Transmedia Storytelling

The purpose of this blog is to test the artifacts I will be submitting for an MA in Motion Graphics. The pieces on display here are not yet fully finished. Transmedia Storytelling is the concept I have chosen to frame my Motion Graphics work. Henry Jenkins, Provost Professor of Communication, Journalism, and Cinematic Arts at University of Southern California describes Transmedia Storytelling "as storytelling across multiple forms of media with each element making distinctive contributions to a viewer/user/player's understanding of the story world. By using different media formats, it attempts to create "entrypoints" through which consumers can become immersed in a story world."

Influenced by films that have been successful from using this approach such as The Matrix, Cloverfield and more recently District 9 as well as computer games such as Halo and Gears of War and comic books/graphic novels including Chew, Y: The Last Man and the Watchmen to name a few. I set about creating my own narrative that involved a pharmaceutical company, Byzantium Solutions. This company is about to release its new wonderdrug, Levity on an unsuspecting public. The drug claims to provide relief for a number of symptoms or ailments. On the otherhand a group of activists known as The Ottomen, using guerrilla tactics have acquired information about this new company and their product and wish to enlighten the public as to the long term intentions of the company and effects of the drug.

What I am looking for with this blog is for the viewer to offer any constructive criticisms, advice, imput or commentary they would have that would help in the development of this project whether it be from a planning or presentation point of view or concerning footage, audio or animation.

Thank You.

Byzantium Solutions

Byzantium Solutions Logo treatment.






















Mock up of possible website that could house levity advert and an infomercial. Not illustrated here but finished site would include links to social networks.














Example of twitter page. Myspace, Facebook and Youtube would be of similar design.



Advertisement for Levity.

The Ottomen

An example of the output from the Ottomen. It was originally intended to subvert the Levity advert but due to time constrictions I chose the Ipod campaign to illustrate the idea.



Mock up of an example of the Byzantium logo treatment defaced by the Ottomen.



Videos such as this will plot the narrative and act as leaks on the ottomen blogspot.

Film Studio

Closer to the release of the movie. The imagined film studio behind all the content will bring out a selection of short pieces such as this that act to recap on parts of the story that have been plotted out over time in the blogs and websites of Byzantium and the Ottomen. I had hoped that these short pieces would be something like the Animatrix series that would reflect upon other elements of this world whilst still being connected. I am currently working on a voiceover for this piece.