One Year in Now Media Vol VI
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One Year in Now Media Vol VI 1 One Year in Now Media Vol VI by Simon Staffans
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Transcript of One Year in Now Media Vol VI
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
1
One$Year$in$Now$Media
Vol$VI
by
Simon$Staffans
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
2
Introduction$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$i
The$Posts$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$6
STORYTELLING$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$7
Storyteller$and$bridge$builder$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$8
Creating$a$future$through$stories$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$10
Layered$storytelling$H$the$art$of$the$future$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$12
Rebooting$our$creative$minds$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$14
Visualizations$and$layers$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$16
The$value$brought$by$stories$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$18
Making$stories$together$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$20
Be$the$salient$story$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$22
The$age$of$the$storyteller$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$24
The$age$of$stories$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$26
Five$focus$areas$for$successful$multiplatform$storytelling$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$28
Dancing$on$the$point$of$a$needle$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$32
Chasing$the$story$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$34
Musically$speaking$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$36
The$power$of$true$stories$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$41
THE$MEDIA$INDUSTRY$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$43
Blowing$up$silos$H$the$evolution$of$media$is$just$beginning$$$$$$$$$$$$$44
Solid$economics$in$a$Wluid$content$world$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$45
The$corporate$angle$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$47
Where$does$virtual$reality$Wit?$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$49
Marketing$and$the$unending$complexity$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$50
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
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Only$as$strong$as$your$weakest$link$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$53
The$creative$society$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$55
Evolution$is$around$the$corner$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$57
On$the$importance$of$long$term$thinking$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$59
Lean$content$creation$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$61
THE$AUDIENCE$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$63
Be$there$for$your$audience$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$64
Earning$the$trust$of$your$audience$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$66
A$word$on$trust$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$68
Creating$a$community$from$scratch$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$70
On$the$future$of$media$and$audiences$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$72
How$to$make$your$story$resonate$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$74
The$Interviews$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$76
Introduction$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$77
Michael$Monello$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$78
Maya$Zuckerman$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$81
Steve$Peters$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$84
Andrea$Phillips$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$86
Angela$Natividad$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$88
LeeHSean$Huang$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$90
Asta$Wellejus$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$92
Christy$Dena$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$96
Jeff$Gomez$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$101
THE$END$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$108
About$the$author$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$109
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
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Introduction
This$is$the$sixth$year$of$me$publishing$this$round$up$of$the$year$that$was$in$what$I$call$
“Now$Media”,$a$convenient$term$to$use$to$avoid$getting$tangled$up$in$deWinitions$and$
buzzwords.$As$per$usual$it$is$a$mix$of$two$things$H$a$compilation$of$my$blog$posts$from$
the$year$that$was$(as$published$on$simonstaffans.com)$combined$with$interviews$with$
some$brilliant$people,$representing$different$aspects$of$the$Wield$of$media$from$around$
the$world.$As$it$stands,$please$read$it$as$a$complement$to$your$own$conclusions$of$the$
year$that$was,$a$complement$that$hopefully$gives$you$some$new$input$and$information$
going$into$the$year$2017.
For$my$own$part$the$past$year$has$been$a$highly$interesting$one.$Having$worked$for$
different$employers$since$the$midH90s,$this$was$the$year$I$Winally$took$the$step$to$fully$
start$my$own$company,$together$with$Anders$Wik$who$was$my$colleague$at$my$last$
place$of$work.$We$call$our$company$ReThink$New$Media$Solutions,$or$ReThink$NMS$for$
short$(www.rethinknms.com),$and$we$present$ourselves$as$a$research$and$innovation$
company.
Over$the$past$eight$months$we’ve$been$moving$in$all$kinds$of$directions.$One$highlight$
was$launching$our$Wirst$TV$series$on$YLE’s$VOD$platform,$a$look$at$how$to$make$it$as$a$
youtuber,$seen$through$the$eyes$of$a$15Hyear$old$rising$star.$$Another$project$saw$us$
launch$a$GPSHbased$app,$as$a$walking$guide$to$the$city$centre$of$our$home$town$Vaasa,$
with$the$narrative$being$driven$by$video$and$audio$mainly.$Seeing$that$app$on$the$Play$
Store$and$App$Store$felt$pretty$neat,$I’ll$admit.$We’ll$have$two$more$coming$out$in$
January!$
We’ve$created$marketing$campaigns$and$produced$TV$ads,$held$talks$and$workshops,$
helped$form$a$thought$leader$campaign$for$a$multiHbillion$euro$company$and$written$a$
report$to$help$a$European$broadcaster$draw$up$their$tenHyear$strategies$regarding$
production,$distribution$and$audience$engagement.$
All$through$this$“making$stuff”$business$we’ve$still$been$able$to$innovate$anew.$We$shot$
a$pilot$for$the$project$“The$Energy$Challenge”$in$late$November,$documenting$as$a$family$
tried$to$cut$their$energy$consumption$to$a$globally$sustainable$level$(difWicult$to$do$in$
dark$and$cold$winterHFinland).$We’ve$also$created$a$number$of$new$formats$for$online$
or$TV,$and$signed$a$coHdevelopment$deal$with$a$major$German$production$company$
regarding$one$of$them.$
All$in$all,$2016$has$been$busy$enough$for$me$not$to$have$had$the$time$to$explore$all$the$
new$and$interesting$creative$projects$and$best$practices$that$have$sprung$up$all$over$the$
globe.$We’re$only$taking$the$Wirst$tentative$steps$into$VR$and$what$the$whole$AR/VR$
phenomena$can$mean$for$content$creators$and$storytellers$and$audiences.$We’re$
experimenting$with$new$forms$of$audience$engagement$and$coHcreation.$
The$world$is$changing$and$so$are$we.$And$despite$all$the$saddening$realHlife$events$of$
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
5
2016,$I$refuse$to$believe$that$the$world$will$grow$darker.$I$think$there$is$enough$of$
people$that$want$good$in$the$world$for$the$dark$to$be$kept$at$bay.$What$I’m$certain$of,$
though,$is$that$we$need$to$tell$better$stories$in$better$ways,$that$resonate$better$with$
people$and$help$us$all$understand$each$other.$
And$that$would$be$my$New$Year’s$resolution$for$2017$H$to,$in$even$more$ways$than$
before,$strive$to$do$good$and$promote$good$in$this$world.$
Please$enjoy$this$publication,$and$let$me$know$any$comments$or$addHons$you$might$
have.$I$look$forward$to$meeting,$talking,$debating,$discussing,$arguing,$collaborating,$
laughing,$coHproducing$and$generally$just$being$alive$together$in$2017.
Finally,$a$special$thank$you$to$Mike$Dicks$of$Descience$and$Mike&Scrabble$fame$who$
supplied$me$with$the$nifty$picture$for$the$title$page.$Thanks$Mike!
Vasa,$Finland
31ij$December$2016
Simon$Staffans
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
6
THE-POSTS
This$year$I’ve$had$less$time$to$blog$than$previously.$The$reason$is$simple;$I’ve$been$
working$long$days,$long$weeks$and$long$months$to$get$our$company$upHandHrunning.$
Pouring$all$my$energy$into$new$business$propositions,$into$productions$and$
development$projects,$into$editing$episodes$and$standing$in$for$the$sound$guy$at$pilot$
shoots…$between$all$of$these,$there$has$been$precious$little$time$to$actually$reWlect$on$
the$things$I’ve$learnt$or$come$to$understand$during$the$past$year.
Still,$some$posts$have,$magically,$appeared$on$my$blog.$You$can$Wind$these$compiled$
below.$As$per$usual,$most$of$the$posts$deal$with$issues$I’ve$encountered$in$my$
professional$life,$ranging$from$principles$for$producing$and$distributing$over$many$
platforms$to$engaging$the$audience$in$meaningful$and$coHproductive$ways.$
One$thing$I’ve$learnt,$though,$is$the$need$to$constantly$keep$innovating.$It$might$be$that$
the$things$you$innovate$around$see$no$traction,$perhaps$even$no$understanding,$but$
they$will$all$propel$you$forward$into$new$territories$where$new$innovations$can$take$
place.$As$someone$once$said:$“It$doesn’t$matter$if$you’re$on$the$right$track.$You’ll$get$run$
over$if$you$just$sit$there.”
Let’s$all$agree$not$to$sit$there.$Let’s$move$forward$together,$and$invite$others$to$join$us.$
——
For-clarity-I’ve-divided-the-posts-into-three-different,-overarching-themes:-
STORYTELLING-features-the-posts-where-I-describe-challenges-and-thoughts-around-the-
craft-of-telling-stories-in-a-world-of-Now-Media,-
THE-MEDIA-INDUSTRY-features-reKlections-on-where-the-different-parts-of-the-media-world-
is-heading-and-how-they-can-be-addressed-and-taken-into-consideration-in-the-best-possible-
way,-while-
THE-AUDIENCE-features-posts-on-the-most-important-aspect-of-them-all,-the-everNchanging-
and-everNevolving-relationship-with-the-people-we-want-to-take-part-of-our-content.
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
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STORYTELLING
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
8
Storyteller-and-bridge-builder
When$I$examine$the$craft$of$the$creator$–$or$the$storyteller,$the$producer$or$whatever$
other$term$you$want$to$use$–$bridge'building'comes'to'mind.$What$we$are,$essentially,$trying$to$do$is$build$a$bridge.$It’s$a$bridge$that$is$constructed$between$the$stories$and$
the$content$we’ve$come$up$with$by$using$our$imagination$and$our$experience$and$the$
people$we$want$to$reach,$inWluence$and$engage$with$that$content.
Where$a$builder$of$a$real$life$bridge$would$study$the$surrounding$area$and$test$the$
bedrock$for$the$most$suitable$place$to$start$building,$we$do$audience'research,'examine'their'habits,'their'needs'and'wants'and'their'preferences.
Where$a$builder$of$a$real$bridge$starts$constructing$with$the$help$of$blueprints$drawn$
up$by$construction$experts$or$architects,$we$construct$our$content$and$distribution$
plans$according$to$audience'engagement'strategies,'strategies'for'social'media$and$so$on.
We$need$to$use$the$material$most$suitable$for$reaching$the$intended$audience$–$some$
that$we$want$to$reach$can$only$be$so$by$using$a$bridge$built$predominantly$of$
Instragram$content.$Another$has$to$be$reached$by$traditional$TV$content.$A$third$has$to$
have$everything$built$on$Facebook.$We'need'to'know'who'we'want'to'reach,'and'how'we'best'reach'them,'or'our'bridges'will'falter.
We$do$wisely$to$create$bridges'that'allow'for'two:way'traf<ic.$Whereas$the$builders$of$yesteryears$could$content$themselves$with$fewer$bridges,$and$oneHway$bridges$at$that,$
the$builders$today$know$that$they$need$a$steady$stream$of$trafWic$going$both$ways,$in$
order$to$keep$the$precious$audience$connected$to$their$own$content,$in$the$Wiercely$
competitive$environment$this$content$exists$nowadays.
Another$complication$in$comparison$with$the$builders$of$yore$is$the$people$we$want$to$
reach.$Whereas$these$were$inhabiting$a$few,$large$islands$back$in$the$day,$nowadays'it’s'a'sprawling'archipelago$that$calls$for$the$construction$of$a$great$number$of$bridges,$only$to$reach$the$same$amount$of$people$one$bridge$would$cater$for$earlier.
Luckily,$bridge'creation'has'never'been'easier.$The$cost$of$material$has$plummeted,$
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
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as$has$the$amount$of$time$needed.$And$funnily$enough,$we’re$not$the$only$ones$creating$
bridges$anymore.$If$our$stories,$our$content,$is$engaging$and$exciting$enough,$the'people'around'will'happily'create'their'own'bridges,'in'their'own'fashion,$just$to$be$able$to$connect$with$what$we$have$to$offer$them.
Then$again,$as$Isaac$Newton$said,$and$which$I$regard$as$a$challenge$for$all$of$us$–$”We'build'too'many'walls,'and'not'enough'bridges”.
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
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Creating-a-future-through-stories
The'future'is'here.$You$might$not$recognize$it$yet,$not$know$it$yet,$but$it$travels$with$you$whereever$you$go.$You$hold$the$future$in$you,$and$it'is'yours'to'mould'and'shape$into$whatever$you$want$it$to$be.
We’re$living$in$uncertain$times.$Refugees$and$migrants,$economic$hardships$and$war,$
climate$change$and$climate$change$denial.$The$list$is$nearly$endless.$As$I$talked$about$in$
a$couple$of$posts$last$year,$I’m$actively$exploring$how$narratives$and$stories$can$help$us$
shape$the$future$into$something$that$holds$more$promise.$”The$Great$Narrative”$was$a$
term$I$used,$a$term$to$encompass$everyone,$and,$by$default,$everyone’s$stories.
I’m$Winding$that$this$train$of$thought$has$a$direct$inWluence$on$the$way$I$approach$more$
handsHon$projects$as$well,$be$it$entertainment,$documentaries,$experimental$stuff,$social$
media$campaigns$or$something$else.$If$we$accept$that$we$–$and$everyone$else,$naturally$
–$have$the'power'to'shape'and'change'our'futures'through'stories,$isn’t$this$something$to$be$taken$into$consideration$when$working$with$audience$engagement$and$
other$similar$strategies?$I$think$so,$clearly.
What$we’re$looking$at$is$an$evolvement$of$the$old$adage$from$propagation$planning,$of$
giving$people$a$direction$and$the$necessary$tools,$and$they$will$tell$the$stories$you$
would$like$them$to$tell.
Now,$instead,$we’re$looking$at$something$that$goes$deeper.$What$I$Wind$I$want$to$create$
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
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is$an'alluring,'enticing,'engaging'image'of'a'possible'future$for$the$audience.$It$is$a$future$they$hopefully$long$for,$yearn$for,$and$one$that$holds$promises$of$the$solutions$
and$possibilities$they$crave$(even$if$they$didn’t$even$know$they$craved$them$from$the$
outset).$It$is$out$of$necessity$a$true$image$(if$perhaps$not$the$full$image)$that$is$clearly$
accessible,$through$means$and$tools$provided$by$us,$the$creators.$This$means$that$when$
the$audience$interacts$with$my$story,$it’s$not$only$in$order$to$advance$the$storyline,$it’s'in'order'to'create'a'future'for'themselves'to'arrive'at.
If'we'can'dream'it,'we'can'make'it.$Our$task$as$creators$is$to$paint$the$dreams$we$want$the$engaged$audience$to$have,$and$make$sure$they$mirror$the$future$they$arrive$
into,$when$following$those$dreams.
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
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Layered-storytelling-N-the-art-of-the-future
I$think$we$can$all$agree$that$the$world$is$a$pretty$complex$place.$It$would$be$easier$for$
most$of$us$if$it$was$simply$cleary$black$and$white,$right$and$wrong,$for$and$against,$like$
a$LOTR$movie$with$all$nuances$wiped$away.$That$is,$however,$never$the$case.
Whatever$stories$we$want$to$tell,$whatever$experiences$we$want$our$audience$to$
experience,$whatever$feelings$we$want$to$convey$and$whatever$information$we$would$
like$to$communicate,$we$need$to$take$this$into$consideration.$We$can$achieve$a$great$
initial$impact$with$a$message,$a$story,$that$is$clearly$and$shiningly$blackHandHwhite$–$
easy$to$grasp,$easy$to$encompass,$easy$to$react$to$and$easy$to$Wind$likeHminded$people$to$
ally$with$around.$But$for$a$longerHlasting$impact,$we$need$to$think$deeper,$further$and$
longer.
This$is$where$the$practice$of$layered$storytelling$comes$in.$In$a$series$of$blog$posts$from$
a$couple$of$years$ago,$Gary$Goldhammer$from$Hill+Knowlton$talked$about$layered$
storytelling$from$their$perspective,$focusing$on$journalism$and$to$some$extent$on$
marketing$as$well:
It’s$about$layers$–$not$how$media$comes$together$but$how$it$works$together,$while$still$
retaining$the$“native”$characteristics$of$the$individual$media$types$whether$Paid,$
Earned,$Owned$or$Shared.
This$can’t$happen$with$a$mediaHcentric$or$channel$speciWic$approach$–$we$must$be$
audienceHcentric$and$channel$agnostic.$Story$and$audience$must$sit$at$the$center,$
powered$by$digital$and$social$means.$This$is$how$ideas$spread$and$ultimately$can$stand$
out$in$a$fragmented$world.
From$this$central$idea,$narrative$“layers”$cut$across$channels$and$forms$of$media$so$that$
we$can$reach$more$people$at$scale.$A$Layered$Narrative$allows$space$for$interaction,$
sharing,$collaboration$and$contribution.$Every$unique$layer$makes$the$source$material$
stronger$and$the$core$story$more$engaging.
These$are$all$good$thoughts$and$principles.$Through$layers$can$we$reach$more,$we$can$
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
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offer$more,$we$can$offer$up$nuances$and$possibilities$and$we$can$foster$interaction.$I$
feel,$however,$that$we$need$to$take$it$a$step$further.$I’m$talking$about$the$ultimate$
release$of$control,$and$the$trusting$of$our$audience.
Think$of$your$story$as$the$island$of$an$archipelago,$and$the$audience$as$the$people$
traversing$the$waters$by$boat.$Underneath$the$surface,$all$your$islands$are$connected,$
but$it’s$only$the$islands$themselves$that$are$approachable$directly.$They’re$all$
connected,$but$separate.$And$it$would$require$a$wet$suit$and$some$scuba$gear$to$dive$
below$the$surface$and$track$how$all$the$different$islands$are$connected.
Now$you$can$help$your$audience$as$much$as$you$like,$and$show$them$how$the$different$
parts$Wit$in.$I$talked$about$a$process$like$this,$when$I$wrote$about$building$bridges$a$
while$ago.$These$bridges$would$be$the$links$in$your$narrative$–$if$you$feel$your$audience$
needs$them.$Alternatively,$you$can$leave$it$up$to$them$to$Wind$the$connections,$and$if$
they$deem$it$necessary$or$desirable,$build$the$bridges.
We$need$to$dare$be$more$Wluent$and$more$”loose”,$for$want$of$a$better$word,$regarding$
our$stories.$We$can’t$reWlect$the$complexity$of$life,$if$we$insist$on$a$formalized,$well$
contained$story$that$is$over$and$done$and$dusted$in$93$minutes$Wlat.$And$we$need$to$be$
prepared$to$not$try$to$hold$on$to$our$audience$–$instead$allow$them$to$be$as$clingy$or$
nonHclingy$as$they$see$Wit;$as$engaged$or$as$laidHback$as$they$feel$appropriate.
This$is$a$big$step$for$me$as$well,$coming$from$a$traditional$media$background,$with$a$
dire$need$to$keep$control$over$all$aspects$of$production$and$distribution.$I$can$certainly$
believe$it$is$an$even$bigger$step$for$brands,$sponsors$and$Winanciers$of$different$sorts;$
without$control,$how$can$anyone$guarantee$revenue?$I’ll$share$thoughts$on$that$in$my$
next$blog$post.
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14
Rebooting-our-creative-minds-N-are-we-
worthy-of-an-audience?
Over$the$past$few$weeks$I’ve$been$writing$about$some$principles$I$feel$are$crucial$for$
anyone$creating$stories$and$content$today,$while$hoping$to$reach$and$engage$people$
with$said$stories$and$content.
There$are$many$ways$for$us$to$look$at$what$we’re$doing.$There$are$many$tips$and$tricks$
to$keep$at$the$back$of$our$heads$while$creating$our$stories,$planning$for$their$
distribution$over$different$media,$anticipating$and$enabling$interaction$and$engagement$
and$drawing$up$the$strategies$for$the$harnessing$of$all$of$this$in$a$way$that$will$boost$
future$stories$and$future$engagement.$But$drawing$on$a$number$of$conversations$I’ve$
had$over$the$past$week$or$so,$I'think'we'all'need'to'take'a'couple'of'steps'back'and'lift'ourselves'to'another'abstraction'level,$before$we$get$down$to$business.
The$discussions$I’ve$been$having$with$people$from$different$Wields$–$journalists$as$well$
as$marketing$professionals,$writers$as$well$as$Wilmmakers$–$all$point$more$or$less$
directly$to$a$fundamental$misunderstanding$regarding$our$role$as$creators$and$
producers$and$storytellers$in$today’s$world.
The'audience'is'no'longer'here'for'us.'We’re'here'for'the'audience'–'if'we’re'lucky.
What$I’m$hearing$are$professionals–$great$craftsmen,$gifted$storytellers,$skilled$
producers$and$so$on$–$who$say$the$right$things,$but$clearly$has$not$grasped$what$those$
things$mean
It’s$not$enough$to$profess$that$the$relationship$with$the$audience$has$changed$to$a$more$
interactive$one.$We$need$to$accept$and$acknowledge$that$this,$in$the$eyes$of$the$(entity-
formerly-known-as-the)$audience,$means$that$they'are'the'ones'producing,$merely$building$on$from$a$prompt$we’ve$provided$them$with$as$we$told$them$our$original$story.
It’s$not$enough$to$say$that$strategies$for$engaging$an$audience$are$imperative.$We$need$
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
15
to$realize$that$these$strategies$must'allow'for'a'great'deal'of'<lexibility,$as$our$audience$might$have$their$own$strategies$for$getting$a$rise$out$of$us,$for$using$our$
stories$as$platform$for$their$own$agendas$or$any$number$of$other$possibilities.
And$it’s$absolutely$not$enough$to$express$a$conviction$that$a$story$is$best$told$the$way$
we$intend$for$it$to$be$told.$This$might$be$the$best$way$WE$can$envision$for$it$to$be$told.$
For$the$majority$of$the$people$we$reach,$another$way$–$slightly$or$greatly$altered$–$
might$be$the$optimal$way.$We'need'to'let'go'of'the'control'of'our'stories.$If$we’ve$managed$to$create$something$gripping$and$engaging$and$immersive$enough,$it$will$
survive$the$clash$with$the$audience.$Survive$and$thrive.$And$if$it’s$not$good$enough…$
perhaps$someone$else$might$turn$it$into$something$better.
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Visualisations-and-layers-N-storytelling-
evolving
While$researching$methods$from$around$the$world,$in$order$to$see$how$I$can$
incorporate$the$best$practices$into$my$daily$work,$I’ve$stumbled$upon$a$great$number$of$
interesting$solutions,$methods$and$principles.$One$of$these,$that$I$felt$resonated$very$
clearly$with$the$post$I$wrote$last$week$about$”Layered$Storytelling”,$is$an$interesting,$inH
depth$look$at$the$work$Giorgia$Lupi$and$the$Accurat$Studio$have$been$doing$together$
with$the$Italian$publication$Corriere$della$Sera$over$the$past$few$years.$They$sum$up$
their$philososphy$thus:
Experimental-visualizations-design-should-always-aim-at-balancing-conventions-and-
familiar-forms-people-are-comfortable-with,-and-novelty:-truly-imaginative-visuals-able-to-
attract-individuals-into-the-exploration,-able-to-transform-the-strange-of-any-visual-
experiment-we-include-into-the-known,-and-ultimately-able-to-invite-readers-to-explore-the-
richness-of-the-stories-lying-behind.
Now,$does$this$sound$like$we’ve$heard$it$before?$Yes,$indeed.$We$–$no$matter$what$kind$
of$creators$we$are$–$would$like$nothing$more$than$to$create'something'compelling'and'engaging'enough'for'our'users'/'readers'/'listeners'/'viewers'to'want'to'learn'more,'to'jump'down'the'rabbit'hole,'to'–'indeed'–'”explore'the'richness'of'the'stories'lying'behind”.
In$the$case$talked$about$in$the$link,$the$subject$is$a$publication,$which$puts$its$own$
strains$and$demands$on$the$design$of$the$narrative$and$the$complex$visualizations.$
When$I$look$at$the$processes$that$Lupi$describes,$I$see$a$narrative$–$perhaps$Wictional,$
perhaps$factual,$perhaps$something$in$between$–$that$plays$out$over$a$number$of$
platforms.$The$leadHin$can$be$a$short$Snap$on$Snapchat,$or$why$not$a$witty$meme$over$
on$Facebook$or$Reddit,$leading$to$the$exploration$of$everything$beyond,$on$other$
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
17
platforms.
What$I$really$like$about$the$work$Accurat$have$done$with$the$dataHvisualizations$
though,$is$something$I$feel$could$be$incorporated$into$other$Wields.
If$we$think$of$our$story$on$different$layers,'it'is'logical'that'certain'layers'should'have'different'purposes'and'different'traits'than'others.$Some$are$dependent$on$the$characteristics$of$the$layers$themselves$–$social$media$layers$are$for$sharing$and$
reaching$many$people,$longHform$video$on$Vimeo$or$YouTube$are$for$telling$a$story$
from$beginning$to$end$in$a$fulWilling$and$hopefully$entertaining$and$immersive$way,$
pictureHbased$media$like$Insta$are$for$conveying$more$of$a$feeling,$an$impression$of$the$
tone$of$the$story$and$storyworld$(and$point$/$lead$to$deeper$stories)$and$so$on.
But$what$Accurat$do,$and$what$I$feel$would$be$beneWicial$for$us$as$well,$is$to$create'reading'guides'for'anyone'wanting'to'take'part'of'the'content.$A$handsHon$guide,$telling$WHY$the$different$parts$are$created$and$HOW$they$are$supposed$to$be$read$and$
understood.$This$very$handsHon$method$would$lead$to$metaHcontent$that$helps$
everyone$involved$understand$how$different$parts$Wit$together$–$and$if$we$do$not$want$
to$break$the$fourth$wall$into$tiny$pieces,$we$can$add$this$guide$as$another$piece$of$our$
story,$if$we$manage$to$craft$it$well$enough.$As$Lupi$states:
Every-time-we-aim-at-moving-away-from-mere-quantity-in-order-to-pursue-a-qualitative-
transformation-of-raw-statistical-material-into-something-that-will-provide-new-
knowledge:-unexpected-parallels,-not-common-correlation-or-secondary-tales,-to-enrich-the-
main-story-with.
And$that’s$exactly$what$we$need$to$do$as$well.$Read$Lupi’s$post,$it$is$highly$enlightening.$
The$methods$they$have$for$mindmapping$out$correlations$between$different$pieces$of$
content$are$a$direct$parallel$to$how$you$draw$up$a$transmedia$landscape$and$story$
world$for$a$narrative,$while$their$thoughts$and$principles$regarding$visualizations,$
legends,$design$of$different$pieces$and$layers$in$order$to$help$the$user$read$it$all$as$
correctly$and$Wluently$as$possible…$all$of$this$is$highly$beneWicial$to$think$about$for$any$
storyteller.$And$what$it$will$lead$to$–$what$kind$of$new$literacy$possibilities$arise$from$
people$beginning$to$fathom$stories$in$new$ways$–$I$can$only$guess$at.
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
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The-value-brought-by-stories
If$you’ve$read$some$of$my$other$blog$posts$here$on$”Evolving$Media”$you$have$probably$
noticed$that$I'put'quite'a'lot'of'faith'in'the'power'of'good'storytelling.$Read$my$posts,$and$you’ll$see$that$I’m$quite$convinced$that$a$well$crafted$story,$standing$on$the$
foundation$of$a$thoroughly$thoughtHout$and$WleshedHout$story$world,$Willed$with$
engaging$points,$calls$to$action,$smaller$arcs$within$the$larger$arcs…$that$such'a'story'can'accomplish'almost'anything'you'would'want'it'to'do,$especially$targeted$in$the$right$way$and$on$the$right$media$platforms$to$reach$a$wellHresearched$target$audience.
I$often$Wind,$though,$that$not$everyone$share$my$conviction.$Stories$are$perceived$as$
”soft”,$generating$soft$values$and$soft$impact.$And$I$agree$–$stories$are$difWicult$to$
compare$to$more$concrete$examples,$like$for$instance$something$like$”we$made$this$
machine$10%$faster,$so$we$were$able$to$raise$the$price$by$15%$and$still$increase$sales$
by$7%!”.
Such$Wigures,$percentages$and$subsequent$revenue$are$hard$facts,$with$a$very$
discernible$impact.$Stories$only$move$in$this$direction$when$you’re$able$to$connect$at$
story$to$an$increase$in$sales,$or$an$increase$in$views,$clicks$or$something$other$very$
measurable.$Even$then$there$are$usually$a$lot$of$comments$about$other$variables$and$
factors$playing$a$part,$diminishing$the$importance$of$the$story.
But$there$are$examples$where$this$is$amazingly$clear.$Take$for$example$the$”SigniWicant$
Objects”$project$that$started$in$2009.$I’m$guessing$several$of$you$have$read$about$this$
before,$but$for$those$that$haven’t,$the$project$started$out$with$the$intention$of$testing$
how$stories$affect$the$value$of$items.$The$research$team$bought$trinkets$from$thrift$
stores$and$garage$sales$to$the$tune$of$$$128.74.$They$then$paired$these$objects$with$
writers,$who$wrote$Wictional$stories$about$the$items,$giving$them$a$meaning$and$a$place$
in$the$universe.
