transmedia storytelling

How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Transmedia...

@benhoguet

by Benjamin Hoguet

1

the need to define transmedia

is strong

A global definition

by Henry Jenkins

A visual definition

by Robert Pratten

an institutional definition

needed for : !

• status recognition • grants allocation • lobbying efforts • «reassurance»

‘’ A Transmedia Narrative project or franchise

must consist of three (or more) narrative storylines existing within the

same fictional universe on any of the following platforms: Film, Television, Short Film, Broadband, Publishing, Comics, Animation, Mobile, Special Venues, DVD/Blu-ray/CD-ROM, Narrative Commercial and Marketing rollouts, and other technologies that may or may not currently exist. These

narrative extensions are NOT the same as repurposing material from one platform to be cut or repurposed to different platforms. ‘’

an institutional definition

needed for : !

• status recognition • grants allocation • lobbying efforts • reassurance

!

• be an original concept with content (linear or interactive) specifically produced for new media

!• be destined to several media,

including cinema and/or television and must offer specific narrative developments on each media

!

•create a universe and include an

interactive and/or participatory dimension

!• be conceived and written in French

To be eligible to the CNC new media fund, a project must:

but who really gives a f***?

focus on a good story...

give it all the forms it needs and deserves...

make it engaging and immersive...

it’ll be good transmedia.

2

a craft rooted in our cultural DNA

the non-interactive entertainment of the 20th century

is the exception, not the norm

Before non-interactive forms of entertainment came along all entertainment was interactive: theatre, music, sport – the performers and audience were there together, and even a respectfully silent audience exerted a powerful shaping presence on the unfolding of whatever drama they were there for.

!

We didn’t need a special word for interactivity in the same way that we don’t (yet) need a special word for people with only one head.

- Douglas Adams in «How to Stop Worrying and

Learn to Love the Internet» (1999)

new worlds to conquer

digital or not...

new formats enriching and transcending

traditional media (not replacing them)

new formats

webdocumentaries

main challenges: • going non-linear without sacrificing narration • keeping a balance between interactivity and author’s intention • making the interaction the story

recurring features: • multiple-choices interfaces • multimedia content • non-linear narrative structure

frequent mistakes: • encyclopedic documentary • narrative maze • non-contributing interactivity • ergonomical nightmare

Hollow (Elaine McMillion) | Interactive documentary

Gaza Sderot (ARTE) | Webdocumentary | Documentary

new formats

serious games

main challenges: • not letting the information delivery ruin the gaming experience • not letting the gaming experience hinder the information delivery • being really fun and challenging to play

recurring features: • serious intentions combined with playful mechanisms • «classic gaming» features : levels, rules, rewards...

frequent mistakes: • overly simplistic game design • confusion between gaming and gamification • forgetting to tell a story

Type:RIder (ARTE) | Mobile & social game | Interactive installation

SPENT | Serious game

new formats

fictional universes

main challenges: • preserving some distinction between transmedia and marketing • spending more time for the 1% of hardcore fans than for the other 99% • keeping the whole experience coherent

recurring features: • TV or cinema-centered • long-lasting experiences • special content for hardcore fans • strong ties with marketing campaigns

frequent mistakes: • lack of resources for developments other than the main medium • some parts of the experience don’t stand alone

Defiance (SyFy) | TV Show | MMORPG

The Spiral (ARTE) | TV Show | ARG

new formats

alternate reality games

main challenges: • dealing with the logistics • keeping the player’s community coherent and interactive • drawing links with the rest of the experience

recurring features: • thin line between reality and fiction • players embodying fictional characters, much as in role playing • results of the ARG shaping the unfolding of the transmedia experience

frequent mistakes: • lack of social features • forgetting rewards for a very demanding activity

Alt-Minds (ARTE) | Mobile game | ARG | Webseries

Why So Serious | ARG

new formats

participative experiences

main challenges: • editorialization of contributions or UGC • incentives for participation • legal status of UGC content

recurring features: • offering users to co-create the project • content also available for non-contributors • UGC or contributions shaping the whole transmedia experience

frequent mistakes: • lack of recognition or rewards for participants • unclear impact of participation on the project

Une Contre-Histoire des Internets (ARTE)

Life in a Day (National Geographic & YouTube) | Feature film

new formats

digital publishing

main challenges: • editorialization of participations or UGC • incentives for participation • legal status of UGC content

recurring features: • offering users to co-create the project • content available for non-participants • UGC or participation shaping the whole transmedia experience

frequent mistakes: • lack of recognition or rewards for participants • unclear impact of participation on the project

MediaEntity | Comics | e-Book | ARG | Role playing | Webseries

Cathy’s Book | Publishing | ARG

new formats

and much much more...

• gamedocs • mobile apps • e-publishing • social games • second screen apps • long-form articles • interactive webseries • role-playing on social networks • tweetterature • and whatever we’ll do with Google glasses...

