To augment the popular NBC TV series, Heroes, The Heroes 360 Experience was launched on Jan 22 this year. The official press release from NBC says:
Beginning on January 22nd, viewers will be invited to experience Heroes in a whole new way. As they investigate on-air clues and learn new truths about the characters, their involvement will lead them to new platforms, including interaction with unique mobile content; a WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) site that one of the characters gives them access to; a special “two screen” application which provides a real-time experience; access to the fictional Primatech Paper company’s phone system; and significantly increased original content on NBC.com including secret files, hidden sites and original commentary from cast members added to each streaming episode.
I mentioned The Venice Project here early last month, a mysterious online TV platform that is in beta. Well, now they’ve changed their name and have announced a major partnership with Viacom:
Today we’re announcing a major partnership with Viacom. Which will bring programming and lots of channels from Viacom’s key brands and properties available on Joost on our imminent launch.
MTV will offer popular shows, both past and present, including Laguna Beach, Beavis & Butthead, Real World, Punk’d and My Super Sweet Sixteen, while COMEDY CENTRAL will feature episodes from Stella, CCP’s and Freak Show. Nickelodeon, CMT: Country Music Television, MTV2, Logo, Spike TV, mtvU, and Gametrailers.com will also provide content. VH1’s offerings will include episodes of Flavor of Love, Surreal Life, and I Love New York. BET’s Networks’ offerings will include some of its biggest shows, including Beef, DMX: Soul of a Man, Comic View and recent smash hit American Gangster. Also, Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage and Paramount Classics will be providing full-length feature films from its catalog of classics and recent releases.
And here is some more info about what is does:
Joost will allow users to have free access to thousands of programs and channels not readily available on the Web. Through Joost, viewers can watch programming from many of Viacom’s brands on their computers through a customizable platform with advanced television viewing features such as links that lead to more information or related websites based on the content; and a variety of plug-in applications, such as instant messaging, message boards, and news tickers.
Currently available in limited beta, Joost combines the best of TV and the best of the Internet by offering viewers a unique, TV-like experience enhanced with the choice, control and flexibility of Web 2.0. Joost is the first online, global TV distribution platform, bringing together advertisers, content owners and viewers in an interactive, community-driven environment. Joost can be accessed with a broadband Internet connection and offers broadcast-quality content to viewers for free.
They’ve opened up their Beta again, so anyone can apply. One of the things that I really like about this project is that it is providing TV content globally. This is so needed and will facilitate alot more well designed ‘extended experiences’. The problem at present is the many extended experiences (alternate reality games, enhanced TV sites, web quests, treasure hunts etc) are accessible globally, but the property they are extending usually isn’t. Now, there are ways to work around that legally, illegally and half-legally (don’t ask me for details, just trust me on that one), but due to licensing restrictions, most are controlled. Some creators of these extended experiences design them well and some don’t. I’ll talk about one that doesn’t in my next post…
Dean Keep, a Masters student at RMIT University, has started a research blog on “micro-narratives”. That term, btw Dean, is not new. 😉 I personally like nano-narratives too, for the alliteration and how it makes me smile when I say it. But seriously, the study of micro-narratives, and micro-narratives created for the small screen (or for small and others depending on the distribution) is important and interesting. Here is Dean’s description of his site:
“The Poetics of Mobile Media†is the working title for my Masters by Research at RMIT university. The purpose of this page is to publish research, share ideas, and instigate a dialogue on mobile media.
The recent proliferation of mobile devices and wireless technology is driving a rapid interest in the development and production of content for mobile phones.
It is arguable that these “micro-narratives†( a term I use to describe these projects) have elicited a new set of narratives codes and aesthetics. In a world where viewers have wireless access to content, it is important to look at how these micro-narratives contrast with more conventional modes of storytelling. How does portability of the device affect the user experience? What are the viewer expectations in regards to content, aesthetics and interactivity?
More to the point. Is there a potential audience for narrative driven projects designed specifically for the small screen?
Over the following months and perhaps years, I intend to search for the answers to these and many more questions related to mobile media. I look forward to your feedback.
Dean, do you know or know of Andrew McKenzie who is also doing/was doing a postgrad (PhD) in mobile narratives at RMIT? Andrew is in NZ, however, and his site is currently offline.
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