DOCSLIB.ORG

Transmedia Storytelling Through the Lens of Independent Filmmakers: a Study of Story

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Transmedia Storytelling Through the Lens of Independent Filmmakers: a Study of Story Transmedia Storytelling Through the Lens of Independent Filmmakers: A Study of Story Structure and Audience Engagement A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Scripps College of Communication of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy Sonja Bozic December 2018 © 2018 Sonja Bozic. All Rights Reserved. This dissertation titled Transmedia Storytelling Through the Lens of Independent Filmmakers: A Study of Story Structure and Audience Engagement by SONJA BOZIC has been approved for the School of Media Arts & Studies and the Scripps College of Communication by Joseph W. Slade Professor of Media Arts and Studies Scott Titsworth Dean, Scripps College of Communication ii Abstract BOZIC, SONJA, Ph.D., December 2018, Media Arts & Studies Transmedia Storytelling Through the Lens of Independent Filmmakers: A Study of Story Structure and Audience Engagement Director of Dissertation: Joseph W. Slade Transmedia is the practice of spreading content over multiple delivery channels to create a more immersive experience for the audience. In a transmedia project, the sum of its parts is always bigger than each individual part, but each individual part, while creating its own unique contribution to the overall project, also has to contain the key premises of the main story. This study explains what transmedia is and how transmedia content creators translate their concept and/or idea for a story into a storyworld for multiple platforms. This exploratory case study research focuses on transmedia content creation in independent production as it expands narrative structures from film to other media, guided by the assessment of audience engagement, as a type of approach to storytelling (narrative or documentary). The study examines organic transmedia story content and audience engagement in four projects: Zenith, Body/Mind/Change, Question Bridge, and The Deeper They Bury Me. Formal in-depth interviews were used as a data-gathering tool for case study evidence, on the premise that interviews are key to uncovering a participant’s motives and techniques for executing them. The point was to learn about story development from the practical strategies of the four selected transmedia creators. The data were divided into two groups: 1) story structure as determined by creators and 2) the likelihood of audience engagement. iii Textual Analysis was used to look at the story content of the selected projects and to analyze audience engagement. All the projects demonstrate that using multiple platforms expands the dimensions of the story. Each project was different, had a different approach, and required different details in the incubation and production phases. iv Dedication In loving memory of Jelena Bozic v Acknowledgments Above all, I need to thank Vladan Nikolic for introducing me to the world of transmedia, for being such an inspiration and wealth of knowledge, for giving me support and guidance. A big thank you to Lance Weiler, for letting me into your creative world and for your enormous generosity; Bayete Smith and Angad Bhalla for your openness and willingness to share. I need to extend my heartfelt thanks to my committee members. To Dr. Joseph Slade, for all your support from day one, guidance, and understanding (sometimes without even talking). To Dr. Roger Cooper, thank you for your support and advice during the hard times. To Dr. Aimee Edmondson, thank you for joining the committee, your insights and understanding. To Rajko Grlic, thank you for being such an inspiration as a director and storyteller to learn much from and for a great communication. I am grateful to all of my friends and family in the US and Serbia for surviving the roller coaster with me, for your encouragement and kindness. Some of them I need to acknowledge by name: Mikajlo for keeping me sane; Emily for “get ready for the world” treatments; Louis for Eugene character; Ira for being a fun editor; and Adam Victor for going above and beyond in your support and for being my parent away from home. Lastly, I especially need to thank my parents and uncle for teaching me and letting me be who I am and supporting my life choices. To my sister Iva – thank you for being the greatest gift I have ever gotten, for every second of your support and love. My eternal gratitude goes to my husband Aleksandar for surviving with me the unbearable times, for your love, and above all the financial support during this period. vi Table of Contents Page Abstract ......................................................................................................................... iii Dedication .......................................................................................................................v Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................... vi List of Figures ............................................................................................................... ix Chapter One: Introduction ...............................................................................................1 Areas of Interest.........................................................................................................9 Story content. ..................................................................................................... 10 Audience engagement. ....................................................................................... 11 Purpose of Study ...................................................................................................... 