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The$items$were$then$put$for$sale$on$eBay$accompanied$by$the$newly$–created$
background$stories.$The$result?$The'trinkets'–'original'worth'$128.74'–'sold'for'a'combined'sum'of'$3,612.51.
Now,$we$can$object$that$using$eBay$gives$us$access$to$many$more$buyers,$thereby$
raising$the$prices.$And$perhaps$the$notion$that$people$were$participating$in$a$study$
helped$too.$Still$–$an$uptick$of$close$to$2800%?$The$stories$did$indeed$matter.
While$the$”SigniWicant$Objects”$project$centered$around$creating$Wictional$stories$about$
the$object$(and$being$quite$open$with$the$WictionHpart$of$it$all),$the$same$applies$to$
factual$stories.$It$doesn’t$matter$if$it’s$a$service,$a$product,$a$project,$or$even$someone’s$
personal$story.$A'well'crafted'story'raises'the'value'of'whatever'the'story'is'about'–'also'if'it'is'a'story'about'you,'your'company'or'your'products.
Sit$down$and$think$about$what$it$is$you$want$to$”sell”.$And$by$”selling”$I’m$not$
necessarily$talking$about$actually$handing$someone$something$and$getting$money$in$
return.$Someone$else$can$”buy$into”$how$you$look$at$the$world,$can$exchange$their$
currency$”time”$for$your$product$”my$story”,$can$pay$with$engagement,$with$loyalty,$
with$access$to$their$social$media$circles$through$shares$or$comments…$the$currencies$
and$their$valuations$are$many$and$sometimes$difWicult$to$grasp.
Try$your$story$out,$and$tweak$it$to$suit$your$audience$–$no$matter$if$the$audience$is$a$
room$full$of$buyers$from$an$industry,$or$your$own$children,$or$anything$in$between.$Use$
your$stories$to$give$yourself$and$your$products$a$value…$and$in$the$long$run,$use$your$
stories$to$give$your$other$stories,$and$your$entire$story$world,$an$increased$value.
Stories$–$use$them$wisely,$to$increase'value'through'quality,'engagement,'immersive'possibilities'and'clarity.
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
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Making-stories-together
Have$you$felt$it?$I’m$thinking$you$have,$but$perhaps$you$haven’t$really$identiWied$it,$or$
put$it$into$context$with$regards$to$what$you$youself$is$working$on.$The$feeling$of$being$
part$of$something$bigger$than$yourself$–$a$community,$a$group,$a$niche,$a$gathering,$a$
tribe…$A'”we”'instead'of'necessarily'a'”me”.
We’ve$heard$quite$a$lot$about$how$we$live$in$a$narcissistic$world$where$selWies$and$selfH
fullWilment$are$Wlooding$every$content$outlet,$how$”I”$and$”me”$are$the$two$words$most$
meaningful$to$each$and$everyone$of$us,$and$how$we$now$have$more$routes$to$fulWilling$
this$need$of$”celebrating$the$self”$than$ever$before.$This$is$all$still$true,$but$even$thought$
the$Wiercely$individual$strand$is$strong$within$most$of$us,$the'lure'of'the'community'is'becoming'stronger'and'stronger.
Venturebeat$had$a$good$article$a$couple$of$days$ago$on$the$matter,$labeling$it$”groupH
storytelling”$and$discussing$how$brands$and$companies$should$approach$this$newHish$
turn$in$the$behaviour$of$the$audienceHcustomerHuser.$It’s$a$good$read,$with$some$very$
valid$points$–$chief$being$that$people'will'move'towards'using'social'media'to'link'their'narratives'to'other'narratives,'creating'a'fuller'story'and'a'richer'context'around'any'given'story;$the$”we”$replacing$the$”me”.
One$of$the$points$the$article$discusses$is$the$increased$urge$to$collaborate.$People$want$
to$participate,$be$connected$and$feel$an$authentic$connection.$New$callsHtoHaction$
facilitate$mass$collaboration,$which$I$feel$is$a$necessary$evolvement.$What$the$article$
doesn’t$stress$though,$and$what$I$feel$is$even$more$necessary,$is$the$need$to$validate$and$
celebrate$the$people$taking$part,$interacting,$engaging.$Even$if$we$engage$in$a$”we”,$the'”me”'still'needs'to'feel'appreciated,'unique'and'worthy'of'attention.$These$mechanics$need$to$be$integrated$into$every$project$from$the$beginning$as$well,$so$they$
feel$like$a$natural$extension$of$the$rest$of$the$narrative,$and$not$like$a$clumsy$late$
addition.
Another$point$talks$about$the$dynamics$of$groupHstorytelling,$stating$that$”the$best$
stories$have$no$beginning$or$end$and$instead$continue$to$get$better$over$time”.$While$I$
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
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don’t$necessary$agree$100%$–$there$are$stories$that$are$simply$perfect$while$contained$
in$a$certain$form,$quickly$risking$dilution$if$expanded$upon$–$there$is$a$lot$of$truth$to$
this$point.$We$all$need$to$stop$thinking$of$the$newspaper$ad$or$the$30$second$spot$on$TV$
or$the$banner$or$the$blog$post$or$the$Facebook$update$or$just$about$anything$as$a$
separate$entity.$It’s$a$chapter$in$a$book,$precluded$by$other$chapters$and$followed$by$
even$more.$It’s$a$great$big$chooseHyourHownHadventure$spanning$over$many$different$
media.$It’s$a$mirror$of$real$life,$but$contained$in$a$story$world,$framed$by$a$narrative$and$
explorable$by$anyone.
Let’s$celebrate$the$”we”,$without$losing$the$”me”.$Together$they$will$be$unstoppable.
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
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Be-the-salient-story
So,$I$hold$a$position$as$a$developer$and$strategist$at$a$university.$This$means$I’m$in$
touch$with$a$lot$of$research$and$academic$studies,$articles$and$papers,$and$also$that$I$
conduct$research$and$publish$stuff$myself$from$time$to$time.
Now,$in$one$of$the$projects$I’m$working$on$at$the$moment$–$and$which$I’m$fairly$excited$
about,$and$should$be$able$to$talk$more$about$in$the$near$future$–$I’ve$been$researching$
the$term$”salient”$and$”saliency”.$The$deWinition$in$the$picture$above$is$the$brief$version.$
What$it’s$basically$about$is$how$important$a$certain$issue$or$a$certain$thing$is$to$our$
own$interests,$how$urgent$and$how$interesting$it$is.$If'it’s'more'salient'to'us,'we'feel'it'is'more'important'and'we'pay'more'attention'to'it.
It’s$a$term$used$in$a$lot$of$different$Wields.$For$instance,$political$parties$are$trying$to$
”own”$issues$that$they$feel$are$salient$to$the$voters.$I’ve$been$more$and$more$inclined$to$
take$it$into$my$own$box$of$tools$that$I$use$when$developing$and$producing$projects$
based$around$different$kinds$of$storytelling.$The'more'salient'I'can'make'my'content,'the'more'people'I'can'reach'and'engage;'without'coaxing'them'or'luring'them,'simply'because'they'feel'it'is'in'their'interest'to'do'so.
There$are$three$key$issues$we$need$to$keep$in$mind$when$thinking$about$creating$
salient$work:
1. We'need'to'know'what'is'important'to'our'audience.$This$means$that$we$need$to$know$very$clearly$and$very$adequatly$who$our$audience$actually$is,$what$
their$habits$are,$what$their$needs$and$and$what$matters$to$them.$There$is$no$
other$way$of$knowing$this$except$to$do$research$–$and$to$do$proper$research$on$
the$right$people,$we$need$to$deWine$who$these$people$are.$No$more$”this$is$for$
everyone”;$<ind'the'right'niche(s)'to'target.
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2. We$need$to$build$the$content$and$the$strategy$around$the$content$in'a'matter'that'stays'logically'connected'to'past'pieces'of'salient'content,'as'well'as'future'pieces.$Think$of$the$saliency$of$a$subject$or$an$issue$as$a$river$–$it’s$new$water$Wloating$by$every$second,$but$the$river$stays$the$same.$And$for$someone$
depending$on$the$river$for$food,$transportation$or$water,$the$saliency$of$the$river$
remains$the$same.
3. We'need'to'be'extremely'<lexible'–'<luid'–'in'our'approach'to'content'and'the'audience.$What$is$salient$today$can$have$changed$by$tomorrow,$depending$on$any$number$of$external$factors.$And$there$are$levels$of$saliency$that$needs$to$
be$taken$into$consideration.$Almost$everyone$feels$a$need$to$be$happy,$to$be$
content,$to$be$successful$etc$–$but$these$are$vague$salient$factors,$and$need$
honing$and$narrowing$down$for$anyone$to$be$able$to$act$on$them.$The$better$you$
can$narrow$down,$the$better$you$can$create$stories$and$content$that$build$on$that$
saliency.$And$with$all$the$tools$available$today$for$research,$social$media$
monitoring$etc,$there’s$nothing$stopping$anyone$of$us$from$keeping$our$ears$to$
the$ground$24/7.
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
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The-age-of-the-storyteller
I$think$we$can$all$agree$that$these$are$challenging$times$for$storytellers.$Times$
brimming$with$opportunity$for$sure,$but$also$pretty$challenging.$As$we’ve$discussed$in$
previous$posts$over$the$past$years,$there$are$a$lot$of$things$to$take$into$consideration$
and$a$lot$of$crossroads$where$choosing$the$right$path$–$or$paths,$even$–$is$crucial.
It$could$be$worse$though.$I$read$an$article$the$other$day$where$insurance$companies$
lamented$their$lack$of$success$when$is$comes$to$getting$the$18H35y$old$interested$in$life$
insurance,$home$insurance,$car$insurance…$there’s$a$noticeable$and$undeniable$change$
in$all$sorts$of$patterns$of$behavior.
In$the$article,$the$shift$is$indentiWied$as$being$the$effect$of$a$number$of$causes:
”$Young$people$simply$don’t$have$the$disposable$income$that$they$had$in$the$past,$
thanks$to$a$wicked$combination$of$debt,$poor$job$opportunities$and$expensive$housing.$
Moreover,$the$sharing$economy$has$taught$many$that$just$as$you$don’t$need$to$own$the$
DVD$of$the$Wilm$you$want$to$watch,$you$don’t$need$your$own$car$to$get$around.”
Access'is'de<initely'becoming'the'new'ownership,$as$Brian$Chesky$of$Airbnb$put$it$back$in$2011$already.$It’s$no$longer$only$about$owning$things,$about$showing$off$your$
new$whateverHitHisHthatHyouHwouldHwantHtoHshowHoff…$it’s'about'experiences,'about'things'that'you'carry'with'you,'in'your'memories,$and$not$keep$around$and$worry$about.
There’s$also$the$question$of$the$Winancial$situation$of$today’s$younger$generations,$
where$study$after$study$shows$that$young$people$will$be$poorer$than$their$parents$at$
every$stage$of$their$lives.$Today’s$young$people$have$lived$through$the$bust$of$2008,$
more$noticeable$in$some$places$than$others$for$sure,$but$they’ve$also$struggled$on$the$
job$market,$on$the$housing$market,$just$about$everywhere.
Why$do$I$talk$about$these$issues?$Well,$simply$because$of$what$was$stated$a$couple$of$
paragraphs$up.$We’re$looking$at$generations$of$people$NOT$looking$to$own$a$new$car$or$
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a$fancy$apartment$–$if$from$convenience$or$Winancial$possibilities$or$something$else$–$
but$instead$looking'to'have'experiences'to'enrich'their'lives.$As$storytellers,$that’s'exactly'what'we'should'be'providing'them'with$–$access$to$experiences$on$different$scales,$with$different$demands,$different$possibilities$to$dive$in$and$engage,$different$
communities,$different$niches….$And$not$tied$down$to$material$things.
I$feel$there$is$a$slight$shift$needed$in$mentality$on$our$–$or$at$least$my$–$part,$where$I$can$
think$of$the$content$and$the$stories$I$create$as$being$the'equivalent,'experience:wise,'of'buying'a'new'car$or$something$else.$An$experience$can$be$as$profound$and$as$rewarding…$and$in$fact,$even$more$rewarding,$as$it'can'–'and'should'–'be'expanded,'built'upon'and'engaging'in'the'long'term'in'a'way'few'physical,'static'objects'can.
Is$the$age$of$the$storyteller$here?$It$very$well$might$be.
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The-age-of-stories
I’d$like$to$take$a$moment$to$follow$up$on$my$last$post.$In$”The$Age$of$the$Storyteller”$we$
talked$about$the$current$trends$of$no$longer$focusing$on$ownership$–$no$matter$what$
kind$of$ownership$we’re$talking$about$–$and$instead$being$more$interested$in$access$to$
the$things$previous$generations$were$interested$in$owning.$We’re$moving$on,$from$a$
focus$on$things$to$a$focus$on$experiences,$for$good$and$for$bad.$What$I$described$in$that$
post,$was$what$I$saw$as$a$clear$opportunity$for$storytellers;$as$”softer”$values$become$
more$important,$our$craft$–$that$of$telling$stories$and$conveying$experiences$–$becomes$
more$valuable.
But$what$about$that$craft,$and$what$about$those$stories?$Look$at$anything$today,$from$
marketing$to$media,$from$travel$agencies$to$heavy$industries,$everyone$seems$to$have$
received$the$same$brief.$”Tell$your$stories!$Your$stories$make$you$unique!”.$
Everywhere'around'us'everyone'is,'or'would'want'to'be,'telling'stories.
And$that$is$what$everyone$does…$with$mixed$success.
Can$every$story$be$told?$Absolutely.$Is$every$story$worth$telling?$Absolutely'not.
The$simple$truth$is$that$there$is$not$an$audience$for$every$story$that$someone$would$
want$to$tell.$It$might$be$due$to$a$lot$of$circumstances$–$reach$and$distribution,$wrongly$
targeted$marketing…$but$most$often$it’s$about$the$story$itself,$and$it$simply$not$being$
good$enough,$entertaining$enough$or$simply$right$enough$for$the$targeted$audience.
What$can$we$do,$in$this$age$of$stories,$to$make$our$stories$succeed?
For$me,$it'all'starts'with'a'clear'vision$of'whom'we’d'want'to'reach.$Ideally$we$also$know$as$much$as$there$is$to$know$about$these$people$–$future$customers,$future$
viewers,$future$readers,$future$collaborators…$or$whatever$they$might$be.
We$also$need$to$be$even$surer$about$what'we’d'like'the'outcome'to'be,$as$our$target$
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audience$takes$part$of$our$story.
We$need$to$make$sure$we’re$not$telling$stories$for$the$sake$of$telling$stories.$We'must'only'tell'the'stories'that'support'the'two'criteria'above$–$reaching$the$right$audience$with$the$desired$outcome$–$100%.$No$other$stories$need$to$be$told,$as$they$
only$serve$to$confuse$and$distract,$us$as$well$as$them.
We'have'to'test'these'stories'out$before$we$launch$them,$and$not$on$our$own$families$if$we$can$help$it.$We$must$not$say$that$something$is$”good$enough”$–$it$must$be$spot$on.
We$must$use$our$stories$to$show'our'audience'a'clear'route'forward,$supported$by$clear$calls$to$action$and$even$clearer,$tangible$rewards$for$the$engaged$audience.
We$need$to$be$vigilant,$prepared'to'act'and'react$based$on$uptake$and$feedback$–$we$need$to$live$with$our$story,$for$as$long$as$we’ve$planned$for$it$to$engage$an$audience.
Finally,$we$have$to$avail$ourselves$of$all'the'research'possibilities'available'to'us'when'it'comes'to'analyzing'results'of'our'storytelling'efforts.$This$knowledge$is$something$we$take$with$us$to$the$next$venture.$Nothing$beats$experience$–$as$long$as$we$
know$how$to$take$advantage$of$what$we’ve$learned.
If$we$can$do$all$this…$we$might$be$looking$at$an$Age$of$Wonders,$as$well$as$an$Age$of$
Stories.
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Five-focus-areas-for-successful-multiplatform-
storytelling
SUSTAINABILITY
We$won’t$be$creating$a$documentary,$or$a$series,$or$a$Wilm$when$we’re$working$
multiplatform$–$we’ll$be$creating$an$experience$that$will$stretch$further$than$most$
traditional$narratives$can$hope$for.$This,$in$turn,$means$more$complexity$to$the$project$
and$a$lot$more$work.$The$upside$is$that$we$can$arrive$at$a$longHterm$engagement,$a$
longHtail$experience$previously$neighHon$impossible.$But$like$anything$that$is$intended$
to$live$on$for$a$long$stretch$of$time$our'story'needs'a'sustainable'base.
One'part'of'this'sustainability'includes'audience'engagement.$We$need$to$plan$for$a$continuous$engagement$that$does$not$end…$when$the$audience$has$watched$the$Wilm,$
what$will$that$make$them$want$to$do?$What$calls$to$action$spur$them$on,$where$do$they$
go$from$there?$When$they’ve$done$that,$what$then?$And$when$they’ve$done$that,$what$
happens$then$–$and$why?
Another'part'is'the'story'itself'–'will'it'hold'up'over'time?$What$installments$can$we$create$in$the$future$–$or$create$now,$for$the$future?$How$can$we$keep$the$solid$
foundation$of$the$story$world$intact?$What$impact$will$new$content$–$content$that$is$
sure$to$arise$in$one$form$or$another,$given$that$the$initial$project$is$a$success$(hopefully)$
–$have$on$the$overall$narrative?
In$my$world,$sustainability'also'includes'the'<inancial'side.$I$am$very$fond$of$projects$that$have$logical,$well$thoughtHout$and$compelling$plans$for$achieving$a$healthy$return$
on$investment$–$if$it’s$about$working$with$sponsors,$or$well$working$product$placement$
–$in$creative$ways$of$course$–$or$crowdfunding,$or$buyHin$options,$shares$or$the$likes…$
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whatever$it’s$about,$in$my$mind,$if$you$can$show$that$you$not$only$can$craft$at$good$
immersive$story,$but$you$can$also$make$a$proWit$doing$so$–$then$you’ll$have$a$much$
easier$time$with$your$next$project,$or$with$the$continuation$of$the$current$one.
FLUIDITY
Fluidity$is$the$art$of$moving$with$the$Wlow$of$the$story.$I’m$from$a$traditional$media$background$and$I$know$the$comforting$security$of$working$against$a$deadline$and$
having$a$set$launch$date$or$a$broadcast$spot,$and$then$you’re$Winished$with$your$
program$or$your$show$and$it’s$broadcast$and$then$you$move$on$to$the$next$thing.$It’s$
very$reassuring,$very$stable$and$very$nice.
Now$I$believe$we$need$to$be$more$Wluid$regarding$our$content$and$our$approach$to$our$
audience.$We$know$what$we$want$to$create,$but$if$we$know$our$audience$and$who$we$
want$to$reach$and$affect$with$our$content$and$our$stories,$we'need'to'keep'alive'the'possibility'to'react'to'things'that'are'happening'around'us.$This$is$where$transmedia$storytelling$methods$come$in$handy.
See$–$if$we’ve$applied$transmedia$storytelling$methods$to$our$project$from$the$
beginning,$we$have$done$some$things.$We$have
• described$the$world$our$story$exists$in,$the$world$that$makes$up$the$foundation$
of$the$story$we’re$trying$to$tell$in$our$documentary$for$instance.$We$know$the$
rules$of$this$world,$the$characters$(also$the$ones$not$appearing$in$our$main$piece$
of$content),$their$motivations,$the$environment$–$all$the$things$that$are$not$told$
in$the$documentary
• We$have$drawn$up$some$plans$about$other$stories,$parallel$to$the$main$one$in$the$
documentary,$that$can$be$told$from$other$parts$of$the$world$we’re$describing;$
perhaps$on$other$media$platforms,$perhaps$in$other$ways
• we$have$also$analyzed$our$main$target$group$and$know$some$things$about$what$
platforms$they’re$on$–$are$they$predominantly$NetWlixing$content$or$do$they$
watch$broadcast$TV$as$well?$Can$we$reach$them$on$social$media,$and$how$in$that$
case?$What$are$their$interests$and$their$motivations?$What$engages$them?
All'of'this'allows'us'to'be'more'<luid'and'more'able'to'respond'to'movement'among'our'target'groups.$If$someone$takes$part$of$what$we’re$talking$about,$cuts$it$out$from$context,$puts$it$together$with$other$sentiments$and$starts$an$eager$discussion$
about$that,$we$can$use$one$of$the$other$story$lines$we’ve$been$thinking$about$to$tell$
another$facet$of$the$same$issue,$reclaiming$the$narrative$and$guide$the$discussion$in$a$
desired$direction.
VALIDATION
Validation$is$as$important$as$any$of$the$other$principles.$I$know$that$I’ve$wanted$to$
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produce$my$content,$publish$it$–$on$TV,$online$or$whereHever$–$and$be$done$with$it.$
Yeah,$sure,$I$can$talk$about$it$with$people$and$accept$awards$for$it$an$so$on,$but$on$the$
whole,$when$I’ve$come$up$with$something,$produced$it$and$distributed$it,$I’m$done$with$
it.
Not$anymore$though.$If$we$manage$to$create$something$that$engages$people,$and$we’ve$
managed$to$retain$Wluidity$and$authenticity,$and$we’ve$even$managed$to$come$up$with$a$
great$plan$for$interaction$and$engagement,$we’ve$embedded$brilliant$calls$to$action$in$
the$narrative,$and$we’ve$gotten$people$to$actually$commit$themselves…$then$we$need$to$
be$prepared$to$validate$their$engagement.
We$need$to$have$strategies$in$place$for$how$to$celebrate$everyone$who$engages$
themselves$in$our$narrative.$Is$it$enough$with$a$Facebook$”like”?$Do$we$need$to$
acknowledge$them$and$then$challenge$them$further$–$if$they$want$to$engage$themselves$
further?$How$do$we$showcase$their$engagement$to$other$people?$And$how$do$we$retain$
our$authenticity$and$Wluidity$throughout$this$process?
Our$content$is$moving$to$a$future$when$it$is$becoming$a$long$term$engagement$…$for$
good$and$for$bad.
STRUCTURE
A$terrible$pain$in$the$ass$when$it$comes$to$creating$multiplatform$narratives,$engaging$
an$audience,$interacting,$and$letting$it$all$play$out$over$time$is$an'overwhelming'need'to'build'structures.
One$form$of$structures$we$need$are$timelines$for$everything$–$for$each$and$every$
platform$we$work$on,$for$each$and$every$social$media$we$are$active$on.$We$need$to$
make$them$logically$interact$and$connect.$We$need$to$think$of$people$who$just$dip$in$
and$people$who$are$active$from$the$very$beginning.$We$need$to$see$to$it$that$the$
narrative$arch$works,$even$if$we$come$at$the$project$from$unexpected$angles.
But$Wirst$we$need$to$know$what$platforms$we’ll$be$engaging$and$producing$on,$what$
social$media$we$will$look$to$activate,$what$our$possibilities$are$to$actually$interact$with$
an$active$audience$and$what$we$will$do$if$we$don’t$have$these$possibilities.$For$instance,$
can$we$make$our$narrative$selfHsustainable$in$any$way,$and$how?
This$all$goes$back$to$the'very'<irst'structure$we$need$to$have$down$in$as$concrete$form$as$possible$–$the'structure'of'our'story'(or'stories)'and'what'platforms'should'be'utilized'to'bring'them'to'the'audience'(or'bring'the'audience'to'them).$If$we$can$–$and$we$should$make$sure$we$can$–$these$structures$should$be$based$on$a$thorough$
research$of$our$intended$target$audience,$their$wants,$needs$and$habits.
I$can$guarantee$you$one$thing$–$there$will$be$a$LOT$of$postHit$notes$and$white$boards$
with$big$black$letters$that$say$“DON’T$ERASE$THIS”.
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CLEAR'GOALS
We'need'clear'goals'in'order'to'be'able'to'quantify'our'success'or'lack'of'success.$What$do$we$hope$to$achieve?$Do$we$want$5.000$likes$on$your$Facebook$group?$Do$we$
want$10.000$people$to$share$your$video?$Do$we$want$20.000$people$to$come$to$the$
theater?$Do$we$want$a$200%$ROI?$What$softer$values$can$we$measure?$Why$have$we$
chosen$these$metrics$–$what$is$it$that$make$them$reWlect$on$our$project,$unlike$other$
metrics?
We'need'to'analyze'which'metrics'matter'for'our'project,'and'what'numbers'are'realistic'or'desirable'for'us.$Also$be$prepared$to$move$these$goal$posts$further$or$nearer,$depending$on$how$the$project$evolves.$These$goals$are$important$for$us$as$a$
creator$and$producer$to$be$able$to$have$something$to$mirror$the$progress$of$the$project$
against,$in$order$to$be$able$to$adequately$adjust$during$rollHout$and$longHtail,$as$well$as$
take$heed$when$looking$at$upcoming$projects.
And$Winally,$take$a$good$look$around$at$your$collaborators…$do$we$all$have$the$same$
goal$within$the$project?$If$not$–$time$to$sit$down$and$have$a$good,$long$talk.
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Dancing-on-the-point-of-a-needle-N-the-art-of-
stitching-stories-together
Recently$I’ve$been$involved$in$evaluating$and$consulting$on$a$number$of$projects$
touching$on$transmedia$storytelling$as$well$as$virtual$reality$and$generally$striving$to$
explore$new$territories$and$new$ways$of$telling$stories$and$reaching$people.
A$discussion$I$had$with$one$of$the$projects$led$to$an$analogy$that$feels$truer$the$more$I$
think$about$it;$it$made$sense$in$the$context$of$that$discussion,$and$it$holds$true$for$other$
projects$as$well.$See,$we’re'a'lot'like'handicraft'artists'ourselves$–$and$in$a$sense,$even$seamstresses$and$tailors.
Anyone$can$sew.$All$you$need$are$the$required$tools$and$materials$–$much$like$a$
storyteller.$If$you$have$a$needle$–$or$a$computer,$a$camera,$a$sound$recorder,$or$even$
just$a$pen$or$a$mouth$–$and$some$thread$–$the$story$you$want$to$tell$–$you$can$begin.
Everyone$is$not$necessarily$good$at$sewing,$and$talent$does$come$into$the$picture.$But$
just$as$with$storytelling$–$and$especially$with$regards$to$the$tools$we’re$using$–$one$does$
become$better$with$practice.$We$might$be$looking$to$just$mend$something$while$sewing$
–$that$is,$enhance$a$message$or$add$to$something$already$existing$–$but$more$
challenging$and$more$rewarding$is$to'start'with'a'blank'canvas'and'with'a'picture'of'the'<inished,'beautiful'tapestry'clear'in'our'mind.$That$story$is$the$one$we$want$to$tell.$Our$craft$and$our$skill$is$to$physically$create$something$that$resembles$and$reWlects$
this$vision$as$closely$as$possibly.
We$choose$the$material,$the$colors$and$the$pattern.$We$put$our$needle$to$the$canvas$and$
punch$through,$trying$to$keep$to$our$original$plan$and$pattern$as$closely$as$we$can
But$here$we,$as$content$creators$and$storytellers,$start$to$differ$from$the$traditional$
seamstress,$even$on$an$analogyHbasis.$The$seamstress$does$not$have$a$great$big$
audience$standing$behind$her,$especially'not'an'audience'that'have'needles'and'tools'of'their'own'and'look'decidedly'eager'to'have'a'go'at'our'creation'
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themselves.
This$is$where$we$need$to$develop$a$new$skill$–$that$of$planning$for$audience$
engagement,$how$we$would$want$them$to$interact,$what$we$will$do$with$said$
interaction.$Do$we$want$to$make$sure$our$new$collaborators$and$coHcreators$follow$our$
original$plan$for$our$creation,$supporting$it$as$closely$as$possible?$Or$are$we$
comfortable$with$letting$them$choose$on$their$own$and$follow$their$own$visions.$And$
are$we$in$that$case$prepared$to$embrace$this$new$creation$with$as$much$fervor$as$we$
did$our$original$one?
What$we$need$to$do$–$as$I’ve$mentioned$in$earlier$posts$–$is$to$be$prepared$to$relinquish$
control.$By'letting'the'audience'in'on'our'creation'it'can'become'bigger'and'more'beautiful'than'we'could'have'imagined'ourselves.$It$might$even$be$some$of$our$coHcreators$show$up$without$needles$or$thread,$preferring$some$other$kinds$of$tools;$spray$
paint,$glue$and$mosaics,$you$name$it.$And$if$it$enhances$our$creation$–$why$not?
Then$again$we$might$want$to$keep$some$control$over$our$creation.$In$that$case$we’d$
need$to$put$aside$a$part$of$our$canvas$and$direct$our$audience$there,$allowing$them$
freedom$within$certain$borders,$while$keeping$it$a$part$of$the$whole$of$the$creation.$This$
does$carry$the$risk$of$trying$to$harness$the$creative$power$of$the$engaged$audience$–$if$
they$do$engage,$and$if$they$do$involve$themselves$creatively,$the$piece$of$canvas$set$
aside$for$them$might$quickly$start$to$feel$too$narrow.$This$could$see$us$facing$coH
creators$that$have$put$up$their$own$canvases$and$gone$off$in$their$own$direction.
