Creators Guide to Transmedia pt.2

During chapter 5 and 6 of the book Creators Guide to Transmedia the author talks about the different important steps in order to create a good transmedia storytelling and how to conduct that story through the length of it with a good plot, characters, and connections with the audience, In the first chapter, the author specifies that a transmedia story is created in order to make a business case and use somebody's creative vision. In order to create a good transmedia story four things are necessary. First, you need to create a world around your story; this can be a real world, like Romeo and Juliette, or a fiction world, like Star Wars. Then, creating the characters. The characters of the story are the ones who create a connection and an interaction with the audience, who will be the one involved with the story and spending the money on it. Ionic states, the change of the characters and environment within the story, and backstory and exposition, parallel stories that can help to understand the main story, are also key in order to create a good transmedia storytelling. In chapter 6, the author broadly talks about how to create and develop such story using all the potential it may have.

While reading this two chapters, two things attracted my interest in a special way. On one hand, the importance of the characters, for the author, and their development thoroughout the sotry; before, druing, and after. On the other hand, how transmedia stories use alternative types of media just to explain or give a background story of what happens in the main story. It is a way to explain why things are the way they are, but that it wouldn't make sense to explain in the middle of the main story. This new media stories create more interest in the audience and create a higher number of spectators.

Good examples of this two characteristics can be Harry Potter and The Office. Harry Potter is a great example of the development of the characters within the story. During the story of Harry Potter, their books and movies give us an idea of how the characters were before and at the beginning of their adventure. Then, as the plot develops, they develop and grow with it. At the end of the main story, the characters are completely different than how they were before. Also, books and theater plays, other media, also represent how they are after the story. Also, a movie that will be released this December, Magic Creatures and Where to Find Them, tells the story of how Hogwarts was created and why the creatures that appear in Harry Potter are there and are the way they are. The Office, on the other side, is also a good example of character development through the 9 seasons of the show, the creation of new characters, and the death of others. The office is also visible in other platforms that tell background stories of each character. Finally, there are also rumors that a new movie may be coming up for next summer.

Transmedia Storytelling

Transmedia storytelling is broadly defined by the author of this article as the telling of a story by using a combination of different medias, all related to each other to a certain extent. Transmedia uses multiple platforms with the goal of telling a single unified story. Stories in each medium can either be a segment of a story that connects with other media to tell the full story, or a stand alone story. During the reading, the author distinguishes two types of transmedia storytelling; west coast and east coast. For the author, east coast is more related with independent movies, theater, or books; while west coast is considered the Hollywood and big franchises word. Within each group he also gives some examples.

Transmedia is a concept that most people, included myself, are not related to hear on a daily basis. But, the definition of such concept is something that definitely sounds more familiar to me as an individual, and probably to most people that have heard of it. Good examples of transmedia storytelling are stories that we see and hear daily like Entourage, or books and movies like Star Wars.

Entourage is a world known story that combines multiple platforms as TV shows and a movie. In this scenario, the stories told in both platforms are stand alone stories; but, when the platforms are combined the story interrelates. On the other side, Star Wars is a combination of books and movies that are segmented but connected together with the purpose of creating a complete story. Both the books and the movies are based upon the same content. These are both examples of West coast transmedia storytelling. Good examples of East coast transmedia storytelling would be Bear 71 or 3 Weeks in May, both examples of small budget interactive stories that combine blogs, websites, and videos all available for the public.

Vimeo

Vimeo is considered a video-sharing website in which people are allow to update videos, making them availiable to the rest of the world, share them, and rate them by adding comments. This website was created in 2004 by Jack Lodwick and Zach Klein and was the first website that exclusively used high definition videos. One of the biggest differences between this platform and YouTube is the type of users that consume them and the type of people that upload the videos. Youtube is a platform used by anyone in the world in which everyone updates videos no matter what the content or intention is. On the other side, Vimeo is a webpage meant for people who want to upload professional videos and, in a certain way, become important in the video editing and producing world.

I personally think Vimeo is a really helpfull platform that gives people a chance to  become 'professionals'; and, for a couple of minutes, reach some type of fame that would be impossible for them to enjoy otherwise.

The reason why I think this is because Vimeo brings an opportunity that YouTube won't ever bring to the table. YouTube is mainly used by amateurs whose main reason to use it is having a good time and enjoy any 'absurd' video that makes them laugh. On the other side, Vimeo is mainly used by professionals, which give its users the opportunity to receive a critical analysis and constructive critique of their videos and performance. Also, if the video is considered a quality video, users can have the opportubity to join the professional world by being scouted by a company or a sponsor that can offer them contract or a project.