Transmedia

 

Script:

Hello, my name is Karyn and thank you for joining me for today’s blog about transmedia.

When I first heard the term, transmedia. I thought of YouTube or some other platform that you can upload videos to. Transmedia is a form of storytelling that spreads across all media contexts (Johnson, n.d.). The storytelling begins with an existing storyline, whether it is a movie, novel, application or physical object, the story is then extended and reimagined (Garcia, 2017) before being dispersed across multiple channels of media (Slota, Young, O’Byrne & Ballestrini, 2016). Ultimately creating a coordinated and integrated storytelling experience (Slota et al., 2106).

Transmedia storytelling delves into narrative (novels, movies, online games) and non-narrative (merchandise, games, toys) media elements (Alper & Herr-Stephenson, 2013). For transmedia storytelling to be successful, the story needs to be developed across multiple media platforms and tell different aspects of the story, to ultimately create a larger story world (Slota et al., 2016., Alper & Herr-Stephenson, 2013).

The Harry Potter franchise is proof of how transmedia can be used successfully to extend and maintain storylines. Since the release of the very first Harry Potter novel, fans have had access to the world of wizards and Hogwarts through multiple platforms (Garcia, 2017). There are 7 novels in the franchise, which have all been adapted to screen, stage shows, Harry Potter film adaptations, three small companion volumes, a digital company, digital audiobooks, eBooks, an amusement park, video games, board games, online stories, and many, many more. Also, a new movie franchise, Fantastic Beasts, that has been created as an extension out of the world of wizards (www.jkrowling.com, 2016., http://www.pottermore.com, n.d.). The storytelling of Harry Potter has grown, as has the fan base, in numbers and in age (Garcia, 2017).

How can transmedia be used in an educational setting? According to Alper and Herr-Stephenson (2013), ‘transmedia play’ is how children can experiment, express and participate in media and ‘transmedia navigation’ is a child’s ability to ‘follow the flow of stories and information across multiple modalities’. Using transmedia in a learning capacity is useful due to five characteristics: resourcefulness, sociality, mobility, accessibility and replayability. Therefore, it allows for revisiting the story and reinforcing expression and analysis skills which is beneficial to the many and varied learning styles that exist (Alper & Herr-Stephenson, 2013). The same could be said for reading a book, but in this world of digital expectation and fluency, the transmedia elements can be more accessible (Alper & Herr-Stephenson, 2013). To keep students motivated and engaged, technology can be a successful platform, but when adopting transmedia into the curriculum, a storyline can be expanded from visuals or artefacts (Howell, 2013, p.12). For example, a student may bring in an action figure for show and tell, the class can explore this character and create an ever-expanding storyline around this character’s world through which it has been depicted in transmedia platforms.

Thanks to the internet, technology and information has gone beyond just our local environment and has opened the world to our students (Howell, 2013, p.11). The users of multiple media platforms are migratory and will go where they need to go to gain access to the entertainment they desire, the internet acts for all media and allows for the flow of content across multiple media platforms (Pence, 2011).

Thank you.