What$we$choose$to$do$and$how$we$choose$to$approach$our$craft$is$up$to$us.$But$what$
reach$and$what$impact$we$can$hope$to$achieve…$that’s$where$we’d$need$to$take$our$
audience,$our$coHcreators$into$account.
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Chasing-the-story
Regular$readers$of$this$blog$know$that$I’m$very$much$into$storytelling,$and$almost$as$
much$into$exploring$how$different$media$platforms$can$be$utilized$to$create$projects,$
story$worlds$and$campaigns$where$the$different$parts$build$on$each$other,$offering$a$
total$that$is$greater$than$the$sum$of$its$parts.$Furthermore,$how$can$the$interactive$
nature$of$many$of$these$platforms$be$harnessed$in$the$best$possible$way,$to$achieve$
engagement$and$foster$loyalty?$And$how$do$we$harness$this$engagement$in$the$long$run$
–$how$do$we$grow$our$long$tail$to$be$as$long$as$possible?
These$are$questions$and$challenges$that$differ$from$one$project$to$the$next,$from$one$
client$to$the$next,$from$one$target$group$to$the$next$and$from$one$story$to$the$next.
For$me$though,$it'all'starts'with'the'story.$What$is$the$story$we$want$to$tell?$What$is$the$story$world$it$is$founded$in?$What$are$its$siblings$in$the$storyHverse?
Having$been$involved$in$quite$a$few$storytelling$ventures,$and$having$over$the$past$few$
years$consulted$or$evaluated$a$fairly$great$number$of$projects$in$the$multiplatform$/$
transmedia$sphere,$this$is$where$a$lot$of$them$go$wrong.$Perhaps$not$totally,$100%$
wrong,$but$wrong'enough'that'it'matters'and'severely'affects'the'end'result.
This$goes$for$industry$clients,$who$have$a$difWicult$time$identifying$what$the$real$story$
behind$their$product,$service$or$innovation$is.$It$goes$for$documentary$Wilmmakers,$who$
fail$to$see$what$stories$align$naturally$with$their$original$story$from$the$Wilm.$And$it$goes$
for$many$other$producers$and$creators,$who$fail$in$taking$a$step$back$and$viewing$their$
project$from$a$further$distance,$seeing$the$limitations$of$the$story$they$are$currently$
promoting$and$working$on,$while$another,$adjacent$story,$would$offer$bigger,$better$and$
bolder$opportunities.
So,'how'can'we'chase'our'story'more'ef<iciently?$Here$are$three$tools$for$anyone$to$
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use,$that$might$put$you$on$the$right$track$–$the$only$thing$you$need$is$a'willingness'to'challenge'your'story'as'it'stands'today:
1.'Use'an'audience.$You$have$people$around$you,$whether$it$is$colleagues,$partners,$family,$friends$or$someone$else.$Use$them$as$a$platform$to$get$some$distance$to$the$story$
you’re$trying$to$tell.$Do$like$this:$identify$the$core$issues$in$the$story$you’re$telling.$
Formulate$them$into$a$threeHsentence$description$–$i.e.$“The$countryside$is$slowly$being$
depopulated.$It’s$an$accelerating$movement$and$there’s$not$much$anyone$is$trying$to$do$
about$it.$The$people$living$there$have$almost$given$up.”.$Then$ask$your$audience$what$
questions$or$thoughts$pop$up$in$their$minds.$Mirror$that$against$your$current$narrative$
and$see$how$well$you$address$those$thoughts$or$answer$those$questions,$and$see$if$
there$are$adjacent$stories$to$your$current$narrative$that$would$do$that$better.
2.'Use'the'Internet.$We$have$Winally$got$access$to$the$combined$intelligence,$knowledge$and$wisdom$of$the$entire$human$race,$from$the$ancient$Greeks$to$the$intellectuals$of$
today.$There$is$absolutely$no$need$not$to$take$advantage$of$this.$In$order$not$to$drown$
in$information$though,$searches$and$hashtags$should$be$carefully$selected;$it$is$worth$it$
to$take$a$day$or$two$to$sift$through$information$related$to$search$terms,$just$to$be$able$
to$Wind$the$ones$that$Wit$your$needs$best.
3.'Use'yourself.$The$most$accessible$way$of$doing$this$is$to$create$a$pitch$for$your$project.$Write$down$the$elevator$pitch$of$the$story$you’re$writing.$Rehearse$it,$and$pitch$
it$in$front$of$a$camera.$Take$a$break,$have$a$coffee,$and$then$come$back$and$watch$the$
pitch$you$just$made.$If$in$doubt,$have$someone$else$watch$it$and$give$a$verdict.$Your$
approach$should$be$–$would$I$want$to$invest$100k$in$this$person’s$story?$If$not$–$why$
not?$Rinse$and$repeat.
There$are$as$many$unique$stories$as$there$are$people$on$this$Earth,$and$probably$quite$a$
few$more$as$well.$There$is$therefore$no$need$to$settle$for$a$story$that$doesn’t$Wit$your$
needs$exactly$–$all$you$need$is$to$chase$it$down,$pin$it$down$and$tell$it!
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Musically-speaking-N-storytelling-on-a-
musical-framework
Since$we$started$our$own$production$company$last$spring$(feel$free$to$visit$us$here$and$
sign$up$for$the$newsletter$)$we’ve$been$working$on$a$number$of$different$projects,$
ranging$from$creating$marketing'campaigns$to$assisting$with$though'leadership$projects,$from$TV:series'about'YouTubers$to$GPS:based'storytelling$in$a$cityHsetting.
Although$few$of$these$would$satisfy$critical$analysts$as$“true”$transmedia$projects,$I$Wind$
myself$utilising$transmedia$storytelling$and$development$methods$at$many$turns,$
simply$to'get'different'pieces'to'fall'into'place'in'a'logical'and'engaging'fashion.$Increasingly$I’ve$also$been$looking$at$other$creative$Wields$to$Wind$better$analogies$and$
better$tools$for$creating$and$producing$content,$but$also$to$explain$my$methods,$my$
thinking$and$the$end$result$to$collaborators,$clients$and$partners.
One$area$I$have$found$extremely$fruitful$is$that$of$music.$It’s$been$touted$–$back$in$the$
days$–$that$developing$and$producing$a$transmedia$project$is$like$conducting$a$
symphony$orchestra,$where$the$producer$is$the$conductor$and$the$different$
instruments$combine$to$create$a$whole$that$is$greater$than$the$sum$of$its$parts.$While$
this$still$makes$absolute$sense,$there$are$a'lot'of'other'musical'terms'that'have'a'clear'connection'to'multiplatform'and'transmedia'development$and$production$and$can$be$used$to$jog$ones$creative$nodes$and.$Allow$me$to$exemplify$with$ten$of$them:
Beat
The-unit-of-musical-rhythm.
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If$there$is$anything$that$is$essential$for$a$well$executed$project$that$spans$different$
media$and$strives$to$foster$engagement,$it’s$the$beat.$Well$planned$and$produced$
content$with$logical,$well$working$calls$to$action$and$a$rewarding$scheme$for$people$
who$engage$in$the$intended$way,$can’t$help$but$attract$the$desired$attention.$The$beat$is$
everything$though;$release$too$soon$and$people$can$be$overwhelmed,$release$too$
infrequent$and$interest$wanes.
But$unlike$classical$music,$there$is$one$element$here$that$has$the$possibility$to$act$
different.$Since$the$audience’s$role$is$to$be$engaged$and$active,$they$can$inWluence$the$
beat$as$well.$Stories$are$legio$of$producers$with$a$hit$on$their$hands,$having$engaged$
audience$members$run$through$clues$and$mysteries$in$a$fraction$of$the$time$expected.$
Said$producers$struggle$to$release$new$content$and$new$mysteries$to$keep$up$with$
demand$and$try$to$stay$the$course,$time$wise.$It$might$be$better$to$stay$with$the$
intended$beat,$and$instead$plan$for$the$creation$of$ancillary$content$or$calls$to$action,$
that$deliver$engagement$points$but$do$not$affect$the$general$pacing.
Canon-
-A-musical-form-where-the-melody-or-tune-is-imitated-by-individual-parts-at-regular-
intervals.-The-individual-parts-may-enter-at-different-measures-and-pitches.-The-tune-may-
also-be-played-at-different-speeds,-backwards,-or-inverted.
With$an$engaging$story$and$well$produced$content,$we’ll$have$many$people$engaging,$
and$not$all$at$the$same$time.$Thinking$in$terms$of$canon,$how$can$we$plan$our$content$
so$that$no$matter$who$jumps$into$the$narrative$(or$starts$from$the$beginning$while$
others$are$already$way$ahead)$their$experience$and$their$voices$add$to$the$harmony$
instead$of$creating$disharmony?$One$way$is$to$foster$and$support$an$active$community,$
which$welcomes$and$integrates$new$members,$helping$them$up$to$speed$as$necessary.$
Another$way$is$to$offer$easy$ways$to$grasp$the$narrative$so$far,$with$added$points$for$
further$involvement$as$necessary.
Clef
In-sheet-music,-a-symbol-at-the-beginning-of-the-staff-deKining-the-pitch-of-the-notes-found-
in-that-particular-staff.
Most$people$approach$your$content$with$some$preHconceived$notions$of$what$kind$of$
experience$they$should$be$having.$This$is$good,$as$long$as$those$notions$are$not$the$
completely$wrong$ones.$While$it$sometimes$might$pay$off$to$create$something$that$
offers$the$audience$a$shock$treatment$by$deceiving$them$at$the$beginning$of$their$
experience,$then$revealing$the$true$nature$of$the$content,$this$is$most$of$the$time$not$
something$worth$creating.$Hoaxing$has$a$tendency$to$backWire.$So$for$most$project,$a$
clear$indication$prior$to$experiencing$it,$of$what$it$is$and$how$it$is$intended$to$be$
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
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experienced,$can’t$but$help$the$overall$impression$of$the$project.
Conductor
One-who-directs-a-group-of-performers.-The-conductor-indicates-the-tempo,-phrasing,-
dynamics,-and-style-by-gestures-and-facial-expressions.
While$the$conductor$could$be$considered$to$be$you,$the$producer,$the$conductor$could$
also$be$an$inserted$model$participant,$helping$and$guiding$the$audience$along.$At$times$
you$want$to$set$the$participating$audience$free,$give$them$the$control$over$the$narrative.$
Many$times,$though,$it$is$advisable$to$at$least$have$a$point$of$reference,$some$sort$of$
guidance,$to$help$the$story$and$the$experience$along$in$the$intended$manner$–$or$as$a$
tool$to$help$navigate$unknown$waters,$should$the$overall$project$derail$due$to$an$overly$
engaged$audience.
Encore/
A-piece-of-music-played-at-the-end-of-a-recital-responding-to-the-audiences-enthusiastic-
reaction-to-the-performance,-shown-by-continuous-applause.
The$long$tail$is$a$known$Wigure$of$speech$and$a$known$way$to$engage$the$audience$(and$
new$audiences)$in$the$long$run.$But$the$same$goes$for$the$experience$itself;$when$the$
appreciating$audience$demands$more,$will$you$have$anything$for$them?$Can$you$at$least$
lay$out$some$rudimentary$plans$for$how$to$evolve$and$prolong$the$experience;$plans$
that$make$this$prolonged$experience$feel$logical$and$natural,$and$not$as$something$that$
has$been$hastened$along$“due$to$popular$demand”?
$
Fermata/
To-hold-a-tone-or-rest-held-beyond-the-written-value-at-the-discretion-of-the-performer.
How$much$are$you$willing$to$let$your$performers$–$i.e.$your$audience$–$inWluence$what’s$
going$on?$Ideally,$they$will$take$your$project$and$the$overall$experience$to$heart$fully,$
encompass$your$intentions$for$it$and$build$upon$it$in$a$way$that$will$purely$add$to$the$
total$of$the$experience$for$everyone.$But$opening$up$for$total$freedom$will$also$mean$
you$run$the$risk$of$being$the$target$of$deliberate$troll$attacks,$and$perhaps$even$more$
malicious$ones$than$trolls.$Now,$this$can$be$approached$as$merely$a$Wlattery$–$they$care$
enough$to$troll$you$–$or$as$a$nuisance.$One$way$to$address$this$is$to$create$the$so$called$
“sand$boxes”,$i.e.$parts$of$the$narrative$where$creativity$and$engagement$are$
encouraged$and$the$limitations$are$few$or$nonHexistent.$Within$these$sand$boxes,$your$
performers$can$sing$their$hearts$out$or$do$whatever$other$creative$thing$they’d$like.
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Harmony-
Pleasing-combination-of-two-or-three-tones-played-together-in-the-background-while-a-
melody-is-being-played.-Harmony-also-refers-to-the-study-of-chord-progressions.
There$are$few$things$more$challenging$in$storytelling$or$in$content$production$than$
trying$to$get$the$narrative,$the$experience,$to$fully$gel$between$different$platforms.$All$
platforms$should$support$each$other,$every$platform$added$to$the$experience$should$
enhance$it…$but$at$the$same$time,$simply$experiencing$ONE$platform$should$be$enough$
to$get$a$fulWilling$experience.$The$harmony$can$be$achieved$by$experience,$gut$feeling,$
knowledge$and$extensive$testing$on$the$target$audience.
$
Interlude-
Piece-of-instrumental-music-played-between-scenes-in-a-play-or-opera.
What$is$your$interlude?$What$can$your$audience$experience$in$the$spaces$between$your$
installments?$How$are$the$interludes$shaped,$can$they$offer$your$audience$a$chance$to$
create$something$themselves$or$interact$with$either$characters,$other$audience$
members$or$someone$else?$How$do$they$begin$and$more$importantly$how$do$they$end$–$
how$do$they$build$in$a$logical$and$engaging$way$towards$the$next$installment$of$your$
content?
Polyphony-
Combining-a-number-of-individual-but-harmonising-melodies.-Also-known-as-counterpoint.
What$you$do$NOT$want$is$cacophony;$that$jarring$experience$of$a$multitude$of$pieces$
that$do$not$Wit$together$at$all.$Instead,$while$designing$and$producing,$try$to$identify$
which$parts$of$content$could$Wit$together$in$ways$your$audience$might$not$expect.$It$
could$be$the$narrative$of$a$side$character$that$starts$somewhere$off$grid,$before$anyone$
even$knows$it$is$a$side$character,$but$that$is$engaging$and$interesting$in$its$own$ways.$It$
could$be$User$Generated$Content,$contributions$from$fans$or$viewers,$that$offer$a$totally$
different$view$point$(and$based$in$Real$Life)$but$still$with$a$clear$connection$to$the$
original$narrative.$Key$is$–$they$should$all$Wit$together.
$
Scordatura-
The-retuning-of-a-stringed-instrument-in-order-to-play-notes-below-the-ordinary-range-of-
the-instrument-or-to-produce-an-usual-tone-color.
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How$creative$can$you$get?$How$can$you$use$platforms$and$techniques$in$new$ways$that$
will$give$your$audiences$unexpected$experiences?$Can$Periscope$be$used$to$tell$a$long$
form$novel$in$“me”$form?$Can$YouTube$be$used$merely$to$create$a$soundscape$for$the$
overall$experience?$The$sky’s$the$limit$–$retune$your$palette$and$your$tool$box$as$
necessary$(and$if$it$sounds$like$crap,$no$worries;$just$tune$it$back$and$say$“oops!”)
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
41
The-power-of-true-stories
I$recently$read$an$interesting$article$on$storytelling$by$Jonathan$Gottschall.$I’ve$been$for$
a$long$time$–$like$Gottschall,$apparently$–$quite$fascinated$by$the$power$a$wellHcrafted$
and$wellHtold$story$can$have,$in$almost$any$sort$of$circumstances.$In$my$line$of$work$–$
creating,$developing$and$producing$everything$from$TV$shows$to$corporate$storytelling$
ventures$to$storyHdriven$apps$–$storytelling$is$an$essential$part.$I’ve$observed$the$same$
things$that$Gotschall$mentions$in$his$article;$the$Wlocking$of$companies$to$stories$as$a$
means$to$get$their$message$delivered$to$the$intended$target$groups$with$the$intended$
effect.
What$I’ve$also$noticed,$though,$is$a$sometimes'very'apparent'lack'of'knowledge'and'understanding$about$how$a$story$actually$works.$As$I$see$it$there$are$three$important$steps$to$delivering$a$story$experience$and$being$able$to$expect$a$positive$end$result.
First,'we'need'to'know'what'we'want'to'achieve.$As$with$many$buzzwords$and$popular$terms,$there$are$people$who$simply$want$a$story$created$around$their$product$
or$service$or$brand$or$key$characters$because$that’s$what$everyone$else$is$doing.$Or,$
alternatively,$they$have$a$clear$notion$of$why$this$is$important,$but$the$end$goal$is$still$
blurry,$simply$because$they$haven’t$thought$through$the$full$journey$of$the$story$and$of$
the$people$taking$part$of$the$story.
Have-a-very-clear-goal-in-mind-–-where-do-you-want-the-people-who-take-part-of-your-story-
to-end-up?
Second,'we'need'to'know'what'to'do'when'we’ve'reached'our'goal.$The$people$who$have$ended$up$where$you$wanted$them$to$end$up,$having$taken$part$of$your$story,$what$
do$you$want$them$to$do$then?$How$do$you$follow$up$in$a$natural$and$logical$way,$and$
what$will$you$be$aiming$for$then?$And$how$do$you$integrate$a$reward$system$into$all$of$
this,$making$the$people$who$engage$feel$appreciated$and$valued?
Plan-for-all-the-steps-ahead,-and-don’t-underestimate-an-engaged-audience-–-do-it-right,-
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
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and-they-will-be-more-eager-than-you-could-ever-hope-–-or-wish-–-for.
Third,'we'need'to'be'clear'on'how'we'achieve'the'goals'we'set'up.$Whatever$story$we$decide$on$telling,$with$whatever$goal$set$up$and$whatever$desired$interactions$by$
the$people$taking$part$of$it,$we$need$to$make$sure$we’re$authentic,$honest$and$true$to$
the$core$of$what$we’re$offering$people.$If$we$con$them,$if$we’re$less$than$honest,$if$we’re$
in$contradiction$with$other$parts$of$our$being$or$our$narrative,$there$will$be$no$long$tail,$
no$matter$how$much$people$engage$with$us$and$our$stories$initially.
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THE-MEDIA-INDUSTRY
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
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Blowing-up-silos-N-the-evolution-of-media-is-
just-beginning
I’ve$been$fortunate$enough$to$be$in$a$position$where$I$get$called$in$every$now$and$then$
to$help$different$productions,$creators,$companies,$producers$and$other$stakeholders$in$
their$development$work.$The$stuff$I$work$on$ranges$from$corporate$storytelling$via$
academia$to$pure$entertainment$content,$on$all$possible$platforms$(though$rarely$all$at$
the$same$time$or$in$the$context$of$the$same$project).
What$I$Wind$deeply$satisfying$is$the'change'in'perception'I’m'witnessing,$all$over$the$board.$People$are$much'more'willing'to'accept'the'need'to'move'<luently'over'platforms;'in'fact,'even'ignoring'the'platforms'altogether,$with$the$exception$of$the$possible$physical$limitations$they$put$on$the$creation$process.
It'is'the'content,'the'story,'the'message'that'matters.$More$so,$it$is$how'it'resonates'back$from$the$recipients$that$matter.$Even$more$so,$it$is$how$we$as$creators,$as$stakeholders,$answer'to'that'message'in'turn$that$matters.$We'live'in'a'fully'resonant'world,$and$it’s$up$to$us$to$make$sure$that$what$we$and$everyone$else$is$hearing$is$harmonies,$not$dissonant$noise.
I$still$Wind$it$a$challenge$to$break$down$the$siloHed$thinking$in$many$organizations,$
broadcasters$not$the$least.$Nowadays$though,$the$old$silos$have$cracked$and$are$
beginning$to$crumble,$but$beyond$them$a$number$of$new$ones$crown$the$horizon.$
Before,$it$was$impossible$to$make$tech$talk$to$content,$to$make$marketing$understand$
research,$and$you$needed$a$translator$or$Wive$to$make$the$web$people$understand$and$
be$understood$by$the$producers$and$the$editors.
Nowadays$these$silos$are$merging;$the$content$people$know$a$lot$more$about$tech,$the$
tech$people$know$a$lot$more$about$the$importance$of$compelling$and$engaging$content,$
and$the$marketing$people$have$grasped$quite$a$lot$of$all$of$these.$The$silos$nowadays$
are$within$the$different$areas;$there$are$a$myriad$of$possible$collaborations,$coH
production,$coHexistense$and$partnerships,$among$the$different$series$on,$say,$a$TV$
channel,$or$among$the$marketing$messages$from$a$big$corporation.$As$of$yet,$very'few'people'in'these'organizations'see'these'possibilities,'and'even'fewer'want,'or'can,'act'on'them.
We$have$the$tools.$We$have$the$technology.$We$have$the$knowledge,$but$we’re$still$too$
stuck$in$our$old$ways.$I$have$high$hopes$though.$The'evolution'of'media'is'not'stopping'here.
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Solid-economics-in-a-Kluid-content-world
Following$up$on$my$last$post,$the$post$on$using$layered$storytelling$as$a$way$of$coping$
with$reaching$and$engaging$people$in$today’s$world,$I$promised$some$brief$thoughts$on$
one$of$the$things$we’re$all$concerned$about$–$money.$How$do$we$get$a$credible$revenue$
stream$from$our$stories?$When$we$have$connected$and$engaged$with$the$audience,$how'do'we'turn'that'engagement'into'funding;$funding$that$will$help$us$make$more$of$what$we’ve$already$made$and$give$us$something$to$point$to$when$we$want$to$enthuse$
future$partners$and$Winanciers$about$new$ideas$and$new$ventures.
Of$all$the$success$metrics$we$can$play$with$–$views$on$video$platforms$of$different$kinds,$
comments$or$likes$or$favourites$or$replies$on$social$media,$prizes$and$awards$from$
select$bodies$of$more$ore$less$expertHy$experts$–$of'all'of'these,'revenue'and'ROI'are'the'ones'least'possible'to'argue'with.
There$is$also$no$better$way$to$calm$possible$sponsors,$brands$and$investors$than$by$
showing$previous$proWitable$ventures$combined$with$sound$strategies$for$achieving$
similar$results$this$time$around.$But$what$is$it$we$need$to$do?
First,$it$has$to$be$acknowledged$that$this$”what”$depends$highly$on$your$project.$A$
documentary$producer$will$have$less$avenues$to$revenue$than,$say,$someone$producing$
sportsHrelated$content,$entertainment$related$content$or$something$similar.$But$right$
now$we’re$seeing$a$lot$of$interesting$developments$that$we$need$to$pay$heed$to.
First,$and$this$is$based$on$the$layered$principles$in$the$previous$posts,$thinking$of$our$
stories$and$our$content$as'existing'on'different'layers'with'different'traits'and'different'purposes$will$help$us$notice$possibilities$for$revenue.
If$one$layer$is$the$”notiWication”$layer$(since$there$are$a$great$number$of$people$reading$
nothing$but$notiWications$anymore,$leading$to$news$sites$appointing$teams$of$journalists$
with$the$sole$mission$of$writing$stories$as$notiWications)$we$have$a$layer$where$we'catch'the'initial'interest'of'our'audience.$The$task$of$the$layer$is$to$grab$hold$of$their$interest,$their$imagination$and$point$them$to$what$we$want$them$to$do$next.$The$
headline$writers$are$the$star$writers$of$tomorrow$–$no$matter$if$we$encounter$these$
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
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notiWications$on$social$media,$on$messaging$apps$or$anywhere$else.
Another$layer,$the$interactive$layer,$can$consist$of$stories$and$content$on$personal$
messaging$apps$–$as$more$and$more$stories$and$more$and$more$content$will$come$to$
play$out$on$WhatsApp,$Kik,$Snapchat$and$so$on.$All$of$these$are$–$in$and$of$themselves$–$
extremely$interested$in$anything$that$can$make$them$make$more$money,$and$new$
possibilities$to,$for$instance,$pay$with$micropayments$and$peerHtoHpeer$transactions$
from$inside$these$messaging$apps$(for$content,$for$merchandize,$for$extra$whatHhaveH
you)$will$come$to$the$fore$this$year$–$and$this'is'something'we,'when'we'create'stories,'need'to'be'on'top'of.
A$third$layer,$a$Wlash$layer,$can$be$the$one$that$tells$parts$of$our$stories$through$live$
streaming$video$platforms$like$Periscope,$live,$direct$and$uninterrupted$–$offering$us$
the$possibility$to$authentically'connect'to'real:life'events,'real:life'brands'and'real:life'overall.$And$so$we$can$go$on$building$layers,$as$our$stories$and$story$archs$dictate,$always$keeping$the$story$world$and$our$overarching$goals$in$mind.
Secondly,$with$our$stories,$we$can$offer$brands$what$they$crave$the$most$–$engaging$
content,$as$opposed$to$content$that$interrupts.$In$a$research$paper$from$Reuters$54%'of'digital'executives'stated'that'”increasing'the'levels'of'engagement”'was'going'to'be'their'top'priority'in'2016.$I$don’t$think$we,$as$content$creators$and$storytellers,$should$have$this$any$lower$on$our$list$of$priorities.
With$our$stories,$we$can$pan$out$the$story$lines$and$the$divergent$stories$of$our$story$
world$on$any$number$of$platforms,$leaving$everything$from$vague$trails$of$bread$
crumbs$that$point$to$attached$brands,$to$clear$routes$to$purchases$of$merchandise$or$to$
possibilities$for$the$audience$to$join$in$crowd$funding$ventures;$all$according$to$the$best$
needs$of$our$stories$and$our$strategies.
Thirdly$and$Winally$–$what$you$need$for$there$to$be$any$possibility$for$success$with$these$
strategies$are$great$stories,$engaging$narratives,$logical$connections$between$different$
parts$and$different$stories…$and$preferably$some$other$things$as$well.$I$touched$on$this$
in$a$previous$post$a$couple$of$weeks$ago,$when$talking$about$the$formula$for$building$a$
community.$The$same$formula$is,$of$course,$applicable$for$stories$and$content$as$well.
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
47
The-corporate-angle-N-storytelling-for-
business
I$will$confess.$I$like$money.$More$speciWically,$I$like$sound$return$on$investment.$Not$so$
much$for$the$money$itself,$but$for$what$it$signiWies.$In$a$world$of$commercial$interests$
and$globalized$business,$a$world$where$metrics$matter$to$a$lot$of$people,$ROI'is'one'of'the'most'indisputable'metrics'around.
As$I’ve$professed$many$a$time$on$this$blog,'I'strongly'believe'in'softer'metrics'as'well.$Interest,$long$term$engagement,$loyalty$–$all$of$these$are$extremely$important$and$crucial$for$the$success$of$just$about$anything$you$would$want$to$create$that$has$
something$to$do$with$storytelling.$But$it’s$when$these$values$convert$into$ROI$that$they$
become$easier$to$talk$about,$to$pitch,$to$convince$future$collaborators$and$Winanciers$to$
get$involved.
In$one$of$my$capacities,$I$work$with$global$companies,$hoping$to$help$them$improve$
their$outreach$and$their$business$through$that$which$I$know$best$–$storytelling.
When$we$talk$about$B2C$–$businessHtoHconsumer$–$this$is,$well,$not$easy,$but$still$fairly$
straightforward.$The$company$has$a$target$group$in$mind,$they$have$a$product$or$a$
service$to$sell,$they$need$to$pique$the$interest$and$foster$the$engagement$of$the$end$
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
48
consumer$and$they$need$to$convert$this$interest$into$a$Winal$sale.$This$is$not$rocket$
science,$this$is$down$to$experience,$creativity$and$craftsmanship,$and$the$results$can$be$
seen$all$around$you$in$moreHorHless$well$executed$campaigns.
But$then$we$arrive$at$the$B2B$–$businessHtoHbusiness$–$relationships,$and$the$playing$
Wield$changes.$More$for$certain$industries,$less$for$others,$but$the$Wields$are$decidedly$
different.$The$inroad$to$sales$are$different,$the$decision$process$vastly$different,$the$
culture,$the$settings,$the$procedures$and$legalities…$all$very$much$different.$And$so,$I’ve$
asked$myself;$is$it$feasible$to$apply$similar$storytelling$methods$to$a$B2B$setting$as$it$is$
to$a$B2C?
