The Transmedia Way

This book is an essay and a professional guide at the same time. It consists of all the most important masterworks and experiences, and is a "captain's log" with 100 examples of the most relevant and original transmedia universes invented over the past years, from America to Europe, from Asia to Africa and Australia. The discussion is endorsed by the presence of first rated professionals and academics who list among the most important international producers, authors and scholars in transmedia history. Angry Birds and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Mr. Robot and Games of Thrones, The Dark Knight, Westworld and Hunger Games, Avatar and Assassin's Creed, LOST and Prometheus, Sin City, Mad Man and Halo, Dexter and Star Wars or brands like BMW and Burberry, Chanel and LEGO, HBO and Coke, IKEA, Harley Davidson and Discovery Channel.

"Welcome in transmediasphere, where stories float all around us and inside us. Stories and brands, trends, conflicts, experiences, ways of being. A new ecosystem, rich of technology and complex, deep and charming. A transmediaverse where audiences and creators share multi platform story worlds, stack up pieces from all the messages and products, the works and the experiences mixed in the global flux, with their invisible scripts. Angry Birds and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Mr. Robot and Games of Thrones, The Dark Knight, Westworld and Hunger Games, Avatar and Assassin’s Creed, LOST and Prometheus, Sin City, Mad Man and Halo, Dexter and Star Wars or brands like BMW and Burberry, Chanel and LEGO, HBO and Coke, IKEA, Harley Davidson and Discovery Channel. What have in common these gigantic narratives? Making transmedia means creating complex imaginative universes for stories distributed on different media platforms, spreading multilayered plots and managing complex characters for entertainment, information and communications, for brand and public institutions, for cultural heritage and the Arts, for education and for goods. Look around you: screens, devices, texts, brands... Transmedia is everywhere, even if we don’t perceive it, most of the time. And the author, the producer and... the designer? This book is an essay and a professional guide at the same time. It consists of all those masterworks and experiences, and is a “captain’s log” with 100 examples of the most relevant and original transmedia projects, techniques and universes invented over the past years, from America to Europe, from Asia to Africa and Australia. The discussion is endorsed by the presence of first rated professionals and academics who list among the most important international producers, authors and scholars in transmedia history. Start reading and switch the drive unit on. Seal the shipboots and be ready for taking off and vanishi"--Site web de l'éditeur.

Transmedia Storytelling explores the theories and describes the use of the imagery and techniques shared by producers, authors and audiences of the entertainment, information and brand communication industries as they create and develop their stories in this new, interactive ecosystem.

The First How-To Strategy Guide to Transmedia Storytelling “Phillips’s book is a powerful tool for anyone who wants to make a career for him- or herself within the world of transmedia. Through her guidance, the reader is able to understand the fundamentals of transmedia and the power it can have when used with a compelling and strong story." —David Gale, Executive Vice President, MTV Cross Media “Transmedia storytelling is a bold and exciting new arena for creativity and innovation. . . . Andrea Phillips provides a compelling, thoughtful, and clear guide to a next generation of creators in this medium. She demystifies the process and proves that you, too, can push the envelope and be part of the future of storytelling.” —Michelle Satter, Founding Director, Sundance Institute Feature Film Program “An excellent and fair-minded primer and survey of the underpinnings and fast-evolving techniques behind multiplatform narrative. Andrea Phillips is one of a small handful of writers capable of both practicing and clearly conveying the principles of transmedia storytelling. Highly recommended!” —Jeff Gomez, CEO, Starlight Runner Entertainment “A no-nonsense guide for the fun-filled and strangely awesome world of transmedia storytelling.” —C. C. Chapman, coauthor of Content Rules and Amazing Things Will Happen Includes Q&A sessions with the world’s leading experts in transmedia storytelling About the Book: What is transmedia storytelling and what can it do for you? It’s the buzzword for a new generation—a revolutionary technique for telling stories across multiple media platforms and formats—and it’s rapidly becoming the go-to strategy for a wide variety of businesses. If you work in marketing, entertaining, or advertising, transmedia storytelling is a must-have tool for pulling people into your world. Why do you need A Creator’s Guide to Transmedia Storytelling? If you want to attract, engage, and captivate your audience, you need this book. Written by an award-winning transmedia creator and renowned games designer, this book shows you how to utilize the same marketing tools used by heavy-hitters such as HBO, Disney, Ford, and Sony Pictures—at a fraction of the cost. You’ll learn how to: Choose the right platforms for your story Decide whether to DIY or outsource work Find and keep a strong core production team Make your audience a character in your story Get the funding you need—and even make a profit Forge your own successful transmedia career With these proven media-ready strategies, you’ll learn how to generate must-read content, must-see videos, and must-visit websites that will only grow bigger as viewers respond, contribute, and spread the word. You’ll create major buzz with structures such as alternate reality games and fictional character sites—or even “old-fashioned” platforms such as email and phone calls. The more you connect to your audience and the more you get them involved in the storytelling process, the more successful you will be. This isn’t the future. This is now. This is how you tell your story, touch your audience, and take your game to the next level—through transmedia storytelling.

