90
“today’s transmedia producers are planning for multiple platforms from the start. They design fictional universes that are consistent however the audience engages.”
“In a world of multichoice TV, mobile and the web, competition for viewers has never been greater, and audience attention never more fragmented. That’s why many content creators are betting that transmedia will focus it once again.”

91
“transmedia also demands that narratives cohere, and this is where many previous efforts failed.”

97
“For Gomez, storytellers who embrace these possibilities will define pop culture. So what will happen when transmedia’s fledgling audi­ence comes of age? He gets whimsical. “We’re going to see our transmedia Mozart. We are going to see visionaries who understand the value of each media platform as if it’s a sepa­rate musical instrument, who’ll create sym­phonic narratives which leverage each of these multimedia platforms in a way that will create something we haven’t encountered yet.
“And it’s going to be magnificent.”"

Gives very PRACTICAL advice: specific numbers, costs, prices, positions, tasks, etc.
Mentions transmedia 3 times.
Quite radical from a filmmaker’s perspective. I specifically mean indies, who always seemed to see themselves as a smaller Hollywood -> Hollywood’s concepts / business models / etc. should also work for them. Which they never did. But now it’s becoming more clear that they don’t and perhaps never will.
Not radical enough from my perspective. It’s a filmmaker sharing his insights from his struggles within the film industry. It’s not a step back to reassess the big picture.

29-36
Define who your film is for (hopefully not for yourself) and how you will reach it.

37
“The new 50/50 is as follows:
50 percent of your time and resources should be devoted to creating the film. 50 percent of your time and resources should be devoted to getting the film out to its audience, aka distribution and marketing.”

45-52
A good “overview of rights, markets and windows”; how they have been and how he reconceptualises them.

53-59
Know what YOU want to achieve and think about how to get there.

61-72
He describes “the bare minimum” of team members you need, and some more recommendable positions if you have the money.

127-131
His “Introduction to Transmedia” is less than 5 (!) pages short.

128
“media consumers don’t consume in one unified pattern anymore.”

129f
Definition “extradiegetic”:
“This material is called “extra-diegetic” and includes all content that is not part of the final released film, especially material that is created but never intended to be part of the final released film. However, as our understanding of film expands, there will not need to be a separate classification between diegetic and extra-diegetic; it will all be part of a seamless whole.”

133-136
Chapter 13: Redefining the Theatrical Experience
His new Definition-theatrical:
“It is time for filmmakers to reclaim the meaning of a theatrical release so that it is inclusive of a multitude of live-screening event scenarios. The theatrical experience needs to be redefined as people watching “films” with other people. Any place. Any time. Any media.”

143
“Unfortunately, due to contract obligations, IFC is currently only set up to do VOD day-and-date with their Festival Direct Program.”

151
“[...] Chris Hyams (the head of B-Side) did the research and found that all films (studio and independent), on average, lose money from theatrical.”

171
“I believe that incorporating aspects of an event into your screenings is the future of independent live event/theatrical releases.” A bit of a nonsensical sentence, but it goes back to stressing experiences.

172-174
“Ways to create a sense of an event:

1. Personal Appearance by the Filmmaker/Cast
2. Personal Appearance by a Celebrity
3. Parties
4. Partner with an Organization
5. Sell Advance Tickets
6. Live Audience Participation Part 1 (?)”

174f
“Transmedia Aspects to Screenings

1. Live Musical Remix
2. Live Film Mixing [Peter Greenaway]
3. Add Live Storytelling Elements to Your Screening [Head Trauma]“

175-177
Other options:

• One-Night Events
• The Film Tour

195
“The alternative theatrical grassroots screening model has shown the way to democratize and return a shared film experience to the control of individuals and groups,. With that newfound power, people will continue to find new ways to exhibit and congregate in order to watch films.”

243
“I think transmedia has tremendous potential for how narrative filmmakers can find new audiences and engage with them. Again, this is not just about marketing, it is about finding and engaging the audience for your film and your oeuvre.”