In$a$sense,$deWinitely,$as$research$has$shown.$A$study$from$Switzerland$in$2014,$for$
instance,$focused$on$the$wood$industry$and$a$comparison$of$a$traditional$pitch$vs$a$
storytelling$pitch$built$with$visualizations.$The$results$were$clear:
”[…]$storytelling$and$knowledge$visualization$in$combination$demonstrate$to$causally$
increase$key$measure$for$companies$in$B2B$environment.$Their$combination$increases$
customer$involvement,$several$attitude$measures$and$Winally$also$results$in$a$higher$
purchase$intention.”
Now,$if$I$can$do$something$that$will$increase$every$positive$measurement$point$as$well$
as$increase$the$likelihood$of$the$people$I’m$talking$to$actually$buying$what$I’m$trying$to$
sell$them,$I$will$do$this.$And$in$this$case,$this$”something”$is$storytelling.
Then,$of$course,$we$come$to$the$”how”$of$the$matter.$What$kind$of$stories,$how$should$
they$be$told,$do$we$need$callsHtoHaction$or$something$else…$there$are$a$great$number$of$
challenges.$As$the$researchers$above$concluded:
”Our$experience$shows$that$details$count$very$much.$OversimpliWication,$decreased$
credibility$and$lower$trustworthiness$may$result.$[…]$It$is$also$advisable$to$not$only$use$
storytelling$but$also$include$visual$metaphors.$The$entire$presentation$must$make$sense$
to$the$listeners$and$also$engage$them.$FairyHtale$style$stories$are$not$at$all$suitable.”
And$all$of$this$comes$down$to$knowing$whom'your'creating'your'story'for,'what'their'needs'and'beliefs'and'habits'are,'and'what'you'would'like'for'them'to'do$as$an$outcome$of$you$telling$them$your$story.
Finally,$I$Wirmly$believe$that$the$”soft$practice”$of$storytelling$will$have$an$important$role$
to$play$in$B2B$relations$and$sales$in$the$future.$At$the$end$of$the$day,$when$the$board$of$
directors$or$the$aquisition$ofWicers$sit$in$the$Winal$meeting$with$the$Excel$sheet$of$
possible$services$or$products$in$front$of$them,$the$stories$you’ve$told$them$about$your$
product,$your$services$and$your$experts$could$be$the$crucial$ones,$tipping$the$scales$in$
your$favor.$If$you’ve$done$them$right,$that$is…
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
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Where-does-virtual-reality-Kit?
Lately$virtual$reality$has$been$the$buzzword$to$throw$around$whenever$any$kind$of$
content$discussion$has$taken$place.$There’s$no$denying$it’s$an$interesting$development$
in$the$content$business,$nor$is$there$any$denying$there$is$a$fair$amount$of$funding$and$
some$pretty$big$movers$and$shakers$involved$in$creating$the$tech$and$the$content$that$
should$make$VR$shine.
I’ve$consulted$on$the$storyHangle$of$a$couple$of$VR$projects$and$I’ve$made$sure$I’ve$been$
keeping$tabs$on$different$interesting$projects$in$the$Wield$–$both$when$it$comes$to$tech$
and$when$it$comes$to$stories.$But$the$more$I$delve$into$VR$(and$to$be$fair,$I$haven’t$yet$
fully$dismissed$he$notion$that$it$will$all$turn$out$to$be$the$new$3D$TV$hype$or$any$other$
of$the$myriads$of$hypes$that$have$sprung$up$over$the$past$years$and$decades)$the$more$
I’m$inclined$to$agree$with$Mike$Monello$who$commented$on$VR$that:
“A$lot$of$money$and$talent$are$Wlooding$into$the$VR$space,$hoping$to$crack$the$nut$of$VR$
storytelling.$VR$is$incredible$for$so$many$experiences,$but$linear$storytelling$doesn’t$
seem$to$be$one$of$them.$I’m$not$being$a$crotchety$old$man$here$—$over$the$last$25$years$
I’ve$collected$numerous$VR$headsets$and$gear.$A$VR$language$will$emerge,$and$it$will$be$
exciting,$but$it$won’t$be$centered$around$storytelling.
I$believe$the'real'strength'of'VR'will'lie'in'providing'experiences,'not'stories'per'say.$Yes,$the$experiences$will$contain$stories,$but$not$in$the$way$the$entertainment$industry,$say,$would$recognize$them$as.
I$can$see$a$VR$project$where$we$follow$someone$canoeing$up$the$Amazonas,$in$real$
time….$Although$we$can$pause$it$anytime$we$want,$and$return$to$it$anytime$we$want.$I$
can$see$–$as$soon$as$live$streaming$speed$and$tech$is$up$to$scratch$–$us$watching$a$
boxing$game$or$a$football$game,$while$sitting$next$to$a$famous$boxer$or$footballer$who$
talk$to$us$throughout$the$game$about$interesting$aspects$of$the$match$or$game.$I$think$
VR$will$be$just$that$–$virtual$reality,$not$virtual$blockbuster$movie$or$virtual$tv$series$–$
and$I$think$we$need$to$approach$the$possibilities$from$that$angle.”
Note:-There-are-naturally-a-host-of-other-spaces,-apart-from-storytelling-and-content-
production,-where-VR-will-play-important-roles,-from-allowing-judges-and-lawyers-to-
better-experience-a-crime-scene,-to-allowing-doctors-to-examine-conditions-more-
thoroughly,-all-the-way-to-using-VR-as-pain-relief.-This-post-though-only-addresses-content.
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
50
Marketing-and-the-unending-complexity
Over$the$past$few$years$I’ve$helped$produce$a$fair$share$of$marketing.$It’s$not$something$
I’m$ashamed$of,$far$from$it.$In$a$sense$they’ve$been$opportunities$to$utilize$storytelling$
and,$yes,$transmedia$storytelling$methods$for$the$most$logical$of$reasons;$trying$to$
entice$an$audience$to$commit$to$a$buy.$In$many$cases$the$”buy”$has$been,$admittedly,$
less$about$an$actual$purchase$and$more$about$”buying$into”$the$values$of$a$brand$or$the$
experiences$offered$by$another.$What$is$utterly$clear$is$that$stories,$and$how$you$tell$
them,$matter.
In$a$post$on$”25$needHtoHknow$marketing$stats”,$published$by$Contently$the$other$day,$
they$state$the$fairly$obvious$–$the$world$of$marketing$is$changing,$and$it’s$changing$
rapidly.$But$some$of$the$stats$in$the$post$point$to$undercurrents$of$a$fundamentally$
changing$relationship$with$the$audience:
Stat'one$–$”In$2016,$digital$video$ad$spend$will$exceed$TV$ad$spend$for$the$Wirst$time”.
This$feels$like$a$pretty$identiWiable$tipping$point.$Now,$the$TV$ad$business$is$still$
massive.$But$the$stat$above$only$means$that$the$online$video$ad$business$is$even$more$
massive.$If$anyone$reading$this$is$doing$anything$pointing$towards$online$and$video$and$
ads,$you$need$to$–$assuming$you$haven’t$already$–$read$up$and$watch$up$on$a$lot$of$
stories$around$producing$for$digital$and$online.$This$Fast$Company$article$on$Buzzfeed$
is$a$pretty$good$place$to$start$…$since$you$will$have$to$reboot$your$preferred$modus$
operandi$from$the$ground$up.$We$all$know$the$30$second$spot$doesn’t$have$the$same$
impact$is$has$had$–$unless$you$can$shape$it$into$a$part$of$something$bigger$which$leads$
to$better$results,$and$in$such$a$context$online$is$almost$always$a$crucial$part.
Audience$engagement$strategies,$strategies$for$social$media$impact,$all$of$these$are$
obvious$yet$hard$to$do$right.$But$for$traditional$video$producers,$simply$the$change$to$a$
totally$other$pace$and$a$totally$other$way$of$looking$at$content$is$a$big$step.
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
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Stat'two$–$”Adblocking$grew$by$41%$year$over$year$in$the$past$12$months.”
Some$organizations$and$content$producers$have$decided$to$block$access$to$their$content$
from$anyone$using$an$adblocker.$And$while$it’s$easy$to$disable$the$adblocker$for$a$site,$
I’ve$lately$found$myself$go$”nah,$I$didn’t$need$to$read$that$article$anyway”$and$switched$
to$other$content$instead.
This$struggle$–$adblockers$on$one$side,$companies$relying$on$income$from$ads$on$the$
other$side$–$means$that$we$need$to$be$more$creative$regarding$how$we$present$ads.$We$
could$have$a$preHroll$compilation$of$ads,$guaranteeing$one$week$of$access$to$all$content$
if$we$just$watch$them.$We$could$have$brands$featured$on$a$much$deeper$level$–$
naturally$without$trying$to$”trick”$or$”deceive”$someone.$Or$we$could$try$to$Wind$value$in$
other$things$–$in$an$answer$to$a$brief$survey$question,$in$a$”hot$or$not”$judgement$call$
on$two$or$more$of$the$sponsors$products$or$services,$and$so$on.$Key$to$all$of$this$will$be$
storytelling$–$how$do$we$present$these$solutions,$whatever$they$may$be,$to$the$
audience?
In$campaigns$I’m$working$on$at$the$moment$the$longevity$of$the$stories$are$more$and$
more$in$focus,$as$are$them$being$a$part$of$a$greater$narrative$instead$of$oneHoff$ad$spots.$
This$increases$the$chances$of$the$audience$coming$upon$one$part$of$the$narrative$or$
another,$and$following$the$trail$of$breadcrumbs$experiencing$other$parts$as$well.
Stat'three$–$”DataHdriven$marketing$led$to$revenue$increases$for$57%$of$marketers”.
Data$is$very$good.$Accurate$data$inWluencing$decisions$is$even$better.$But$in$the$end$it$all$
boils$down$to$what$great$storytellers$have$known$–$and$done$–$throughout$the$ages$–$
you$need$to$really,$really$KNOW$YOUR$AUDIENCE.$This,$again,$feels$like$such$an$obvious$
fact$to$state,$but$another$stat$in$the$article$pointed$out$that$many$marketers$have$never$
performed$quality$tests$of$their$data$–$many$didn’t$even$know$if$they$had$done$it.$Take$
care$of$your$data$and$it$will$take$care$of$you.$The$Buzzfeed$article$linked$above$also$tells$
of$how$they$approach$data$–$as$an$integral$part$of$development,$production$and$
distribution.
Stat'four$–$”Only$12%$of$marketers$believe$they$have$”highHperformance”$content$marketing$engines.”
So,$there$is$an$obvious$need$for$engaging$stories$and$campaigns$for$brands.$What$does$
this$mean?$This$means$great$opportunities$for$anyone$in$the$cross$sections$of$
storytelling,$tech,$audience$research,$video$producer$and$so$on.$My$advice$is$–$learn$as$
much$as$you$possible$can.$Apps,$IoT,$VR…$there’s$so$much$you$need$to$know$about.$Not$
know$as$in$mastering$them,$but$know-about,$so$you$know$how$they$could$Wit$whatever$it$
is$you’re$working$on$and$whom$to$turn$to$to$make$them$real.$Then$it’s$a$question$of$
Winding$the$right$collaborators$–$and$my$experience$is$that$if$you$have$a$project$
interesting$and$wellHfounded$(and$wellHfunded)$enough,$Winding$these$should$be$fairly$
easy.
Stat'<ive$–$”Marketers$who$blog$are$13$times$more$likely$to$generate$ROI”.
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This$I’ve$seen$on$a$number$of$occasions$–$a$perceived$need$of$a$”thought$leader”$arising$
from$an$organization,$in$order$to$distinguish$themselves$from$competitors,$and$an$
urgent$need$for$the$thought$leader$to$have$something$to$say.$This$usually$starts$out$as$
factHWilled$texts$or$videos$with$fairly$low$impact,$leading$to$an$even$more$urgent$need$of$
compelling$and$engaging$stories$to$tell,$that$still$are$informative$and$reputationH
enhancing$enough.
In$order$to$be$able$to$combine$the$two$–$the$facts$and$Wigures$with$the$story$that$
engages$the$audience’s$imagination$–$means$that$you$need$to$know$the$story$you$want$
to$tell,$intimately,$and$even$more$important,$you$need$to$know$your$own$story.$Who$are$
you$in$this$campaign,$this$project?$Who$are$you$really,$and$how$does$your$reality$align$
with$the$message$you’re$planning$to$tell?$Getting$all$of$this$working$together$smoothly,$
without$friction,$will$make$the$whole$greater$than$the$sum$of$the$parts.
Stat'six$–$”TwoHthirds$of$readers$have$felt$deceived$upon$realizing$an$article$or$video$was$sponsored$by$a$brand”.
If$you$want$to$work$with$brands$and$tell$their$messages$to$an$audience,$you$need$to$be$
smarter$than$deceiving$them.$There’s$been$a$lot$of$discussion$regarding$the$“hoaxing”$of$
the$audience,$and$in$general$this$is$a$big$noHno.$No$one$likes$to$feel$duped$or$stupid.$
Conversely,$no$one$minds$if$you’re$being$upfront$and$honest$with$what$you$want$to$
achieve.
Integrate$the$sponsors$into$your$creative$process$before$the$development$phase$and$see$
what$works$the$very$best$in$conjunction$with$the$story$you$intend$to$sell$–$while$still$
not$being$at$odds$with$the$values$and$the$message$of$the$brand.$Don’t$deceive$–$unless$
you$can$do$it$in$such$a$original,$funny$or$surprising$way$that$you$can$guarantee$even$the$
most$antiHpeople$will$buy$into$it.
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
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Only-as-strong-as-your-weakest-link
When$developing$stories$and$projects$and$creating$and$producing$content$today,$the$
temptations$are$endless.$Today$we$no$longer$need$to$’only’$write$a$book$or$’only’$create$
a$movie$script,$the'possibilities'are'manifold'and'the'possible'rewards'huge.
On$this$blog$I’ve$been$promoting$the$principles$and$methods$of$–$well,$call$it$
transmedia,$cross$media,$multiplatform,$what$have$you$–$over$the$past$few$years.$Back$
in$the$day,$2012$or$H13$or$so,$I$wrote$that$I$couldn’t$wait$for$the$time$to$arrive$when$we$
no$longer$needed$any$of$those$terms,$as$everything$created$and$produced$and$
distributed$already$had$all$the$transmedia$angles$and$multiplatform$stories$needed,$as$a$
natural$part$of$the$setup$from$the$outset.$No$need$to$defend$the$spreading$out$of$a$story$
arch$over$different$media,$no$need$ot$justify$the$extra$costs$of$applying$social$mediaH
based$Wiction$for$engagement$and$outreach…'Everyone'involved'would'know'why'different'media'were'utilized'and'how'to'do'it'in'the'best'possible'way.
Utopia?$Indeed.$But$while$we$haven’t$yet$arrived$fully,$there$are$still$many$encouraging$
signs.$The'audience'has'–'as'audiences'are'wont'to'do'–'not'cared'one'iota'about'the'plights'of'the'creators,$instead$merrily$moved$into$the$spaces$most$rewarding$and$suitable$for$them,$leaving$content$producers$and$creators$to$catch$up$as$best$they$can.
Creators$all$over$the$world$are$Winding$the$new$possibilities$less$and$less$daunting$and$
more$and$more$exciting$with$each$passing$day.$Looking$at$the$success$of$projects$all$
around$them,$they$take$inspiration$and$best$practices$from$any$number$of$areas,$
applying$them$in$innovative$ways$to$their$own$creations.
Even$brands$and$organizations$are$slowly$but$surely$picking$up$pace,$which$will$lead$to$
a$lot$of$headacheHinducing$mistakes,$but$also,$ultimately,$to$new$ways$of$telling$stories,$
engaging$people,$harnessing$engagement$and$providing$longHlasting,$rewarding$
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
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experiences.
There$is$one$point$where$I$feel$the$need$to$stress$caution$though,$especially$looking$at$a$
number$of$projects$I’ve$been$involved$in$in$one$capacity$or$another.$Don’t'overreach.$A$chain$is$only$as$strong$as$its$weakest$link,$and$a$multiplatform$story$arch$is$only$as$
strong$as$its$weakest$story$or$platform.
You’ve$created$your$experience$as$one$where$consuming$the$content$on$one$platform$is$
enjoyable,$but$consuming$the$content$–$as$intended$–$over$all$platforms,$building$on$
each$other$or$complementing$each$other$or$merely$adding$to$the$common$story$world$
will$give$the$full,$immersive$experience$you’re$aiming$for.$But$this,$in$turn,$means$that$
you$have$to$put$100%$effort$into$each$and$every$one$of$these$platforms$and$stories,$into$
their$content,$their$strategies$of$reaching$people,$their$calls$to$action,$their$reward$
structures$for$interacting$audiences…
Too$often$do$I$see$people$who$pour$all$their$energy$into$their$Wilm,$their$series,$their$
documentary$or$their$book,$while$adding$on$social$media$or$vlogs$or$graphic$novels$as$
an$afterthought.$Yes,$in$their$plans$and$in$their$outlines$these$are$all$as$important$part$
of$the$full$experience$as$anything$else,$but$their$heart,$as$creators$and$producers,$are$set$
on$certain$parts$of$the$output$more$than$others.$I’ll$stress$that$I$think$this$all$is$fully$
understandable$–$it’s$all$about$our$backgrounds,$our$experiences$and$what$we$feel$the$
most$strongly$about.
What'we'should'feel'most'strongly'about,'though,'is'making'sure'we'reach'and'engage'our'audience.$That$should$be$our$priority,$guided$by$thorough$research$and$sound$strategies.$If$we$can$manage$this,$the$platforms$we$feel$most$strongly$for$will$also$
see$a$bigger$uptake.$It’s$a$winHwinHwin$situation$all$around.
What$I’ve$found$is$helpful$is$taking$a$step$back$quite$often$under$the$development$
process,$bringing$in$some$fresh$eyes$if$possible,$even$”playtesting”$the$story$archs$and$
the$bridges$in$the$narrative$on$paper,$to$analyze$the$different$parts.$Are$they$of$equal$
worth,$experienceHwise$(taking$into$account$the$traits$of$the$different$platforms)?$Are$
their$callsHtoHaction$equally$enticing?$Are$they$logically$connected,$or$do$we$risk$losing$
people$in$transition?$Are$the$rewards$for$engaging$equally$fulWilling?
Finally$–$don’t'be'afraid'to'drop'parts'of'your'project.$There$is$no$need$to$have$Wictional$Facebook$characters$for$your$project$if$they$don’t$add$positively$to$the$
experience.$There’s$no$need$to$create$a$graphic$novel$just$to$create$a$graphic$novel.$The$
weakest$story$in$your$project$might$not,$on$closer$inspection,$have$to$be$there$at$all.
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The-creative-society
There$are$trends$in$today’s$world,$and$there$are$things$that$could$be$better$described$as$
megaHtrends.$One$of$them$is$–$building$on$things$I’ve$discussed$in$posts$on$this$blog$
over$the$past$few$weeks,$months$and$years$–$the'notion'of'a'creative'society.
Everywhere$we$look,$creativity$is$lauded,$creativity$is$longed$for,$creativity$is$heralded$
as$thatHwhichHwillHpullHusHallHupHfromHtheHdoldrumsHandHusherHusHintoHUtopia.$At$the$
same$time,$a$whole$generation$–$and$a$lot$of$other$people$as$well$–$are$familiarizing$
themselves$with$the$multitude$of$tools,$methods,$principles$and$best$practices$that$can$
help$them$discover$their$own$creativity$and$develop$it$into$something$worth$pursuing.$
And$at$the$same$time,$technological$and$sociological$innovations$allow$these$people$to$
reach$out,$reach$other$people,$Wind$an$audience$and$engage$with$them$in$ways$and$on$a$
scale$previously$impossible.
Creativity-is-the-act-of-turning-new-and-imaginative-ideas-into-reality.-Creativity-is-characterised-by-the-ability-to-perceive-the-world-in-new-ways,-to-Kind-hidden-patterns,-to-
make-connections-between-seemingly-unrelated-phenomena,-and-to-generate-solutions.-
Creativity-involves-two-processes:-thinking,-then-producing.-If-you-have-ideas,-but-don’t-act-
on-them,-you-are-imaginative-but-not-
creative.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------–-Creativity$At$Work
As$always,$my$angle$on$this$is$from$the$point$of$a$storyteller,$writer,$producer$and$
content$creator.$As$we$discussed$earlier,$harnessing$the$audience’s$inert$creativity$and$
their$inert$desire$to$engage,$interact$and$create$in$connection$to$content$that$they$
connect$to$and$care$about,$is$imperative$today.$If'you'do'not'engage'your'audience,'co:create'with'them'and'validate'their'interactions,'someone'else'will.
This$is,$of$course,$assuming$that$you$as$a$creator$is$interested$in$longHterm$engagement,$
a$loyal$–$if$sometimes$headstrong$and$critical$–$following,$a$giveHandHtake$relationship$
with$an$audience$that$derives$entertainment,$information$and/or$pleasure$from$your$
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creative$output,$just$as$you$can$derive$the$same$from$theirs.$I$will$admit,$I$don’t$see$why$
anyone$who$creates$content$would$NOT$want$this,$but$then$again$I$might$lack$
imagination.
What$I$see$though,$is$a'certain'responsibility'on'our'part'as'creators.$I’ve$talked$about$the$need$to$have$clear$callsHtoHaction,$showing$everyone$a$clear$desired$route$
ahead.$I’ve$talked$about$the$need$to$plan$for$longHterm$engagement,$of$the$need$of$
setting$up$clear$goal$posts$and$of$the$need$to$research$the$target$audience$so$that$all$of$
these$efforts$are$correctly$applied.$But$there$is$another$responsibility$as$well.
If$our$audience$–$or$at$least$the$active$part$of$our$audience,$as$there$will$always$be$those$
not$inclined$to$activate$themselves$–$is$our$coHcreators,$our$coHproducers,$then$we$need$
to$address$the$whole$of$the$output,$including$the$output$by$the$audience,$as$a$part$of$the$
production$process.$We$are$no$longer$talking$about$a$Wirst$step,$which$is$our$output,$and$
a$second$step,$which$is$what$the$audience$creates.'It'is'all'the'same'production,'and'needs'to'be'handled'as'such.
This$involves$a$change$in$mindset.$For$instance,$we$are$looking$at$a$kind$of$propagation$
planning$–$we'don’t'think'about'the'people'we'want'to'reach,'our'audience:co:creators,'but'the'people'we'want'to'reach'through'them,'a'much'greater'audience.$Or$WinancialHwise$–$we$should$be$prepared$to$reward$those$who$actively$create$together$
with$us,$within$our$story$world,$not$only$with$tHshirts$and$mugs$but$with$money$as$well,$
as$they$are,$in$a$way,$also$working$for$us.
And$this$”us”$in$this$mindset$is$no$longer$”us$as$original$producers$and$creators”.$The$
”us”$we’re$talking$about$in$this$setting$is'the'whole'of'our'narrative'arch,'of'our'story'world'and'our'stories'within'it.$It$is,$in$a$sense,$both$bigger$and$smaller$than$the$people$who$originally$put$the$Wirst$ideas$and$stories$together.
In$a$truly$creative$society,$there$is$no$“keeping$control$of$the$narrative”$or$“keeping$
everything$under$wraps”.$And$in$truth,$there$is$no$need$to,$as$long$as$the'ensuing'action'and'interaction'is'planned'for,'expected'and'welcomed.
These$are$my$Wirst$thoughts$on$this$matter$that$I$felt$comfortable$jotting$down.$Any$
thoughts$or$feedback$appreciated!
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Evolution-is-around-the-corner
I’ve$spent$the$last$few$days$on$the$sunny$Riviera,$immersing$myself$in$MIPFormats,$
MIPDigital$and$MIPTV,$the$biggest$market$places$around$when$it$comes$to$TV$content$
and,$nowadays,$increasingly$online$and$mobile$and$social$content$as$well.$I$was$even$
invited$to$take$part$in$a$panel,$which$was$interesting$–$I’ve$never$been$labeled$a$
”futurologist”$before,$but$now$I$have.
The$market$was$chockHfull$of$content,$of$all$shapes$and$forms.$There$were$also$a$focus$
on$a$lot$of$forwardHpointing$phenomenons,$like$VR$or$AR$or$UHD$(Ultra$HD).$The$MCN:s$
were$out$in$force,$from$Maker$Studios$to$Machinima$and$so$on.$And$there$were$the$
usual$starHstudded$cocktails$and$receptions,$of$course.
My$overwhelming$feeling$after$having$attended$the$MIPs$this$spring$is,$however,$a'feeling'of'misguided'anticipation.$There$is$a$strong$current$and$strong$feeling$of$a'shift'in'how'the'market'is'and'behaves$being$just$around$the$corner.$There$is$disruption$left$and$right,$with$online$producers$and$companies$eating$into$the$
previously$untouchable$audiences$of$the$broadcasters.$There$is$a$question$of$
broadcasters$themselves$moving$increasingly$into$the$online$sphere$themselves.$There'is'a'de<inite'acceptance'of'the'audience'no'longer'being'anything'like'the'audiences'of'yesterday,$and$a$growing$belief$in$there$being$a$narrative$worth$
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exploring$beyond$that$of$the$traditional$media$industry.
I$wonder,$though,$how$much$time$it$will$be$allowed$to$take.$Those$formerly$known$as$
the$audience$will$not$stand$still$and$wait$for$content$creators$and$producers$to$catch$up$
with$them$–$they$will,$as$always,$and$of$late$increasingly$so,$forge$their$own$way$and$
Wind$their$own$tribes.$Much$of$what$was$offered$up$at$MIP$this$year$could$be$better$
described$as$standing$in$the$way$of$this$audience$movement.
At$MIPFormats$over$the$weekend$a$great$many$TV$formats$were$on$display.$Just$like$
last$year,$and$the$year$before$that,$there$was$precious$little$that$could$be$lauded$at$the$
Next$Big$Thing.$Many$were$riffs$off$of$older$formats$–$seriously,$how$many$twists$on$
dating$shows$can$there$be?$–$and$others$were$just$weird$or$uninteresting$(Let’s$Wind$out$
if$dogs$can$learn$to$Wly$a$plane?$Or$what$if$we$host$a$quiz$show$where$everyone$
competing$needs$to$dress$and$sound$like$animals?$Or$for$that$matter,$what$if$we$made$a$
behindHtheHscenes$reality$series$on$the$animals$of$a$zoo?)$.
What'will'the'Next'Big'Thing'be?$Will$it$be$one$smashing$TV$format?$Or$will$it$–$as$I$believe$–$be$something$that$is$perhaps$not'considered'a'Next'Big'Thing'if'you'look'at'its'different'parts'(on'all'media'platforms)'but'where'the'total'is'greater'than'the'sum'of'its'parts?$In$an$interconnected,$socially$and$creatively$driven$world,$such$a$proposition$would$make$the$most$sense.$If$we$can$turn$the$corner$soon,$we$might$be$
able$to$Wind$this$necessary$evolution$of$the$media$industry$before$it’s$too$late.
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On-the-importance-of-long-term-thinking
Over$the$past$few$years$I’ve$been$involved$in$quite$a$few$different$storytelling$projects.$
Some$of$them$have$been$in$the$corporate$Wield$–$helping$companies$tell$the$stories$of$the$
products,$projects$or$people$in$ways$that$reWlect$the$values$and$principles$of$said$
company.$Increasingly$I’ve$also$been$happy$to$try$to$encourage$a$recognition$of$the$fact$
that$we'all'need'to'think'long:term$to$cope$with$the$pace$and$demands$of$today’s$world.
Most$people$are$in$agreement$today$that$storytelling'is'an'integral'part'of'any'company’s'identity.$The$craft$and$skill$–$and$even$art$–$of$telling$an$engaging$and$informative$story$is$more$in$demand$today$than$ever$before.$The$platforms$used$vary$
with$the$targets$groups$we$want$to$reach$and$with$the$stories$we$want$to$tell,$but$the$
story$(or$stories)$are$at$the$heart$of$what$we$try$to$achieve.
I$read$an$article$the$other$day$where$the$script$writers$Christopher$Markus$and$Stephen$
McFeely$talked$about$their$work$with$the$world$and$the$story$arcs$of$Marvel,$in$
connection$with$the$latest$Captain$America$movie.$In$it,$they$talk$about$longHterm$
storytelling$and$about$how$the$different$parts$of$the$Marvel$universe$necessarily$affect$
each$other$–$and$do'so'in'a'positive,'organic,'sometimes'unintentional'way,'that'gives'rise'to'new'stories'that'are'utterly'believable'and'engaging.
The$same$goes$for$corporate$storytelling$today.$In$order$to$have$an$audience$to$pay$
attention$to$a$brand$message$we$need$a$strong$story.$But$in$order$for$the$audience$to$
fully$immerse$themselves$in$what$the$company,$brand,$product$or$service$is$about,$we'need'interconnected'stories'that'support'each'other'and'build'over'the'long'run.