13 Approach to Study ................................................................................................... 15 Organization of Study .............................................................................................. 15 Chapter Two: Literature Review .................................................................................... 17 Definitions ............................................................................................................... 19 Story Structure ......................................................................................................... 21 Worldbuilding. ................................................................................................... 22 Platform choices. ............................................................................................... 26 Incubation. ......................................................................................................... 28 Audience Engagement ............................................................................................. 29 Story structure for user engagement. .................................................................. 30 Levels of the audience engagement. ................................................................... 32 Summary ................................................................................................................. 37 Chapter Three: Methodology ......................................................................................... 39 Reflexivity Statement............................................................................................... 40 Your Hospital May Be Hazardous To Your Health. ............................................. 41 The Eugene Project. ........................................................................................... 44 Research Focus ........................................................................................................ 49 Theory Framework .................................................................................................. 52 Textual Analysis. ............................................................................................... 53 Audience response. ............................................................................................ 53 Participants and Projects .......................................................................................... 56 vii Data Collection ........................................................................................................ 58 Interviews. ......................................................................................................... 58 Audio and visual documents............................................................................... 58 Data Analysis .......................................................................................................... 59 Chapter Four: Results and Interpretation ........................................................................ 61 Transmedia Projects ................................................................................................. 62 Zenith. ............................................................................................................... 62 Body/Mind/Change. ................................................................................................. 64 Question Bridge. ................................................................................................ 67 The Deeper They Bury Me. ................................................................................ 70 Stage One - Producing Storyworlds ......................................................................... 73 Incubation phase. ............................................................................................... 76 Production phase. ..............................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Most Contagious 2011
    MOST CONTAGIOUS 2011 Cover image: Take This LoLLipop / Jason Zada most contagious / p.02 / mosT ConTAGIOUS 2011 / subsCripTion oFFer / 20% disCounT FuTure-prooFing your brain VALid unTiL 9Th JANUARY 2012 offering a saving of £200 gBP chapters / Contagious exists to find and filter the most innovative 01 / exercises in branding, technology, and popular culture, and movemenTs deliver this collective wisdom to our beloved subscribers. 02 / Once a year, we round up the highlights, identify what’s important proJeCTs and why, and push it out to the world, for free. 03 / serviCe Welcome to Most Contagious 2011, the only retrospective you’ll ever need. 04 / soCiaL It’s been an extraordinary year; economies in turmoil, empires 05 / torn down, dizzying technological progress, the evolution of idenTiTy brands into venture capitalists, the evolution of a generation of young people into entrepreneurs… 06 / TeChnoLogy It’s also been a bumper year for the Contagious crew. Our 07 / Insider consultancy division is now bringing insight and inspiration daTa to clients from Kraft to Nike, and Google to BBC Worldwide. We 08 / were thrilled with the success of our first Now / Next / Why event augmenTed in London in December, and are bringing the show to New York 09 / on February 22nd. Grab your ticket here. money We’ve added more people to our offices in London and New 10 / York, launched an office in India, and in 2012 have our sights haCk Culture firmly set on Brazil. Latin America, we’re on our way. Get ready! 11 / musiC 2.0 We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our friends, supporters and especially our valued subscribers, all over the 12 / world.
