appealed to me, just quick 3 mins drawings.
Before picking just a few of them, to draw in greater detail. This is a wonderful idea to see a range of different drawings without having to turn the page all the time.