244
“Audiences don’t consume media as they once did. They have their own preferences, whether it is a movie theater, DVR, their iPhone, Xbox console, etc. Audiences have media and art form preferences. You can’t bend them, you must accommodate them.”

245
“Part of the death of DVDs has been due to people realizing that they didn’t need to watch a film more than once. Transmedia creates a life beyond the one viewing of a film.” -> Not sure about that. Isn’t transmedia even more ephemeral than a traditional movie?

275
“merchandise can be points of entry for films or narrative extensions – so they can be important to a transmedia strategy.”

289
“Television’s core business is repeat viewers.
It is difficult for television to command repeat viewers with individual films. When there was a plethora of fledgling channels such as HBO, Starz, Showtime, AMC, etc., they needed to buy movies to fill their schedules. But as those networks have matured, they have turned to series to bring back repeat viewers. Even indie stalwarts IFC and Sundance are buying fewer films in favor of series programming.”

296
“Ways to monetize your digital rights”:

• “Fees Charged Per Download, Rental, or Viewing”
• “Ad Revenue Share”
• “Subscription Fee”
• “Merchandise Sales”
• “General Promotion/Theatrical Launch”
• “Ad Sales/Banner Ad Sales”
• “Branded Entertainment/Product Placement”
• “Sponsorship”
• “Pay What You Want/Online Tip Jar”

299
“There is an argument I have heard on panels lately: Most filmmakers have a greater problem with anonymity than with piracy. I think this is a false argument.” If nobody wants to pay for it, perhaps nobody wants to see it, so perhaps the film is simply shit or doesn’t have an audience. -> Market it properly!

347
“Dentler observes that if you look at the history of consumer media, you always have different models for different types of publications. Some things are free, some things you pay for. He uses print media as an example, pointing out the difference between the Wall Street Journal and the Free Press.“

Entertainment = Unterhaltung

220
“Unterhaltung is [...] historisch bestimmt.” According to Hügel.
-> the word “entertainment” means something -> because of history
-> will the word survive, but the meaning be entirely different?
-> will entertainment (in our historical sense) disappear?
-> or will the word itself disappear?
=> I think youth will appropriate it.

222
“Dabei soll das Konzept der Convergence Culture, wie es Henry Jenkins (2006) expliziert hat, den Ausgangspunkt für meine Erörterung der Frage bilden, was es für >unsere< Unterhaltungskultur bedeutet, wenn sich Unterhaltung nach ihrer Emanzipation zur eigenständigen kulturellen Institution nicht nur mehr und mehr entgrenzt, sondern wenn sich mit jüngsten technologischen Transformationen der Medien und dem Entstehen von >Kulturen der Konvergenz< jene spezifischen Produktions-, Distributions- und Rezeptionsverhältnisse verändern, die die Emanzipation der Unterhaltung im 19. Jahrhundert und ihre kulturelle Dominanz im 20. Jahrhundert erst ermöglicht haben.”

223
“Bekanntlich ist die historische Entwicklung der Unterhaltung nicht denkbar
ohne das Entstehen der Massenmedien mit den ihnen eigenen Merkmalen
der Arbeitsteilung, wie sie für moderne Industriegesellschaften charakteristisch
sind (MAASE 1997). Nicht nur in der Sphäre der gesellschaftlichen Produktion, auch in der Sphäre ihrer kulturellen Reproduktion ist die Trennung in Produzenten und Konsumenten bestimmend für den Charakter kulturellen Austauschs von Unterhaltung als Produkt, das durch professionelle Unterhaltungsmacher für ein breites Publikum hergestellt wird und das auf dem Markt der Unterhaltung als Ware zum Konsum angeboten wird. Dass Unterhaltung als Ware gehandelt und konsumiert werden konnte, hat zu ihrer historischen Stabilisierung als kultureller Form beigetragen, wie die >Ware< Unterhaltung als kulturelle Form sicherlich auch wesentlich zum Erfolg der technischen Massenmedien im 20. Jahrhundert und insbesondere zum Erfolg des Fernsehens als der Inkarnation des Unterhaltungsmediums (vgl. MÜLLER-SACHSSE 1981) beigetragen hat."
"Die Konvergenz der Medien impliziert vor allem eine Neudefinition des Verhältnisses zwischen den Sphären der Produktion und der Rezeption (vgl. MÜLLER 2oo9a).”

