JOMEC Journal Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies
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JOMEC Journal Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies Published by Cardiff University Press Finding Nemo’s Spaces: Defining and Exploring Transmedia Tourism Ross Garner Cardiff University Email: [email protected] Keywords transmedia media tourism film-induced tourism intertextuality convergence Finding Nemo Abstract This article proposes the concept of transmedia tourism as a term that can account for the ever-increasing intersections between the ‘experience economy’ (Pine and Gilmore 2011), convergence culture (Jenkins 2006) and the tourism sector. Transmedia tourism therefore involves examining the variety of forms of spatialized experiences derived from media properties alongside the myriad ways in which digital media technologies is being incorporated into these practices. The concept arises out of and builds upon critiques of existing terminology for studying media tourism offered by Sue Beeton (2005) and Maria Mänsson (2011). Key arguments include exploring the opportunities for world-building offered by different attractions and mapping the intertextual spread of transmedia content into the tourism sector across both virtual and physical spaces and official, unofficial and unsanctioned contexts. These arguments are developed further through a case study of the Disney-Pixar franchise Finding Nemo (Santon and Unkrich, 2003, Stanton, 2016) which addresses how this has spawned spatial experiences and intertextual references across multiple tourism-coded attractions. Arising out of this analysis, suggestions concerning avenues for future research are also identified. These include examining both the relationship between transmedia content flows and mediatization (Couldry 2014) and providing greater discussion of the relationship between copyright negotiation and tourism attractions which make either implicit or explicit references to media iconography. In summary, the article argues that studying transmedia tourism can enable hitherto overlooked issues such as the relationships between world-building, technology, intertextuality and ownership to be better understood in both transmedia and media tourism research. Contributor Note Ross Garner is Lecturer in Media and Cultural Studies in the School of Journalism, Media and Culture at Cardiff University. He has published research in edited collections by multiple international publishers and journals including Popular Communication, Tourist Studies and Journal of Fandom Studies. He is currently preparing the monograph Nostalgia, Transmediality and Digital Television for publication by Bloomsbury. Citation Garner, Ross. 2019. ‘Finding Nemo’s Spaces: Defining and Exploring Transmedia Tourism’. JOMEC Journal 14, ‘Transmedia Tourism’, ed. Ross Garner, 11-32. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18573/jomec.195 Accepted for publication: 24th October 2019 https://jomec.cardiffuniversitypress.org/ @JOMECjournal Introduction the tourism sector, where spatialized experiences of media properties are Using the Warner Bros. Studio Tour – The being offered with increasing frequency in Making of Harry Potter in Leavesdon, a variety of forms which utilize myriad England as an example, Matthew media technologies in a range of ways Freeman (2019, 124) has asked, ‘What […] (see also Editor’s Introduction). The key is ‘the relationship between elements of this approach are: transmediality and leisure and tourism- based attraction[s]?’ Freeman’s question 1) Investigating how the possibilities arises out of a concern that existing offered by digital technologies and academic accounts of spatialized platforms are harnessed by experiences of media properties have different tourism stakeholders. limited their analysis by foregrounding Within the parameters of this economic interpretations that position article’s case study, these include them solely as revenue-generating brand media organizations and tourism extensions (Freeman 2019, 124). marketers (but can also include fans – see Williams, Booth, and Such accounts close down alternative Jones in this Special Issue). In other cultural readings concerning world- words, how do the opportunities building and expansion as well as how that arise out of situated experiences respond to ever-developing stakeholders appropriating digital historical, technological and industrial technology work to enhance contexts. Responding to these omissions engagement with media franchises by adopting a media and cultural studies through offering mediated perspective, this article offers a experiences in spaces which have theoretical intervention into academic been designated – officially or debates concerning media tourism by otherwise – as meaningful to an arguing for a shift in terminology