    [Show full text]
  • Deliver Us to Cinema: the Prince of Egypt and Cinematic Depictions of Religious Texts
    Deliver Us to Cinema: The Prince of Egypt and Cinematic Depictions of Religious Texts Kadii Lott Introduction There is a pervasive Hollywood culture of appropriating and commodifying biblical concepts and imagery into films that do not explicitly address the Abrahamic belief systems that consider the Old and New Testaments as sacred texts. Many such films received mixed reviews. Christian and Jewish groups have heavily criticised particular adaptations of scriptural stories, including Life of Brian,1 The Last Temptation of Christ,2 The Passion of Christ,3 and Noah,4 for their blasphemous or ill-intentioned treatment of biblical figures. Despite the protectiveness of religious people Kadii Lott received First Class Honours in Studies in Religion at the University of Sydney in 2020. 1 The 1979 religious satire reimagined the fictional life of a man named Brian who gets mistaken for Jesus. The film was considered blasphemous by some Christians who protested against the release and the film was banned in many countries upon its release, including in Ireland and Norway. See Ben Dowell, ‘BBC to dramatise unholy row over Monty Python’s Life of Brian’, The Guardian (21 June 2011), https://www.theguardian.com/media/ 2011/jun/21/bbc-monty-python-life-of-brian. Accessed 13 July 2020. 2 Scorsese’s depicted Jesus Christ dealing with worldly temptations like everyone else. This caused outrage amongst some Christian groups, even leading to an incident in Paris where a theatre showing the film was set on fire. See Steven Greenhouse, ‘Police Suspect Arson In Fire at Paris Theater’, The New York Times (25 October 1988), p.
    [Show full text]
  • Engaging, Enriching, and Inspiring Community
    Engaging, Enriching, 2017 - 2018 and Inspiring Community ANNUAL REPORT MISSION Dear Friends, STATEMENT It’s been quite a year for SBIFF – filled with enormous SUCCESS and TRANSFORMATION! Our mission is to engage, enrich, Alongside our many successes has been immense tragedy. The natural and inspire people through the disasters that swept through our community made it some of the most power of film. We celebrate Board of Directors tumultuous times for us. the art of cinema and provide Lynda Weinman During this time, we realized that the 33rd SBIFF was needed more than impactful educational President ever. For each of the 11 days of the Festival, we gathered, reflected, and processed while leaning on one another for strength. This message experiences for our local, Jeffrey Barbakow continues to echo in the feedback we receive – the Festival was a Chairman national and lifeline that unified our fragmented community. We feel very honored to global communities. Linda Armstrong have played this critical role. This experience has crystallized our mission Vice President Treasurer to serve through the power of film. Mimi deGruy As you read this report, you’ll learn about our successes and the impact Vice President Education we make on a year-round basis. Renovating Lynda & Bruce’s Riviera Theatre has been a thrill. Since the grand re-opening on September 13, Susan Eng-Denbaars 2017, we’ve been screening incredible films, including the documentary Vice President Secretary RBG, Academy Award winner Call Me By Your Name, Palme d’Or winner Tammy Hughes The Square, and a 4K restoration of Belle de Jour.
    [Show full text]
  • Transmedia Storytelling Hyperdiegesis, Narrative Braiding
    Transmedia Storytelling Hyperdiegesis, Narrative Braiding and Memory in Star Wars Comics William Proctor Since at least the turn of the twentieth century, the comic book medium has grown in dialogue alongside other media forms, both old and new, underscored by what is commonly described as adaptation. In basic terms, adaptation refers to a process whereby stories are lifted from one medium and replanted in another. Of course, the process is more complicated than that as different media each bring different creative requirements and, as a result, adaptation is never simply about reproducing a story in exactly the same way—although it is about reproduction, to some degree. Put simply, adaptation refers to the retelling of a story in a new media location. For example, each installment of Warner Bros.’ Harry Potter film series—from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows—are adaptations of novels written by J.K Rowling, each ‘retelling’ the same story in the process from book-to-film. The caveat here is that such a retelling also involves revising narrative elements, and even editing or reframing scenes from the ‘source’ text to better-fit the ‘target’ medium. Variations as well as repetition are key factors to consider, as adaptation theorist Linda Hutcheon notes (2006). The contemporary landscape is brimming with adaptations of all sorts, but perhaps the most common example in the twenty-first century are the bevvy of film and TV series based on comic books, many of them produced by the ‘big two’ superhero publishers, Marvel and DC, as film scholar Terence McSweeney argues: “We are living in the age of the superhero and we cannot deny it” (2018, 1).