225
“Unterhaltung lässt sich, so lautet ein weiterer Lehrsatz aus der ersten Lektion im Hügel’schen Propädeutikum zur Theorie und Geschichte dieser besonderen kulturellen Form, nur »als Prozess, als Vorgang oder als Beziehung « fassen (1993a: 121)”

226
“im Unterschied zu bloßer Zerstreuung [ ... ] erlebt der Unterhaltende sich jedoch als anwesend; er braucht zwar kein Engagement aufzubringen, läßt aber die Möglichkeit zu, dass die Unterhaltung ihm etwas sagt« (HÜGEL 1993: 137f.).”

228
“Ich will [...] fragen, welcher Art der Prozess respektive die Beziehung ist, die YouTube bei denjenigen >usern< initiiert, die aktiv am Online-Video-Sharing teilhaben.”

229
“YouTube-Clips beanspruchen demnach nicht, abgeschlossene ästhetische >Schöpfungen< unbekannter >Autoren< zu sein; sie stellen vielmehr Beiträge durchschnittlicher >user< dar, die einen Baustein zum kollektiven kreativen oder diskursiven Prozess beitragen: YouTube erscheint in dieser Perspektive als ein Universum unendlicher Texte, die niemals abgeschlossen sind, sondern immer wieder umgeschrieben, neu arrangiert und montiert, redigiert und ergänzt, verzerrt oder verstümmelt, wiederholt, widerlegt und fortgeschrieben werden."

230
"Partizipation [ist] die raison d’être von YouTube”

234
“Beispiele hierfür sind Formen, die in der anglo-amerikanischen Literatur als »enhanced television« (VAN VLIET 2001), als »overflow television« (BROOKER 2001) oder als »engagement television« (ASKWITH 2007) beschrieben worden sind.” -> Transmedia storytelling with traditional medium (TV) in mind -> not “native” transmedia storytelling.

234f
“Es ist vor allem die Frage, ob damit zugleich auch grundsätzliche neue Formen kommunikativer Beziehungen dominant werden, die an die Stelle der Beziehung der Unterhaltung treten werden. Derzeit scheint mehr darauf hinzudeuten, dass Unterhaltung sich auch im Web 2.0 neben anderen kommunikativen Praktiken einen platz erobern wird und damit auch neue Formen der Partizipation prägen wird. Ob und wie das den Charakter der Unterhaltung wie den der Partizipation verändern wird, bleibt abzuwarten.”

235
“Ende der >Epoche der Unterhaltung<"
-> possible -> in the sense that entertainment will change so much that we can’t call it entertainment (in our sense of the word) anymore

Wonders if the PGA’s definition is a good thing.

Sees “transmedia” as the new buzzword after “ARG”.

She’s against the rule of 3 platforms, which she misunderstood: it’s three narrative threads as part of one story world, as Jeff Gomez explains.

This was probably the first opinion piece about the topic right after Nikki Finke broke the news.

She broke the news that the PGA introduces the title of Transmedia Producer.

“More importantly, for the first time in the guild’s history, they voted on and ratified a new credit – that of the Transmedia Producer – which had been shepherded by such Hollywood names as Mark Gordon, Gael Anne Hurd, Jeff Gomez, Alison Savage, and Chris Pfaff.”

Definition-transmedia producer is copied from the PGA’s website. See Woi Woi.

6
Definition-narrative:
“How do you communicate pattern-type information to a pattern-recognizing mental module using a sequential medium such as language? In computer terms, the data is in the wrong format for the communications link!
What’s needed is a reformatter, something that converts one thinking format to the other. Narrative is that reformatter. It’s an ad-hoc solution to an ugly interfacing problem that arose early in the development of language.”

“Any way that humankind has invented to lie to each other should be part of your storytelling toolkit.”

