gisela386

[gisela386]

[gisela386]

The End of the Beginning

Having almost come to the end of my transmedia project, I’ve learnt that there are successful transmedia projects, but seemingly no magic formula. It is impossible to predict just what kids are going to go for and stick with. Financially it is a gamble that some producers are just not willing to take. But if you can find an audience there is money to be made and a lot of fun to be had making it. 

Personally, I have achieved what I set out to do. I've created a transmedia project proposal to pitch together with my screenplay. I've included relevant and fun elements suitable for my young audience and I've learnt so much during the process.  

Hopefully, one day, I get to do this IRL.

#transmedia #transmedia project

[gisela386]

An ARG on the Side

I think an augmented reality game (ARG) will create a buzz around my transmedia project Maple Syrup on the Side.

The web series is set in Dalarna, central Sweden. I’m hoping an ARG could be of interest to the local community and attract some sponsors.

The program I want to use is Aurasma. This would allow players to scan physical objects with their smartphones. The website would tell them what to look for and what to do next. The objects would have some sort of regional connection such as the Dala horse, Falu sausage or Mora knife. That’s where the educational bit comes in – you will learn things without even knowing it.

The object of the exercise is to collect the seven letters that make up an anagram of Uppsala, the city where the story begins. The players who get the right answer will receive a free gift from one of the sponsors. This could be a day pass to a local water park, free entry to the copper mine or a restaurant voucher.

Although an ARG requires extra resources in terms of both time and money, I’m convinced it’s worth it: not only will it engage and entertain my audience, it will add another dimension to the story and this transmedia project as a whole. After all, isn’t that what transmedia’s all about? 

#transmedia #arg #Uppsala #Dalarna

[gisela386]

The Game

My transmedia target group, girls 9-12, wants a game that’s fun and challenging. I want to give them that – and some educational elements to add meaning. I’ve decided on an adventure/running game with a branching narrative where the characters have lost one another and the goal is to reunite them. This is symbolic to the web series where the characters are detached initially, but as the story develops love grows between them and they get close. The game location is the Swedish region Dalarna, graphic but real: Lake Siljan, the copper mine, the towns Falun, Rattvik and Mora, Sundborn village, the woods, two museums and one B&B.

There are three game characters: Penny (14): Clever and curious. The journalist wanna-be. Bianca (47): Fast but clumsy. The chef wanna-be. Roni (16): Creative but slow. The artist wanna-be. They have strengths and flaws matching their personalities in the web series. There are three means of transport: Shoes to walk in, a bicycle, a truck/hobby car. The game layout: Beginning: Choose a character and means of transport. Middle: Travel around the lake, search for the other two characters by collecting letters to make anagrams and figure out where they are. Overcome obstacles. Answer quiz questions and get bonus points. End: Reunite the trio and get maximum quiz score. There are ten levels per character with increased difficulty. Each layer takes about five minutes if you chose the cleverest route. The characters have their quickest way of moving forward. If you watch the web series, you know Roni has bad balance and choosing the bike for him is unwise.

There will be obstacles on the way such as locked doors, high gates, poisonous plants, cold water. But when you overcome them, for instance jump in a lake if it’s too hot, you get a letter and move onto a higher level and a different location. There are several routes to take, each character have their quickest one. For instance, Bianca stops to eat so avoid restaurants. You will learn this as you go along. The answers to the quiz can be found on the web site. The game stops after 20 minutes. If you quit before time is up, you’ll be able to pause or store your scores to next time. In terms of sound, the game will play music by local artists, classical mixed with modern. It will feature sound effects such as rain, bird song, traffic etc. There will be no voice-over. Text-wise, there will be short instructions, otherwise this game is learning by doing. Would you play it?