Fort McMoney (ARTE/ONF) | Gamedoc | Documentary

Snow Fall (New York Times) | Long-form interactive article

never bend your story to fit

a predetermined choice of media

3

the (not so) new rules of storytelling

your transmedia experience should be:

immersive interactive

sharable coherent

expandable

4

why bother with transmedia?

obvious returns not so obvious ones...

• you’ll learn (hopefully) to delegate and work collaboratively !

• you’ll learn new skills (design, coding, game design, storytelling softwares...) !

• if necessary, you’ll be able to make concessions on one medium to preserve creative freedom on another (OK, don’t hit me...)

• you’ll reach multiple target audiences on their media of choice !

•you’ll build a stronger community around your project !

• you’ll create a narrative universe you can then expand

!

• you’ll get new funding and grant opportunities !

• you’ll get an innovative edge and a pioneer status

obvious complications not so obvious ones...

• you’ll have to deal with more complicated group dynamics !

• you’ll faced an unclear and unspecific set of laws and regulations !

• you’ll have to reconfigure your brain because transmedia storytelling will f*** up your creative process and patterns

• you’ll most certainly have to coproduce some aspects of the experience !

• you’ll have to implement more sophisticated project management techniques !

• you’ll have to find new skills such as story architects, experience designers... !

• you’ll be part of an emerging and competitive market so demand might run low sometimes

keep calm and collaborate

• By co-producing and co-creating, you’ll build a growing ecosystem of gifted professionals

• You’ll soon develop many new skills you never had the patience or time or resources to learn

• But still, don’t go overboard and ask everyone you meet to join your project

to optimize returns and minimize complications:

5

production and distribution,

transmedia-style.

key players

Broadcasters / Media ARTE (France)

France Televisions (France)

NFB / ONF (Canada)

National Geographic (US) HBO (US) ...

Producers Starlight Runner (US)

Mirada Studios (US)

MediaStorm (US)

Upian (France)

Lexis Numerique (France)

Submarine (NL)

...

New media funds & grants CNC (France)

SCAM, SACD, SACEM (France)

Regional funds (France)

Lagardère Foundation (France)

Europe Creative (EU)

Doha Film Institute (Qatar) Tribeca New Media Fund (US)

...

«classic» funding «new» funding

both are not mutually exclusive!

•Get some media involved •Apply for funding and grants •Find private funders (maybe) •Look for the widest distribution •Enter some festivals

•Build a community •Get involved with your audience •Launch a crowdfunding campaign or pre-sales •Be grateful and send some rewards

DIY distributionWhat for ? •Take full creative control •Stay independent

•Generate (possibly) more revenue

How? •Use existing distribution solutions (iTunes, Vodeo, Vimeo, Kindle Direct Publishing...)

•Create your own (VHX, custom code)

Careful... •Build an audience first •Consider the higher risk/reward ratio •Run your numbers •Get a plan B

Festivals & eventsElsewhere: SXSW (Austin, US)

Power to Pixel (London, UK)

Sheffield DocFest (UK)

IDFA DocLab (Amsterdam, NL) Tribeca Storyscapes (NYC, US)

Sundance New Frontier (Utah, US)

...

In France: Sunny Side of the Doc (La Rochelle)

Cross Video Days (Paris)

Web Program Festival (La Rochelle)

FIGRA (Le Touquet) Visa pour l’Image (Perpignan) FIPA (Biarritz)

...

6

your very own transmedia

toolbox!

Non-linear writing tools

Twine Open-source

Non-linear storytelling Interactive scenario Instant publishing

And also: Scrivener Celtx Scapple...

Interactive storytelling tools

Djehouti To create without code any kind of

interactive experiences (webdoc, interactive videos, mobile apps,

websites...)

To create storyworlds with complex social and mobile interactions

To create geolocated interactive experiences

And also: Klynt, Zeega... (interactive experiences) Shorthand... (long-form articles) ThingLink, Stipple... (interactive photos) Popcorn, Korsakow... (interactive videos) Timeline JS, TikiToki... (timelines) Infogr.am, Piktochart... (infographics)

News sources & influencers

In France: The Rabbit Hole (transmedia)

Webdocu.fr (webdoc)

Le Blog Documentaire (doc & webdoc) The Pixel Hunt (serious game) Transmedia Lab (transmedia) Bigger Than Fiction (transmedia)

UK/US: HenryJenkins.org (transmedia) Transmedia SF (transmedia) tStoryteller (storytelling)

Starlight Runner (transmedia)

Andrea Philips (transmedia)

Digital Rocking Chair (curated)

Pervasive Entertainement (curated)

and many more I forget...

Transmedia communities

Storycode Recurring events and workshops

dedicated to the future of storytelling in NYC, Paris, Boston, Washington, SF...

And also: Regional communities (Transmedia SF, LA...)

Transmedia Coalition

Transmedia Meetups Workshops and hackathon (Tribeca Hacks, PBS POV Hackathon...)

thank you! more on @benhoguet and benhoguet.com