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Transmedia Storytelling in Television 2.0 Strategies for Developing Television Narratives Across Media Platforms

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Transmedia Storytelling in Television 2.0 Strategies for Developing Television Narratives Across Media Platforms Transmedia Storytelling in Television 2.0 Strategies for Developing Television Narratives Across Media Platforms Abstract In the era of convergence, television producers are developing transmedia narratives to cater to consumers who are willing to follow their favorite shows across multiple media channels. At the same time, there still remains a need to preserve an internally coherent television show for more traditional viewers. This thesis offers a model for how transmedia storytelling can coexist with and enhance a television narrative, using Lost as a case study. By building a world to be discovered, creating a hierarchy of strategic gaps, focusing on the unique capabilities of each extension, and using the “validation effect” to reward fans for their cross-media traversals, television/transmedia producers can provide a satisfying experience for hard-core and casual fans alike. Aaron Michael Smith th Submitted May 8 2009 Film and Media Culture Department Advisor: Jason Mittell 2 Acknowledgements This thesis represents the end of a long and exhausting journey of self-discovery at Middlebury College. It is also, I think, the beginning of a new focus, a new passion, and perhaps even, a new career-goal. I did not take a direct path to get to this point, but I believe wavering off the road and wondering where I was has made reaching the final destination even sweeter. As such, I could never have completed this project without the help of a number of people. A special thanks to the incredibly smart (trans) media scholars and professionals who took the time to answer my questions: Ivan Askwith, Christy Dena, Sam Ford, Jonathan Gray, Geoffrey Long, and Mark Warshaw. To my teammates and coaches of the Middlebury Basketball team for showing me the meaning of hard work. To Ashton for keeping my spirits up. I am eternally grateful to my family, my parents, and my sister for well, everything. Lastly, I’d like to thank my advisors Christian Keathley and Michael Newbury for reading this work. And I am deeply indebted to Jason Mittell, who sparked my interest, calmed my nerves, and has overall been the best advisor and mentor a student could hope for. 3 Table of Contents Abstract .............................................................................................................................. 1 Acknowledgments .............................................................................................................. 3 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 5 I. Era of Convergence: Primed for Transmedia Storytelling.............................................. 9 1.1 Economic Convergence: Media Consolidation ........................................................10 1.2 Technological Convergence: Content in a Multimedia World .................................12 1.3 Cultural Convergence: The New Consumers of Participatory Culture.....................16 1.4 Mainstreaming Cult Media ......................................................................................20 II. Transmedia Storytelling 101 .........................................................................................24 2.1 Classifying Transmedia Stories ...............................................................................27 2.2 Storytelling or Marketing?.......................................................................................32 2.3 The Problem of Canon.............................................................................................35 2.4 Balancing Hard-Core and Casual Fans ....................................................................36 III. Designing Transmedia Narratives................................................................................41 3.1 The Art of Worldbuilding ........................................................................................41 3.2 Inviting Exploration.................................................................................................47 3.3 Designing Expansion ...............................................................................................56 3.3.1 “New Episode” Extensions ...............................................................................57 3.3.2 Diegetic Artifact Extensions .............................................................................58 3.3.3 Alternate Reality Extensions.............................................................................62 3.4 The Validation Effect...............................................................................................63 IV. Lost in a Transmedia Universe ....................................................................................70 4.1 The World of Lost....................................................................................................72 4.2 The Hierarchy of Mystery........................................................................................76 4.3 Expanding the Lost Universe ...................................................................................82 4.3.1 Licensed Novelizations.....................................................................................83 4.3.2 Videogames/Mobisodes ....................................................................................86 4.3.3 Alternate Reality Games ...................................................................................89 V. Lost’s Transmedia Lessons: Five Takeaway Techniques...........................................100 5.1 The Future of Transmedia Storytelling ..................................................................104 Bibliography....................................................................................................................106 4 Introduction The episode “Two for the Road” appeared to be just like any other Lost episode. There was a showdown between Jack and Sawyer, a tense moment with a member of the mysterious ‘Others,’ and a shocking twist ending – the death of two prominent characters. Yet for many devoted fans, “Two for the Road” delivered another level of excitement. The last commercial break featured a 15-second spot for the Hanso Foundation, a fictional institution from Lost, which encouraged viewers to call 1-800-HANSORG. The advertisement launched a five-month, interactive “multimedia treasure hunt,” complete with e-mails, phone-calls, newspaper ads, physical events and web sites, allowing participants to investigate the Hanso Foundation as if it were real. 1 The episode “Two for the Road” thus propelled Lost into a multiplatform narrative, with the producers telling fans: “you can TiVo it, but don’t skip the commercials.” 2 As I write this thesis, television is changing significantly. No longer is it realistic for networks to deliver programming at a fixed time and expect mass audiences to passively consume it. Instead, television executives must cater to a new audience—one that has fragmented into niche communities and one that is not satisfied in merely consuming, but also producing, sharing, and interacting as well. These are the audiences that mark the era of ‘Television 2.0’ and to engage them, television executives have begun designing stories that extend across multiple media platforms, far beyond the 1 Miller, Lia. “To Counter the Doldrums During Summer Reruns, ‘Lost’ Fans Can Get Lost in a Game Online.” The New York Times. 24 April 2006. <http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/24/business/media/24lost.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&page wanted=print> 2 Ibid. 5 television set. These interconnected cross-media stories, such as the aforementioned Lost example, are a new form of entertainment known as transmedia storytelling.3 The concept of transmedia storytelling is so new to television that neither a concrete economic nor artistic model exists yet. Television executives realize they must change how their business operates, but they are not willing to embrace Television 2.0 audiences at the expense of traditional television viewers.4 John Boland, an executive at PBS observes, "We're going through what's going to be an extended period of time with one foot in 20th century, and one in the 21st century.”5 As the gap continues to widen between consumers who expect a quality television show and consumers who expect a quality multiplatform experience, television producers struggle to satisfy both sets of demands. Thus, this thesis tackles the question, how can television producers create a transmedia narrative? And more specifically, how can television producers develop transmedia content that is optional to consume, but also contributes “distinct and valuable” narrative information to the TV show? After analyzing how many ‘cult’ television shows experiment with transmedia storytelling, I propose a model for crafting television narratives across media platforms. My goal is not to provide the solution to television’s identity crisis or to pinpoint what makes a successful transmedia story. Rather, I’m interested in potential techniques for designing multiplatform stories that can be deeply engaging for hard-core fans, but optional for casual fans. 3 Also known as cross-media storytelling or multiplatform storytelling. 4 Arango, Tim. “Broadcast TV Faces Struggle to Stay Viable.” The New York Times. 27 February 2009. <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/28/business/media/28network.html?_r=3> 5 Borland, John. “The TV Is Dead. Long Live the TV.” Wired. 6 April, 2007. <http://www.wired.com/entertainment/hollywood/news/2007/04/tvhistory_0406>
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