and intellectual property? analytical focus to the concept of transmedia tourism. Via a case study of 2) Expanding upon foundational the Disney-Pixar franchise Finding Nemo models of transmedia content flows (Santon and Unkrich, 2003, Stanton, by arguing for an intertextual 2016), the article argues in favour of understanding of the concept as discussing media tourism in combination developed by Colin B. Harvey with theories of transmedia content flows. (2015). This altered perspective de- Adopting this perspective allows for centres individual sites as the focus hitherto overlooked relationships of media tourism research by between world-building, technology, instead positioning the intertextual intertextuality and ownership to be better spread of an intellectual property at understood. the centre of the research. By adopting an intertextual approach, The article thus proposes the concept of issues such as media influence transmedia tourism. Transmedia tourism upon the design of tourist is a historical concept which arises out of experiences and negotiations of intersections between the ‘experience copyright by differently-situated economy’ (Pine and Gilmore 2011), attractions can be addressed. convergence culture (Jenkins 2006) and 11 https://jomec.cardiffuniversitypress.org/ @JOMECjournal 3) Building upon the second point, both ‘tourism’ (Urry and Larsen 2011) and and responding to recent work on ‘transmedia’ (Jenkins 2006, 2011) and tourism and mediation which has applies these to the case study of Finding noted the increasing overlaps Nemo examples to demonstrate why an between material and digital intertextual understanding of transmedia spaces (e.g. Robinson 2016), expansion is useful for theorizing analysing physical sites (e.g. filming transmedia tourism. The final section then locations, themed spaces) suggests future developments for alongside virtual and/or hybrid researching transmedia tourism by renderings of these to produce a addressing what I name as ‘unsanctioned’ holistic understanding of how examples as further evidence of Finding cultural and technological develop- Nemo’s intertextual spread across ments contribute to trans-media tourism-coded experiences. By tourism. addressing unsanctioned examples, transmedia tourism’s ability to consider Transmedia tourism as theorized in this issues including mediatization (Couldry article therefore calls for less explicit 2003) and copyright negotiation are focus upon the themes of authenticity highlighted. and immersion that have dominated (media) tourism analysis (Williams 2018; also MacCannell 2013 [1976]; Buchmann Methodology et al. 2009). Instead, shifting the analytical focus to how aspects including (but not The data collected for the case study limited to) world-building, media primarily employs autoethnography to technologies and intertextuality intertwine consider how spatially-based Finding are identified as areas for future research. Nemo examples and attractions intertwine arguments concerning The article has three sections which ‘transmedia’ and ‘tourism’. unpack, develop and layer the concept of Autoethnography was used to analyse transmedia tourism. Following a short both physical examples and virtual discussion of the methodology used for equivalents, such as the Disney Infinity 3.0 generating the case study’s data, the first Finding Dory Playset (Avalanche Software marks out why the neologism transmedia 2015) computer game. This method was tourism is necessary by evaluating the deemed suitable due to its previous strengths and weaknesses of current deployment in anthropological studies of influential terminology provided by Sue both spaces (Roberts 2018) and Beeton (2005) and Maria Mänsson (2011). computer game environments (Lamerichs This section argues that whilst these 2018). In total the autoethnographic studies have produced useful reflections are drawn from seven years of observations for suggesting intersections visiting Disney theme parks as a fan and between transmedia and tourism, they tourist (comprising of five trips to Walt have foregrounded other debates Disney World in Orlando, Florida, three including the environmental impact of trips to Disneyland Paris in France, and tourism and demonstrations of tourist one trip to Tokyo Disneyland in Japan) as agency. The second begins building well as approximately ten hours of game transmedia tourism conceptually by play. returning to foundational definitions of 12 https://jomec.cardiffuniversitypress.org/ @JOMECjournal Adrienne Evans and Mafalda Stasi (2014, referenced the two Disney-Pixar films. 15) argue that autoethnography Screengrabs were also taken of relevant ‘provide[s] a critical and innovative tool’ imagery to provide a visual record of the for tackling ‘what it means when people websites at the particular point in time of actually take up […].