#transmedia #Dalarna #web series #game

[gisela386]

Content Planning

The purpose of my transmedia project is to build a loyal audience for the web drama series Maple Syrup on the Side. I have created a world, the characters and the story. I’m familiar with the platforms and have researched my target group. The project will run for a year and I want it to be both entertaining and educational. (Measureable goals will be included in the project plan). Each element will be designed to add layers to the story. A Web Site The web site will be the hub of my transmedia world and split into three sections: To Watch, To Play and To Read. This is where my audience will watch the series, which to begin with will consist of five six-minute episodes. To watch: The episodes, released one at a time, with trailers to entice viewers. Penny’s vlog so that the audience can get to know her better. There will also be special features such as behind-the-scenes material and bloopers. To play: There will be one game, a mystery adventure, which according to my target group survey should be “fun and challenging”. It will be a branching narrative in which the characters have lost one another and the goal is to reunite them. (The game will be described in my next blog). To read: Roni’s diary and facts on Dalarna’s geography and culture. The latter will come in handy when you play the game. The audience will also be able to comment on Penny’s vlog, review the shows and share their favourite pancake recipes. (These interactive functions will be supervised.) An App The app should be free and work on any smartphone. Ideally it would be developed by either GoodBarber or TheAppBuilder. The app should have touch screen and keyboard functionality, and enable both watching and playing. There will also be special features such as mobisodes and an ARG. An ARG To create a buzz among my chosen target group, an ARG will be launched ahead of Maple Syrup on the Side’s premiere. (This will be described in more detail in a separate blog.)

A transmedia project demands flexibility. I realise that I have to leave some doors open story-wise – and be prepared to kill some darlings.

#transmedia #Web series #vlog #arg #transmedia project

[gisela386]

My Transmedia World – Maple Syrup on the Side

My transmedia world is Swedish. Think fast, colourful and summery. Not cold, grey and that someone gets killed. It’s the beginning of summer and the sun never sets. Maple Syrup on the Side takes place in the region Dalarna by lake Siljan, surrounded by gravel roads, birch trees and burned-red houses. A place where painters paint and poets write. The Characters Penny (14): An honest, clever, but lonely girl who dreams of becoming a news reporter and takes every chance she gets to film herself. She misses her sister who’s moved away from home and her dad who lives in the States. She thinks she wants to be left alone, but what she really wants is to be noticed and liked. Bianca (47): A gregarious ex-teacher who wants nothing more than to become a chef. She is caring and empathetic, but rushes through life. She thinks she wants adventure, but what she really wants is to settle down and be content. Roni (16): Born in Sweden to Kurdish parents, he lives with his strict dad and three little brothers. He keeps to himself but has a fierce temper when pushed. He loves art, struggles with school and the fact his dad wants him to become a doctor. He thinks he should be the dutiful son, but what he really wants is to break free. The Story: Fed up with her corny mum, all Penny wants is to be left alone with her smartphone. When Bianca announces that they will be touring the Swedish countryside during the summer – she’s got a job selling pancake mix in supermarkets – Penny thinks things can’t get any worse. But then she finds out Roni from next door is coming along.

Penny acts up. She dyes her hair, gets drunk and runs away. But gradually she begins to enjoy herself – and Roni’s company. When Bianca comes down with a mystery virus, Penny covers for her at work and does surprisingly well. Bianca’s doesn’t get better though and ends up in hospital with liver failure. She needs a transplant fast and Penny offers her liver. Bianca turns her down, telling Penny that she’s not her mum; her biological mother, Bianca’s sister, died in a car crash.

Penny tries to drown herself in a lake, but Roni stops her and they make love. Bianca gets her transplant and slowly recovers. Eventually Penny finds it in her heart to forgive her and they go home. The End (but not the end of the transmedia world...)

