3D computer graphics give you a lot of flexibility when working with transmedia story scenes. In the first pair of images (Figure 1) taken from the same 3D scene, small changes in facial expressions and camera position can result in an image that tells a very different story. A minorContinue Reading
An increasing number of television shows are testing the transmedia waters. If you’ve been watching TV lately, you may have noticed an increase in the number of shows that have some web- or mobile-based interactive element to them. Burn Notice has its graphic novel, Falling Skies has its app, andContinue Reading
The “counterpoint” approach to storytelling in picturebooks provides a great model for the design of transmedia narratives. In their book Children’s Picturebooks: The Art of Visual Storytelling authors Martin Salisbury and Morag Styles describe the “complementary” versus “counterpoint” approaches to picturebooks. Counterpoint picturebooks use words and images to provide different,Continue Reading
The interplay between text, images, audio, and video are at the heart of transmedia storytelling. It is this interplay that gives transmedia narratives the potential to create narrative experiences that engage audiences across multiple dimensions. Working with multiple media to ensure that they don’t “step” on each other and theContinue Reading
The progression and sequencing on a transmedia narrative can have a significant impact on how various media are used. These questions should be answered while designing the story’s structure: Does the story move progressively forward to a final action beyond which the audience can’t imagine another? (Story Level Design Tasks)Continue Reading
Theme, story arc, and plot are essential to the design of effective stories. These questions will help in their development: What is the controlling idea (theme) of the story? (Story Level Design Tasks) Is there a story arc that spans multiple elements of the story? (Story Level Design Tasks) WhatContinue Reading
A story’s “shape” can provide insights into how it might be structured as a transmedia narrative. For example, using the traditional Freytag’s Triangle shape will probably be best suited for a story told using a single medium (e.g. book, movie, etc.). On the other hand, a vertical story shape withContinue Reading
While the storyworld is an essential part of a transmedia narrative, it is the individual stories that keep the audience involved. These questions can serve as a guide when creating the story: Does this story serve as a “point of entry” to the storyworld? (Storyworld Level Design Tasks) What isContinue Reading
Designing a cast of characters for a transmedia project is a complex task. These questions can serve as a guide. What are the physical characteristics of the characters/class of characters? (Storyworld Level Design Tasks) What is the character’s gender? What is the character’s date of birth? What is the character’sContinue Reading
Characters are one the most important elements of any story. In transmedia storytelling, they can be critical to overcoming your audience’s resistance to moving from one medium to another. These questions can be used as a guide when creating characters for a transmedia project. What classes of characters exist withinContinue Reading