Yes,$a$great$30$second$spot$is$a$great$30$second$spot,$but$if$they$grow$from$a$common$
story$world,$the$next$image,$blog$post,$article,$video,$billboard$or$interview$will$build$on$
the$story$from$that$brilliant$ad,$or$at$the$very$least$enhance$the$strength$of$the$story$
world$they$all$have$in$common.$Think$not$of$the$people$you$want$to$reach,$think$of$the$
people$you$want$them$to$reach.$And'think'not'of'the'people'you'want'to'reach'tomorrow,'think'of'the'people'you'want'to'reach'a'year'from'now.
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One Year in Now Media Vol VI
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Lean-content-creation-N-together-with-the-
audience
I’ve$been$fascinated$by$the$lean'development'principles$for$quite$some$time.$It$is$something$that$feels$very$right,$very$modern$and$very$effective,$even$if$the$principles$
and$the$way$of$working$might$take$some$time$getting$used$to$and$embracing$–$more$or$
less$time,$depending$on$what$kind$of$company$you’re$working$for$and$what$Wield$you’re$
active$in.$Still,$viable$principles$for$creating$great$products$and$services$that$can$reach$a$
customer$base.
What$I’ve$been$thinking$about,$however,$is$how'these'notions'of'lean'development'could'be'brought'into'the'content'creation'business.$It’s$a$Wield$that$for$a$long$time$–$and$to$quite$an$extent$still$–$is$crowded$by$creators,$producers,$writers,$”gurus”$that$
come$up$with$an$idea,$develop$it$(alone$or$together$with$someone$else),$produce$it$
(again,$alone$or$together$with$a$company$for$instance)$and$realese$it.$Be$it$a$book,$a$
podcast,$a$documentary,$a$tv$series,$a$blog$or$something$else,$the$traditional$way$of$
going$about$it$is$to$have$the$content$originate$somewhere,$and$then$be$placed$in$the$
hands$of$a$smaller$or$bigger$producing$entity$that$releases$it$unto$an$audience$when$it’s$
ready.
A$friend$of$mine$wrote$a$blog$post$the$other$day$on$how$they’ve$–$successfully$–$
implemented$the$lean$principles$at$the$ofWice$he$runs,$and$the$ten$steps$lined$up$in$the$
post$makes$perfect$sense$for$a$group$of$people$working$together$towards$a$common$
goal.
Now,$why$could$not$these$principles$be$transferable$to$the$creation$of$content$together$
with$an$audience?$”Make'everything'scale”$is$the$Wirst$point$on$the$list,$and$that$would,$in$my$mind,$be$an$obvious$principle$to$adhere$to$when$it$comes$to$a$story$or$a$story$
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world$you’ve$created.$If'it’s'possible'to'scale'it'will'make'room'for'the'audience,'for'other'creators,'for'new'possibilities,'for'new'media'platforms…$for$just$about$anything$your$story$would$need.
The$following$points$–$”Allow'people'to'scale”$and$”Leave'your'ego'at'the'door”$–$would$in$a$creatorHplusHaudience$setting$be$just$that$–$the$letting'go'of'control'of'the'stories'and'world'you’ve'created,'in'favor'of'letting'them'grow'with'the'help'of'the'nurturing'cares'of'a'multiheaded'audience,$working$together$with$the$creator$to$create$something$bigger$and$better$and$more$engaging$and$exciting.
And$looking$at$the$other$points$Jonas$makes,$they$all$make$sense$too,$in$such$a$setting.$
These$are:
• No'ones'owns'their'work'(but$how$do$I$monetize?$you$cry$out.$As$do$I!$But$I$believe$we$would$need$to$think$creatively$about$that$as$well$–$if$you$have$a$
sizeable$audience,$selling$the$story$to$them$is$only$one$way$to$make$a$living$out$
of$the$thing$you’ve$created.$There$are$many,$many$others.)
• Leaders'don’t'tell'people'what'to'do'(here$slight$nudges$might$come$in$handy$though,$as$well$as$some$goals$for$the$process$on$a$whole$and$on$a$more$direct$
leve,$the$story/stories)
• Automate'whenever'you'can.'(Rhymes$very$well$with$the$interconnected$world$we$live$in$today,$even$if$a$creative$process$leaves$less$to$automation$than$
others.)
• Be'ready'to'kill'your'darlings.'(In$the$same$vein$as$the$leaving$your$ego$at$the$doorHpoint,$once$we’ve$let$the$audience$in$on$working$with$us,$our$darlings$will$
not$necessarily$be$anyone$else’s$darlings)
• Get'a'feedback'loop'going,'Make'your'processes'and'goals'clear'and'visible'and'No'silos.'(All$point$towards$more$transparency,$more$openness,$an$increased$readiness$to$accept$the$views$of$others$as$being$as$viable$as$your$own,$
even$if$you$would$be$the$original$creator$of$the$original$idea).
Now,$content$will$of$course$–$for$the$foreseeable$future$–$still$follow$along$the$
traditional$lines$outlined$at$the$beginning$of$this$post.$The$creator$creates,$the$audience$
receives.$But$the$ones$that$get$these$points,$the$ones$that$feel$that$working$lean$in$an$
audienceHengaged$contest…$these$creators,$they'will'reap'rewards'that'will'make'everyone'else'stand'up'and'take'notice.
Note-–-researching-this-post-I-found-that-others-unsurprisingly-are-thinking-along-similar-
tracks.-Check-for-instance-out-Ian-Lamont’s-posts-on-the-same-topic-over-here.
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THE-AUDIENCE
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
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Be-there-for-your-audience
From$time$to$time$I’m$called$in$to$the$Finnish$Broadcasting$Company$to$sit$in$as$an$
”expert”$on$their$social$media$panel$–$basically$discussing$the$latest$going$ons$in$the$
world$of$social$media,$what$new$solutions$or$services$are$out$there,$what$the$most$
talked$about$topics$are,$and$why$we$should$care.$It’s$an$interesting$assignment$that$
correlates$pretty$well$with$what$I’m$doing$otherwise,$and$I$get$to$step$back$into$my$old$
role$of$radio$professional,$which$I$still$Wind$pretty$neat.
In$the$course$of$researching$for$my$next$appearance$I$stumbled$upon$a$slightly$
disconcerting$research$paper,$stating$that,$on'average,'we'can'only'count'on'four'of'our'Facebook'friends'in'a'crisis.$The$research$–$which$was$conducted$in$the$UK$–$shows$that$the$average$Facebook$user$has$approximately$150$friends,$and$that$on$
average$we$can$only$count$on$15$people$to$express$sympathy,$much$less$help$out$if$
times$get$rough.
This$got$me$thinking$about$our$responsibility$as$content$creators.$No,$we’re$not$creating$
something$that$is$necessarily$real.$No,$we’re$not$childhood$friends$of$people.$No,$we$
won’t$set$up$coffee$dates$or$lunches$with$our$audience.$But'what'we'create'–'inspirational,'engaging,'moving,'unsettling,'vulnerable,'loveable,'disgusting,'scary,'heart:warming'characters'and'stories'–'can'be'as'important'to'people'as'the'majority'of'their'<leeting'contacts'on'social'media.
This,$in$turn,$makes$us$responsible.$Just$as$we$can’t$ignore$a$friend’s$plea$for$help$or$
advice$or$guidance,$if$we,$in$our$hearts,$want$to$consider$us$real$friends,$we'can’t'
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ignore'our'audience’s'needs'either.$There’s$simple$things,$like$if'we'have'committed'to'a'release'schedule,'we'must'adhere'to'it.$If$we$have$committed$to$a$tone,$to$a$feel$of$our$content,$we'must'maintain'it$(or$have$a$very$good$reason$to$tamper$with$it).$But$also$more$complex$things$–$we$need$to$continuously$listen$to$our$audience$and$research$
them,$so$that$we$know$them$and$can$anticipate$their$mood$swings,$their$changing$behaviour$and$what$way$they’ll$be$moving$in$the$near$future.
If'the'average'person'can'only'count'on'four'of'their'”friends”'on'social'media,'what'we'create'should'be'the'<ifth.
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Earning-the-trust-of-your-audience
The$other$day$I$read$an$interesting$report$from$2015$from$Gartner.$The$topic$was$
”Apply$Digital$Humanism$to$Customer$Experience$Design”$(requires-registration).$As$
most$things$that$Gartner$put$out,$it’s$geared$towards$the$people$at$places$like$General$
Electric$or$Adidas$or$H&M$or$Booking.com;$large$companies$that$handle$customer$
interaction$on$a$daily$basis,$in$huge$numbers.$At$the$same$time,$I$can’t$help$but$think$
that$creators$in$the$content$business$can$make$use$of$the$facts$and$principles$outlined$
as$well.
The$report$highlights$the'importance'of'humanism$in$today’s$increasingly$transparent$society,$where$one$of$the$major$drawbacks$of$being$constantly$online$
seems$to$be$that$it$is$now$impossible$not$to$have$organizations$and$companies$track$
your$every$movement,$every$search$and$every$purchase.$This,$in$turn,$has$led$to$fear'and'anxiety$about$private$spheres$being$increasingly$invaded.
While$42%$were$still$onboard$with$the$thought$of$a$company$analyzing$their$purchase$
patterns$with$that$company,$only$33%$thought$it$was$ok$for$the$company$to$analyze$
demographic$information.$Only$20%$thought$it$was$OK$for$the$company$to$search$their$
online$history,$10%$thought$it$was$somehow$OK$for$the$company$to$check$their$social$
media$postings,$and$amazingly$enough,$5%$were$still$OK$with$the$thought$of$a$company$
searching$through$their$email.
What$can$creators$learn$from$all$this?$Well,$that$we’re$in$a$bit$of$a$conundrum$right$
now.$There$is$SO$much$content$Wighting$for$peoples’$attention$that$it’s$easy$to$believe$
that$we$need$to$shout$our$message$from$the$rooftops,$deafening$the$din$of$all$other$
creators.$There$is$SO$much$interaction$going$on$that$it’s$easy$to$go$to$any$lengths$to$
make$sure$that$it$is$MY$content$they$interact$with,$that$it’s$MY$plans$for$audience$
engagement$and$strategies$for$social$media$impact$they$pay$attention$to$and$follow$
along$with.$But'that'is'perhaps'not'the'right'way'to'go.
One$core$principle$of$Digital$Humanism$is$the$notion$of$respecting$personal$space.$Now,$
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how$do$we$do$this,$while$at$the$same$time$being$able$to$entice$our$target$audience$into$
engaging,$participating,$contributing$and$interacting?$I$think$the$answer$is$manyfold.
For$one$thing,$automation$–$while$saving$sooo$much$time$and$being$soooo$handy$–$
should'be'used'with'extreme'prejudice.$An$automated$occurence$has$no$way$of$gauging$whether$a$personal$space$is$being$invaded$or$not,$and$can’t$in$any$way$respond$
to$such$a$situation,$should$it$arise.$Fewer$interaction$points,$but$moderated$by$people,$
would$be$my$preferred$solution.$This$also$forces$the$production$and$the$creator$to$kill$
quite$a$lot$of$darlings$and$focus$on$only$the$most$essential$interaction$possibilities;$in$
and$of$itself$a$useful$excercise.
Secondly,$we$need$to$earn'the'trust'of'our'audience'and'treat'it'with'utmost'respect.$A$company$or$an$organization$can$never$be$trusted$by$someone$as$much$as$they$trust$their$intimate$relations$or$near$friends$–$therefore$it$is$not$plausible$to,$as$a$
company,$expect$that$a$person$would$want$to$share$information$with$the$company$to$
the$same$extent$they$would$agree$to$share$it$with$their$friends.$But$through$storytelling$
and$character$building,$we$might$be$able$to$overcome$at$least$some$of$this$divide;$
people$can$be$more$trusting$towards$a$wellHcrafted$character$–$even$if$they$know$it’s$
”only”$storytelling$–$than$a$faceless$company.$The$second$this$character$betrays$their$
trust$though,$all$of$that$is$gone.
I$could$go$on,$but$I$think$I’ve$made$my$point.$There$is$an$inherent$lack$of$trust$
nowadays,$that$we$all$are$competing$against.$The$only$way$to$overcome$that$lack$is$to$
show'an'unwavering'respect'for'the'audience,'through'interactions'and'non:interactions.$Combine$this$with$a'compelling'story,'great'characters'and'a'well:thought'out'plan'for'interaction,'engagement'and'validation….$What$more$do$you$need?
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A-word-on-trust
In$my$last$post$I$shared$some$thoughts$on$the$importance$of$earning$the$trust$of$your$
audience,$a$crucial$thing$for$any$creator$and$storyteller.$If$your$audience$does$not$trust$
you,$or$if$you$betray$their$trust,$you$will$either'be'largely'ignored'or'face'a'world'of'hurt'at'some'point.
This,$though,$is$a$coin$with$two$distinct$sides.$See$–$you$need$to$get$your$audience$to$
trust$you.$But$at$the$same$time,$you'would'do'well'to'trust'your'audience'in'return.$And$no,$unlike$you,$they$don’t$have$to$do$much$anything$to$earn$your$trust.$If$you$want$
to$fully$explore$and$exploit$the$possibilities$of$an$engaged$and$interacting$audience,$
trust'is'a'must.
Now,$the$kneeHjerk$reaction$to$this$(and$I$will$readily$admit,$my$gut$feeling)$is$a$
resounding$”NO$WAY!”.$I$was$raised$in$the$traditional$broadcast$and$publishing$media$
landscape,$where$I$was$akin$to$the$translator$/$information$professional$/$gatekeeper$/$
entertainer$between$the$audience$on$the$one$hand,$and$content,$artists,$music,$footage,$
you$name$it,$on$the$other$hand.$Back$then,$you$produced$something,$you$broadcast$it,$
waited$for$the$accolades$or$the$hate,$and$moved$on.$Granted,$in$radio$I$found$it$exciting$
to$have$the$live$and$direct$contact$with$the$audience,$where$just$about$anything$could$
happen.$This$was,$however,$still$framed$by$the$context$of$the$show,$and$seldom'could'the'audience'in'any'way,'shape'or'form'run'away'with'the'narrative.
Today$though,$I$can$think$of$few$more$exciting$things$than$an$immersed$and$engaged$
audience$doing$away$with$something$I’ve$created$and$letting'that'narrative'fuel'their'own'creative'<lows'and'their'own'stories.$Nothing,$as$a$storyteller,$could$make$me$happier.
But$this,$again,$takes$me$back$to$my$earlier$point$–$the$one$about$trust.$We'need'to'
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bravely'let'go'of'our'control'of'our'stories'–'or'at'least'of'the'worlds'of'our'stories.$We$need$to$trust$the$people$charmed$by$our$tales,$and$their$inert$abilities$to$nurture$
our$worlds$and$let$them$grow,$while$feeding$them$through$stories$and$creations$of$their$
own.
But$wait!$you$cry.$What$if$they$can’t$be$trusted?$What$if$they$distort$and$warp$our$
stories$into$something$horrible?$What$if$I$lose$control$totally,$and$never$can$get$it$back?
That$is$a$risk$we$have$to$take.$But$if$a$story$of$yours$only$invokes$derision,$or$even$
worse,$indifference,$is'that'really'a'story'you'want'to'tell?$And$if$it$invokes$laughter,$or$compassion,$or$excitement,$or$sadness,$but$also$a$good$amount$of$derision$and$
frowns,$all$the$better!$You$can$watch$stories$and$arguments$rise$from$the$interaction$of$
the$different$camps$that$can$give$fodder$to$any$number$of$future$stories…$and,$as$with$
humanity$in$general,$over$the$long$run,$the'constructive'side'will'prevail,$and$you$will$be$all$the$happier$for$it.
Earn$your$audience’s$trust.$But$don’t'forget'to'trust'them'in'return!
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Creating-a-community-from-scratch
It$doesn’t$matter$who$we$are,$we$all$want$the$same$thing.$If$we’re$documentary$
Wilmmakers$or$marketing$professionals,$if$we’re$experience$designers$or$PR$managers$at$
BigCorp.$What'we'really'really'want'is'to'create'something'that'builds'a'community.
This$community$should,$in$an$ideal$world,$also$have$a$number$of$ideal$traits$–$it$should$
be$<iercely'loyal$to$whatever$it$is$we’ve$created$that$the$community$has$been$built$around.$It$should$be$pretty'blind'to'obvious'faults$with$whatever$it$is$we’re$peddling$to$them$(pretty$unlikely,$I$concur).$And$it$should$be$a$community$that$both'fosters'and'regulates'itself,$allowing$us$to$spend$a$minimum$of$effort$and$funds$maintaining$it.
Now,$the$world$we’re$living$in$is,$last$time$I$looked,$not$quite$ideal.$It$is$quite$possible$
that$our$community$–$should$we$manage$to$induce$it’s$creation$and$fan$its’$Wlames$until$
it$is$selfHsufWicient$–$would'become'an'uncontrollable'beast.$That’s$what$I$was$touching$on$in$my$last$post$–$about$the$importance$of$trusting$your$audience,$as$scary$as$
it$may$seem.
But$how$do$we$create$this$community?$Luckily,'there’s'a'formula'for'that.$See,$I$believe$we$can$grow$a$community$from$anything$we$come$up$with.$It’s$just$a$matter$of$
adding$up$enough$to$get$over$the$threshold.$Enough$of$what$you$ask?$That’s$where$the$
formula$comes$in:
$
If'a'project'can'be'allocated'enough'time,'enough'currency'and'enough'luck,'it'will'succeed'in'creating'a'vibrant'community.$It’s$the$total$amount$that$counts,$so$too$little$time$can$be$offset$with$currency$or$luck,$and$vice$versa.$Currency'is'the'multi:variable'in'the'equation;$it$can$be$something$as$simple$as$money,$or$something$less$tangible$like$status$of$collaborators,$star$power$of$advocates$or$key$players,$the$
quality$of$the$concept,$project$or$content$itself,$the$attraction$power$of$the$overall$
experience,$the$projects$ability$to$tap$into$current$trends,$or$something$else.
Now,$mind,$even$if$all$of$these,$and$luck$as$well,$were$at$a$low,$it$could$still$be$offset$by$
investing$time.$On$the$other$hand,$investing$such$a$considerable$amount$of$time$would$
be$sure$to$raise$the$currency$of$the$project$as$well,$which$would$make$it$even$more$
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likely$to$succeed.
If$you$analyze$your$project,$do$you$believe$its’$different$parts$add$up?$And$if$they$don’t,$
where'can'you'add'something'to'the'equation?
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On-the-future-of-media-and-audiences
I’ve$never$been$labeled$a$”futurologist”$before,$but$last$week$I$was.$I$had$been$invited$to$
talk$on$a$panel$at$MIPTV$under$this$banner.$Three$of$us$–$me,$Eric$Scherer$from$France$
Television$and$Bill$Baggelaar,$SVP$of$Tech$production$and$PostHproduction$at$Sony$–$
were$tasked$with$commenting$on$the$trends$for$the$future$that$IHS’$Principal$Analyst$
Paul$Gray$had$talked$about$in$his$presentation$just$before$us.
My$role$was$that$of$a$producer$and$creator$(and$developer$and$strategist$and…),$
basically$coming$from$the$content$production$side$a$bit$more$than$my$two$coHpanelists.$
And$while$Paul’s$presentation$was$interesting$–$touching$on$everything$from$VR$and$AR$
to$the$”democratization$of$video”$–$I$still$felt$that$the$greatest$changes$for$anyone$in$the$
media$business$are$in'the'core'of'what'we’re'trying'to'tell,'how'we’re'trying'to'tell'it,'whom'we’re'trying'to'reach'and'how.
Firstly,$as$a$producer$and$content$creator,$I$think$one$of$the$main$things$we’re$facing$
right$now$with$regards$to$making$our$craft$proWitable$(or$more$proWitable)$is$that$it'is'about'<inding'new'connections$–$or$discovering'the'ones'that'are'already'there'and'how'we'can'make'use'of'them.$We$need$to$think$creatively$ow$we$can$knit'together'active,'creative'audiences'with'brands,'publishers,'networks,'companies'and'organizations,$using$stories$and$content$as$our$thread$and$the$–$for$each$case$–$most$suitable$media$platforms$as$our$canvas.
I$believe$–$as$I’ve$also$recently$read$in$a$couple$of$articles$–$that$we’re'moving'into'an'age'where'the'best'merchants,'the'ones'making'the'biggest'impacts'on'markets,'are'also'the'best'storytellers$–$not$necessarily$the$best$producers$or$manufacturers.$It$will$increasingly$be$about$the$ones$that$can$reach$an$audience$with$their$stories,$stories$
that$are$crafted$to$resonate$with$the$audience$and$foster$engagement$and$thereby$
loyalty.
SecondIy,$thinking$back$on$the$different$future$trends$Paul$Gray$talked$about,$from$the$
democratization$of$video$to$the$fragmentation$of$content$everywhere,$there'is'a'
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fundamental'need'for'each'and'everyone'of'us'in'the'creative'industries'to'start'to'listen'a'lot'more.$We$–$everyone$in$the$business$–$need$to$reshape$our$way$of$thinking$about$audiences.
As$a$comparison,$anyone$who$has$children$probably$know$the$situation$when$you$need$
to$get$something$done$quickly,$and$you$basically$order$your$kids$around?$It$might$work,$
but$you’ll$be$upset,$they’ll$be$upset$and$it’ll$be$no$fun$for$anyone$involved.$If$we$listen$to$
them,$know$what$their$life$is$like$from$their$point$of$view$and$can$factor$that$in$to$what$
needs$to$be$done,$we’ll$have$a$much$easier$time.$And$while$this$might$work$well$with$
your$children,$the$same$methods$can$have$an$even$greater$impact$on$an$audience$you’re$
trying$to$reach.$Respect$and$attention!
Thirdly,$I$liked$what$Sky’s$Jeremy$Darroch$said$in$a$panel$the$day$before$–$“If$content$is$
the$tennis$ball,$technology$is$the$top$spin$that$we$put$on$it$to$make$it$bounce$a$bit$
higher”.$It’s$a$quote$that’s$been$used$before,$but$it’s$no$less$true$for$all$that.
Ultimately$though,$what$I$feel$all$technology$innovations$in$media$are$helping$us$do,$is$
move'into'a'new'kind'of'storytelling.$If$the$majority$of$stories$told$over$the$past$hundred$years$or$so,$probably$much$longer,$have$been$based$on$the$classical$Hero’s$
Journey$–$protagonist’s$world$is$upheaved,$protagonist$needs$to$go$on$some$kind$of$
journey$to$evolve$and$become$a$better$hero…$Today,$with$the$connected$society$we’re$
seeing,$with$the$technological$possibilities$available$to$us,$we’re$looking$at$a$shift$
towards$a$“Collective$Journey”$instead.$These$are$stories$and$narratives$made$possible$
by$the$technology$today,$and$see$us$as$a$collective$that$face$the$challenges,$take$the$
risks,$reap$the$beneWits.$We$are$uniquely$individual,$but$the$total$of$our$collective$is$
more$than$the$sum$of$its$parts.
I$feel$this'is'a'momentous'shift'in'how'we'approach'storytelling'and'storycrafting,$and$the$content$development$needs$to$move$with$this.
Fourthly,$the$question$was$asked$during$the$panel$if$we$feel$there$is$a$certain$need$for$
broadcasters$to$go$down$the$ATAWAD$road$–$AnyTimeAnyWhereAnyDevice$–$and$I$
absolutely$do,$as$long$as$it$is$based$on$sound$research.$For$me$it’s$quite$simple$–$if$you$
know$whom$you’re$trying$to$reach,$you$need$to$know$where$they$are.$If$they$are$
everywhere$at$any$time$on$any$device$–$you$deWinitely$need$to$consider$being$there$too.$
If'not,'someone'else'will'be.
The$future$is$always$notoriously$difWicult$to$predict.$One$thing$we$can$be$sure$of$is$that$it$
will$never$be$100%$alike$what$we$envision$it$to$become.$But$right$now,$the$possibilities$
are$there$for$this$to$be$quite$an$interesting$ride…
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How-to-make-your-story-resonate
If$there$is$one$thing$we$all$want$it’s$to'be'heard'and'recognized.$Whatever$the$story$we$are$telling$is,$we'want'it'to'reach'someone'and'cause'a'reaction.$Most$of$the$stories$we$tell$are$personal,$directed$at$one$person$or$a$small$group,$but$some$are$
intended$for$far$larger$audiences.
If$you’ve$been$paying$attention$to$the$worlds$of$media,$entertainment,$marketing$and$
B2B,$there$is$one$term$that$is$right$now$the$hottest$one$around.$Storytelling$is$what$
everyone$wants$to$be$doing,$or$at$least$be$perceived$to$be$doing.$All$it’s$different$subH
layers$–$transmedia$storytelling,$creative$storytelling,$multiplatform$storytelling,$
interactive$storytelling…$the$list$goes$on$and$on$–$are$geared'towards'the'same'end'goal;$to$make$a$story$resonate$with$an$intended$target$audience$and$cause$an$intended$reaction.
I’ve$been$writing$passionately$about$storytelling$in$many$different$forms$on$this$blog$for$
the$past$few$years.$My$focus$has$been$on$the$transmedia$part$of$storytelling,$as$I$was$
and$still$am$convinced$that$new$media$platforms$offer$new$possibilities$to$reach$and$
engage$with$audiences,$and$that$ignoring$the$fact$that$different$media$platforms$have$
different$strengths$and$different$weaknesses$is$downright$stupid.$If'we'can'engage'with'an'audience'on'a'deeper'and'more'effective'level'by'shaping'our'content'to'<it'different'platforms,'to'not'do'so'is'above'and'beyond'pure'laziness.
As$for$the$principles$of$how$this$could$be$done$–$and$this$is$of$course$highly$dependent$
on$the$Wield$you’re$in,$the$story$you’re$telling$and$the$audience$you$want$to$reach$(not$to$
mention$budget$constraints,$the$territory$you’re$targeting$etc$and$so$on)$–$there$are$a$
number$of$posts$around$the$web,$and$also$here$on$this$blog,$relating$to$how$it$could$and$
should$be$done.$But$once$you’ve$Wigured$out$the$core$of$your$story,$the$core$of$your$
story$world,$your$target$audience$and$your$intended$media$platforms,$there$is$still$the$
allHimportant,$elusive$question$of$making$your$content$resonate.
I$read$a$post$the$other$day$that$was$intended$for$brands,$looking$at$what$stories$they$
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tell$and$how$they$achieve$the$intended$result$among$the$target$audiences$they$are$
trying$to$reach.$In$the$study,$six$different$archetypes$of$stories$were$identiWied.$What$
was$interesting$to$me$was$that$it$was$quite$apparent$that$the$stories$the$brands$and$
their$storytellers$were$the$most$interested$in$telling$were'not'the'ones'the'audience'were'the'most'interested'in'hearing.
The$archetype$“ragsHtoHriches”$stood$out$as$the$one$brands$liked$to$tell$the$most.$It$is$
understandable,$as$it$is$a$very$classical$story$and$story$line,$no$matter$what$the$core$
subject$is,$and$it’s$one$that$is$easily$pitched$to$anyone$paying$for$the$production.$What$
people$were$more$interested$in,$however,$were$the$more$complicated$story$lines$–$
“richesHtoHragsHtoHriches”$or$vice$versa$–$stories$that$dive$deeper$into$the$protagonists$
and$their$fates,$and$offer$deeper$insights$and$meanings.
People’s$lives$are$complex$matters,$and$while$ragsHtoHriches$stories$might$be$convenient$
to$create$and$produce,$more'complex'stories'also'give'more'opportunities'for'target'audiences'to'identify'with'the'subject,'while'at'the'same'time'building'the'foundation'for'more'intricate'and'complex'interactivity'and'calls:to:action.
So,$how$to$make$our$story,$our$content$resonate?$Here$are$three$key$principles:
1.'Never'settle'for'the'<irst'obvious'solution.$It’s$like$every$other$production$of$almost$anything$–$that$you$create$for$the$Wirst$time$–$in$that$when$you$think$you’re$90%$
Winished,$you$have$about$90&$left$to$do.$Granted,$you$might$get$an$epiphany$so$strong$
and$so$spot$on,$that$you$can$just$sit$down,$write$it$out,$have$it$produced$and$achieve$
storming$success.$You$would$have$a$bigger$chance$of$winning$any$given$lottery$though,$
so$instead$stay$healthily$critical$towards$that$Wirst,$brilliant$idea.$Bounce$it$off$everyone$
you$can$think$of,$including$yourself.$What$are$the$weaknesses,$what$are$the$strengths,$
how$does$it$build$forward$and$how$can$it$be$bettered$upon?$Because$believe$me$–$it$can$
be$bettered$upon.
2.'Your'audience'is'more'important'than'your'story.$If$you$have$a$devoted$audience$and$no$story,$there$is$a$myriad$of$things$you$can$accomplish.$If$you$have$a$great$story$
and$no$audience,$you$can’t$do$shit.$If$you$feel$your$story$and$your$content$is$on$the$
weaker$side,$either$as$story$goes$or$as$interaction$goes$or$as$transmedia$storytelling$
goes$or$according$to$any$other$principle,$you$already$have$your$most$important$asset;$
use$your$audience$to$get$it$moving$in$the$right$direction.$How$can$they$mash$it$all$up?$
How$can$you$use$what$they$create$to$better$your$content?$How$can$it$all$build$on$each$
other,$strengthening$along$the$way,$to$something$much$better$that$you$and$your$
audience$are$both$invested$in?$Revere$and$celebrate$your$audience,$for$without$them$
you’re$nothing.