#transmedia #dalarna #siljan

[gisela386]

Young and Restless

To create a suitable transmedia world with the right platforms for my target group – 9- to 12-year-old girls – I put together a questionnaire and sent it out to 30 girls. A quick glance at their answers tells me they are a disloyal bunch. They certainly don’t hang around for long. Will the effort and money put into a transmedia project pay off? My questions were: 1. What’s your favourite (digital) game? 2. Why? 3. What’s your favourite TV show? 4. Does it have a web site? (If your answer is no go to question 8) 5. Do you go on it? 6. What do you do there? 7. What’s the best thing about it? 8. Would you be interested if there was one? 9. What would you like to do there? The respondents: Twenty-four girls aged 8 to 16 (mostly 11-year-olds) from England, Scotland and Sweden. The results: Almost 30% play Flappy Bird (you steer a bird through obstacles). Other favourites are Minecraft (you build with blocks) and Subway Surfers (a running game). They play because it’s “fun, addictive and hard”. Their favourite TV show is Modern Family followed by Pretty Little Liars. All of them know if the programme has a web site or not. Of those TV shows on the web, most of the girls visit them to watch episodes or trailers. Some of the girls play games there as well. Of those TV shows without a web site, only one girl said she wouldn’t be interested in one. More than half said that if there was a web site, they would use it to watch rather than play.  The survey shows that girls in this age group are tuned in; they know what’s out there and they watch programmes targeted at an older audience. It’s likely that they would use a web site related to their favourite TV show and would want to watch episodes, but also play games. The games should be fun and challenging. I’m ready to move on to content.

#transmedia #flappy bird #minecraft #subway surfers #modern family #pretty little liars #web site

[gisela386]

To Target the Target

For my project to at least have a chance of being successful, I need to know my target group. Who are they? What are their likes and dislikes? What makes them laugh? The software industry divides children into four target groups (based on Swiss psychologist Piaget’s categorisation). My target audience is girls between the ages of nine and twelve. In theory they fit into the third group called “Children 8-12, late elementary or tweens”. Digital Storytelling – A Creator’s Guide by Carolyn Handler Miller tells me tweens like to use their reasoning skills and prefer games that focus on order and rules. Girls in particular like collaborative play, activities to do with people and organising and arranging (a curse for life I’m afraid). When working with content for children, you have to consider parents. I’ve decided not to have a chat forum or log-in function. I want the so-called “fourth wall” to be applied here between reality and fiction. As you know I’ve been checking out worlds aimed at children. This week I found Mia: Just In Time and Club Penguin, both of which are aimed at younger children. Generally speaking, sites for tween girls are to do with looks and shopping. I want to get away from this without being too much of a parent since it should be fun. The closest I get to this is Her Interactive, a Nancy Drew world where children solve mysteries, join a community and shop. Not too keen on the last bit. However, I have to remember that the purpose of my transmedia project is to entertain and challenge, not to lecture and bore. My next move will be to actually talk to some tween girls. Hopefully, after that, I will be able to pin down some content. After all, I shouldn’t rely on a book from 2008 for information on an industry that changes by the minute.

#transmedia #tweens #her interactive #storytelling

[gisela386]

Transmedia discoveries

To familiarise myself with transmedia, I’ve checked out what’s out there. The first world being M.I. High, a so-called spy-fi series for BBC aimed at children. It’s divided into the categories: Watch (sneak peak and old episodes) Join, Things to do and Games. You can even print your own secret agent card. I like the look and feel, and that it’s user-friendly. (How I would have loved reading Dylan’s or Kelly’s blog when I was hooked on Beverly Hills 90210. There is a community now, but sadly for me 20 years too late…  ) Back to CBBC. It turns out my daughter (11) played games on M.I. High after hearing about it on TV. CBBC uses the same structure for several shows, including The Dumping Ground and Dixi. Next I went on to Cathy’s book,  which is aimed at young adults, so not quite my target group. The design is funky – for lack of a better word – but the functionality is so-so and requires a lot of clicking before you understand how it works. It’s built on several web pages which is confusing. It offers YouTube films, forums, an app, books, audio books, music, even a phone number which I guess is part of the story. It’s a complete fictional world for devoted fans, but being a first-time viewer it’s clear that you have to read the books to understand the content. Simogo is a clean web site with a blog by the creators and a few games. They seem separate from each other so not really a story world in that sense. A transmedia world I’ve heard a lot about is Sherlock where fans get quite a good deal: a Watson blog, extra clips, a gallery, previews and live chats with the creators.   I’m starting to get an idea of the content I will offer my viewers. More to come next week…

