Unpacking a “TransMedia” video

I stumbled across this video by Mickey Gilchrist and Scott Bartlett that is titled “transmedia”. The inference, then, is that this video is a collection of transmedia examples. Have a look:

[youtube QBusjqW7wRA]

Now, in an effort to demythologise what ‘transmedia’ and ‘cross-media’ etc is, I’ll take the opportunity to unpack the relations between the segments presented in this video:

  • Segment 1: Superman cartoon = 2D animation probably circa 1940s which is an ADAPTATION of comic books introduced in 1938 (although there may be some TRANSMEDIA expansions of the storyline);
  • Segment 2: Superman movie = live action ADAPTATION of segment 1. At quick glance, the adaptation occurs on a few levels: 1) Medial (2D to live action); 2) Cultural (storyline alteration for contemporary audiences);
  • Segment 3: The Simpsons cartoon = 2D INTERTEXTUAL relation (Genette) where the cartoon alludes to the Superman storyworld, also a ‘metaform’ (Johnson);
  • Segment 4: The Simpsons videogame = 3D ADAPTATION of The Simpsons 2D cartoon;
  • Segment 5: The Simpsons real life version & The Simpsons original cartoon = MASHUP/REMIX/INTERTEXTUAL relation (quoting) of original 2D cartoon and fan live-action APPROPRIATION/ADAPTATION/HOMAGE (source);
  • Segment 6: The Matrix title sequence & The Simpsons original cartoon = INTERTEXTUAL relation (quoting) of The Matrix feature film within The Simpsons original 2D cartoon;
  • Segment 7: The Matrix Lego animation = fan live-action APPROPRIATION/ADAPTATION/HOMAGE/PARODY of The Matrix live-action feature film;
  • Segment 8: The Matrix feature film = excerpt from live action feature film (that is what it looks like);
  • Segment 9: The Matrix videogame = INTERTEXTUAL relation (quoting) of 3D videogame ADAPTATION of The Matrix feature film within iPod interface REMEDIATION (transparency relation – Bolter & Grusin).

So, from this little analysis we can see that there the media relations exhibited are those that have been present for decades. From what I can tell, there is only one that is only one example of a weak form of expansion of a storyworld: the parody. I bring up the point of expansion because that is the contemporary understanding of ‘transmedia’, as popularised by Henry Jenkins. Jenkins’s definition of ‘transmedia storytelling’:

A transmedia story unfolds across multiple media platforms with each new text making a distinctive and valuable contribution to the whole. In the ideal form of transmedia storytelling, each medium does what it does best—so that a story might be introduced in a film, expanded through television, novels, and comics; its world might be explored through game play or experienced as an amusement park attraction. Each franchise entry needs to be self-contained so you don’t need to have seen the film to enjoy the game and vice-versa. (Convergence Culture, 139)

Transmedia storytelling, in Jenkins sense, refers to the expansion of a storyworld, with each unit being self-contained. This is actually just one type of transmedia expansion of four (4) top-level ones that I have identified. But the point about expansion is there. That is why I baulked at the video being described as ‘TransMedia’. Now, ‘cross-media’ is a term that has been around for a long time. It has many meanings to different parts of industry, different industries and different academics. I employ ‘cross-media’ to be an umbrella term that describes all inter-textual relations in a multi-platform environment: repurposing (remediation), adaptation and transmedia expansions (and more).

I find it interesting that ‘transmedia’ and ‘cross-media’ are often employed to described intertextual relations that have been present for a while. One of the reasons is that some people enter the notion of intertextual relations through these forms and so label them according to what they have just found out. Another reason is a fetish for the new. To label an intertextual activity according to notions that have been around for a very long time negates the excitement and uniqueness of it. With this analysis we can see that the activities listed in the video are not new in terms of the intertextual relations. What is new, however, is the range of media and artforms that we can employ for adaptations; the ways digital technologies enables easier appropriation of forms & the broadcasting of them; the growing preference for these forms and they way ‘official’ producers are engaging in these behaviours as well…

One thing is clear from this video though: people really do love seeing fictional worlds persist in every media platform and arts type, irrespective of the creator.

FremantleMedia’s “comedy vlog drama”

Project V

On the 5th April, FremantleMedia launched Project V. Project V is a 12 week comedy told through six vloggers. They are real world performers (mainly comedians) from the UK and US who can vlog about anything. And they do. So, it has the realism aesthetic of ‘LonelyGirl15’ but without the deception; sometimes well executed comedy mixed in with casual (and sometimes boring) rantings; with a plot that is slowly emerging between them. Here is some info from the press release:

Project V showcases the lives and observations of six up and coming young performers from Britain and the US. The site features short-form video postings of each of the six performers – artists, actors and comedians -  talking to each other and to the audience. Audiences can post comments on the performers’ homepages and follow the clues to the unfolding story linking the site’s stars.

What is fun, as with all fictionalised realisms (!), is waiting for the veneer to break. When will we see the real person emerge behind the performance? When will they turn on each other? When will they turn on their producers? When will they turn on us? I’ve found an example of them turning of each other so far: Ruth Pickett’s mashup of her co-vlogger Chris Wydle. This project isn’t perfect, but it is a different approach to many web dramas. FremantleMedia got in performers and comedians for a reason.  Gary Carter, Chief Creative Officer for FMX is quoted as saying:

“As television audiences continue to fragment, it will become essential for producers to understand how to apply their skills to new platforms, learning from television without copying it. We created FMX to explore, create and produce non-linear entertainment brands and experiences for new media. Project V work is I think, a world first and a fantastic learning experience for FremantleMedia, as we exercise our industrial production expertise in this new space.   One of the areas which interests me most is the collaborative possibility opening up:  Project V allows us to collaborate with new talent in a completely different way from most of our work.”

It is an experiment, which is good to see.

Check out: www.project-v.net

DIMEA 2007: Second International Conference on Digital Interactive Media in Entertainment and Arts

The DIMEA 2007: Second International Conference on Digital Interactive Media in Entertainment and Arts will be held on the 19th – 21st September 2007 in Perth, Western Australia. DIMEA 2007 is organised jointly by Murdoch University and ACM SIG CHI (Singapore Chapter).

DIMEA 2007 is a cross-disciplinary conference that will bring together researchers from the areas related to digital interactive media in entertainment and arts. The conference will accept different submission types that present new scientific ideas, improvements to existing techniques or provide a new way of examining, designing and using digital interactive media. Suggested topics for the conference include, but are not limited to:

Entertainment Art and Technology
New Media Emerging Technologies
Code Art
Digital Visual Media
Moving Media
Culture of New Media
Interactive Stories

Check out: www.dimea.org