3.'Stay'on'it.$When$Red$Bull$started$out$in$2005$and$2006$they$sponsored$local$hip$hop$contests$and$had$some$very$brief$videos$of$paragliders$landing$in$Las$Vegas.$Not$much$
to$inspire,$not$much$to$resonate$with.$But$now?$Through$a$clear$and$–$in$hindsight$–$
fairly$obvious$concentration$on$high$energy$extreme$sports$(including$eHsports$etc)$
their$stories$are$the$ones$people$associate$with$all$things$extreme$sport$today.$But$it$
took$years$and$years,$and$carefully$maintained$strategies$along$the$way$to$get$to$that$
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point.$If$you’re$convinced$your$story$is$solid$and$that$is$has$an$audience,$analyze,$tweak,$
release,$and$rinse$and$repeat.$You$can’t$but$achieve$success$if$you$manage$to$do$this$
right.
THE-INTERVIEWS
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INTRODUCTION
I$have,$again,$had$the$opportunity$to$reach$out$to$a$number$of$people$around$the$world$
to$get$their$thoughts$on$what$2016$amounted$to,$in$the$world$of$media$and$now$media.$
Everything$is$moving$in$a$multitude$of$directions$at$once,$often$at$neck$breaking$speed,$
and$keeping$up$is$getting$more$difWicult$by$the$day.
I$count$myself$lucky$that$I’ve$been$able$to$tap$into$the$experiences$and$thoughts$of$some$
truly$brilliant$people$around$the$world.$This$section$is$dedicated$to$them$H$from$Jeff$
Gomez’$insightful$comments$on$the$notion$of$the$collective$journey,$its$pitfalls$and$
possibilities$and$correlations$to$ISIS$and$the$US$presidential$election,$to$Asta$Wellejus$
thoughts$on$how$broadcasters$are$Winally$waking$up$to$the$possibilities$of$multiplatform$
production,$distribution$and$audience$engagement,$and$a$lot$of$other$brilliant$insights$
in$between.$My$heartfelt$thanks$to$these$collaborators.
As$always,$discussion$or$comments$are$thoroughly$welcome.$Find$me$on$Twitter,$on$
Facebook,$on$LinkedIn,$on$my$blog,$on$Instagram,$on$Slideshare…$just$about$
everywhere.$Looking$forward$to$hearing$from$you!
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Michael-Monello- ---|$twitter.com/mikemonello$|
What'were'the'high'points'for'you'in'2016,'media'wise?
2016$was$an$odd$year$in$that$a$lot$of$very$good$stuff$came$out$but$very$little$of$it$struck$
me$as$worthy$of$entering$the$pantheon$of$greatness.$Independent$and$art$projects$
continued$to$push$boundaries,$but$the$high$points$were$seeing$many$of$the$ideas$
“transmedia”$“new$media”$and$“digital”$creators$have$been$deploying$for$years$
mainstreamed$into$more$commercial$and$popular$media.$The$second$season$of$Mr.$
Robot$was$the$standout$example,$as$creator$Sam$Ismail$delivered$a$season$of$television$
that$pushed$the$boundaries$of$what’s$possible$on$basic$cable$while$diving$into$
connected$immersive$experiences$and$transmedia$storytelling$within$existing$corporate$
structures,$all$while$refusing$to$pander$to$audiences.$Here’s$hoping$more$TV$creators$
jump$in$and$get$involved$in$all$the$other$places$their$stories$live.
What'projects'made'you'sit'up'and'take'notice'and'why?
Last$year$I$said$podcasting$was$the$space$to$watch$and$that’s$even$more$true$in$2017.$
Gimlet$Media’s$Homecoming$is$a$major$gauntlet$thrown$on$behalf$of$podcasting$as$a$
platform$for$scripted$storytelling.$Yes,$there$have$been$many$Wiction$podcasts,$but$by$
and$large$they$have$suffered$from$inconsistent$quality,$as$writing,$directing,$
performances,$sound$design$and$mixing$have$ranged$from$decent$to$awful,$often$within$
the$same$episode.$Homecoming$brings$together$a$wellHknown$and$respected$cast$of$
actors$like$Catherine$Keener,$Oscar$Isaac,$David$Schwimmer,$and$Amy$Sedaris$in$the$
service$of$a$story$that$doesn’t$pretend$to$be$“found$audio”$or$follow$the$tropes$of$nonH
Wiction$podcasts$to$tell$a$sophisticated$serialized$story.$And$the$industry$has$taken$note$
—$six$weeks$after$Homecoming$launched,$a$deal$was$struck$for$Mr.$Robot$creator$Sam$
Ismail$to$develop$it$into$a$TV$series.
$
You’ve'picked'up'a'fair'amount'of'prizes'and'recognition'for'your'work'over'the'past'year':'how'do'you'feel'your'roles'and'possibilities'have'changed'over'the'past'years?
December$2016$marked$the$10$year$anniversary$of$CampWire,$and$I’m$proud$to$say$that$
while$our$roles$and$possibilities$have$changed$radically$over$the$years,$how$we$
approach$the$work$and$what$we$hold$as$important$has$remained$as$relevant$and$
unchanged$as$day$one.$The$most$signiWicant$change$we$are$seeing$is$that$producers$and$
show$runners$are$now$reaching$out$directly$to$collaborate$much$earlier$in$the$process.$
While$established$producers$and$creators$have$mastered$running$writers$rooms$and$
producing$television$series,$creating$connected$immersive$experiences,$fan$engagement,$
and$design$for$participation$are$radically$different$skills$and$the$forward$thinking$
producers$realize$they$need$experienced$collaborators$on$their$team.$It’s$an$exciting$
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change,$and$it$has$major$implications$for$the$industry$as$a$whole.
CampWire’s$success$with$awards$this$year$has$been$nice,$I’m$very$proud$of$all$the$work$
and$especially$proud$of$the$team$we’ve$built.$Our$2017$focus$is$to$continue$pushing$our$
clients$and$ourselves$to$produce$more$meaningful$work,$to$explore$the$boundaries$of$
what’s$possible,$and$strive$for$excellence$in$everything$we$do.
What'are'the'trends'and'what'direction'is'the'industry'heading'in?'And'is'it'a'good'thing'or'not?
Advertising$and$Marketing:$It$was$a$terrible$year$for$marketing$and$advertising$in$
general.$There$was$precious$little$exciting$or$revolutionary$work$amongst$the$big$award$
winners$in$the$advertising$shows.$Unfortunately,$this$stands$to$follow$as$the$industry$
continues$it’s$awful$trend$of$losing$the$most$innovative$thinkers$for$more$creative$and$
challenging$opportunities$in$technology$and$the$arts.$It$doesn’t$help$that$clients$are$still$
more$content$to$throw$their$budgets$at$programmatic$and$platformHbased$solutions$
rather$than$creative$experimentation$and$innovation.$But$everything$works$in$cycles$
and$as$programatic$fails$to$deliver$on$the$hype$while$the$platforms$continually$roll$back$
their$false$video$metrics$in$ever$more$embarrassing$announcements,$the$smart$brands$
will$do$more$work$with$creative$teams$and$groups$that$don’t$resemble$or$function$like$
ad$agencies.$This$is$a$good$thing$for$innovators$and$entrepreneurs,$a$bad$thing$for$
agencies$unwilling$to$disrupt$dying$revenue$streams$in$order$to$adapt$to$radical$change.
Television$continues$to$see$radical$changes$as$the$streaming$networks$commit$massive$
budgets$to$developing$new$work$and$attracting$premium$talent,$leaving$the$traditional$
cable$networks$behind,$saddled$with$legacy$business$models$that$must$be$maintained.$
These$networks$can’t$compete$with$the$streamers$on$budgets$and$quantity$of$original$
programming,$which$will$force$them$to$redeWine$what$a$season,$a$series,$an$episode,$
even$what$constitutes$a$“show.”$Transmedia$storytellers,$your$moment$is$coming.$That$
is,$if$they$haven’t$all$left$the$building$and$moved$on$to$VR.$
Those$that$have$jumped$into$VR$will$be$back$soon$enough.$There’s$simply$too$much$
money,$too$little$adopted$hardware,$and$even$less$audience$interest$to$appease$
impatient$investors.$We’ll$see$the$bubble$pop$and$the$market$correct,$which$is$a$good$
thing.$Don’t$count$it$out,$VR$has$a$bright$future,$but$it’s$still$a$ways$off.
What'are'you'looking'forward'to'the'most'for'2017?
I’m$most$excited$about$that$thing$someone$is$making$right$now$that$none$of$us$knows$is$
coming$but$when$it$does$we’ll$all$be$blown$away.$Don’t$keep$us$waiting$too$long,$ok?$
Of$all$the$stuff$that’s$been$hyped$to$death,$I’m$looking$forward$to$the$return$of$Twin$
Peaks$and$the$new$season$of$Mystery$Science$Theater$3000.$I’m$also$looking$forward$to$
new$albums$by$The$Jesus$and$Mary$Chain$and$Grandaddy,$because$I’m$old$and$both$of$
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those$bands$are$better$than$what$the$Pitchfork$kiddies$are$calling$“indie”$these$days.
What'should'we'make'sure'to'keep'an'eye'on?
Serialized$storytelling$and$deep$world$building$in$all$formats$—$TV,$movies,$audio/
podcasts,$digital,$written,$you$name$it.$The$economics$favor$franchise$building$and$the$
creators$who$can$tell$meaningful$linear$stories$and$design$amazing$immersive$
experiences$are$poised$to$rule$2017$and$beyond.
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Maya-Zuckerman- ----|$twitter.com/maya_z00$|
What/were/the/high/points/for/you/in/2016,/media/wise?/What/projects/made/you/sit/up/and/take/notice/and/why?
Media$is$such$a$vast$ecosystem$these$days.$So$when$looking$at$the$term$I$will$be$
focusing$on$media$for$entertainment$(and$might$I$say$positive$entertainment)$but$will$
also$look$at$media$as$a$global$term$for$ideas$been$exchanged$on$the$different$mediums.$
As$I$am$sitting$in$San$Francisco,$after$going$through$a$crazy$news$media$blitz$year$H$it's$
great$to$focus$on$escapist$media$for$a$bit.
A$big$highlight$for$me$was$trying$out$both$the$Hololens$and$Meta$AR$glass$this$year$and$
seeing$the$potential$of$where$Augmented$Reality$may$be$going$next.$It’s$obvious$that$it’s$
still$in$it’s$nascent$stage.$Furthermore,$the$whole$AR$industry$is$far$more$focused$on$
enterprise$solutions$at$this$moment.$The$attempt$at$a$“killer$AR$app”$$with$the$
PokemonHGo$deWinitely$showed$the$potential$of$the$technology$H$but$I$suspect$we$are$
still$pretty$far.$
My$humble$predictions$that$VR$is$still$very$early$in$its$mass$adoption$was$vindicated$
this$year$H$especially$with$news$of$Chinese$VR$market$imploding$this$month.$
I$suspect$virtual$reality$will$continue$trending$and$growing$H$but$might$be$at$a$slower$
pace$as$the$technology,$new$creative$language,$and$market$adoption$has$yet$to$mature.
That$said$H$my$favorite$VR$projects$were$tilt$brush$for$sure.$For$360$experiences$the$full$
dome$experience$by$the$Artist$Android$Jones$H$Samskara$H$which$I$managed$to$view$in$
different$festivals$globally.$
Full$dome$experiences$have$been$on$the$rise$and$they$merge$the$best$of$both$worlds:$
Immersive$360$experiences$combined$with$being$in$a$psychical$social$environment.$
This$physicality,$sense$of$space$and$proximity$to$other$humans,$sharing$of$the$
experience$is$deWinitely$what$is$lacking$in$the$Virtual$Reality$world.
He$also$has$a$tiltHbrush$experience$called$Microdose.
My$other$favorite$VR$experience$was$using$the$Sixense$STEMS.
The/principles/around/The/Collective/Journey/can/be/seen/in/a/lot/of/places/today/J/do/you/feel/this/is/something/people/have/been/taking/to/heart/more/over/the/past/year/than/before?/
I$have$written$extensively$earlier$this$year,$along$with$Jeff$Gomez$and$Joe$Brewer$about$
the$Collective$Journey$H$read$more$here.
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In$it’s$purest$essence:$the$Collective$Journey$is$the$coming$of$age$metaphor$for$
humanity’s$rise$from$adolescence$to$adulthood.
One$comment$I$will$make$clear:$I$am$seeing$a$huge$difference$between$a$true$collective$
journey$H$which$is$as$mentioned$above,$a$mature$state$of$being,$and$can$be$seen$in$
geopolitical$and$social$movements$such$as$“Standing$Rock”,$“Our$Revolution”,$
environmental$groups$and$the$Cleantech$movement.$I$am$also$seeing$a$pattern$of$taking$
memes$from$favorite$storyworlds,$such$as$Star$Wars$(people$are$building$the$Rebel$
Alliance$as$we$speak)$and$the$Hunger$Games$H$http://district13house.org/$$H$using$the$
name$of$the$rebel$district$from$the$storyworld$to$create$an$actual$resistance$house$in$
Washington$DC.$Amongst$these$and$others$groups$who$all$aim$to$support$everyone’s$
quality$of$lives$and$look$at$design$questions$that$aim$to$make$the$world$work$for$all$
people.$
The$other$groups$that$are$showing$up$en$masse$represent$that$dark$side$of$the$
collectives$H$in$a$Borg$type$mentality—which$are$the$altHright$narratives$that$are$
forming$globally,$the$antiHintellectualism$and$climateHdeniers.$All$weaving$false$and$
hateful$narratives$under$a$singular$idea.$This$is$the$anthesis$to$the$multithread,$multiH
POV,$metanarrative$and$complex$system$approach$of$the$collective$journey.$The$idea$of$
taking$a$stand$for$others,$for$bigger$complex$narratives,$will$be$a$global$movement$that$
will$grow$exponentially$in$the$next$few$years.$
In$media,$I$am$starting$to$see$more$of$this.$The$second$season$of$Sense8$is$the$purest$
form$of$the$collective$journey$in$media$I$have$seen.$It’s$truly$the$ideation$of$moving$from$
singular$to$collective$perspective$in$a$coherent$and$emergent$way.$
Other$simple$examples,$such$as$creating$collective$environments$such$as$escape$rooms,$
the$festival$culture$that$is$Wlourishing$globally$and$the$narrative$of$moving$from$festival$
culture$to$land$projects$as$a$new$cultural$narrative$that$has$been$emergent$in$these$subH
culture$groups.
Collective$Journeys$are$difWicult$to$create$in$linear$form$H$as$they$are$nonHlinear$and$
complex,$adaptive$systems.$Which$is$why$seeing$spaceHasHaHplatform$for$such$
environments,$is$essential.
One$Wilm$that$stood$out$for$me$this$year$in$using$evolved$narratives,$was$“Arrival”,$with$
its$epic$soundtrack$and$nonHlinear$narrative.
One$aspect$that$stood$out$for$me$was$the$use$of$a$protagonist$who$was$an$empath$and$a$
woman.$Not$the$usual$Hero’s$Journey.$This$Wilm$took$another$bold$step$beyond$the$
formulaic,$linear$narrative.$Coupled$with$great$acting$and$cinematography,$this$Wilm$
certainly$stood$out$for$me.
What/are/you/looking/forward/to/the/most/for/2017?/
For$2017$H$standing$here$at$the$end$of$2016$and$seeing$the$political$narratives$play$out,$
I$am$looking$forward$to$how$multicultural$narratives$are$going$to$take$back$the$rise$of$
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the$singular$narrative.$It$feels$that$its$essential$for$our$survival$as$a$species—and$we$as$
cultural$creatives—have$a$very$important$role$in$how$this$plays$out.
Virtual$Reality,$Augmented$Reality$and$Mixed$Reality$will$continue$to$grow$H$and$
perhaps$we$will$Winally$truly$see$a$public$demo$of$Magic$Leap$(or$Wind$out$its$still$years$
off$).
Beyond$the$usual$tech$conversation$of:$Virtual$Reality,$Augmented$Reality,$AI,$Drone$
cinematography$and$all$these$wonderful$shiny$objects:
I$also$predict$that$2017$is$the$year$we$will$see$an$actual$global$cultural$war$of$Truth$
Versus$Fiction$H$bigger$than$what$we$have$seen$up$until$now.$
Knowing$the$players$who$will$be$joining,$I$am$hoping$that$truth$in$media$and$journalism$
will$be$making$a$huge$comeback.$Educating$and$empowering$people$how$to$discern$
truth$from$Wiction,$before$its$too$late.$
I$truly$hope$this$may$happen.$Its$fun$living$in$our$awesome$story$worlds.$But$I$truly$
hope$we$will$not$be$escaping$our$real$world$as$it$has$become$too$harsh$to$endure
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Steve-Peters |$twitter.com/vpisteve$|
What/were/the/high/points/for/you/this/past/year?/What/media/related/projects/and/narratives/caught/your/eye?
Those$who$know$me$probably$know$that$HBO’s$Westworld$knocked$my$socks$off.$Jonah$
Nolan$and$Lisa$Joy$know$their$way$around$multiHplatform,$nonHlinear$storytelling$(see$a$
certain$2008$superhero$Wilm$and$its$accompanying$ARG),$and$it$shows$with$the$stuff$
they$did$online$to$accompany$the$series.$There$were$so$many$fun$layers$to$dig$through,$
and$even$a$nice$coda$to$the$season$Winale,$that$was$only$found$via$the$website$and$a$
couple$classic$puzzles.$I$realize$it$wasn’t$everything$it$could$have$been$(these$things$
tend$to$get$watered$down$between$concept$and$execution),$but$it$was$still$really$
engaging$and$fun.$And$I$think$HBO$is$onto$something$with$the$way$they$still$release$
shows$on$a$weekly$schedule,$as$opposed$to,$say,$NetWlix’s$way$of$doing$things$by$
launching$everything$at$once.$
The$weekly$release$schedule$gives$lots$of$room$for$folks$to$chat,$lots$of$watercooler$and$
online$chatter,$which$I$think$helps$word$of$mouth$and$getting$people$talking$about$the$
show.$Watching$the$/r/westworld$Reddit$sub$was$something$to$behold.$I$had$much$
more$fun$waiting$for$each$episode$and$then$talking$with$friends$about$it,$Winding$new$
stuff$on$the$website,$etc.$than$I$did$bingeHwatching$Jessica$Jones.$So$yes,$Westworld$won$
the$year$for$me$in$this$regard.
Where/do/you/feel/the/most/groundbreaking/stuff/is/taking/place/at/the/moment?/If/it’s/not/Hollywood,/is/it/in/the/rise/of/VR/companies?/Or/is/it/more/on/a/grass/root/level?/Or/everywhere/at/once?
Witness$the$power$of$Pokemon$Go!$Geolocation$gaming$and$Augmented$Reality$have$
Winally$hit$the$mainstream.$Niantic$has$cornered$the$market$on$locationHbased$gaming$
(at$least$for$now),$and$the$AR$mechanic$enabled$the$viral$spread$that$cause$the$
explosion$(there$was$virtually$no$traditional$advertising$for$the$game).$In$addition,$
SnapChat$has$made$AR$an$everyday$thing$without$anyone$even$realizing$it.$The$Wilters$
and$facial$recognitionHbased$augmented$reality$overlays$have$shown$that$people$don’t$
even$need$to$know$what$AR$is$for$it$to$be$fun$and$effective.$
But$what$about$VR?$I$think$it’s$starting$to$make$a$real$impact$in$the$gaming$community$
(see$Sony’s$PSVR)$as$a$gaming$peripheral,$but$I$think$that$VR$generally$has$a$tough$road$
ahead$as$far$as$adoption$outside$of$game$applications$goes.$I’m$honestly$not$sold$on$VR$
outside$of$gaming$applications$yet.$General$VR/360$movies$and$videos$really$need$a$
huge$dose$of$experience$design$to$be$effective,$but$I’m$just$not$seeing$a$lot$of$stuff$out$
there$that$excites$me$yet.$Time$will$tell.$VR$games,$on$the$other$hand?$SOLD!
What/are/you/looking/forward/to/the/most/for/2017?/What/should/we/make/sure/to/
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keep/an/eye/on?
Geolocation,$geolocation,$geolocation!$I$think$we’re$going$to$start$seeing$some$really$
interesting$developments$in$these$sorts$of$mobile$games$as$more$developers$jump$on$
board.$Add$quicker$processing$and$more$robust$AR$capabilities$over$the$next$few$years,$
and$watch$out!$That$said,$there$are$gonna$be$new$challenges$in$design$and$safety$
considerations$that$are$gonna$need$to$be$addressed$as$we$go.$
Bottom$line,$we$*may*$see$the$VR$bubble$burst$to$a$certain$extent$(it$already$has$begun$
in$China)$as$it$Wigures$out$what$it$is$and$isn’t,$but$AR$will$gain$momentum,$as$it$has$many$
more$applications$and$solves$many$more$problems$for$humans$than$VR$does.$At$least$
that’s$my$prediction.$:)
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Andrea-Phillips -|$twitter.com/andrhia$|
What/were/the/high/points/for/you/in/2016,/media/wise?/What/projects/made/you/sit/up/and/take/notice/and/why?
In$2016,$I$think$VR$started$to$hit$public$awareness$in$a$way$that$it$hadn't$quite$managed$
until$now.$Oculus$Rift$has$been$making$headlines$for$some$time,$to$be$sure,$but$more$for$
the$principle$than$for$the$practice.$
But$now$we're$starting$to$hear$about$the$actual$experiences$more:$the$New$York$Times$
is$doing$VR$journalism.$The$Westworld$VR$experience$made$headlines$even$outside$of$
our$small$circle.$And$we're$seeing$a$few$commercial$VR$games$that—gasp—actually$
turn$a$proWit?
I'm$skeptical$about$some$of$the$VR$hype;$I$don't$think$we're$going$to$see$a$wholesale$
shift$of$home$video$games$moving$into$virtual$realities,$for$example.$But$I$do$think$we're$
going$to$see$some$incredibly$powerful$short$experiences.$And$it's$already$starting.
You/wrote/a/great/post/on/the/state/of/transmedia/and/where/it/is/nowadays./Now,/the/term/might/be/a/bit/obsolete,/but/what/do/you/feel/is/the/successor/today?/Or/is/it/rather/a/myriad/of/successors?
Transmedia$practitioners$developed$a$toolbox$and$a$bunch$of$ideas$for$how$those$tools$
could$best$be$deployed$to$create$interesting$experiences$and$tell$interesting$stories.$And$
now$those$tools$belong$to$the$world.
So$what$we're$seeing$now$is$the$application$of$those$same$tools$propagating$widely$in$
all$of$the$venues$that$we$had$taken$them$from$in$the$Wirst$place.$Live$theater$has$learned$
a$bit$about$interaction$design$from$video$games,$video$games$have$learned$more$about$
visual$storytelling$from$Wilms,$etc.$The$crossHpollination$of$artforms$continues,$and$I$
don't$think$it's$ever$going$to$stop.
What/are/you/looking/forward/to/the/most/for/2017?/What/should/we/make/sure/to/keep/an/eye/on?
Ah,$and$here$we$get$political,$because$right$now$everything$is$political$for$me.$I'm$
looking$forward$to$the$resistance.$
There's$been$a$wide$step$to$the$right$across$most$of$the$world,$and$many$of$us$aren't$
happy$with$that.$That$means,$for$one,$that$we're$going$to$see$some$of$the$most$brilliant$
and$emotional$works$to$come$out$of$the$West$in$ten$and$twenty$years—powerful$
feelings$create$powerful$art.
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I$also$have$a$sneaking$suspicion$that$we're$going$to$see$some$inventive$and$brilliant$
new$ways$to$organize$and$protest,$again$using$some$of$the$tools$that$we$developed$in$
transmedia.$It's$all$about$engagement,$about$organizing$communities,$and$about$
creating$shared$visions$for$the$future,$right?$And$who's$better$at$doing$that$than$media$
artists?
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Angela-Natividad ----|$twitter.com/luckthelady$|
What/were/the/high/points/for/you/in/2016,/media/wise?/What/projects/made/you/sit/up/and/take/notice/and/why?
I’m$impressed$by$the$strides$VR$is$making$in$entertainment$and$advertising.
http://mipblog.com/2016/10/reportHvirtualHrealityHmipcomH2016/
http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/samsungHvrHheadsetsHhelpHmillennialsHovercomeH
theirHfearsHpersuasiveHnewHadsH169949
I$also$fell$hard$for$No$Man’s$Sky$and$Pokémon$Go.$Gaming$is$broadening$our$horizons,$
both$online$and$ofWline.$We’re$rediscovering$our$world,$and$that$trend$will$advance$
without$the$need$to$Wilter$from$a$screen.
You've/got/your/Tinger/Tirmly/on/the/pulse/of/the/marketing/world/J/do/you/feel/it’s/keeping/pace/with/the/evolvement/of/the/media/landscape?/Or/is/it/breaking/new/ground?/How?
Marketing$and$advertising$underwrite$a$lot$of$new$technologies$and$even$forms$of$
storytelling.$It$can$afford$to$leap$ahead$of$the$entertainment$industry$because$it’s$
ephemeral,$but$it$needs$to$follow$what’s$happening$in$media$closely$and$collaborate$
with$it$as$well,$because$so$much$of$media’s$job$is$pretexting$the$future.$
Donella$H.$Meadows$wrote,$“There$are$no$separate$systems.$The$world$is$a$continuum."$
This$applies$here.$We$are$all$using$each$other$to$get$ahead.
What/are/you/looking/forward/to/the/most/for/2017?/What/should/we/make/sure/to/keep/an/eye/on?
The$world$will$get$bigger$even$as$it$gets$smaller—a$process$that$begets$an$awkward$
adolescence,$which$hopefully$is$the$reason$for$the$protectionist$mood$we’re$seeing$in$so$
many$countries$right$now.
I’d$keep$an$eye$on$tech,$medicine$and$porn.$Whatever$funny$experiments$are$happening$
in$those$arenas$will$trickle$down$to$the$more$fallow$turf$of$media,$entertainment$and$
marketing.$We’re$simultaneously$trying$to$connect$the$digital$to$the$tangible$while$
reducing$hardware$to$items$we$barely$notice$or$think$about—expanding$our$own$Wlesh$
to$swallow$the$world.$
The$recent$American$election$also$makes$it$a$lot$more$urgent$to$Wind$tenable$climate$
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change$solutions$that$can$spread$more$quickly,$ideally$without$the$need$for$
governments$to$lead$the$way.$We’re$facing$our$own$mortality$as$a$species.$Interesting$
birds$are$born$when$desperation$becomes$the$biggest$ingredient.
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LeeNSean-Huang- -|$twitter.com/leesean$|
What/were/the/high/points/for/you/in/2016,/media/wise?/What/projects/made/you/sit/up/and/take/notice/and/why?
Ava$DuVernay's$13th$is$an$unWlinching$documentary$that$traces$the$connection$between$
slavery$to$America's$current$state$of$mass$incarceration,$which$disproportionately$
affects$Black$men.$It$helps$reframe$American$history$and$explains$many$of$the$
grievances$behind$movements$like$Black$Lives$Matter.$The$soundtrack$on$the$movie$is$
also$amazing.
In$a$similar$way,$Beyoncé's$"Formation"$and$Super$Bowl$performance$that$referenced$
the$Black$Panthers$(as$well$as$the$controversy$$around$them)$reinforced$my$faith$in$pop$
music$as$a$way$to$spark$conversations$about$important$social$issues.$
Elsewhere$in$woke$pop$music,$I'm$also$digging$Solange's$new$album,$and$the$Hamilton$
Mixtape$is$giving$me$life.$In$particular,$the$track$"Immigrants$(We$Get$the$Job$Done)"$
puts$an$important$perspective$on$things$given$the$current$political$and$cultural$climate.$
Residente's$SpanishHlanguage$verse$on$that$track$is$a$stand$out.$
Also$of$note$in$2016,$I$really$liked$the$Cooked-documentary$series$on$NetWlix,$which$was$
an$adaptation$of$Michael$Pollan's$book$of$the$same$name.$The$documentary$explored$
the$universal$elements$of$cooking$that$shaped$human$history$and$culture.$A$big$topic$
done$in$a$very$accessible$and$engaging$way.$
Also$on$NetWlix$and$foodHrelated,$I$recently$discovered$Tokyo-Midnight-Diner-(Shinya-
Shokudo),$which$is$an$adaptation$of$a$Japanese$manga$and$movie.$It's$a$Wictional,$
characterHdriven$show$that$centers$around$the$customers$of$a$lateHnight$Tokyo$eatery.$
It's$intimate,$authentic,$and$ofWbeat.$It$brings$a$massive$metropolis$like$Tokyo$down$to$a$
human,$neighborhood$scale.$The$show$makes$me$nostalgic$for$my$time$living$in$Japan.