    [Show full text]
  • How Lego Constructs a Cross-Promotional Franchise with Video Games David Robert Wooten University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
    University of Wisconsin Milwaukee UWM Digital Commons Theses and Dissertations August 2013 How Lego Constructs a Cross-promotional Franchise with Video Games David Robert Wooten University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.uwm.edu/etd Part of the Mass Communication Commons Recommended Citation Wooten, David Robert, "How Lego Constructs a Cross-promotional Franchise with Video Games" (2013). Theses and Dissertations. 273. https://dc.uwm.edu/etd/273 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by UWM Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of UWM Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. HOW LEGO CONSTRUCTS A CROSS-PROMOTIONAL FRANCHISE WITH VIDEO GAMES by David Wooten A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Media Studies at The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee August 2013 ABSTRACT HOW LEGO CONSTRUCTS A CROSS-PROMOTIONAL FRANCHISE WITH VIDEO GAMES by David Wooten The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2013 Under the Supervision of Professor Michael Newman The purpose of this project is to examine how the cross-promotional Lego video game series functions as the site of a complex relationship between a major toy manufacturer and several media conglomerates simultaneously to create this series of licensed texts. The Lego video game series is financially successful outselling traditionally produced licensed video games. The Lego series also receives critical acclaim from both gaming magazine reviews and user reviews. By conducting both an industrial and audience address study, this project displays how texts that begin as promotional products for Hollywood movies and a toy line can grow into their own franchise of releases that stills bolster the original work.
    [Show full text]
  • Transmedia Star Wars
    H-PCAACA Call for Chapters: Transmedia Star Wars Discussion published by Sean Guynes on Tuesday, September 6, 2016 CALL FOR CHAPTERS: Star Wars and the History of Transmedia Storytelling Edited by Sean A. Guynes and Dan Hassler-Forest We seek chapter proposals for a volume titledStar Wars and the History of Transmedia Storytelling, which aims to provide an account of the history of the franchise, its transmedia storytelling and world-building strategies, and the consumer practices that have engaged with, contributed to, and sometimes also challenged the development of theStar Wars franchise. We aim to have the collection in print by 2017, the year that marks the 40th anniversary of the first Star Wars film’s release. In those forty years, its narrative, its characters, and its fictional universe have gone far beyond the original film and have spread rapidly across multiple media—including television, books, games, comics, toys, fashion, and theme parks—to become the most lucrative franchise in the current media landscape, recently valued by Forbes at roughly $10 billion. A key goal of this project is to highlight the role and influence ofStar Wars in pushing the boundaries of transmedia storytelling by making world-building a cornerstone of media franchises since the late 1970s. The chapters in this collection will ultimately demonstrate that Star Wars laid the foundations for the forms of convergence culture that rule the media industries today. As a commercial entertainment property and meaningful platform for audience participation,Star Wars created lifelong fans (and consumers) by continuing to develop characters and plots beyond the original text and by spreading that storyworld across as many media platforms as possible.
    [Show full text]
  • Television Satire and Discursive Integration in the Post-Stewart/Colbert Era
    University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Masters Theses Graduate School 5-2017 On with the Motley: Television Satire and Discursive Integration in the Post-Stewart/Colbert Era Amanda Kay Martin University of Tennessee, Knoxville, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes Part of the Journalism Studies Commons Recommended Citation Martin, Amanda Kay, "On with the Motley: Television Satire and Discursive Integration in the Post-Stewart/ Colbert Era. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 2017. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/4759 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a thesis written by Amanda Kay Martin entitled "On with the Motley: Television Satire and Discursive Integration in the Post-Stewart/Colbert Era." I have examined the final electronic copy of this thesis for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Master of Science, with a major in Communication and Information. Barbara Kaye, Major Professor We have read this thesis and recommend its acceptance: Mark Harmon, Amber Roessner Accepted for the Council: Dixie L. Thompson Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) On with the Motley: Television Satire and Discursive Integration in the Post-Stewart/Colbert Era A Thesis Presented for the Master of Science Degree The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Amanda Kay Martin May 2017 Copyright © 2017 by Amanda Kay Martin All rights reserved.
