"Is it transmedia if/when...?" is a question I get asked constantly.
I am no authority on the topic. I wrote a thesis that incorporated transmedia storytelling, but that's not the same as writing a book about it or doing some other prestigious thing that gives me credibility. I think people just ask me about it because they know about my studies and I'm the closest thing they have to a resident expert.
Here are some recent ones:
Is it transmedia if a video game gets released, and then after people buy it bonus content/expansion packs get released (such as videos that play during the game) that is additional story/world building material?
Is it transmedia if it is an adaptation that veers so far from the original it might as well be classified as "loosely based on" instead?
Is it transmedia if it is a new spin on an old work? (ex. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies)
Is it transmedia if it is just bonus material released in a DVD set or some other similar thing, but it isn't easily accessibly to everyone (well, until someone illegaly puts it online) and wasn't purposefully spread around - but it is still unique content that contributes to the overall story/world?
Is it transmedia when it was done by accident?
Is it transmedia when it is non-fiction?
That last one is the only one I can answer. Yes, transmedia stories can be non-fiction.
All of the other questions I just don't have an answer to yet. The label is just so broad and can (currently) only be applied on a case-by-case basis.
I'll keep thinking about all of these, and I'll try to come up with some examples. Maybe there is a way to make classifying transmedia easier, even if it doesn't necessarily work for every single project.
What a conundrum.
-Danny
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Back to Blogging
It's been a long while since this blog was used. Frankly, I forgot all about it.
Still, it is a good way for me to work out some thoughts and musings that I might not throw into regular conversation. Now I just need to stick with it. Actually stick with it. For real this time. Seriously.
We'll see what happens.
I also think I need to change up the look. I'll do that later.
Still, it is a good way for me to work out some thoughts and musings that I might not throw into regular conversation. Now I just need to stick with it. Actually stick with it. For real this time. Seriously.
We'll see what happens.
I also think I need to change up the look. I'll do that later.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Old Post Re-posted: What kind of Nerdfighter could I be?
So this was an old post from the old version of the blog pre-thesis.
I liked it and this new blog is currently lacking, so I figured why not resurrect it.
Here it is...
So today I decided to start something that has been long overdue.
Watching VlogBrothers videos.
Yes, I have seen random ones at random times, but I never really got into them and so many jokes/references are lost on me.
But today, everything has changed.
GOD DAMMIT T-SWIFT. Why are your songs so catchy? I literally don't know any other lyrics to this song other than the freaking title and something about knowing you better, and yet somehow those few lyrics are now stuck in my head. What is life.
So the vlogbrothers. I mentioned them before, because Hank (one half of the brothers) made LBD and other web shows. John is the other brother and he is an amazing author. Together they have years worth of vlogging under their belt and this is very daunting to a semi-new viewer. 3,400+ videos? I ain't got time for that. I needed to fast track. Thank god for YouTube playlists.
I've started with this one. It seems pretty good so far. I'm halfway done. This all appears to be from their first year, Brotherhood 2.0 (which was the original project), and I think it's a good start. Things are starting to make more sense.
To answer the question from the title of this post, I don't actually know what kind of nerdfighter I would be. I mean, I am totally a nerd, but I have yet to achieve nerfighter status. I feel like that kind of power-up requires more video watching. I also want to look into what other kinds of nerdfighters are out there. This is a whole community and I plan to take it seriously. Why is that? Because Hank is a mother effing time lord.
-Danny
Also: while this is partly for fun it is also semi-researchy for thesis, VidCon, and reasons.
Update: I finished the playlist and it was awesome.
I liked it and this new blog is currently lacking, so I figured why not resurrect it.
Here it is...
So today I decided to start something that has been long overdue.
Watching VlogBrothers videos.
Yes, I have seen random ones at random times, but I never really got into them and so many jokes/references are lost on me.
But today, everything has changed.
GOD DAMMIT T-SWIFT. Why are your songs so catchy? I literally don't know any other lyrics to this song other than the freaking title and something about knowing you better, and yet somehow those few lyrics are now stuck in my head. What is life.
So the vlogbrothers. I mentioned them before, because Hank (one half of the brothers) made LBD and other web shows. John is the other brother and he is an amazing author. Together they have years worth of vlogging under their belt and this is very daunting to a semi-new viewer. 3,400+ videos? I ain't got time for that. I needed to fast track. Thank god for YouTube playlists.
I've started with this one. It seems pretty good so far. I'm halfway done. This all appears to be from their first year, Brotherhood 2.0 (which was the original project), and I think it's a good start. Things are starting to make more sense.
To answer the question from the title of this post, I don't actually know what kind of nerdfighter I would be. I mean, I am totally a nerd, but I have yet to achieve nerfighter status. I feel like that kind of power-up requires more video watching. I also want to look into what other kinds of nerdfighters are out there. This is a whole community and I plan to take it seriously. Why is that? Because Hank is a mother effing time lord.
Also: while this is partly for fun it is also semi-researchy for thesis, VidCon, and reasons.
Update: I finished the playlist and it was awesome.
Old Post Re-posted: Guess who's back, tell a friend
So this was an old post from the old version of the blog pre-thesis.