Every producer aspires to design an entertainment brand that can grow into a pop icon, a brand whose storyworld or hero has enough creative potential to power spin-offs and reboots, theme park rides and acres of merchandise. So how can independents achieve this degree of success if they don't have a hundred million dollars to spend on a marketing campaign or the time to gamble on a viral video or game? In "Transmedia 2.0: How to Create an Entertainment Brand Using a Transmedial Approach To Storytelling," Nuno Bernardo will show readers how to use the transmedia approach to build an entertainment brand that can conquer global audiences, readers and users in a myriad of platforms. "Transmedia 2.0" is the follow up to the 2011 bestseller "The Producers Guide to Transmedia" and draws on Nuno Bernardo's experience of multi-platform storytelling and production. Inspired by Orson Welles radio play "War of the Worlds," Nuno has being exploring new forms of interactive and immersive storytelling for the past decade. Using his unique approach to transmedia, Nuno has produced more than 200 hours of multi-platform content; from feature films and TV shows to mobile apps and books. His transmedia franchises have been adapted all across the globe, from the UK to China, conquering tens of millions of loyal fans and featuring in the world's greatest film and television festivals along the way. Through his own experience, Nuno has developed a step-by-step approach to building long-running multi-platform entertainment brands and loyal viewing communities. Now he is sharing his knowledge with filmmakers, content producers for television, gaming and web, marketers and brand managers, audiovisual and media students. All of the aforementioned have one thing in common; they want to learn a trick or two about how to use stories and a transmedial approach to marketing and communication to attract audiences and users to their stories and products. This book analyses how multi-platform storytelling and distribution can help producers to establish true entertainment brands and intellectual property. It also features a series of real case studies discussing ideas and concepts of how transmedia can be key to promoting and engaging with audiences around a traditional TV show, feature film, game or consumer brand.

Transmedia Marketing: From Film and TV to Games and Digital Media skillfully guides media makers and media marketers through the rapidly changing world of entertainment and media marketing. Its groundbreaking transmedia approach integrates storytelling and marketing content creation across multiple media platforms – harnessing the power of audience to shape and promote your story. Through success stories, full color examples of effective marketing techniques in action, and insight from top entertainment professionals, Transmedia Marketing covers the fundamentals of a sound 21st century marketing and content plan. You’ll master the strategy behind conducting research, identifying target audiences, setting goals, and branding your project. And, you’ll learn first-hand how to execute your plan’s publicity, events, advertising, trailers, digital and interactive content, and social media. Transmedia Marketing enlivens these concepts with: Hundreds of vibrant examples from across media platforms – The Hunger Games, Prometheus, The Dark Knight, Bachelorette, The Lord of the Rings, Despicable Me 2, Food, Inc., Breaking Bad, House of Cards, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, Top Chef, Pokémon, BioShock Infinite, Minecraft, Outlast, Titanfall, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, Halo 4, Lonelygirl15, Annoying Orange Real-world advice from 45 leading industry writers, directors, producers, composers, distributors, marketers, publicists, critics, journalists, attorneys, and executives from markets, festivals, awards, and guilds Powerful in-depth case studies showcasing successful approaches – A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Mad Men, Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, and Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues Extensive Web content at www.transmediamarketing.com featuring a primer on transmedia platforms – film, broadcast, print, games, digital media, and experiential media; expanded case studies; sample marketing plans and materials; and exclusive interviews With Transmedia Marketing, you’ll be fully versed in the art of marketing film, TV, games, and digital media and primed to write and achieve the winning plan for your next media project.

Around the globe, people now engage with media content across multiple platforms, following stories, characters, worlds, brands and other information across a spectrum of media channels. This transmedia phenomenon has led to the burgeoning of transmedia studies in media, cultural studies and communication departments across the academy. The Routledge Companion to Transmedia Studies is the definitive volume for scholars and students interested in comprehending all the various aspects of transmediality. This collection, which gathers together original articles by a global roster of contributors from a variety of disciplines, sets out to contextualize, problematize and scrutinize the current status and future directions of transmediality, exploring the industries, arts, practices, cultures, and methodologies of studying convergent media across multiple platforms.

Interactive Narratives and Transmedia Storytelling provides media students and industry professionals with strategies for creating innovative new media projects across a variety of platforms. Synthesizing ideas from a range of theorists and practitioners across visual, audio, and interactive media, Kelly McErlean offers a practical reference guide and toolkit to best practices, techniques, key historical and theoretical concepts, and terminology that media storytellers and creatives need to create compelling interactive and transmedia narratives. McErlean takes a broad lens, exploring traditional narrative, virtual reality and augmented reality, audience interpretation, sound design, montage, the business of transmedia storytelling, and much more. Written for both experienced media practitioners and those looking for a reference to help bolster their creative toolkit or learn how to better craft multiplatform stories, Interactive Narratives and Transmedia Storytelling serves as a guide to navigating this evolving world.