Henry Jenkins in his book Convergence Culture said, “transmedia represents the integration of entertainment experiences across a range of different media platforms,” and “immerses an audience in a story’s universe through a number of dispersed entry points, providing a comprehensive and coordinated experience of a complex story.”
With these quotes I gained a better understanding of what transmedia is and what it does for games and gaming culture. Transmedia is using numerous amount of methods of media to transmit a story about one event, character, emotion, ect... It engages the consumers in more than one wa to give an overall experience. With transmedia you can turn one comic book hero into a national hero and make it heard all over the world.
After having a lecture with Marie-Claire I gained a better understanding of what transmedia is and how it is used in the world we already know. By spreading media around it can broaden peoples perspective on one initial narrative, you enjoy the comic so you buy the game, you enjoy the game so you watch the movie, you enjoy the movie so you buy the dvd, you enjoy the dvd so you buy the graphic novel, you enjoy the novel so you buy the new game, you enjoy the game so you watch the tv series and in turn buy that and the cycle continues. There is no real end to transmedia for example work has just been established on Top Gun 2, a sequel to Top Gun which was released in 1986, a whole 24 years later...
Advertising within a game to also show what is to come, such as Crackdown having bulletin boards which advertise not only other games but companies such as McDonald's and Coca Cola. Something that many of us will see but not presume any real intent other than humour or that certain company has paid to be placed into the game and yet it does have some influence in that sense, we have remembered it even though it is nothing to do with the game, it has been implemented into our minds and therefore as an advertisement... has worked!
A great example of transmedia storytelling is Superman, this story first started in a Comic Book in June 1938 but has grown into more Comic Books, Graphic Novels, Tv Shows, Movies and other forms of media such as t-shirts, mugs and watches. A new form of a Tv Show is still airing in 2010 called Smallville and a game released in June 2009 called Superman Returns: The Videogame.
Transmedia has been used in many other forms as well such as propaganda, books, parodies and in the news. Other examples are...
- Lord Of The Rings
- Matrix
- Batman
- Star Wars
- Resident Evil
- Hulk
- Formula 1
- World Rally
- Tennis
- Olympics
...and the list can go on.
Chris Goodswen
Chris Goodswen Lecture 8th October 2010
Chris Goodswen - 3D character artist
Twitter: tincow
Website: www.tincow.net
YouTube: cgoodswen
We had a lecture with Chris Goodswen who had attended NUCA studying games art and design and then went on to study a masters degree at the University of Dundee in Games. During this lecture he spoke of his professional and university experiences throughout the last years.
He gave advice to students about how to gain enough experience to get a job and also what to do to improve ourselves and make us ready for a professional work style
Among his advice there was one bit that stood out to me, I have always been curious and interested in environmental art, it has always been my stronger point in drawing and to improve on this he advised that I should go out and draw landscapes, buildings, bridges, woods and other kinds of environments. This would benefit me in the future and would also improve my current techniques.
He spoke of how he did not enjoy 3D and would avoid it at any point but part of his passion was character design, during the first term of his second year at NUCA he decided to throw himself into 3D character design. I thought this to be a brave and bold move and encouraging, something he had never done before and always been scared to pursue but then jumped in and improved his technique to help him in the future professionally.
He also spoke of how the games industry is changing and how to take a place in this changing industry. He recommended finding three other people and just creating a small game. The more popular games are the indie games, the arcade games and the iPhone, iPod, iPad device games (app games). This encouraged me to think about perhaps designing small simple but fun games to be on these devices, not the most profitable but you have more freedom for design and can answer to only yourself or a small team.
Overall I found Chris both encouraging but a bit pessimistic, he seemed to tell us how difficult it is to get a job in the larger companies and even smaller studio based companies, although I agree it is extremely difficult he seemed to sash that its almost impossible which I would imagine put doubt into many peoples minds. This however encouraged me more to work harder so that I stand out from the crows.
Chris Goodswen - 3D character artist
Twitter: tincow
Website: www.tincow.net
YouTube: cgoodswen
We had a lecture with Chris Goodswen who had attended NUCA studying games art and design and then went on to study a masters degree at the University of Dundee in Games. During this lecture he spoke of his professional and university experiences throughout the last years.
He gave advice to students about how to gain enough experience to get a job and also what to do to improve ourselves and make us ready for a professional work style
Among his advice there was one bit that stood out to me, I have always been curious and interested in environmental art, it has always been my stronger point in drawing and to improve on this he advised that I should go out and draw landscapes, buildings, bridges, woods and other kinds of environments. This would benefit me in the future and would also improve my current techniques.
He spoke of how he did not enjoy 3D and would avoid it at any point but part of his passion was character design, during the first term of his second year at NUCA he decided to throw himself into 3D character design. I thought this to be a brave and bold move and encouraging, something he had never done before and always been scared to pursue but then jumped in and improved his technique to help him in the future professionally.
He also spoke of how the games industry is changing and how to take a place in this changing industry. He recommended finding three other people and just creating a small game. The more popular games are the indie games, the arcade games and the iPhone, iPod, iPad device games (app games). This encouraged me to think about perhaps designing small simple but fun games to be on these devices, not the most profitable but you have more freedom for design and can answer to only yourself or a small team.
Overall I found Chris both encouraging but a bit pessimistic, he seemed to tell us how difficult it is to get a job in the larger companies and even smaller studio based companies, although I agree it is extremely difficult he seemed to sash that its almost impossible which I would imagine put doubt into many peoples minds. This however encouraged me more to work harder so that I stand out from the crows.
Confession of an Aca-Fan, Henry Jenkins
Link: http://.henryjenkins.org/2009/12/
I found this blog extremely helpful and informative, his opinions are some that I agree with and if asked the same question would arise with a similar answer. Media in the 21st century can not only benefit the education system in the future.. but now! It seems as though many schools are afraid of the internet and what it holds, mainly due to the material that can be accessed but as Henry Jenkins points out it is not something that should punish the many for the mistakes of the few, if they are taught how to use the internet in a beneficial way it would help them in the future, to know how to have access to the biggest and most important discovery of the 21st century and be able to utilise that into a system of education is not just an option... it as an absolution.
"In another ten years or so, the people signing on to become teachers will have grown up with digital technology and may feel more comfortable using it"
We are growing up in a fast paced technologic environment, children are growing up with technology that myself, at 21, did not grow up with but not just growing up with it but learning how it works, how to use it, why we need to use it. These are the future scholars, teachers, astronauts however you want to put it so to deny them the chance to learn more is simply unjustifiable.
Welcome to the 21st century... where technology has taken over without anyone knowing how to utilise it! This is not a statement that will be true, that I am sure of but at the same time it feels as though we are holding back with education when we should be pushing forward, what you may learn now will be useless in 6-10 years time. So to stay in control of this we must learn to use technology, such as the internet, for our benefit.
