This is a practical guide to transmedia storytelling for beginners. This book is also available in print and on the Kindle at Amazon
Text of Getting started in Transmedia Storytelling
Getting Started with Transmedia Storytelling by Robert Pratten Copyright 2011 Robert PrattenSome rights reserved. Please feel free to copy and use any diagrams andinformation in this book so long as (a) you provide me with attribution where thediagram or advice is mine and (b) you dont copy and use diagrams that Iveattributed to other people without their permission. ISBN: 1456564684 ISBN-13: 978-1456564681
CONTENTS1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 GOALS ............................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 WHAT IS TRANSMEDIA? ................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 WHY TELL STORIES? ......................................................................................................................... 2 1.4 WHY MULTIPLE MEDIA? ................................................................................................................... 32 DEVELOPING TRANSMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT ................................................................................. 4 2.1 THE STORY-EXPERIENCE ................................................................................................................... 5 2.1.1 SO WHERE TO START? .............................................................................................................. 6 2.2 THE EXPERIENCE............................................................................................................................... 6 2.2.1 WHAT CREATES A COMPELLING EXPERIENCE? ........................................................................ 8 2.3 THE STORY ........................................................................................................................................ 9 2.3.1 WHAT TYPE OF STORY? .......................................................................................................... 12 2.3.2 WRITING THE STORY .............................................................................................................. 17 2.4 AUDIENCES INDENTIFYING AND UNDERSTANDING THEM ......................................................... 19 2.4.1 IDENTIFYING YOUR AUDIENCE ............................................................................................... 20 2.4.2 ENGAGING YOUR AUDIENCE .................................................................................................. 21 2.5 PLATFORMS .................................................................................................................................... 28 2.5.1 PLATFORM SELECTION ........................................................................................................... 28 2.6 BUSINESS MODEL ........................................................................................................................... 38 2.7 EXECUTION ..................................................................................................................................... 39 2.7.1 DEFINITION ............................................................................................................................. 41 2.7.2 TARGET AUDIENCE ................................................................................................................. 42 2.7.3 BUSINESS CASE ....................................................................................................................... 42 2.8 DETERMINING YOUR RELEASE SCHEDULE ..................................................................................... 443 DOCUMENTATION ......................................................................................................................... 50 3.1 THE HEADLINES - YOUR STORY ...................................................................................................... 50 3.2 TRANSMEDIA RADAR DIAGRAM - YOUR EXPERIENCE ................................................................... 51 3.3 TOWARDS A PLATFORM ACTION CHART ....................................................................................... 52 3.4 DISTINGUISHING NARRATIVE FROM EXPERIENCE ......................................................................... 54 3.5 TOWARDS A BETTER SOLUTION ..................................................................................................... 55 3.6 DOCUMENTING THE STORYWORLD ............................................................................................... 61
4 PARTICIPATION & ENGAGEMENT................................................................................................... 63 4.1 IMMERSION IS NOT ENGAGEMENT ............................................................................................... 63 4.2 A CONTENT STRAGEY FOR AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT ................................................................... 64 4.2.1 ENGAGING THE FIVE SENSES.................................................................................................. 65 4.2.2 HOW TO USE THE 5-SENESE ENGAGEMENT MODEL ............................................................. 70 4.3 CROWDSOURCING AND COLLABORATION? .................................................................................. 71 4.3.2 DETERMINING THE REWARD ................................................................................................. 73 4.3.3 STRUCTURING FOR COLLABORATION .................................................................................... 74 4.4 WHAT IS A VIRAL VIDEO? ............................................................................................................... 76 4.4.1 SO HOW DO YOU MAKE YOUR VIDEOS SHARABLE? .............................................................. 76 4.4.2 VIRAL VIDEO STYLES AND FURTHER TIPS ............................................................................... 785 FINANCING .................................................................................................................................... 81 5.1 THE TRANSMEDIA BUSINESS MODEL ............................................................................................. 81 5.1.1 THE NEW MODEL ................................................................................................................... 82 5.1.2 THE TRANSMEDIA MODEL ..................................................................................................... 83 5.2 AUDIENCE-PAYS FINANCING .......................................................................................................... 86 5.3 SPONSORED FINANACING .............................................................................................................. 88 5.3.1 WHAT IS A BRAND? ................................................................................................................ 88 5.3.2 PRODUCT PLACEMENT & SPONSORSHIP ............................................................................... 88 5.3.3 THE ADVERTISING-FUNDED FEATURE FILM ........................................................................... 89 5.3.4 TRANSMEDIA IMPLICATIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION .......................................................... 91 5.3.5 BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT .................................................................................................. 91 5.3.6 PROMOTING AND DISTRIBUTING A BRANDED WEB SERIES .................................................. 92 5.3.7 OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE INDIE CREATIVE ............................................................................ 93 5.4 CROWDFUNDING ........................................................................................................................... 93 5.4.1 GETTING STARTED .................................................................................................................. 94 5.4.2 DEVELOPMENT (PLANNING) .................................................................................................. 94 5.4.3 PRODUCTION (CAMPAIGN PERIOD) ....................................................................................... 96 5.4.4 POST-PRODUCTION (AFTER YOUVE RAISED YOUR MONEY) ................................................. 97 5.4.5 EXHIBITION ............................................................................................................................. 98
INDEX OF FIGURESFigure 1 What is Transmedia? ......................................................................................................................... 2Figure 2 Transmedia Development Process .................................................................................................... 5Figure 3 Anatomy of a Transmedia Experience ............................................................................................... 7Figure 4 Forms of Participation.................................................