You’ve/been/teaching/a/fair/bit/over/the/past/year/J/how/do/you/feel/the/upJandJcoming/crop/of/creators/and/designers/are/taking/to/the/new/possibilities/technology/advances/and/new/practices/offer?/Are/they/approaching/the/creative/world/in/new/-ways?
I$have$been$teaching$a$fair$bit,$but$not$anything$particularly$high$tech$or$cutting$edge$in$
terms$of$hardware$or$software.$More$important$than$focusing$on$speciWic$trendy$
technologies$like$3D$printing,$drones,$or$AI,$I$think$it$is$important$to$teach$students$to$
engage$with$futures$thinking$and$storytelling.$
The$argument$here$is$that$if$you$can't$dream$it,$you$can't$build$it.$In$one$assignment$I$
gave$to$my$masters$students$at$the$Parsons$School$of$Design,$I$had$them$write$
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speculative$futures$featuring$themselves$10H15$years$down$the$line.$Some$of$the$stories$
they$came$up$with$were$utopian,$some$were$dystopian,$but$the$importance$is$on$
imagining$and$responding$to$longer$term$futures$scenarios.$
Of$course$science$Wiction$has$been$helping$us$think$in$this$way$for$a$long$time,$but$if$you$
look$at$the$surge$in$popularity$of$shows$like$Black$Mirror,$perhaps$there$is$hope$for$
democratizing$the$tools$and$techniques$for$critiquing$recentlyHavailable$technologies$
and$imagining$longerHterm$futures$through$storytelling.
What/were/the/student/assignments/like?/Are/they/applicable/to/other/people/as/well?
The$Wirst$step$is$to$just$have$the$students$share$their$future$visions$in$some$sort$of$
public$or$semiHpublic$way.$I$had$them$share$their$stories$with$classmates$as$well$as$on$
public$blogs$to$encourage$a$broader$conversation.$The$next$step$was$having$students$
work$in$groups$to$propose$some$sort$of$future$design$service$or$company$that$reacts$to$
their$respective$visions.$The$design$service$or$Wirm$is$meant$to$offer$a$"solution"$to$
address$future$issues,$even$if$the$future$has$dystopian$elements.$
What/are/you/looking/forward/to/the/most/for/2017?/What/should/we/make/sure/to/keep/an/eye/on?
Ok,$nerdy$guilty$pleasure,$but$I$look$forward$to$the$Guardians-of-the-Galaxy$sequel$and$
the$Wonder-Woman$movie.$On$the$small$screen,$I$really$look$forward$to$the$new$season$
of$Orange-is-the-New-Black.$That$clifWhanger$season$Winale$was$heartHstopping.
On$the$music$front,$it$looks$like$Björk$is$doing$some$cool$stuff$with$VR.$I$hope$she$will$
drop$a$new$album$in$2017.
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Asta-Wellejus ---|$twitter.com/AstaWellejus$|
Nordic/transmedia/on/the/rise?/Broadcasters/can/make/it/happen!
As$most$of$my$work$life$takes$me$to$different$parts$of$the$world,$I$spend$a$lot$of$my$time$
in$airports.$This$gives$me$plenty$of$time$to$think,$when$my$different$devices,$kindle,$
ipad,mobile$has$run$out$of$juice.$This$year$I$have$been$noticing$something$wonderful.$It$
looks$like$the$nordic$broadcasters$are$about$to$rise$to$the$challenge$of$transmedia$
productions.$
Contrary$to$what$most$people$think,$we$have$not$had$a$very$successful$run$of$
transmedia$productions$in$broadcast$in$the$nordics.$We$are$small$language$areas$and$
each$of$us$focused$on$different$things.$Denmark$has$created$games,$especially$learning$
games$and$Sweden$has$H$apart$from$games$H$created$a$lot$of$great$service$apps.$Finland$
has$invested$heavily$in$game$engines,$this$has$amongst$other$things$created$Angry$
birds,$but$we$have$yet$to$see$broadcasters$as$big$drivers$H$as$is$the$case$in$England$and$
France$H$who$had$funding$and$could$keep$creating$projects,$til$they$saw$what$could$
work.$
We$have$had$no$major$power$as$The$BBC,$Channel$4$or$Arté$–$to$move$the$digital$
productions$forward,$no$big$players$with$access$to$a$lot$of$users$who$have$broken$the$
new$frontier$for$audience$engagements$and$the$possible$wonders$of$digital$storytelling.$
But$now$is$might$happen.$And$what$project$have$paved$the$way?$”Skam”$($”Shame”$in$
english.)$NRK,$who$has$for$a$long$time$looked$like$they$were$not$doing$much$on$the$
digital$side,$has$birthed$a$webseries$–$that$was$actually$watched$by$a$young$audience!$
I$met$the$project$at$Nordvision,$the$internal$conference$for$the$Nordic$broadcasters,$
where$I$was$invited$as$the$only$outsider,$the$exotic$external$digital$person.$$This$year$
the$focus$was$on$transmedia$and$interactive$productions.$So$amongst$only$TV$people$I$
could$observe$both$the$project$that$inspired$them$but$most$of$all,$I$could$see$what$
moved$them.$And$here$Shame$was$the$superstar.
First$we$had$all$the$depressing$numbers$–$youtube$and$other$webbased$channels$have$
taken$over$the$young$audience.$This$is$a$fact$most$broadcasters$has$had$to$live$with$for$
while,$but$now$it$was$a$fact$that$was$also$questioned$–$does$it$have$to$be$his$way?$What$
if$we$actually$created$content$the$younger$generations$want?$And$here$Skam$was$the$
great$revelation.$
The$project$is$webisodes,$small$clips$released$during$the$week,$then$full$episodes$shown$
at$the$end$of$the$week.$For$digital$developers$and$creators$this$is$not$mind$blowing.$But$
here’s$the$catch$–$NRK$had$done$actual$user$research$and$had$a$researcher,$just$talking$
with$and$observing$the$target$groups$for$the$whole$duration$of$the$production.$It$was$an$
intern,$but$during$the$production$the$team$realized$this$was$a$key$person$in$the$team.$
Now$this$is$new$in$the$nordic$Wield$of$broadcast.$We$who$work$daily$in$the$Wield,$$know$
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that$the$tools$for$creating$interactive$experiences$that$works,$are$audienceHcentered$
design$processes.$To$focus$on$the$users$interaction$and$conversation$with$the$content.$
This$is$how$we$create$meaningful$interactive$productions.$
But$in$this$we$often$feel$alone,$as$this$is$a$new$language$to$most$people$in$tvHproduction$
outside$of$England$and$Canada.$The$work$process$seems$to$be$the$other$way$around$for$
them,$and$is$hard$to$grasp$and$to$work$by.$The$other$thing$the$project$team$had$was$
design$criterias.$SuccessHcriterias$for$the$experience,$that$they$used$for$making$
decisions.$Which$meant$they$could$both$evaluate$their$design$choices$and$they$could$
measure$if$the$project$was$a$success.$
When$I$heard$that$I$nearly$wept.$This$is$what$me,$you$and$all$our$colleagues$have$been$
trying$to$convey$all$these$years.$Shame$has$been$a$major$success$for$NRK.$They$have$
succeeded$in$reaching$an$audience$that$was$lost$to$them,$but$most$importantly,$they$
have$inspired$the$other$broadcasters$to$dare,$to$try$and$hopefully$to$follow$their$
example.$I$am$a$veteran$in$this$Wield,$this$year$i$turn$44,$but$I$age$with$the$feeling$that$
times$are$Winally$changing.$Shame$has$not$only$bought$an$audience$success$–but$it$has$
also$bought$transmedia$worktools$and$process$into$the$nordic$playing$Wield$of$
broadcast.
As$we$have$no$organised$funding$and$no$distribution$structure$for$transmedia$
productions,$it$takes$years$to$fund,$develop$and$produce$in$the$Nordic.$If$the$
broadcasters$will$start$developing$and$producing$on$a$more$regular$level,$it$can$boost$
the$people,$companies$and$our$way$of$telling$stories$in$the$years$to$come$in$the$Nordic.$
We$are$but$small$countries$but$if$we$work$together$and$share$–$we$will$have$exciting$
times$ahead$of$us!
What'I'look'forward'to'and'what'I'keep'on'eye'on:
A$couple$of$other$things$that$are$worth$mentioning$as$I$look$at$the$closing$of$the$year:
VR:'To'be'or'not'to'be?
Most$Wilmmakers$love$VR$–$they$can$stay$in$control$and$do$not$have$to$think$about$
gaming$elements$and$all$the$other$stuff$that$makes$you$hands$greasy.$I$have$doubts$still.$
Not$to$VR$as$a$technology$–$but$as$a$vehicle$for$engaging$interactive$experiences.$Back$in$
1999H2004$(told$you$I’m$old)$I$experimented$a$lot$with$CAVES$and$created$Wilmic$
sequences$for$them.$($six$screened$rooms$you$stood$inside$–$you$were$covered$in$all$
dimensions$by$the$experience$–$it$was$realtime$virtual$reality.)$It$was$very$impressive,$
but$they$had$some$problems$if$we$talk$storytelling.$
First$they$took$up$way$too$much$space$($they$were$actual$rooms)$they$were$not$social$
($people$of$different$heights$had$trouble$if$the$person$wearing$leading$glasses$were$
small,$they$would$stand$with$their$head$up$through$the$roof$,$much$like$the$problems$
we$have$with$augmented$reality$etc.)$Most$off$all$H$they$had$no$choice$structure.$On$top$
of$that$they$were$amazingly$expensive$and$had$such$high$solutions$that$graphic$and$Wilm$
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material$H$the$computers$running$them$were$way$too$expensive$as$well.$
I$$closed$the$CAVE$project$with$this$thought:$when$a$consumer$set$can$be$bought$for$the$
price$of$around$200$dollars$and$can$be$in$the$living$room$on$a$shelve,$I$will$look$at$it$
again.$Now$VR$can$do$both.$But$the$challenge$is$the$same.$$Until$the$nut$H$of$an$effective$
choice$structure,$that$can$enhance$the$experience$with$real$interactivity$H$is$cracked,$
this$will$not$be$a$mass$media.$It$will$instead$turn$into$a$thing$we$do$sometimes$for$hype,$
like$visiting$an$amusement$park,$but$not$a$behavior$we$have$on$a$daily$even$weekly$
basis.$
For$interesting$facts$like$sales$of$VR$units$this$year,$check$this$out,$they$have$some$good$
points,$and$voice$the$idea$that$VR$will$be$for$museum$experiences,$small$gaming$niche$
and$for$training$and$education:
http://www.documentarytelevision.com/producersHtoolHkit/scienceHproducersH
congressHtakeawayH1HvrHbigHbust/
Text'adventures'on'the'rise
For$some$years$I$have$been$keeping$an$eye$on$text$based$adventures$As$a$roleplayer,$the$
‘Choose$your$own$ending’Hbook$were$part$of$my$growing$up.$I$have$watched$how$this$
genre$has$developed$technically$and$dramatically$since$then.$For$many$years$it$was$an$
underground$movement,$fans$sending$new$narratives$to$each$other,$I$had$a$friend$who$
was$widely$read$in$France,$but$you$will$never$have$heard$his$name.$It$was$a$select$group$
creating$content$to$each$other.$Much$like$the$roleplaying$culture$before$it$became$
mainstream,$and$as$creatively$exciting.$And$now$these$forms$start$to$surface$with$the$
Wirst$interesting$productions.$
Most$of$you$know$”Lifeline”,$that$is$the$perfect$writer's$game,$The$next$episode$”Silent$
night”$was$not$as$breathtaking,$I$expect$they$have$held$something$back$to$surprise$us$in$
the$next$chapter,$my$guess$is$audio$as$part$of$the$experience.$”Passenger”$a$new$text$
based$adventure$is$also$interesting,$their$Wlow$and$suspense$timing$is$not$as$effective$as$
”Lifeline”$$but$they$have$started$integrating$a$more$complex$navigation,$different$
sources$of$content,$more$characters$etc.$
I$have$great$expectations$regarding$text$adventures,$and$I$think$the$coming$year$will$
give$us$new$ways$text$and$audio$and$visuals$can$be$mixed$to$create$intriguing$new$
forms.$And$I$think$it$will$be$based$on$text.$The$other$aesthetics$audio$and$visual$can$
bring$to$the$table$will$be$augmenting$and$adding$to$the$experience$but$text$will$be$the$
base.$Check$out$Adrift,$Quest,$Twine$if$you$want$to$try$yourself!$No$programming$skills$
needed.$
And'the'other'stuff'that'is'coming'up…
So$much$is$happening$so$it$sometimes$is$hard$to$keep$up.$BingeBrag,$$Flixtape$($mixtape$
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for$NetWlix)$and$Facebook$live$is$the$next$things$I$have$on$my$toHdo$list$to$check$up$–$
especially$Flixtape$makes$me$very$curious!
2017'and'1917
I$have$saved$the$best$for$last.$The$thing$that$excites$me$most$about$2017$is$that$YLE,$the$
Finnish$broadcaster,$is$working$on$a$new$transmedia$project$H$1917.$As$if$often$the$case$
with$big$national$celebrations$and$memorable$events,$this$is$a$time$for$broadcasters$to$
experiment$with$new$formats$of$narratives$and$audience$experiences.$$DHday$as$it$
happened$from$2014,$is$an$example$from$my$esteemed$colleague$Kim$Plowright,,$that$
was$created$to$mark$that$very$special$day$for$England$and$to$give$the$younger$audience$
a$relation$to$their$history$and$past.$1917$commemorates$the$Finnish$revolution$that$
lead$to$their$independence.$1917$It$is$a$drama$series$on$Wlow$tv$and$an$interactive$
drama$experience$–$hybrid$between$interactive$Wilm$and$game,$online$for$the$teenage$
audience.$$
It$is$also$the$Wirst$major$interactive$drama$project$for$teenagers$YLE$is$undertaking,$The$
team$is$engaged,$motivated$and$driven$to$tell$new$forms$of$stories$that$can$reach$the$
new$audiences.$And$I$am$so$lucky$to$be$working$with$them.$
2017$–will$it$be$the$year$the$nordic$broadcasters$rises$to$the$challenge$of$transmedia?
————
Asta-Wellejus,-digital-director-and-producer,-was-headhunted-out-of-the-innocence-of-the-live-roleplaying-
scene-by-notorious-Kilm-director-Lars-von-Trier-at-an-early-age,-to-create-interactive-project.-She-is-now-an-
old-wise-fart,-runs-Die-asta-experience,-has-20-years-experience-in-the-Kield,-and-has-developed-and-produced-
35+-bigger-interactive-projects-for-broadcast,-museums,-education,-classical-orchestras,-NGO´s--and-cultural-
institutions.-She-is-a-resident-creative-for-YLE,-Finnish-broadcast-and-teaches-and-mentors-interactive-
projects-around-the-world-for-fun.
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Christy-Dena- ---|$twitter.com/christydena$|$
What'were'the'high'points'for'you'in'2016,'media'wise?'What'projects'made'you'sit'up'and'take'notice'and'why?
I’ll$tell$you$about$projects$I$actually$experienced$(as$opposed$to$watched$from$this$nonH
USA$and$nonHUK$distance)$whether$they$were$released$in$2016$or$not.$The$ones$that$I$
recall$with$fondness$(which$means$they$had$an$emotional$impact$on$me)$are:$
I$received$Alex$Fleetwood’s$augmented$board$game$Beasts/of/Balance'just$before$Xmas$and$played$it$with$work$mates$a$few$times$and$loved$it.$I$thought$it$was$quite$gutsy$not$
including$rules$in$the$box.$I$see$now$they$are$actually$online,$so$perhaps$they$were$
mistakenly$missing$from$the$box.$But$nevertheless,$I$want$to$share$how$not$having$the$
rules$revealed$how$instructional$design$works.$
Without$rules,$we$instead$had$to$learn$how$to$play$via$play.$This$is$actually$ideal.$It$was$
always$intuitive$to$me,$but$I$remember$hearing$about$it$the$Wirst$time$in$the$snowWields$
of$Hemavan,$Sweden$in$2007.$I$was$there$to$give$a$keynote$for$the$Wirst$(and$only)$
International$Conference$of$CrossHMedia$Interaction$Design.$Heather$Desurvire$gave$a$
great$talk$on$game$accessibility$and$how$player$learn$to$play.$That$conference$holds$a$
signiWicant$place$for$me$because$not$only$was$it$my$Wirst$work$trip$around$the$world,$the$
subject$of$the$conference$(crossHmedia$interaction$design)$is$where$my$passion$for$this$
area$lies$and$what$my$book$goes$back$and$addresses.$So,$of$course,$as$a$designer,$I’m$
always$looking$at$nifty$ways$to$teach$people$new$things.$
So$as$I$mentioned,$without$a$rulebook,$we$had$to$Wigure$out$how$to$play$by$playing.$This$
is$easy$to$do$in$a$videogame,$but$very$hard$in$a$board$game.$What$Fleetwood$and$the$
team$did$was$draw$on$the$affordances$of$the$digital$to$guide$learning.$Most$augmented$
board$games$use$the$digital$for$keeping$score,$making$calculations,$and$keeping$time.$
These$make$sense,$a$computer$is$quicker$than$a$human.$But$a$computer$can$also$give$
feedback$speciWic$to$the$actions$of$the$player.$A$print$rulebook$Winds$this$harder.$So$
through$play$we$discovered$how$the$objects$work,$how$the$relationship$between$the$
objects$and$screen$works,$how$the$objects$then$affect$the$different$creatures$on$the$
screen$and$so$on.$Essential$and$fun$timeHlimited$actions$are$in$there$too.$
But$what$I$love$is$how$implicit$instruction$happens$through$the$affordances$of$all$
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involved.$The$size$of$the$objects$are$undeniably$more$different$and$imply$a$correlating$
score.$Trialing$objects$gives$us$outcomes$we$predicted$and$outcomes$we$didn’t.$We$
learn$through$trial$and$error.$What$I$found$particularly$interesting$is$Wiguring$out$the$
win$state.$It$is$a$cooperative$game,$which$you$Wigure$out$because$while$there$is$a$way$to$
negate$what$a$player$did$prior$to$you,$there$is$a$shared$score.$So$there$are$shared$
rewards$and$shared$penalties.$So$how$do$we$win?$The$ending$is$not$timeHbased,$we$can$
keep$playing$for$as$long$as$we$want.$So$how$do$we$do$it?$Once$our$tower$tipped,$we$
were$given$a$score$that$included$how$many$points$we$had$earned,$how$many$collapses$
we$had,$and$how$many$beasts$we$had$created.$So$it$became$clear$that$we$needed$to$try$
and$use$all$the$objects$(of$course),$and$then$better$our$scores.$That$was$enough,$and$so$
off$we$went.$And$oh,$for$not$aware,$this$is$a$transmedia$project.$
Another$board$game$I$played,$all$year$actually,$is$Tim'Fowers’'Burgle/Bros.$Like$Beasts$it$was$a$Kickstarter$game.$I$bought$the$full$threeHstory$tower$version,$with$Wlashing$
alarm$lights,$and$the$sequel$card$game.$It$is$a$cooperative$heist$game$that$uses$theme$so$
well.$So$well$in$fact,$that$I$went$back$and$redesigned$my$DIYSPY$card$game$to$be$a$board$
game$and$cut$out$all$elements$that$weren’t$speciWic$to$a$single$thematic$point.$We$have$
been$playing$this$at$work,$not$in$the$way$the$designer$intended,$as$an$ambient$game$we$
play$when$we$have$the$time.$The$last$game$took$about$6$months.$
Another$Kickstarter$investment$I$made$isn’t$due$to$be$delivered$yet,$but$I$am$super$
excited.$It$combines$a$few$loves:$a$band$whose$music$I$have$sentimental$attachments$to,$
a$board$game,$the$nostalgia$of$a$vinyl$album,$and$transmedia.$The$project$is$called$
Illmat,$created$for$The$Decemberists.$A$few$years$ago$they$did$a$shoot,$which$included$a$scene$where$the$band$were$cult$members$of$a$secret$society$that$had$a$special$game.$
The$Decemberists$have$since$got$into$playing$board$games$on$their$tours,$and$decided$
to$get$the$imaginary$game$actually$made.$I$love$how$this$came$about$and$these$kinds$of$
projects,$where$the$artforms$emerge$out$of$creator$love,$is$the$future$of$crossHmedia$
practice.
On$a$similar$note,$I$have$really$been$enjoying$the$diegetic$artifacts$and$playful$roleplay$
of$Jacob$Janerka’s$indie$marketing$of$his$forthcoming$Paradigm$videogame.$He$is$preparing$a$tourist$guide$written$by$a$character$to$release$just$before$the$game$(like$
David$Lynch$did$for$Twin$Peaks),$an$ASCII$art$walkthrough,$a$minigame$(“PostH
Apocalyptic$Dating$Simulator”)$for$playing$at$PAXAU,$and$a$Church$of$the$Latter$Day$
Glam$book$with$soonHtoHbeHcoming$website.$These$are$all$obvious$to$us$from$ARG$
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transmedia$land,$but$I$love$seeing$these$practices$happening$out$of$fun$from$the$creative$
urge.$
I$recommended$this$videogame$to$a$few$people,$and$I$hope$ARGers$get$to$play$it.$For$me$
it$emulated$the$ARG$experience$in$videogame$form.$The$short$free$game,$Dr./Langeskov,/The/Tiger,/and/The/Terribly/Cursed/Emerald:/A/Whirlwind/Heist$(worst$name$because$I$can$never$remember$it),$was$directed$by$William$Pugh$(coHcreator$of$
Stanley$Parable),$and$written$by$Jack$de$Quidt.$(steam,$itchio).
Two$Winal$games$I$want$to$mention$are$Lieve-Oma-and$Foggy-Shore.$The$Wirst,$Lieve-Oma-
by$Florian$Veltman,$is$a$beautiful$little$game$in$which$you$walk$through$an$autumn$
forest$with$your$grandma.$I$was$drawn$by$the$subject$matter$and$it$didn’t$disappoint.$
The$second,$Foggy-Shore-by$Alexander$Ocias,$is$likewise$a$lovely$little$game$with$
beautifully$subtle$emotion$design.$But$one$of$the$things$about$this$one$is$it$has$a$Wixed$
camera$view.$I$get$Wilmmaker$friends$to$play$this$to$see$how$they$can$use$their$skills$in$
the$game$space.$It$excited$me$because$I$plan$to$use$composition$to$effect$in$a$videogame$
I’m$working$on.$
And$while$I$recommended$games$here,$I$spent$most$of$2016$watching$TV$shows$and$
movies.$If$it$was$a$different$audience,$I$would$swap$the$emphasis.$Immediate$stand$out$
viewing$I$remember$are$Stranger-Things$and$Arrival-HH$both$bringing$back$a$Spielberg$
feel$of$Close-Encounters$and$Poltergeist.$Part$of$that$feel$is$seeing$human$hope$in$
creative$projects$like$Arrival,$and$more$recently$The-OA.-I$really$wish$they$didn’t$f*up$
the$writing$of$Luke-Cage-like$they$did,$or$kill$of$Ben$Mendelsohn$in$Bloodlines.$Pleasant$
surprises$for$me$include$Grace-and-Frankie,-The-Divide,-The-Get-Down,-The-OA,-The-
Expanse,-Narcos,-Lovesick,-Crossing-Lines,-Lady-Dynamite,-Please-Like-Me,-and$Wilms-
Columbiana,-and-Dom-Hemingway.-Returning$favourites$include$Vikings,$The-Good-Wife,-
Suits,-Orphan-Black,-Black-Books,-Orange-is-the-New-Black,-House-of-Cards.-I$went$back$
and$watched$How-to-Get-Away-with-Murder,-and$boy$that$structure$is$fascinating.$So$
cleverly$put$together.$So$too$with$the$interest$design$of$The-Blacklist-H$that$is$a$
masterclass$on$variations$of$withholding$closure$and$character$relationships.$The$big$
standout$for$me$in$terms$of$peak$emotional$experiences$was$Sons-of-Anarchy.-I$went$
back$and$rewatched$all$seven$seasons$and$the$ending$blew$me$away.$That$experience$
helped$me$develop$my$theory$of$transformation,$as$I$was$(stupidly)$leaning$towards$
interactive$projects$being$the$most$effective$method$of$transforming$a$player.$But$I$was$
transformed$by$the$ending$of$a$TV$series,$and$I$know$why.$It$isn’t,$however,$something$
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the$creator$has$full$control$over.$But$it$is$something$they$can$certainly$facilitate.
Lastly,$a$speech$by$Allan$Kaprow$on$“How$to$Make$a$Happening”.$It$was$released$as$a$LP$
album$in$1966$but$is,$of$course,$on$Youtube.$Josh$Tanenbaum$shared$the$video$as$he$
used$it$in$a$Pervasive$Gaming$class$he$was$teaching.$Allan’s$words$make$me$smile$and$
remember$how$much$fun$we$can$have$with$what$we$do.$
You'wrote'an'article'on'transmedia'as'a'tween,'going'through'growing'pains':'what'do'you'feel'we'could'do'to'help'transmedia'along'the'way,'and'make'the'transition'to'adulthood'smooth?'And'what'is'adulthood'for'transmedia?
Adulthood$is$about$knowing$more$about$who$you$are$and$what$you$like.$It$is$about$
becoming$yourself.$Adulthood$for$transmedia$is$about$parents$stopping$projecting$what$
they$want$transmedia$to$be,$and$transmedia$becoming$what$it$wants$to$be.$Transmedia$
is$not$about$a$single$story$across$media.$Transmedia$is$not$about$selfHcontained$content$
in$each$media.$Transmedia$is$not$about$the$continuing$of$stories$with$a$rampant$
disavowal$of$adaptation.$Transmedia$is$not$about$participation.$These$are$all$rules$that$
have$been$incorrectly$proselytized$to$everyone$for$over$a$decade.$They’re$not$lies,$
because$everyone$who$argued$these$points$believed$them,$despite$the$reality$of$practice$
of$in$front$of$them.$They$argue,$in$short,$that$transmedia$is$a$type$of$painting$that$only$
uses$these$colours.$It$is$not$true,$it$never$has$been$true.$
This$bad$parenting$has$to$stop.$I$haven’t,$for$instance,$found$a$single$book$on$
transmedia$practice$(written$by$academics$or$industry$professionals$alike)$that$
encourages$adaptation.$Take$note$though:$they’re$not$saying$adaptation$exists$but$just$
isn’t$transmedia.$Instead,$the$books$warn$you$should$avoid$adaptation$because$it$is$
redundant$and$burns$up$fan$interest.$It$doesn’t$and$it$never$has.$It$does$the$reverse$
actually.$Bad$projects$are$what$leaves$a$bad$taste$in$people’s$mouths$(and$sometimes$
people$are$oblivious$to$that$stench$too),$not$adaptation.$I$am$sick$of$the$bad$parenting,$
and$will$be$bringing$out$my$own$book$to$help$guide$better$projects$into$creation,$based$
on$psychology,$not$the$desire$to$distinguish$a$phenomenon$as$different.$I$guess$I’m$the$
angry$nanny$who$is$telling$the$parents$to$grow$up$or$fuck$off.$The$stakes$are$too$high$to$
let$another$generation$of$creatives$grow$up$not$understanding$what$they’re$doing.$I$
tried,$but$my$voice$wasn’t$clear$enough$to$convince$others$this$past$decade,$but$I’ve$
been$whittling$my$stake$and$am$ready$to$strike$in$2017.$
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What'are'you'looking'forward'to'the'most'for'2017?'What'should'we'make'sure'to'keep'an'eye'on?
Twin$Peaks.$I’m$really$looking$forward$to$making$the$next$Forward$Slash$Story$event$
(applications$due$15th$Jan!),$and$playing$along$with$everyone$in$the$gang$already$
(including$you$dear$Simon!).$I’m$also$really$looking$forward$to$Winding$more$projects$
that$resonate$with$my$view$of$the$world.$I$want$less$characters$and$people$that$are$ugly$
inside,$and$more$characters$and$people$that$strive$to$be$better.
