Week 8: Storytelling and Transmedia

STORYTELLING

A simple story I’ve encountered is based on a man silently dancing on the street. He was on the podium of a building with earbuds in and dancing as though he were on a stage. It didn’t make sense to anyone but him because they could not hear the music, but he seemed to be having a great time. This is the story of somebody that doesn’t care what people think, who loves to dance. As a transmedia project, this could be something that promotes the ideas of silent discos. A silent disco operates the same way the dancing man does, only with more participation from the public. If the dancing man went viral, he could use his fame to create silent disco parties all over the world by creating an network of silent dancers. They could create hotspots in every city and organize meetups or events where there would be a popup silent disco. In the end, it would become a transmedia project that began with one man on the street and ended up with an international following online. It would become a new story.

TRANSMEDIA

I find transmedia very interesting because the new product is amazing on its own while at the same time, it’s a chance for those interested in the original to continue their experience. I think it’s an amazing idea for fans of a culture as it incorporates different ideas form different people to create one large experience. As a marketing technique it is an effective money maker or publicity stunt. A transmedia project I recall being interested in is a campaign for the videogame Watchdogs. In short, Watchdogs is a game that revolves around a character who is a vigilante hacker. Not only did it create the opportunity for spin-off games to enrich the story that was left behind when the original ended, but it went on to live through mobile apps. As a promotion before the game was released, there was an iPhone app that simulated hacking by having users check in at certain locations in their area in a way that is similar to geocashing. While it is a promotional tie in to the game, the app is meant to be accessed by people that haven’t played it (as it wasn’t released yet), so that they can experience the app separately from the game it is based on. The people who played the game can play it without testing the app, or they can enrich their overall experience by playing with both. In this way, it’s a transmedia project, and an effective one. The game was a hit and broke a Ubisoft record of having the most sales on the first day.