Lesson Two: The 7 Most Popular Communication Platforms for Transmedia

Channels ofTransmedia Storytelling

Star Wars: A Case Study

Audience & Platforms You must intimately know and understand your audience.

Your audience drives all content and platform decisions.

What are the demographics?How is media content consumed?

Motion PicturesTelevision

Video GamesComic Books & Graphic Novels

NovelsMobile AppsThe Internet

Motion PicturesMotion Pictures

Audience must learn about it from another source

Audience has to make time to engage

Audience must incur all necessary costs

Experience is transitory Experience is passive Setting & characters are

fixed

TelevisionAudience learned about it through

another channelDoes audience have on-demand

optionsSome viewers want bulk absorptionExperience is passiveSettings & characters presented in

intense format tend to lock audience’s perception

Video Games The audience has to learn about it from another

source

Audience can engage on demand

Console & Video games are relatively expensive

Gamers expect long games (40+ hours)

Difficulty levels which affect or hard or easy

Multiplayer gaming is becoming more expected

Experience is inherently interactive

Comic Books and Graphic Novels

Great medium for transmedia storytelling

Visually dynamic & Interactive (tablets)

Marvel Comics (Disney)

DC Comics (Warner Brothers)

Comic Books and Graphic NovelsThe audience most likely learned

through the franchise or if they are comic book fans they have come to know the story

Can engage on demand

Cost of entry relatively affordable

Comic book & graphic novel readers tend to be collectors

Physical form passive; digital form interactive

Novels Learned about it through the franchise or

if avid readers came to the franchise accidently

Engage on-demand

Cost is relatively affordable

Novel readers tend to be collectors

Digital versions allow faster time to market and are cheaper for audience

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/star-wars-epic-collection-randy-stradley/1122876723?ean=9780785197249

Mobile Apps

Mobile app can supplement the franchise

Fans develop and share apps

Choose Your Own Adventure format

http://mashable.com/2015/07/08/star-wars-app/#VlaxcGoX.PqG

Internet

The internet is a delivery & interaction mechanism

Content distributionAudience communicationOvert & viral marketingAlternate reality games

https://lightsaber.withgoogle.com

Motion PicturesTelevision

Video GamesComic Books & Graphic Novels

NovelsMobile AppsThe Internet

Learn more atwww.gmarcello.com

twitter: njginaGina Marcello, Ph.D.