Author: Christy

** This page obsolete: now see my Mobile Drama Round Up **

Okay, I’m putting together a list of the Top Ten Mobisodes; only problem is, there isn’t that many, so it isn’t really a top ten, but a list of ten mobisodes that have been made. The following are not necessarily mobisodes that are ONLY delivered via mobile, and not necessarily original content (they’re repurposed or part of a franchise). They are not in order of revenue, as I don’t have that data. Because there are not that many I’ve included ones that are about to come out too. I also haven’t included location-based games or mobile gaming. If you know of any I left out and where I can get some more data:

• 24: Conspiracy, Fox Entertainment Group, 2005 (worldwide)
• Random Place, iconmobile, 2005 (Aus)
• Jong Zoid, Media Republic, 2004 (Netherlands)
• FanTESStic, Endemol, not out yet (worldwide) [press release]
• TXT MS C, Switchfire Ltd , 2004 (UK)
• V-girl, Artificial Life, 2004 (USA) [not sure about this one, I think it qualifies as a mobile game more than a mobisode]
• The Simple Life: Interns, Fox, 2005
• Forget the Rules, Jim Shomos and Paul Baiguerra , 2005 (Aus)
• Girl Friday, Kylie Robertson, not out yet (Aus)
• Love and Hate, Twentieth Television, not out yet (USA) [article]
• The Sunset Hotel, Twentieth Television, not out yet (USA) [article]
• PS I Luv U, [Singapore Television station], not out yet (Asia) [article]
• Flatland (Timothy Shey, Ruddy Morgan Organization production, 2005/…) [added 12 March 06]

These are TV shows that have been delivered on the mobile phone (separated into bits, mini eps):

• Lost, on Channel 4, 2005 (USA, UK, Aus) [I think it is just the series as on TV with no changes]
• The Daily Show, Comedy Central, 2005 (USA)
• Big Brother, (wideworld) 2004

etc, etc…

*** Added 12th March, 2006: See also my listing of Top ARGs, with stats ***

Keren Flavell has a great blog, The Mobile Media Show, that distributes podcasts of interviews she has with mobile arts creators (and other news and reviews). Here is a bit of her description:

I have turned my attention to what this marvelous little gadget can do for us in terms of distributed entertainment. To that end I am kicking off this podcast show which will feature a whole host of guests who are producing content for the mobile phone. The show will also cover news, reviews and discussion about the latest happenings in the mobile media space. The show will appeal to both producers and consumers of mobile media.

She has interviewed Joe T Velikovsky (who I just blogged about) and also interviewed Jim Shomos and Paul Baiguerra of the Forget the Rules multi-platform soapie(who I’ve blogged about before too). I love the pics too. Great stuff Keren! I’ve added your blog to my Mobile Arts section.

Max Giovagnoli has completed a book on cross-media: Fare cross media. From Big Brother to Star Wars. Theory and Techniques of the Integrated and Distributed Use of Simultaneous Media. Check out this description:

Performing cross-media entails carrying out information, entertainment and communication campaigns in an ‘integrated’ manner, thereby simultaneously utilising a range of media forms within large editorial projects. From reality show (Big Brother, Operation Triunfo, Talpa) to film promotion (Star Wars, Harry Potter, The Ring 2). From multi-medial journalism (BBC news, SKY TV 24, RAI news 24) to video mobile telephone use and internet serials. From inter-business, institutional and political communication, to the creation of emotional marketing campaigns and new formats for cable links. The book describes, through examples, simulations, and contributions by leading international scholars, the techniques, the scenarios and the fundamental rules necessary in order to carry out communication project distributed across various media forms. Among the first publications in Europe on the subject, the work uses the research on collective imagination, emotional competence, project management and alternative dramaturgies to give order to a discipline where, to this day, too much scope is given to the talent of the individual and to an improvisation that generates mysterious successes or unexpected flops in the sectors: information, entertainment and communication.

I so look forward to getting the book (not reading it, as it is in Italian!). I was lucky to have Max interview me for the book, I was unfortunately REALLY busy and wasn’t able to contribute as much as I would of liked. [How can anyone be too busy to contribute to a book?!]

But anyway, it is a great sign that cross-media books are coming out and Max’s should be fanatastic. At present, I’ve only been able to find one book that address the cross-media phenomenon: that is Angela Ndalianis’ academic treatment of the subject in her book Neo-Baroque Aesthetics and Contemporary Entertainment (2004). There are some books on convergent journalism and some interesting ones on alternate reality games (ARGs). The later ones are highly relevant, as ARGs are the most developed form of CME. However, they are only one type of CME. MIT Media theorist Henry Jenkins is set to bring out a book Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Intersect, which should be great. And Drew Davidson has been commissioned to write one too. All very exciting. I’ve added all of these to the Cross-Media Books section on the right sidebar.

Congrats Max!