    [Show full text]
  • Star Wars Video Game Planets
    Terrestrial Planets Appearing in Star Wars Video Games In order of release. By LCM Mirei Seppen 1. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1982) Outer Rim Hoth 2. Star Wars (1983) No Terrestrial Planets 3. Star Wars: Jedi Arena (1983) No Terrestrial Planets 4. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi: Death Star Battle (1983) No Terrestrial Planets 5. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1984) Outer Rim Forest Moon of Endor 6. Death Star Interceptor (1985) No Terrestrial Planets 7. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1985) Outer Rim Hoth 8. Star Wars (1987) Mid Rim Iskalon Outer Rim Hoth (Called 'Tina') Kessel Tatooine Yavin 4 9. Ewoks and the Dandelion Warriors (1987) Outer Rim Forest Moon of Endor 10. Star Wars Droids (1988) Outer Rim Aaron 11. Star Wars (1991) Outer Rim Tatooine Yavin 4 12. Star Wars: Attack on the Death Star (1991) No Terrestrial Planets 13. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1992) Outer Rim Bespin Dagobah Hoth 14. Super Star Wars 1 (1992) Outer Rim Tatooine Yavin 4 15. Star Wars: X-Wing (1993) No Terrestrial Planets 16. Star Wars Chess (1993) No Terrestrial Planets 17. Star Wars Arcade (1993) No Terrestrial Planets 18. Star Wars: Rebel Assault 1 (1993) Outer Rim Hoth Kolaador Tatooine Yavin 4 19. Super Star Wars 2: The Empire Strikes Back (1993) Outer Rim Bespin Dagobah Hoth 20. Super Star Wars 3: Return of the Jedi (1994) Outer Rim Forest Moon of Endor Tatooine 21. Star Wars: TIE Fighter (1994) No Terrestrial Planets 22. Star Wars: Dark Forces 1 (1995) Core Cal-Seti Coruscant Hutt Space Nar Shaddaa Mid Rim Anteevy Danuta Gromas 16 Talay Outer Rim Anoat Fest Wildspace Orinackra 23.
    [Show full text]
  • 6182 Rhodes & Singer.Indd
    Consuming Images 6182_Rhodes & Singer.indd i 18/12/19 3:04 PM Robert Abel’s Bubbles (1974) 6182_Rhodes & Singer.indd ii 18/12/19 3:04 PM Consuming Images Film Art and the American Television Commercial Gary D. Rhodes and Robert Singer 6182_Rhodes & Singer.indd iii 18/12/19 3:04 PM Dedicated to Barry Salt and Gerald “Jerry” Schnitzer Edinburgh University Press is one of the leading university presses in the UK. We publish academic books and journals in our selected subject areas across the humanities and social sciences, combining cutting-edge scholarship with high editorial and production values to produce academic works of lasting importance. For more information visit our website: edinburghuniversitypress.com © Gary D. Rhodes and Robert Singer, 2020 Edinburgh University Press Ltd The Tun—Holyrood Road 12 (2f) Jackson’s Entry Edinburgh EH8 8PJ Typeset in 11/13 Monotype Ehrhardt by IDSUK (DataConnection) Ltd, and printed and bound in Great Britain A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 978 1 4744 6068 2 (hardback) ISBN 978 1 4744 6070 5 (webready PDF) ISBN 978 1 4744 6071 2 (epub) The right of Gary D. Rhodes and Robert Singer to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and the Copyright and Related Rights Regulations 2003 (SI No. 2498). 6182_Rhodes & Singer.indd iv 18/12/19 3:04 PM Contents List of Figures vi Acknowledgments ix Introduction 1 1. Origins 16 2. Narrative 36 3. Mise-en-scène 62 4.