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Jeff-Gomez- -|$twitter.com/Jeff_Gomez$|
GRAPPLING'WITH'THE'COLLECTIVE'JOURNEY
Finally,-we-come-to-Jeff-Gomez-of-Starlight-Runner.-Jeff-apparently-loves,-and-has-always-
loved,-a-challenge.-In-the-1970s,-while-many-shy-imaginative-high-school-students-were-
Kighting-imaginary-monsters-in-storeNbought-Dungeons-&-Dragons-modules,-Jeff-was-
running-offNscript,-inventing-entire-fantasy-universes-for-his-players-to-Kly-through.-In-the-
1980s,-while-most-nerds-were-enjoying-Aliens-and-Terminator,-Jeff-was-publishing-
Gateways-magazine,-where-he-speculated-about-how-Kictional-worlds-could-be-tied-
together-into-immersive-universes-across-different-media.-
In-the-‘90s,-Jeff-tested-his-theories-with-protoNtransmedia-efforts-like-Turok,-Dinosaur-
Hunter,-which-manifested-out-of-Acclaim-Entertainment-as-comic-books,-video-games,-and-
action-Kigures.-He-scored-a-second-hit-after-adapting-his-Dungeons-&-Dragons-campaign-
into-the-world-of-Magic:-The-Gathering,-generating-topNselling-comic-books,-video-games,-
and-trading-cards.-In-the-‘00s,-he-dubbed-his-multiNplatform-story-work-“transNmedia,”-but-
dropped-the-hyphen-after-he-learned-the-term-was-being-used-by-Henry-Jenkins-to-describe-
exactly-the-kind-of-storytelling-technique-he’d-been-using.
Jeff’s-success-as-a-transmedia-producer-is-well-documented.-His-company,-Starlight-Runner,-
is-best-known-for-developing-franchise-“Mythology”-books,-clarifying-and-expanding-upon-
all-aspects-of-some-of-the-bestNknown-entertainment-properties,-including-Pirates-of-the-
Caribbean,-Avatar,-Halo,-and-Transformers.-Starlight-Runner-has-also-applied-transmedia-
storytelling-techniques-to-big-brands-such-as-CocaNCola-and-GoldKish,-and-more-recently-
toward-international-peace-building-and-sociopolitical-change.-In-all-cases,-Jeff-is-fond-of-
saying,-“It-all-starts-with-story.”
Jeff’s-fascination-with-story,-and-how-it-can-connect-with-and-move-large-numbers-of-
people,-is-the-focus-of-this-year’s-interview.-An-unabashed-fan-of-mythologist-Joseph-
Campbell,-Jeff-has-recently-been-grappling-with-Campbell’s-Hero’s-Journey,-which-many-
point-to-as-the-prototypical-narrative-model-for-nearly-every-popular-story-from-
Gilgamesh-to-Star-Wars.-The-Hero’s-Journey,-says-Jeff,-is-so-powerful-because-it-is-about-
direct-conKlict-and-therefore-harkens-to-the-human-survival-instinct-that-remains-deeply-
planted-in-all-of-our-minds:-“We-have-a-need,-we-brave-the-dangers-of-the-world-to-achieve-
that-need,-and-we-bring-home-the-reward-of-fulKilling-that-need.”
But-Jeff-feels-that-the-rise-of-the-internet-and-social-media-has-profoundly-impacted-the-
Campbellian-model.-Story,-he-says,-no-longer-needs-to-be-linear.-It-no-longer-requires-the-
polarisation-of-good-and-evil;-the-kind-of-violence-and-singleNminded-righteousness-that-
gave-the-model-such-a-“masculine-impulse,”-as-he-calls-it.-Instead,-Jeff-has-spent-the-past-
several-years-preparing-an-alternative-model,-which-he-calls-the-Collective-Journey.-He-
says-he-will-describe-the-model-in-detail-early-this-coming-year,-but-in-this-exclusive-
interview-details-how-his-thinking-evolved-for-the-Kirst-time…
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Last'year'you'were'very'excited'about'a'new'mode'of'storytelling'you'were'working'on'called'the'Collective'Journey.'It'was'a'response,'you'said,'to'the'linear,'con<lict:laden'Hero’s'Journey.'How'do'you'distinguish'the'Collective'Journey'from'your'work'in'transmedia'storytelling?
Transmedia$is$a$producer’s$toolset$to$distribute$a$story$in$an$engaging$way;$the$
Collective$Journey$is$a$new$modality$of$story$itself.$I$know$it’s$sacrilegious$to$say$but$the$
Hero’s$Journey$no$longer$has$the$efWicacy$it$once$did,$especially$amidst$the$backdrop$of$
pervasive$communications$and$our$society’s$digital$transformation.$$
For$many$years,$it$was$a$big$task$for$Starlight$Runner$to$get$our$clients$to$understand$
how$to$use$different$media,$marketing,$advertising,$and$licensing$in$concert$in$order$to$
cultivate$and$grow$their$intellectual$properties.$Once$we$were$able$to$Winally$convince$
them$to$do$this,$and$to$tell$different$aspects$of$the$story$across$different$media,$they$
started$to$see$results.$Our$client$Disney$reorganized$around$this$concept$and$found$and$
expanded$their$IP$from$any$part$of$the$company,$rather$than$just$from$movies.$Our$
client$CocaHCola$used$transmedia$on$Happiness-Factory,$and$the$approach$was$so$
successful,$they$called$it$Liquid$Storytelling$and$applied$it$to$all$of$their$campaigns.$Our$
client$Microsoft$turned$the$videogame$Halo$into$an$entertainment$franchise.
But$from$way$back,$I’ve$always$wanted$to$do$more$with$transmedia.$Some$years$ago,$I$
started$to$get$interested$in$using$the$techniques$to$help$large$numbers$of$people.$
Because$of$the$dialog$architecture$that$was$a$fundamental$part$of$the$model$we$favored,$
I$thought$we$could$use$concerted$narrative$and$the$forums$offered$by$the$internet$and$
social$media$to$give$voices$to$people$who$normally$had$none.$I$believed$that$people$who$
are$heard$and$who$can$hear$one$another$could$be$strengthened$in$the$face$of$adversity:$
oppression,$corruption,$crime,$violence.
In$2009,$I$was$approached$by$the$U.S.$government$and$asked$about$how$transmedia$
could$be$used$to$give$the$nation$an$advantage$on$the$battleWield.$I$told$them$I$was$not$
interested$producing$weaponized$propaganda.$$Instead,$I$felt$my$work$could$be$much$
more$effective$at$providing$populations$with$alternative$narratives,$opening$people$up$
to$different$ways$of$dealing$with$extraordinary$challenges.$After$a$series$of$meetings$my$
team$was$referred$to$U.S.$Special$Operations$Command,$and$to$my$surprise$they$agreed$
to$fund$a$communications$model$that$would$not$be$used$for$war,$but$for$activating/a/population/to/stand/in/its/own/defense,$to$push$back$against$extremist$dogma,$and$selfHorganize$for$justice$and$a$better$future.$
To$say$the$least,$this$was$not$going$to$be$a$tent$pole$movie$rollout.$It$was$a$huge$
responsibility.$We$would$be$briefed,$gather$data$independently,$and$commit$to$months$
of$research.$My$team$had$to$give$careful$consideration$to$everything$we$did.$
But$I$had$been$thinking$about$how$story$was$changing$in$the$digital$age.$It$was$
becoming$less$linear,$more$participative.$Just$look$at$4chan,$Reddit,$Twitter$or$
Facebook.$It$reminded$me$of$how$all$my$neighbors$talked$to$one$another$at$the$same$
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time$on$the$benches$in$front$of$our$apartment$building$when$I$was$a$kid.$It$was$like$an$
ancient$tribe$bantering$and$sharing$tales$around$a$Wire.$Story'was'becoming'messy'again.$It$also$was$becoming$a$potent'bonding'agent'for'growing'communities'of'people,$many$of$whom$only$knew$or$talked$with$one$another$through$the$web.
So,$I$started$thinking$about$communal$narrative,$and$the$aspects$of$story$that$were$
becoming$prominent$as$we$built$this$model$that$I$called$transmedia'population'activation.$When$it$came$time$to$apply$the$model,$my$team$asked$USSOCOM$to$release$us$and$let$us$work$independently$with$a$nation$whose$people$directly$asked$for$the$
help.$That$nation$turned$out$to$be$Mexico,$which$was$experiencing$terrible$internal$
violence$at$the$time,$and$the$military$agreed$to$let$us$go$and$work$directly$with$a$
signiWicant$community$of$interest$there.$The$model$took$nearly$a$year$to$adapt,$and$
another$to$implement,$but$the$results$were$striking.$
Through$a$concerted$effort$of$messaging,$corporate$and$media$cooperation,$and$
targeted$social$services,$all$of$these$compelling$human$stories$were$told$and$heard.$Vast$
stretches$of$population$became$engaged$with$these$stories.$They$saw$themselves,$felt$
validated$and$got$excited.$They$became$activated,$they$selfHorganized,$and$they$
marched.$Tipping$points$were$reached,$and$these$dominant$and$often$destructive$
societal$forces$had$no$choice$but$to$pull$back.$Violence$went$into$decline$for$several$
years.$The$results$were$so$impressive$that$Starlight$Runner$was$asked$to$apply$the$
model$in$other$parts$of$the$world;$in$Colombia,$and$most$recently$in$Southwest$
Australia.$
I$realized$these$communal$narratives,$which$my$team$had$to$research$and$develop$and$
produce$with$the$Mexicans—they'were'not'Hero’s'Journey'narratives.$That’s$really$when$my$concept$for$the$Collective$Journey$model$of$storytelling$began$to$coalesce.$
You’ve'said'you'felt'that'the'Hero’s'Journey'did'not'adequately'address'the'sprawling,'nonlinear'and'far'more'participative'narratives'that'describe'today’s'popular'story'worlds'and'the'social'media'fuelled'stories'that'have'captured'our'attention'in'recent'years.'But'Starlight'Runner'has'been'quiet'about'the'Collective'Journey'in'2016.'Can'you'tell'us'what’s'happening?
This$time$last$year,$I$was$really$excited$about$the$Collective$Journey.$We$were$about$to$
apply$it$formally$in$our$work$with$a$distinguished$university$in$Australia.$I$was$
preparing$to$announce$it,$and$put$it$out$there;$approach$major$clients$with$it,$and$tour$it$
in$a$master$class.$The$model$as$it$was$coming$together$seemed$to$explain$so$much$about$
how$and$why$things$were$changing,$and$so$much$of$it$seemed$to$be$changing$for$the$
better.$But$then$I$started$to$feel$a$dark$wind$blowing.$
I$realized$I$hadn’t$Winished$the$puzzle,$and$still$needed$to$place$some$tricky$pieces.$When$
I$see$communications$phenomena$emerge—the$seemingly$spontaneous$manifestation$
of$selfHorganized$movements$like$the$Yellow$Umbrella$movement$in$Hong$Kong,$or$the$
99%,$or$No-Mas-Sangre,-No-Mas-FARC$in$Colombia—I’m$drawn$to$study$them.$I$want$to$
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determine$the$narrativeHbased$factors$that$sparked$them$and$pushed$their$momentum$
to$the$tipping$point.$
Like$most$people,$I$was$sickened$by$the$actions$of$ISIS,$and$was$struck$by$how$rapidly$
they$had$risen.$Their$messaging$was$crystal$clear$to$me,$as$if$they$were$a$corporate$
media$machine,$and$yet$they$were$this$decentralized$band$of$pirates.$When$I$looked$
closer,$however,$I$realized$they$were$better$at$building$their$brand$and$conveying$their$
story$than$any$government,$because$they$fully$understood$the$power$of$the$internet$and$
social$media.$Figuratively$speaking,$they$were$running$around$with$iPhone$10’s,$while$
the$Obama$administration$was$responding$with$Wlip$phones.$
Moving$down$my$checklist,$I$realized$that$the$Collective$Journey$was$not$just$about$the$
taking$down$of$the$Confederate$Wlag,$or$Black$Lives$Matter,$it$applied$to$any$number$of$
emerging$systemic$narratives,$including$that$of$ISIS.$In$all$of$these$cases,$the$movements$
picked$up$very$quickly,$and$had$major$impact,$as$did$the$Arab$Spring$before$them,$and$
as$would$Brexit$and$the$American$altHright$movement$later.
What'happened'then?'Did'you'return'to'your'government'contacts'with'your'insights'into'ISIS?$$
I$did.$I$met$with$high$ranking$ofWicials$from$the$State$Department$at$the$Aspen$Institute$
in$Colorado.$But$I$failed$to$impress$them.$Part$of$it$was$my$fault,$because$this$is$a$huge,$
very$serious$situation$and$my$revised$Collective$Journey$model$wasn’t$ready.$I$didn’t$
have$the$language.$Here$I$am$talking$with$them$about$story$and$narratology,$and$they’re$
sitting$there$thinking$about$technology$and$logistics.$They$were$searching$desperately$
for$a$killer$app,$while$I$was$talking$about$shifting$archetypes.$I’ll$never$forget$when$
Madeleine$Albright$called$my$approach$“airyHfairy.”$
They$also$wanted$solutions$that$could$be$implemented$and$get$them$results$by$the$end$
of$2016.$The$laws$of$physics$would$have$prevented$my$model$from$working$for$them$in$
that$time.$It$was$hugely$frustrating,$because$I$could$see$what$needed$to$be$done$so$
clearly,$and$I$could$see$it$was$only$going$to$get$worse,$and$my$model,$such$as$it$was,$
made$no$sense$to$the$decisionHmakers.$
What'should':'or'could':'have'been'done?
That’s$a$long$story.$In$short,$a$movement$that$exhibits$the$traits$of$the$Collective$
Journey,$but$is$fueled$by$rage,$can’t$be$shot$with$bullets$or$blasted$by$bombs.$You'can’t'smash'into'it'with'an'opposing'ideology.$By$its$nature,$it’s$going$to$make$your$story$work$against$you,$like$narrative'judo.$
Instead,$the$administration$would$have$had$to$pull$the$narrative$engine$out$of$the$ISIS$
chassis$and$take$it$apart$completely;$study$and$learn$everything$about$it$so$that$it$can$
be$reverse$engineered.$But$that$takes$enormous$patience.$That$takes$having$respect$for$
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their$narrative,$and$understanding$that$these$people$are$dying$every$day$to$carry$it$
forward.$
Ultimately,$it$would$have$meant$doing$the$same$as$we$did$in$Mexico:$building$a$
powerful$community$of$interest$made$up$of$a$cross$section$of$citizens$from$the$region.$
But$it$also$would$have$necessitated$a$good$deal$of$behavior$change$on$the$part$of$our$
country.$By$the$end$of$the$meetings$in$Aspen,$it$became$clear$to$me$that$this$would$have$
to$be$accomplished$through$other$channels$rather$than$through$the$administration.
Earlier'you'mentioned'the'alt:right,'an'ideology'and'movement'that'is'often'credited'with'helping'Donald'Trump'become'the'President'of'the'United'States.'Should'this'be'understood'in'the'context'of'the'Trump'narrative'being'Collective'Journey?
Yes.$In$every$sense$of$the$term.$The$altHright,$which$coalesced$in$4chan$and$Reddit,$took$
lessons$from$the$failure$of$the$Tea$Party,$which$was$immediately$held$to$ridicule$by$the$
media,$despite$what$they$felt$were$legitimate$concerns$around$Wiscal$responsibility$and$
taxes.$
Instead,$the$altHright$gestated$on$the$down$low,$using$collective$intelligence$(which$
Henry$Jenkins$calls$an$“alternative$source$of$media$power”)$to$innovate$a$far$more$
potent$and$resonant$ideology.$Because$of$this$nonlinearity,$and$because$of$this$
interconnectivity,$less$than$40,000$people$set$to$work$disrupting$the$system.$In$a$matter$
of$months,$Hillary$Clinton’s$reputation,$foundation,$and$campaign$were$all$under$
serious$assault.
At$the$same$time,$there$was$Donald$Trump,$who$had$been$humiliated$by$Obama$at$that$
White$House$Correspondents’$Dinner,$deciding$to$respond$by$audaciously$running$for$
president.$Trump’s$personal$values$had$always$harkened$to$the$postHWorld$War$II$
golden$age$of$patriarchy$and$societal$order.$It$was$no$great$leap$for$him$and$the$altHright$
to$connect$and$suffuse$into$one$another.$Trump$became$the$voice$of$the$collective.$It$
would$be$a$voice$that$told$a$wildly$entertaining$and$deeply$resonant$story;$one$that$
many$understood,$not$just$a$relatively$small$number$of$4chan$intellectuals.$
What'are'some'key'aspects'of'the'Collective'Journey'that'were'used'by'the'Trump'campaign'that'were'not'used'by'the'Clinton'campaign?
Their$Collective$Journey$setup$is$perfect:$Trump$seems$like$an$outlier,$but$he$almost$
immediately$establishes$himself$as$of$the$people,$one$of$a$vast$community.$He’s$airing$
their$grievances$for$the$Wirst$time$in$decades.$Their$cause$is$nothing$short$of$systemic$
change.$To$the$outside,$the$story$seemed$a$mess,$often$contradicting$itself,$playing$out$
in$outrageous$Wlourishes;$but/to/the/community/it/all/made/perfect/sense,/and/was/so/deeply/gratifying/that/the/base/became/electriTied/and/activated.$
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
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No$matter$what$variations$existed$in$their$viewpoints,$they$were$all$uniWied$as$this$force$
that$Wlew$in$the$face$of$the$establishment.$Criticism$against$them$became$fuel$for$their$
engine,$attacks$against$them$were$met$with$overwhelming$counterHnarratives.$Pictures$
counted$more$than$words.$Every'Trump'community'member'was'emboldened'to'become'a'broadcaster,$generating$dozens$or$hundreds$of$supporting$stories$and$opinions$and$spreading$them$to$their$social$media$feeds.$
In$keeping$with$the$power$of$these$Collective$Journey$traits,$what$was$largely$deemed$
impossible$quickly$became$real.$An$ideology$was$born$a$few$short$years$ago,$and$will$be$
made$Wlesh$inside$the$White$House$in$January.
The$Clinton$campaign$failed$to$embrace$any$of$these$factors.$Compared$with$all$this,$
Hillary'Clinton'ran'a'campaign'that'would'have'sat'quite'comfortably'in'1996.
You’re'generally'perceived'as'an'optimist'with'progressive'values.'Has'Trump’s'use'of'Collective'Journey'elements—and'its'use'by'ISIS'for'that'matter—darkened'your'view'of'the'model?'Is'this'why'you’ve'been'hesitant'to'be'more'open'about'it?
No,$I’m$thrilled$by$the$model,$but$it$needed$to$be$ready.$My$primary$job$is$to$understand$
why$stories$work,$how$they$can$be$made$more$effective,$and$how$to$Wix$them$if$they’re$
not$effective$enough.$That’s$been$easy$for$me$with$Hero’s$Journey$stories,$because$I’ve$
been$studying$them$since$I$was$a$kid.$
Examining$these$complex$stories$of$seismic$change$objectively$can$be$daunting.$I$had$to$
put$on$my$Spock$ears,$set$any$judgement$aside$about$the$values$espoused,$and$just$look$
at$how$they$worked.$It’s$like$trying$to$study$something$that’s$both$alive$and$exists$
within$four$dimensions.$It’s'not'just'that'they'run'in'different'directions'across'time'and'space,'it’s'that'they'are'participative.$
I$call$Collective$Journey$narratives$porous,$because$there$is$the$story$being$told,$and$
there$is$the$ability$of$any$individual$to$cross$over$into$the$story.$Reading$the$story$is$one$
thing.$Sharing$it$and$commenting$on$it$is$another.$We$can$connect$directly$with$the$
storyteller.$We$can$contribute$to$the$narrative.$We$can$even$help$to$expand$the$story$
world.$We’ve$seen$some$of$this$in$entertainment$and$advertising.$Now$we’re$seeing$it$in$
action$in$the$real$world,$and$it’s$easily$accessible$and$stunningly$fast$because$of$
technology.$That’s$a$lot$to$study$and$understand$and$test,$but$the$tests$work.$The'model'works.
But$there$are$dangers.$In$the$talk$I$gave$at$TEDxTransmedia$in$2010,$which$alluded$to$
the$early$work$I$was$doing$in$Collective$Journey,$I$ended$by$expressing$a$very$speciWic$
concern.$I$took$Clifford$Geertz’s$deWinition$of$religion$and$equated$it$to$the$power$of$
transmedia$storytelling.$I$warned$that$one$day$soon,$narratives$communicated$through$
these$techniques$can$generate$“a$system$of$symbols$and$text,$which$establish$powerful,$
longHlasting$moods$in$people$by$telling$us$stories$that$make$sense$in$our$reality,$stating$
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
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these$stories$as$absolute$fact,$which$make$these$moods$uniquely$realistic.”$
In$other$words,$if'we'are'not'careful,'the'transmedia'communication'of'potent'communal'narratives'can'make'something'that'is'not'real'seem'very'real,'or'something'that'is'<iercely'destructive'seem'innocuous'and'positive.$If$misapplied,$entire$populations$can$become$polarized$and$confused,$no$longer$able$to$discern$reality$
from$Wiction.$My$prediction$has$come$to$pass.$This$is$happening$in$the$world$today.$Look$
at$this$fake$news$issue$that$everyone$is$arguing$about,$from$the$President$to$Mark$
Zuckerberg$to$your$Facebook$friend$from$high$school.
We’re$never$going$to$get$out$of$situations$like$this$if$we’re$lost$inside$of$them,$even$
though$for$some$of$us$staying$inside$is$selfHafWirming.$As$tempting$as$that$is,$I’m$a$
believer$that$it$works$to$all$of$our$advantage$to$see$the$matrix$for$what$it$is.$If$we$fail$to$
understand$these$new$narrative$models,$and$harness$their$power$for$the$betterment$of$
all$of$us,$the$alternative$is$for$us$to$surrender$our$personal$freedoms$to$others.
What'do'you'see'in'coming'when'looking'at'Starlightrunner'and'how'will'you'be'employing'the'Collective'Journey'model'in'terms'of'business?
2017$is$shaping$up$to$be$a$fascinating$year.$I’ll$be$answering$the$question,$what'if'we'fuel'the'Collective'Journey'with'the'same'aspirational'drivers'that'power'the'most'successful'story'worlds?$My$belief$is$that$if$you$do$this,$you$can$accelerate$positive$systemic$change.$So,$on$the$business$side,$we’ll$be$looking$for$companies$and$brands$
that$stand$for$those$drivers,$that$are$trying$to$manifest$something$positive$in$the$world.$
To$that$end,$we’re$taking$an$interest$in$the$sharing$economy.$We’re$taking$an$interest$in$
music.$We’re$taking$an$interest$in$large$philanthropic$organizations.
On$the$entertainment$front,$with$my$writing$partner$Steele$Filipek,$I’m$teaming$with$
producers$Kay$Rothman$and$Dana$Kuznetzkoff$to$develop$a$hybrid$television$and$360$
project$that$has$a$truly$unique$premise$and$setting.$They’re$even$indulging$me$by$
employing$some$Collective$Journey$elements$into$the$series$mythology.$And$after$ten$
years$of$back$and$forth$with$Electronic$Arts,$we$are$Winally$working$on$one$of$their$
biggest$videogame$franchises,$which$is$super$fun.$We’ll$be$able$to$talk$more$about$both$
early$this$coming$year.
For-more-on-the-collective-journey-in-the-coming-months,-visit-blog.collectivejourney.com-.-
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
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OUTRODUCTION
A$great$big$thank$you$to$everyone$who$has$taken$the$time$to$read$this$publication$H$in$it,$
I$have$tried$to$recapture$what$happened$in$2016$and$give$some$ideas,$methods$and$
thoughts$regarding$creative$efforts$in$2017.$
Thanks$to$the$input$of$Mike,$Maya,$Steve,$Andrea,$Angela,$LeeHSean,$Asta,$Christy$and$Jeff$
there$are$also$numerous$other$thoughts,$suggestions,$points$of$reference$and$best$
practices$on$display,$for$which$I$am$very$grateful.$I’ll$be$having$a$Wield$day$myself$just$
pouring$through$the$links$I’m$not$familiar$with$myself!
For$2017,$my$fervent$hope$is$that$we$will$see$a$world$that$slowly$starts$to$move$in$the$
right$direction$again.$It$might$be$case$of$things$having$to$get$worse$before$they$can$get$
better;$it$might$also$be$a$case$of$the$global$polarisation$having$to$implode$upon$itself$
before$we$can$start$to$see$truly$meaningful$change.$
Whatever$direction$we’re$heading$in,$I$know$that$stories$will$lead$the$way$H$stories$
about$possibilities,$stories$about$hope,$stories$about$disasters$and$challenges$and$
victories$and$humanity.$And$I$very$much$believe$it$is$in$our$own$hands$to$create$the$
stories$we$want$to$tell.$
Here’s$to$a$bountiful$and$magic$2017!
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
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About-the-author
Simon$Staffans$is$an$awardHwinning$format$and$content$developer$working$in$Finland.$
Over$a$distinguished$career$he$has$created$everything$from$TV$shows$to$social$media$
strategies$and$corporate$storytelling$campaigns.$His$knowledge$of$multiplatform$
storytelling$and$transmedia$development$has$taken$him$around$the$world$for$speaking$
engagements,$workshop$facilitation$and$international$consultancy.$His$insightful$
articles$have$been$published$in$numerous$journals$and$academic$papers$and$he$is$an$
avid$blogger$on$his$website$Evolving$Media.$He$holds$a$Bachelors$degree$in$Social$
Sciences,$looking$into$how$storytelling$can$affect$people’s$willingness$to$participate$in$
scientiWic$surveys.
Currently,$Simon$is$the$CEO$of$ReThink-–-New-Media-Solutions,$a$production$and$
innovation$company.$Additionally,$he$has$his$own$company$Storista$through$which$he$
channels$innovative$projects$in$the$multiHplatform$arena.$Previously$he$worked$for$
MediaCity-Finland$as$a$media$strategist,$content$developer$and$producer.$Despite$a$busy$
schedule$Simon$is$always$open$to$interesting$collaborations$and$development$and$
production$work,$media$strategy$consultation,$speaker$engagements,$workshop$
facilitation$and$writing$assignments.$Contacts$can$be$found$below.
Some$professional$facts:
Work'Experience• 11$years$as$a$radio$professional;$editor,$show$host,$producer,$at$the$Finnish$
Broadcasting$Company$YLE,$Radio$X$and$Ålands$Radio
• 1$year$as$a$newspaper$editor,$at$Vasabladet
• 3$years$as$the$CEO$and$CoHfounder$of$ReThink$–$New$Media$Solutions
• 4$years$as$the$founder$of$Storista
• 11$years$as$a$content$developer$for$interactive,$cross$media$and$transmedia$
formats,$producer,$writer,$researcher$and$speaker,$at$MediaCity
Professional'achievements'(while'at'MediaCity'and'ReThink)• Developed$The$Space$Trainees,$a$cross$media$language$training$game$show$for$
kids,$which$was$nominated$for$an$iEmmy$in$the$category$Children$and$Young$
People$in$2010,$and$won$an$International$EHLearning$Award$the$same$year.$The$
show$ran$for$two$seasons$on$YLE/FST5.
• Developed$the$format$and$held$the$position$of$Transmedia$Director$for$“The$Mill$
Sessions“,$a$multiplatform$music$project$in$2011
• Developed,$wrote$and$created$the$corporate$storytelling$strategy$and$social$
media$strategy$for$the$“Energialähettiläs$2013”$campaign.
• Worked$on$a$number$of$corporate$storytelling$ventures$in$2014H16,$for$Vacon,$
Wapice,$the$city$of$Vaasa,$VEO,$the$University$of$Vaasa,$Wasaline,$Wärtsila,$Citec,$
Österbottens$Förbund,$the$OSIRIS$project$etc$–$see$videos$here,$here,$here$and$
here,$for$instance.
One Year in Now Media Vol VI
110
• Six$publications$spanning$six$years$–$a$curation$of$his$blog$and$interviews$with$
brilliant$people$from$around$the$world$–$are$available$for$free$download$on$
Slideshare
• Avid$blogger$on$all$things$transmedia,$also$keeping$a$Scoopit$up$at$http://
www.scoop.it/t/transmediascoop
• Numerous$talks$and$workshops$at$conferences$and$seminars,$including$MIPCOM,$
MIPTV,$Cross$Video$Days,$London$Transmedia$Fest$2012,$Future$Media$2.0,$
Entertainment$Master$Class$,$Filmteractive$Festival,$X$Media$Lab$2013,$
Transmedia$Living$Lab,$Korcula$Cross$Media$Lab,$Documentary$Campus…
• Alumni$of$the$ForwardSlashStory$2015$camp,$Costa$Rica
• Appointed$expert$at$EU:s$Education,$Audiovisual$and$Culture$Executive$Agency$
and$Horizon$2020$programmes$(2014$H)
• Social$media$expert$panelist$at$YLE$(Finnish$Broadcasting$Company)
• Consultant$for$the$Transmedia$Fund$at$BoostHBG,$Sweden
• MIPFormats$Pitch$Competition$Winalist$2012
• Juror$for$Solothurner$Filmtage$(Call$for$Transmedia$Projects),$EuroITV,$Florida$
Film$Market,$Banff$Media$Festival$and$Vancouver$Web$Fest.
Publication'List'available'at'simonstaffans.com'
(Biography-written-by-the-brilliant-Claire-Marshall-as-part-of-her-2015-experiment-–-how-
to-make-a-living-as-a-part-of-the-sharing-economy)
