Blog 6: Transmedia Storytelling

What I took away from these readings was something similar to what I wrote about in my previous blog post. Transmedia storytelling, for me, means a way that the digital age offers to make a story be told and come to life in a whole new way. Aside from a story within a book, transmedia storytelling offers a multimedia and multi-platform way to engage the reader and convey a story. One of the main ideas that was in Transmedia Guide to Storytelling was how it let readers become immersed in the story, and allowed for more creativity as an audience can interact with a story.

I had talked about how the story of Harry Potter had expanded much farther from its seven books and has taken on a new way of storytelling through its website Pottermore, and the interactive nature of site which brings the story to life. If I had to dig into a more local example of transmedia storytelling, an example would be really through Rhode Island itself. One story I know took off was that of Viola Davis (fun fact, my best friend's mom went to high school with her!). The actress from Rhode Island has had a incredible acting career and is seen as a role model in Hollywood. This is from the films and shows shes done, in addition to the media attention as she has carried herself through her career having had noteworthy things to say that have made headlines. She has won multiple awards for her work and is currently in the series How To Get Away With Murder (highly recommended, my friends and I watch it every Thursday!). She is not a viral star but she is one who in her career has created her own story of how she started to where she is today.

A main part of her story was when she won her Emmy, and in her acceptance speech thanked the writers for giving her the opportunity to star in the show. She commented on race and how the only difference between color is opportunity, and how she was thankful for the opportunity she received. She has told her own story through her acceptance speeches, her performances and her career. Not similar to an online forum or a specific media, Viola Davis is a figure from Rhode Island who has made her mark on Hollywood already and who locally in Rhode Island is a big deal.

Transmedia Storytelling

After going through this reading, I am not going to lie I had mixed ideas about what transmedia storytelling was. I had heard of the concept prior to this class but had never actually looked into what it fully meant. I could see how it can be confused with marketing, and how trans-media storytelling can be seen as a way to promote content. Thinking back on the reading I wish it was more clear in summarizing what transmedia embodies, rather than comparing debating ideas about what people think it is. Even though there isn't a full definition of it yet, which makes me feel better as to why I didn't find this reading clear, it would have been helpful to someone who hasn't yet learned what trans-media storytelling is about to have had that clear summary.

The main take away I had from the reading was that trans-media storytelling is one that allows you in a way to bring a story to life through different platforms and mediums. In a way it does have a marketing component because through these different platforms and mediums it creates a way for content to be put out their and show to an audience. Oddly one of the main transmedia examples I had when going through the reading was the development of Harry Potter and Pottermore. We all know the seven-book series of the wizarding world of Harry Potter, but since the release of the series the story has expanded.

Pottermore is a online entertainment and publishing site that users can join which continues on the stories, culture and characters of the wizarding world. In recent months, the author J.K Rowling has released a book Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them (soon to be a major motion picture) and is releasing The Cursed Child this coming November! On the site their are profiles and smaller stories that are within the wizarding world of the series. The story has come off the pages and has continued into this trans-media storytelling site. Users can read stories on the individual books, characters and figures who make appearances within the books. In addition to the content on the site, they have a updated social media presence that users can follow on their social media accounts involving new stories, fandom and announcements. A bit nerdy but when the world thought the Harry Potter series had ended after the seventh book and the eighth film, Pottermore and the platform it has created as opened up the wizarding world to transmedia story telling.

Overall in the reading I felt a clearer message of transmedia storytelling could have been expressed to the reader, even though there may not be a solid definition of it yet. I felt the examples that were posted on the Facebook page and even relating it to Pottermore helped me gather a better understanding of what transmedia storytelling is. Personally I am interested to learn more about because I like the creative side of how storytelling has moved onto the web and how transmedia storytelling has evolved.

Superbowl Advertisements and Social Media #SB50

I was able to watch a majority of the Superbowl, or as those like me who don't usually get into football would call "the game at the Beyonce/Coldplay/Bruno Mars concert". It is the biggest football game of the season and also the largest television event in the United States, regardless if you support football or not. And because of this, there is a heavy advertisement and marketing presence on the event. The slots themselves are millions of dollars for a number of seconds due to the high volume of viewers that tune into the game. The other reason there are many viewers is that the Superbowl is known for its creative, funny and joke filled commercials.

A lot of car and food commercials, celebrities chime in for different sponsors in Superbowl ads. This year for Superbowl 50 for example we saw Drake do a play on his song "Hot Line Bling" for AT&T which followed with a hashtag for members who use the company to share on their social media. Other commercials that hit the funny bone included Doritos who did a play on dogs trying to get into a grocery store. The Superbowl in itself is a huge advertising and marketing outlet for different brands, companies and even celebrities.  Overall the goal of these advertisements is to gain attention. By making them funny, unique and full of famous faces they try to do that in the expensive time they have on the air.

Marketing is meant to reach the consumer and to get their attention. The Superbowl advertisements ranged from musical guests advertising how to buy your next apartment to Heinz putting dachshund dogs in hot dog costumes running at people who are wearing ketchup and mustard costumes. In addition to this the use of social media within the ads, I talked about this in my paper as well because this is how marketing has free platforms to connect with consumers through social media. In general I felt the advertisements in the Superbowl got better as the game went on and got the attention that they had meant to receive. They remain my favorite part of the Superbowl and even for products that I personally may not have liked, I took note of them because of the catch their commercial ad had.

Chapter 4: Communications and Networks

In this chapter Baym talks about how online communities and networks are becoming social norms and a common way people connect online. I agree with a majority of what is stated in the chapter, and also can see how as discussed in class she writes in a un-bias style on the topic. She provides more facts rather than her own opinion, which allows you to form your own from the information she gives you. During the chapter she defines norms as "a framework through which people determine what behaviors are acceptable and unacceptable," (pg. 87) while also touching on the fact that there is no updated definition of "community". Community can mean a variety of things, but in this instance it is the interaction of people or a group in the digital realm.

Reading through the chapter it is interesting how many different communities actually exist online. Exploring the idea, you immediately think of online support groups, chat rooms and online subcultures. Other examples from the chapter include second life cultures on line such as Sims and World of Warcraft where people through coding are entered into another world, able to communicate with others. It is a interesting concept how you can escape reality and enter into a community online, for some it is supportive and beneficial while for others it can be more of a negative in preventing them from face to face interaction. Another idea that Baym reflects on is that in these shared communities and shared spaces, there is a shared sense of identity. People in these groups and communities related to each other over similar topics, issues, ideas and likes. The individual identities people may have can come together in a community to make a common shared identity. 

I find the points and ideas throughout this chapter to be incredibly valid. Just as anything with the digital age and being connected, there comes both negatives and positives. It is incredibly positive that communities such as support groups are created and there for those who feel they need someone to talk to. Particularly over tough times and issues, support groups can be a powerful thing. On the negative side being over involved and connected to these communities can take away from the benefits of face to face interaction. A face to face interaction and conversation in a supportive community can be intimidating, so for some an online community might be more comfortable. This is where the idea of "social norms" plays a huge role. I agree with this idea especially, that more and more society is finding these online communities and conversations to hold as much if not more water than real conversations. This has become a social norm today and its hard to think of how this in addition to these communities will impact our conversations and interpersonal relations in the future.