Introductory chapter: narrative transmedia as a new social and cultural phenomenon (original) (raw)

Introduction: Transmedia Narratives

Artnodes, 2016

Ever since Henry Jenkins published his oft-cited article on “Transmedia Storytelling” in Technology Review (2003), transmediality has become a crossroads and a meeting place for researchers from different disciplines (Media Studies, Narratology, Visual Arts, Marketing, Comparative Literature, Semiotics, Theatre and Performance Studies, Game Studies, Sociology, etc.) as well as authors and the public that are involved in the emerging forms of multiplatform and distributed story creation, production and participation that such transmediality involves. Likewise, intermediality, with the phenomenon of adaptations at its core, crossmedia franchises and new theories on storyworlds, also form part of the space for reflection, discussion and the intersection of digital arts, communication media and interactive technologies that are put forward in this volume of Artnodes. The articles that make up this edition convey the complexity and variety of perspectives and objects of study and the need to revise or rebuild the methods and theoretical and critical tools that are used to construct cultural practice in the digital paradigm.

Transmedia (¿storytelling?): una revisión crítica y polifónica

2016

espanolEste articulo plantea algunos de los problemas fundamentales que sustentan el debate y la investigacion recientes sobre las narrativas transmediales y/o el transmedia storytelling. Dichas cuestiones han sido planteadas, en tanto preguntas o retos para las disciplinas implicadas en este debate (estudios comparados de medios, narratologia transmedial, game studies, estudios culturales y literatura comparada): desde las claves de la posible novedad del transmedia storytelling o de las narrativas transmediales, pasando por el nuevo papel de las audiencias, la perdida de peso del factor narrativo en favor de la construccion de mundos (storyworlds) y personajes transmediales; la influencia de los videojuegos, el deficit de atencion y comprension al papel de las adaptaciones en el TS; el efecto «demediador» o de perdida de especificidad mediatica en la teoria del TS; la importancia de la creacion colaborativa y su estimulo para nuevos proyectos de investigacion (academico-empresaria...

Transmedia Narratives: A Critical Reading and Possible Advancements

Annales Universitatis Mariae-Curie-Skłodowska, Sectio K: Politology, 2017

The transmedia narratives are an emerging phenomenon premised on a number of technological, economic and social changes. The concept is employed for image-related identity building, provoking interest in both academic research and practice. The present article outlines a structured interdisciplinary approach as a basis for a critical review of transmedia narratives which is essential in our understanding of their nature and possibilities.

Transmedia (Storytelling?): A polyphonic critical review

Artnodes, 2016

This article looks at some of the fundamental problems that feed into recent debate and research on transmedia narratives and/or transmedia storytelling. These issues have been approached as questions or challenges for all the disciplines involved in the discussions (comparative media studies, transmedia narratology, game studies, cultural studies and comparative literature): from the key elements of the potential novelty of transmedia storytelling or transmedia narratives, through to the new role of audiences, the declining influence of the narrative factor as it is overtaken by the building of storyworlds and transmedia characters; the influence of videogames, attention and comprehension deficit to the role of adaptation in TS; the “demediating” effect or the loss of media specificity in TS theory; the importance of collaborative creation and how to stimulate it for new (academic/business) research projects and teaching, in order to respond to the new industry dynamics and sociocultural habits. In interviews, made and conducted by Domingo Sánchez-Mesa, these issues, among others, have been put to three prominent figures in academic research and the creative professions in the area of new media: Espen Aarseth, Robert Pratten and Carlos A. Scolari. The three-way dialogue, that also has connections with other articles in this edition, has generated a polyphonic discourse that aims to produce a critical x-ray of our object of study.

Transmedia Storytelling: new concept, new possibilities

Intermídias, transmídias e Estudos Culturais, 2021

In this second decade, the concept of individual manifestation through digital media is already incorporated in our daily lives and now continues to enable content production itself, made available through Youtube and independently of the domain wielded by the great media companies that control the great television, radio, and cinema broadcasts. In this context of innovation, in order to adapt to the new media configurations, elder media were revamped seeking to absorb new technologies and the interactivity proposed and provided by them (BOLTER & GRUSIN, 2000, p. 15), aiming to keep their users interested. In the same manner, to broaden their means of contact with the users and to confirm its status among other media and in its relationship with society, new digital media incorporated support from elder media in their projects. Thus, Transmedia Storytelling emerged. In this paper, I intend to discuss what is transmediality and to explain the transmedia process to which Warcraft subscribes.