It has been a long time, 10 years, preaching my ideas on another form of storytelling; crossmedia storytelling. After Jenkins another term was adopted for this: transmedia storytelling.

I have had endless debates with people wanting to define the term differently. Again and again trying to explain this Major transition in our relation to 'our stories'.

And please see the term 'story' loosely. Sometimes there is strong narrative, at others more the 'art of world creation' where the narrative is 'low'. And as well both available in a meta-storyworld universe transcending many platforms.

It is a very different approach to designing and producing these 'stories' then traditional one-medium sender focussed productions. It is a distinctive field of expertise.

And finally, thanks to some inventive (american, canadian and australian) producers this is getting resonance in the market.

I do not wish to waste another minute on meaningless terming debates! Over the last ten years i have skilled myself to this distinctive field of expertise. It is about time to get to work.

If you are thinking of taking this seriously let me give you a small advice.. There will be many opportunists hopping on this train. Be wise and choose your partners carefully. As said it is a distinctive field of expertise.

I have had some debates about this lately.

That I needed to adjust my goals to what is applicable in the market space.

To get my portfolio filled some more..

You know... just do what you are asked to do.

 

IF you want me to do just another social campaign because “everybody” is doing it.

IF you want me to come up with just another viral because “everybody” is doing it.

IF you want me to come up with just another “crossmedia campaign”, you know we do a little bit of everything and put it everywhere..

IF you want me to admit to 'those' standards..

 

Well.. I won’t!

 

Because I want to make meaningfull work.

I want to touch.. and touch deep

I want to invade your lives with stories that will hunt you down..

And keep on haunting you untill you find out ALL there is to know about it.

 

Mediocre stuff just won’t do that tric.

 

If you DO want me to make something "hauntable" for you?

great  I’ll be glad to answer your call!

 

*a little sunday pitching*

Today I tried http://www.chatroulette.com for a while. I tried before, but then the service was down. Monday evening at the upload event (an event putting webfilms on the screen: subject webcams) we chatrouletted with a filmhouse full of people. Today i wanted to try the intimate 1- on - 1 version.

It's actually really fun to do. Got nexted à lot. Found many bare bodies, but the real sticky bit of it is, you don't want to stop doing it. You keep on being curious for your next 'bait'. Sure.. It's exhibisionostic, maybe scary. But did we not have that feeling when we where first on twitter, just a little bit.. Being over-exposed? Well chatroulette takes that even a step further.

The contacts you make are split-second flirts. Judged by your looks instantly.., no safeguard there. Nexted by the second..

But really really intriguing and very sticky..

It's a very different paradigm of social interaction compared to twitter, Facebook etc.. I will definitely explore this more.. So.. see you on chatroulette!

Who would have thought, over 10 years ago when I started pioneering in the field of crossmedia/transmedia that our ideas for new more engaging ways of storytelling would become a real accredited profession today! (that of the first theorists and practitioners playing in this greenfield, yes even before Jenkins wrote his influential work; 'Convergence Culture' and coined 'transmedia' for much of the work we where already looking at and doing, giving it names like "crossmedia"/ 'deep media"/'digital storytelling" etc..)) The Producers Guild of America has acknowledged the work of those who build transmedia productions as of now to be an official accredited field of expertise!

Here is how the PGA defines a Transmedia Producer:

A Transmedia Narrative project or franchise must consist of three (or more) narrative storylines existing within the same fictional universe on any of the following platforms:  Film, Television, Short Film, Broadband, Publishing, Comics, Animation, Mobile, Special Venues, DVD/Blu-ray/CD-ROM, Narrative Commercial and Marketing rollouts, and other technologies that may or may not currently exist. These narrative extensions are NOT the same as repurposing material from one platform to be cut or repurposed to different platforms.

A Transmedia Producer credit is given to the person(s) responsible for a significant portion of a project’s long-term planning, development, production, and/or maintenance of narrative continuity across multiple platforms, and creation of original storylines for new platforms. Transmedia producers also create and implement interactive endeavors to unite the audience of the property with the canonical narrative and this element should be considered as valid qualification for credit as long as they are related directly to the narrative presentation of a project.

Transmedia Producers may originate with a project or be brought in at any time during the long-term rollout of a project in order to analyze, create or facilitate the life of that project and may be responsible for all or only part of the content of the project. Transmedia Producers may also be hired by or partner with companies or entities, which develop software and other technologies and who wish to showcase these inventions with compelling, immersive, multi-platform content.

To qualify for this credit, a Transmedia Producer may or may not be publicly credited as part of a larger institution or company, but a titled employee of said institution must be able to confirm that the individual was an integral part of the production team for the project.

 

Why is this relevant? Because by an official credit transmedia producers (that what I also see as belonging to the field of crossmedia communication) can set up workable contracts with other parties in the field. Thereby being able to build (tradeable) property for their work. That is assets in the transmedia production company. I read  http://www.deadline.com/2010/04/producers-guild-of-america-vote-on-creation-o... that much of this is the work of Jeff Gomez, one of the fierce protagonists of transmedia storytelling. Well done Jeff!

Hopefully tonight I have some time to visit the I-pad demonstration by one of its first owners in the Netherlands.
Surely I could have taken the trouble to enlist and buy it already. And maybe.. I will within not too much time.

For now I am just curious.. hey it is that FIRST touch isn't it.

With the coming of e-readers I was not this enthusiastical about it. I had my reasons for that, going beyond the devices presented.
What I saw happening most was publishers happy to shout out they where "innovating" while basically they where so relieved to keep on doing what they always did. Thereby still holding up old and (IMHO) killing monolytic thinking. They only needed to move slightly away from where they came from. (And trust me fear of change is such a big shared emotion within traditional media companies ;-)

That does not mean I do not see a market for e-readers... I just doubted the succes of copying the old way of working onto new devices

Then came the i-pad, off-course hyped to the bone by the lovely fan-boys and girls...

But what I can see from it now (as said I did not have my FIRST touch yet..) is from internet reports and I must say,
I like it. It's probably not the holy convergence grail all have been looking for, but it looks like an entertaining device.
And I will be honest: If the I-pad is able to top my "magazine" experience, i am in!  (full disclosure; I am a great lover of magazines)

Yes, I know I am a little late to the party. ;-)