Storytelling generations

Bard 1.0 – old dead Greek blind guys
Bard 2.0 – Greek theatre – parallel bards
Bard 3.0 – book – scalable bards
Bard 4.0 – cinema – parallel scalable bards
Bard 5.0 – digital storytelling (not the Hartley type)

Mentions “storyworld” on page 521.
References offer some texts I can quote for:

• Dawson’s Creek
• Babylon 5
• Twin Peak

519
Definition-transmedia:
Definition-transmedia storytelling:
“Taken by itself, the term “transmedia” simply describes the process of content moving or expanding from one medium into another. As such, transmediation can describe practices ranging from adaptation (e.g., turning a novel into a film) to merchandising (e.g., creating action figures in the likeness of film characters). However, the notion of transmedia storytelling is more specific, and is used to describe the process of further developing a coherent narrative (or elaborating a narrative universe) by distributing related story components across multiple media platforms.”

520
“While most major media franchises of the 1980s expanded to include both licensed merchandise (toys, clothing, breakfast cereal) and transmedia components (films, television series, video games, comic books), many of the most popular franchises were actually financed and launched by merchandisers to help sell their products.”

521
“are these transmedia extensions being developed primarily to tell better stories, or to generate higher profits?”
“Meanwhile, each “platform” serves as an advertisement for the others, and hence for the whole, thereby allowing media corporations to make money from their advertisements.”

521f
“The most significant shift toward horizontal integration and media franchising came in the 1930s, when Walt Disney introduced a new business model that he described as total merchandising. Under this model, all Disney products served dual purposes: branded merchandise, television shows, animated movies, and amusement park rides all simultaneously functioned as entertainment and as advertisements for every other Disney product. Disney’s characters were not the first to be featured on merchandise or appear in multiple media, but they were almost certainly the first characters designed to serve as entertainment “brands.””

522
Description of The Lost Experience.

523
“The 1980s, in particular, brought an explosion of youth- focused media franchises. Countless film, television, and comic book characters were introduced (or reintroduced) as transmedia franchises, complete with comic books, multiple cinematic releases, animated television series, and a wide range of toys and branded merchandise. In fact, during the 1980s, many of the most popular entertainment franchises were launched not by media companies, but by merchandisers and toy manufacturers looking to build audiences (and markets) for their properties (see “1980s Media Franchises” sidebar).”
“But while branded bed linens, breakfast cereals, and soft drinks encourage children to consume products, it is important to recognize that toys, games, and many other franchise products can enable children to interact with, and take control of, a franchise’s stories, themes, and characters.”

524
“These [The Matrix'] problems indicate the degree to which transmedia stories must now carefully balance some viewer’s desires to dig deeper into the story world with other viewers’ desire not to feel left out.” -> You could simply ignore the casuals, but then you won’t get their money!

525
“From this framework, we might then understand today’s expansion of storytelling across media as providing greater opportunities for involvement, and as representing development in narrative form and technique, not just an explosion in cross-media promotion.”

526
“One of the clear signs that transmedia storytelling might be developing new ways to tell stories, and not just new platforms from which to reap profits, is that many writers and directors are becoming intimately involved in the transmedia proliferation of their products.” mentions Simpsons, Matrix, Lost as examples.
“as many transmedia tales have also been synergistic goldmines for their corporate parents, often the economics of the media industries have encouraged media corporations to vigorously pursue and solicit projects that can cross various media. Concerns regarding the hidden persuasions of product placement and the monopolistic tendencies of synergy continue to exist, but they are now being accompanied by some writers’ and consumers’ excitement at the prospect of yet more developed story worlds.”

Lance describes the order of events in the remixed version of Head Trauma. He talks about how he remixed Head Trauma, added ARG and many other live elements. He calls this “cinema ARG”. But I’m not sure if he mentions the term here.

Then he talks about how the language of storytelling is all new. Of course, certain fundamentals are going to stay the same – like the idea of conflict, for example. But the language of how everything is done is changing A LOT at the moment.