Transmedia Practice: Theorising the Practice of Expressing a Fictional World across Distinct Media and Environments by Christy Dena A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) School of Letters, Art and Media Department of Media and Communications Digital Cultures Program University of Sydney Australia Supervisor: Professor Gerard Goggin Associate Supervisor: Dr. Chris Chesher Associate Supervisor: Dr. Anne Dunn 2009 Let’s study, with objectivity and curiosity, the mutation phenomenon of forms and values in the current world. Let’s be conscious of the fact that although tomorrow’s world does not have any chance to become more fair than any other, it owns a chance that is linked to the destiny of the current art [...] that of embodying, in their works some forms of new beauty, which will be able to arise only from the meet of all the techniques. (Francastel 1956, 274) Translation by Regina Célia Pinto, emailed to the empyre mailing list, Jan 2, 2004. Reprinted with permission. To the memory of my dear, dear, mum, Hilary. Thank you, for never denying yourself the right to Be. ~ Transmedia Practice ~ Abstract In the past few years there have been a number of theories emerge in media, film, television, narrative and game studies that detail the rise of what has been variously described as transmedia, cross-media and distributed phenomena. Fundamentally, the phenomenon involves the employment of multiple media platforms for expressing a fictional world. To date, theorists have focused on this phenomenon in mass entertainment, independent arts or gaming; and so, consequently the global, transartistic and transhistorical nature of the phenomenon has remained somewhat unrecognised. Theorists have also predominantly defined it according to end-point characteristics—such as the “expansion” trait (a story continues across media). This has resulted in the phenomenon being obscured amongst similar phenomena. Therefore, rather than investigate the phenomenon as it occurs in isolated artistic sectors and with an end-point characteristic, this thesis investigates all of these emergences through the lens of transmedia practice. That is, this thesis investigates the nature of transmedia practice in general, according to the way practitioners conceive and design a fictional world to be expressed across distinct media and environments. To do this, this thesis draws on the semiotic theory of “multimodality” and “domains of practice” (Kress and van Leeuwen, 2001) to illuminate the unique knowledge and skills of practitioners involved in the design of transmedia projects. The industrial and aesthetic implications of the employment of distinct media are discussed, along with their semiotic activation. Related theories such as “hypertextuality” and “transfictionality” are problematised in light of transmedia phenomena. Since the phenomenon involves both narrative and game modes, a new methodology is introduced to study their presence at various stages of design: transmodality. The employment of the actual world in transmedia practices is discussed in light of Aristotle’s “dramatic unities” and through “deictic shift theory”. Through research questions from media, narrative and game studies as well as semiotics, this thesis aims to explain how transmedia is a peculiar practice that demands its own research area and methodologies. Christy Dena i 2009 ~ Transmedia Practice ~ Acknowledgements I want to begin these acknowledgements at the beginning: with the people who also explored wide-eyed and with fiery passion these changes happening when no-one believed us. I did discover this area alone, with my own creative writing in 2001. In 2002, I began exploring what a poetics of this form may be at University, at the end of that year I started a website to begin sharing my discoveries, and then in 2004 I started a blog. I designed the website to not only share my thoughts and excitement about this area to the world, but to be a honey-pot to attract like-minded people. These early like-minded people include Monique de Haas and Jak Boumans, my cross-media compatriots in Amsterdam; Max Giovagnoli, the cross-media champion in Italy; Tom Apperley, a fellow transmedia gaming interrogator in Melbourne; Drew Davidson in the USA, who wrote what is perhaps the first PhD on this area (Davidson 2001); and PhD researcher Marc Ruppel, who will be releasing his PhD soon. It was a joy and surprise to find fellow researcher Marc not only deeply engaged with this area, but having very similar insights. I look forward to reading Marc’s PhD, as I believe our theses will complement each other well. To all the practitioners I’ve been fortunate to converse and work with to varying degrees over these last few years. You have all in your own way enriched my hope, excitement and understanding of this area. In particular, I wish to thank Evan Jones, Jan Libby, Lance Weiler, and Jeff Gomez for some really neat conversations and inspiration. I also want to thank all the creators who have inspired me from afar; and especially to all the alternate reality game designers, theorists and players who have been at the forefront of transmedia-native forms. To the people in universities, organisations and corporations that I shared and developed my ideas with, through presentations, mentoring, consulting and workshops. Your curiosity, confusion, wonder, excitement and scepticism helped me understand how this phenomenon is perceived by others, and shaped much of this thesis. Christy Dena ii 2009 ~ Transmedia Practice ~ To all of my supervisors which—due to an upgrade from a Masters to PhD, departmental restructures and my transfer interstate (for personal reasons)—have been many! To Peter Morse, Peter Hill, Sally Pryor and Sari Smith at the School of Creative Arts, University of Melbourne, thank you for your crucial guidance at the beginning of my research. In particular, thank you to Peter Morse for believing in and fighting for my research vision. To Gerard Goggin, Chris Chesher, Anne Dunn at the School of Letters, Art and Media at the University of Sydney, thank you for giving me support and for being so patient. Thank you very much to Chris Chesher for encouraging me to come to Sydney University, the place I was meant to end up. But mostly my appreciation is for Gerard Goggin, who has shepherded me through these crucial last stages. Gerard supported my wild ideas and gently guided me towards delivering them in an academic manner. Your unwavering belief kept me sticking at it through many dark times. Thank you to all my friends, family and colleagues who were so patient and understanding about me being such a hermit for so long. I cannot tell you how many birthdays, launches, dinners, screenings, and so on I have missed over the years. No more! I’m back! To my father, Peter, and his wife, Maggie: your support in these last few years has been instrumental in ensuring I finished this PhD. Thank you. To my brother, Davo, thank you for cheering for me and making me feel as if I was doing you proud. To my mum, Hilary, who passed away just a few months before this thesis was submitted. Thank you for all the wonderful long phone conversations about mono-polymorphism and rainbows. I imagine you somewhere clapping enthusiastically with pride…like I am for you. Christy Dena iii 2009 ~ Transmedia Practice ~ Contents Abstract................................................................................................................................i Acknowledgements.............................................................................................................ii Contents.............................................................................................................................iv Illustrations.......................................................................................................................vii Figures.......................................................................................................................vii ………………………………………………………………………………...........xii Tables .......................................................................................................................xiii From Interpreting to Constructing Meaning ...................................................................6 The Disciplinary Methodology of this Thesis................................................................14 The Terminology of Transmedia Practice.....................................................................16 The Structure of this Thesis...........................................................................................23 Chapter 2: Art, Commerce, Media and Environments in Transmedia Practice............26 Artistic Vision, Commerce and Practice........................................................................30 Theorising Economics and Aesthetics in Mass Entertainment..................................31 The Implications of Commerce in Transmedia Practice............................................38 Distinct Media and Environments..................................................................................54 What does Distinct Media Mean?..............................................................................55 Why Environments?...................................................................................................69 Beyond Media Specificity..........................................................................................81 Transmedia as “UnMixed