    [Show full text]
  • Annual Report
    ANNUAL Introduction | 2 REPORT Practice | 4 Deepen | 18 Financials | 27 2017 - 2018 Partners & Supporters | 28 The Laundromat Project 1 INTRODUCTION DEAR FRIENDS, How might we build an arts organization that moves with WHO WE ARE intention? How might we collaborate with artists and neighbors to facilitate lasting change? The Laundromat Project advances artists and Asking heartfelt questions, and listening deeply to voices in our community was especially gratifying in 2017 and neighbors as change agents 2018, years of transition to a new strategic vision at The Laundromat Project (The LP). Insights from our commu- in their own communities. nities in Brooklyn, Harlem, and the South Bronx informed our people-powered process as well. As the world around us shifts, we need to engage change. When the communities where we live and work are experiencing pronounced uncertainty around citi- zenship, race, and belonging, we need to reflect upon our work and reconsider our practices. We are obliged We envision a world in to ask what it means to be an organization that centers on people of color. We must interrogate our approaches which artists and neighbors to art and community as catalysts for change. Through in communities of color rigorously practicing and deepening our work, we better understand how to shape a world in which members feel work together to unleash truly connected and have the ability to influence their the power of creativity to communities in creative and effective ways. transform lives. This is where strategic visioning comes in. During this generative period, artists, neighbors, peer organizations, supporters, staff, and board weighed in on how The LP should evolve as an organization.
    [Show full text]
  • Lucasarts and the Design of Successful Adventure Games
    LucasArts and the Design of Successful Adventure Games: The True Secret of Monkey Island by Cameron Warren 5056794 for STS 145 Winter 2003 March 18, 2003 2 The history of computer adventure gaming is a long one, dating back to the first visits of Will Crowther to the Mammoth Caves back in the 1960s and 1970s (Jerz). How then did a wannabe pirate with a preposterous name manage to hijack the original computer game genre, starring in some of the most memorable adventures ever to grace the personal computer? Is it the yearning of game players to participate in swashbuckling adventures? The allure of life as a pirate? A craving to be on the high seas? Strangely enough, the Monkey Island series of games by LucasArts satisfies none of these desires; it manages to keep the attention of gamers through an admirable mix of humorous dialogue and inventive puzzles. The strength of this formula has allowed the Monkey Island series, along with the other varied adventure game offerings from LucasArts, to remain a viable alternative in a computer game marketplace increasingly filled with big- budget first-person shooters and real-time strategy games. Indeed, the LucasArts adventure games are the last stronghold of adventure gaming in America. What has allowed LucasArts to create games that continue to be successful in a genre that has floundered so much in recent years? The solution to this problem is found through examining the history of Monkey Island. LucasArts’ secret to success is the combination of tradition and evolution. With each successive title, Monkey Island has made significant strides in technology, while at the same time staying true to a basic gameplay formula.
    [Show full text]
  • Data Protection and Privacy in Franchising: Who Is Responsible?
    American Bar Association 36th Annual Forum on Franchising DATA PROTECTION AND PRIVACY IN FRANCHISING: WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? Michael K. Lindsey Paul Hastings LLP Los Angeles, California and Mark S. Melodia Reed Smith LLP Princeton, New Jersey October 16-18, 2013 Orlando, Florida ©2013 American Bar Association Table of Contents Page I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 1 II. WHY AM I, AS A FRANCHISOR, IN THE DATA PRIVACY AND SECURITY BUSINESS? ................................................................................................................... 2 A. Case Study #1: FTC v. Wyndham Worldwide ................................................................ 3 B. Case Study #2: Papa John’s ......................................................................................... 5 III. WHAT IS THE LEGAL LANDSCAPE FOR PRIVACY AND SECURITY IN THE UNITED STATES? ....................................................................................................................... 6 A. The Federal Trade Commission ..................................................................................... 6 B. State Attorneys General ................................................................................................10 C. PCI-DSS ........................................................................................................................12 D. Private Class Actions .....................................................................................................13
    [Show full text]