#transmedia #community #cbbc #web #web series #games

[gisela386]

Change of heart

A brisk walk in the freezing cold gave me a new idea for a project. Instead of an app, I’ll create a transmedia project to go with my web series for teens. I’m doing this for several reasons: to understand the concept of transmedia; to make my script (perhaps) more desirable (I say “perhaps” since I’ve heard that producers/investors shy away from transmedia projects due to cost); to explore interactivity and different platforms in more detail; to think more clearly about my target group, which will come in handy for a potential pitch. Also, I think it will engage me more – both while writing the script and creating everything around it. So, back to the drawing board. I’m still working on the script so I don’t want to give away too much at the moment. But I’m thinking 1. A web site with a community/comment function for fans. 2. A blog written by my main character. 3. An app based on the actual road trip from the script. 4. YouTube for extra material. Either behind the scenes or added narrative, as well as trailers for coming episodes. My target group is 9-12 years old.

#transmedia #tv #blog #youtube #app

[gisela386]

Project idea

All countries compete for the attention of tourists, students and talent to boost the economy and strengthen their world standing. Maintaining a good image is crucial, preferably an updated one that appeals to forward-thinking creative and visionary people. But updating a country’s image takes decades. What better way than to target children and create interest early? This is the foundation for my project. My idea is an app for children 9-12 who like to travel, are curious and interested in other cultures. In terms of content it should cover the essentials: people, geography, facts, sights, culture.

I’m thinking three steps each with different interactive elements. The first step is before you go. This is when you read, watch, listen and get a feel for the place, and plan your trip. The second step is the stay itself. This is when you can film your experiences and play games, for instance treasure hunting and eating (perhaps sponsored by local businesses). The third step is when you get home. That’s when you share, review, and make recommendations.

Basically it’s an updated version of 1. Reading a guide book and planning your trip. 2. Taking pictures with your camera and sending postcards. 3. Compiling a photo album.

An additional feature could be a voice-activated language course.

To do: Research what’s out there and what kids like.

To play: Candy crush.

To never play again: Beauty Salon.

#children #travel #app

[gisela386]

My first post in my first blog – I’m lost. Hopefully to be found by the end of this trimester.

So far, I haven’t shied away from social media and technical devices but I find them very easy to ignore. (My best two weeks was when I turned everything off, including my mobile. Both liberating and relaxing.) I did however, reluctantly open a Facebook account a few years ago through peer pressure and today, admittedly, I read it frequently. Read read. I rarely post or share since I don’t think I have much to say to a greater community. Facebook is best when it’s one to one. About sharing, a friend of mine shared this and I want to share it with you: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/elements/2014/01/the-six-things-that-make-stories-go-viral-will-amaze-and-maybe-infuriate-you.html

A couple of years ago I was given the task of tweeting for my company. I did, struggling with the word limit every time. I only tweeted for marketing purposes though, never to interact. Needless to say, I failed and our twitter account ended up on someone else’s desk after a while. I never got hooked. But, I’m proud to be part of the team that made Sweden first in the world to release its official Twitter account to the public. https://twitter.com/sweden

Working with films, mostly corporate, producing and writing I’m familiar with YouTube and Vimeo. I even have a Vimeo account, which is way too neglected. My aim is to set up a web page or Facebook page with all my work and links for business purposes, but that day is yet to come.

I do have a smart phone – an iPhone – which was, as a former ex-Microsoft employee, hard to buy. I love it though and use it for email, Facebook, WhatsApp and playing Wordfeud with my dad. I had an iPad through work which I loved, but looking back, I probably used it a bit too much and actually do stuff now.

When it comes to games, I played Pac-Man back in the day and found it addictive. These days, apart from WordFeud, I never play games since it’s something my daughters do. And just like they don’t want to copy us parents, I don’t want to copy them. Besides, when would I have time?

I still read books, the newspaper, watch TV, write letters. I prefer to be present IRL and that will never change. I think...

Lift Off