I liked it and this new blog is currently lacking, so I figured why not resurrect it.
Here it is...
BBC just made a genius move.
Well, really they did this a few days ago but I was busy with other things.
Sherlock
is a fantastic (at least in my opinion) TV that airs on BBC/PBS. I
found it through a million recommendations from the nerdiest of my
friends. They looooooved it. I got so annoyed listening to them
jibber-jab on and on that I finally gave in and watched it on Netflix.
They do the same thing with Doctor Who (I know, I know), but Sherlock
was the shorter and easier one to catch up on.
If you aren't already a fan of the show, then this video wont matter to you at all. But to anyone who is a fan, you should probably watch it, like right now.
Here you go:
So why is this a genius move you may ask? For quite a few reasons.
- It is on YouTube which means it can be shared.
- Netflix is only available to those who pay. You can't share those videos. The same goes for almost any other way that you might watch the show. Amazon Prime, iTunes, TiVo, DVDs, illegally, whatever. And videos that you can share tend to be short clips or fan made and no one really shares those very often. The fact that anyone reporting on this can link it in is fantastic. So already we know this video is different and it is further helped by the fact that...
- It is not a promo.
- The problem with promos and trailers is that they just aren't enough. They show flashes and snippets that either don't tell you anything or tell you more than you wanted to know. The Sherlock promo that I found was annoyingly vague and not worth it. In general it is fairly uncommon that a promo is worth being shared, and when it is it's usually because of one little thing that causes...
- The Excitement Factor.
- When fans get pumped about their shows, they can really get PUMPED. It has been quite a while since we last saw Sherlock and Watson solving cases. Two whole years. That's like forever. Beneditch Cumberbatch has been busy with films like Star Trek and Martin Freeman has been occupied with The Hobbit (fun nugget of info: Cumberbatch has a few voice roles in those films as the Necromancer and Smaug). So seeing them both here again in a mini episode is very exciting. It is a reminder of the show we love without showing us old clips and a preview of what is to come without spoiling anything. It holds just enough back while simultaneously making you want more.
- It is for the fans.
- As I said, if you aren't a fan then this video won't matter. You'd have to be up to date on the show, but luckily you don't really have to remember much of what happened last time because the cliffhanger is big enough that you remember the gist. Before I watched the video all I really remembered was that Sherlock is dead but probably not really or the show would be over. So this great little episode was just for the fans. It will make them feel special, like they are a part of a Sherlock club or something. It even reminds you of Sherlock's birthday message, which I had totally forgotten about, that you wouldn't know about unless you watched. But it is still simple and basic enough that you don't need to be a die hard fan to understand the birthday reference or to like the video in general. It is for the everyfan.
- Good timing in every way.
- Lastly, this was timed pretty well. Desolation of Smaug has been out long enough that people who wanted to see it probably have and Freeman is still on the brain. It's during Christmas break/holiday when everyone will definitely be home and probably on their computer/tablet/phone/internet where they will come across it via the news, social media, subscriptions, or however. The show will air very soon (Jan 1 for BBC, not sure about USA/Netflix) so fans don't have to wait months and months after something like this. We can wait after a promo, but I want to keep watching after an addicting minisode. So basically there is enough time to spread it around before the show returns. Also, in terms of good timing, it is really pretty short. It's not like it will take up a ton of time to watch, which makes that even more effective in terms of sharing. Timing couldn't be better.
So I've
gone on long enough. BBC is genius. Or the creators of Sherlock or
whoever came up with this idea and put the wheels in motion.
I'm excited. Are you?
I'm excited. Are you?
-Danny
Bonus question: Can this small act be considered a piece of transmedia because it furthers the story?
Edit: No idea why the spacing is so odd. Can't seem to fix it...
Edit: No idea why the spacing is so odd. Can't seem to fix it...
Friday, February 7, 2014
Episode 1 is live!
The first episode of Nerdio ad Absurdum is now officially live!
It is kind of an introduction to the channel. Question mark?
Check it out:
It is kind of an introduction to the channel. Question mark?
Check it out:
Definition of the blog
Reductio ad Absurdum:
The Latin for “to reduce to the absurd.” This is a technique useful in creating a comic effect and is also an argumentative technique. It is considered a rhetorical fallacy because it reduces an argument to an either/or choice.
Nerdio ad Absurdum: The Latin-ish for “to nerdily reduce to the absurdly nerd.” This is a ridiculous technique useful in creating an entertaining effect and is also an nerdumentative technique. It is considered a nerdtorical fallacy because it reduces an argument to a nerd-sequitur choice.
The Latin for “to reduce to the absurd.” This is a technique useful in creating a comic effect and is also an argumentative technique. It is considered a rhetorical fallacy because it reduces an argument to an either/or choice.
Nerdio ad Absurdum: The Latin-ish for “to nerdily reduce to the absurdly nerd.” This is a ridiculous technique useful in creating an entertaining effect and is also an nerdumentative technique. It is considered a nerdtorical fallacy because it reduces an argument to a nerd-sequitur choice.
[via www.stupid.com]
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