Prometheus

This article has been updated in August 2019.

Definition: Transmedia is a multiplatform storytelling technique which enhances audience‘s interaction as well as participation by presenting different parts of the plot through several types of media. It developed the new participatory culture because any audience could entry certain points of the plot and fans’ interaction became visible (Jenkins, 2008). Moreover, information started to be not only consumed but also engaged with facing fans’ evolvement from ‘viewers’ to ‘viewsers’ (Sasaki, 2012). However, Carlton (2012) states that transmedia campaigns are being pushy and intrusive especially because of the urged consumers’ participation.

The franchise in question – “Prometheus” – greatly accompanies the definition of transmedia storytelling because it heavily involved the audience and developed the story through several platforms such as short videos, film, online game, commercial advertisements, websites and social media.

‘Prometheus’ campaign started by a viral video called ‘TED talk 2023’ where the owner of Weyland’s corporation presents the concept of androids at the TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) conference. Here is a full video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMp8DN8UwiQ. ‘TED talk 2023’ also leads to www.weylandindustries.com website that offers an opportunity to become one of the company’s investors. This led to a following move that involved more of a hands-on approach. The staff of Weyland Industries attended an actual comic book, science fiction, and motion picture convention WonderCon where they  interacted with the visitors and handed out their business cards. Soon after dialing a phone number, listed on a card, fans received texts with a second viral video revealing more information on the newest company’s android called David 8. To make things more real this video was also aired on TV for Verizon FiOS customers and uploaded online on www.mashable.com as this platform usually lists all the latest news on digital innovations.

When fans eventually unlocked all the information on David 8 and additional digital products of Weyland Industries, the company finally launched its mission called ‘Prometheus’. The mission actively urged audiences to get involved and even offered false vacancies for which applicants could be assessed by successfully completing an online game. Some information on this job opportunity was announced on www.linkedIn.com, making it seem even more realistic.

Soon after that, the company announced the third viral video. It presents Dr. Shaw’s ‘Project Genesis’ and asks for help with its research. Fans eagerly got involved and looked for certain artefacts that would unlock hints and potentially lead to discovery of the Engineer’s planet. A person who figures out clues is then publicly listed on the website. Once the film appeared on cinema screens it explained way more about this story, however, it seems not enough. The website www.whatis101112.com raises additional questions about the ‘Prometheus’ project and so it suggests that this story is not approaching its end just yet.

This transmedia project provided an intense interaction with the audience that searched for the clues, joined the Weyland Industries company, its ‘Project Genesis’, and ‘Prometheus’ not to mention using platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, text messaging, reading ‘Mashable’, and watching David 8 commercials on TV. None of the storytelling actions were particularly complex or challenging to the audiences although product ads or LinkedIn vacancy ads strongly blurs the line between the reality and imagination. The futuristic design of the website, film, game, videos, and pictures greatly relates to ‘Prometheus’ content. Modern and digitised style of transparent business cards, cold and calm colour palette, Sans-Serif fonts, HTML 5, and even military clothing is expected to be used for such a story of inventions and transformations of this day and age. Therefore, ‘Prometheus’ created a well-developed story that looked convincingly “real” for the audience.

Campaign’s innovative use of transmedia storytelling and audience’s engagement could be the reason why ‘Prometheus’ was recognised as UK Online Campaign of the Year. Moreover, such transmedia storytelling approach and creative use of digital tools resulted in especially wide target audience. It consisted of not only the niche group of science fiction fans but also any 15-45 year old males and females (Substance, 2012).

Prometheus transmedia campaign:
http://vimeo.com/52252122

Prometheus official film trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sftuxbvGwiU

References:

Carlton M (2012) ‘Insight: Media Storytelling – Transmedia tales build consumer relations’. Campaign Asia-Pacific. May p. 24 [Online] Available from: http://encore.city.ac.uk:50080/ebsco-web/ehost/detail?sid=ab090a52-4d99-4461-8929-785965cd02e0%40sessionmgr112&vid=1&hid=108&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=bth&AN=76163495 [Accessed: 29 November 2012]

Jenkins, H (2008) Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York University Press: New York

Sasaki, D M (2012) Transmedia Storytelling and ‘Lost’ Path to Success. University of Jyväskylä: Jyväskylä

Substance (2012) ‘Prometheus – UK Theatrical Campaign’. Substance.com. [Online] Available from: http://www.substance001.com/prometheus-uk-theatrical-campaign [Accessed: 20 November 2012]

Lost

This so called ‘TV genius’ (Poniewozik, 2006) highly interacted with the audience and developed a plot through several platforms such as TV series, 5 Alternative Reality Games (ARGs), mobisodes/websodes and pseudo-documentary, including additional marketing which greatly accompanied the experience of transmedia (Sasaki, 2012).

‘Lost’ started as TV series which explored a tropical South Pacific’s island where the Oceanic Air plane crashed. Its survivors reveal some mysteries such as a French woman living there for two decades, 19th century’s sailing ship and ‘The Others’ although the plot gets complicated progressively.

The audience was also introduced with the first ARG called ‘The Lost Experience’. It used TV adverts, websites, call-centres, chocolate bar ‘Apollo’, blogs, video and flash mobs to reveal the Hanso Foundation’s sinister activities and a new character Rachel Blake who hacked company’s website (http://img374.imageshack.us/img374/3924/oldhanso6mf.jpg) and stated facts about the founder and executives. Further hints led to www.RachelBlake.com  were fans found videos about Hanso Foundation’s investigations: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_nMiMB2Gao. Additional online and offline clues caused larger engagement with the story and its secrets but the following four ARGs revealed more intriguing plot. ‘Find 815’ used websites, videos (first video diary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb3B7SBmp0), MySpace and Facebook to introduce an employee of Oceanic Atlantics Sam Thomas who eventually found Oceanic 815 plane’s wreckage. ‘Dharma Initiative Recruiting Project’ used not only websites, advertisements or e-mails but also the ‘real’ experience at Comic-Con where anyone could visit their booth, apply for a voluntary position and see fictional characters Hans van Egheen and Dan Bronson talking during the panel (video available at: www.hoodlum.com.au). ‘Lost University’ www.lostuniversity.org offered virtual lectures on philosophy, mythology, physics, zoology etc. of ‘Lost’ but the exclusive lessons were available only for Blu-Ray of Season 5 buyers http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/underwire/2009/12/lost-5-dharma-1200.jpg. ‘Damon, Carlton and a Polar Bear’ aimed to introduce the producers and sell merchandising in different places of the world revealing some websites and clues www.damoncarltonandapolarbear.com.

13 short mobisodes/websodes called ‘Lost: Missing Pieces’ extended the content of TV series. They gave full information about characters and expressed different views on scenes (available at lostmobisodes.blogspot.co.uk).

The pseudo-documentary ‘Mysteries of the Universe’ creates a feeling that the Dharma Initiative is a real organisation and explores its secret activities associated with missing people, Ludovico’s Technique or aerial Dharma food which enhances the plot.

Whole transmedia content engaged with different audiences, for instance, some of the attempts were only dedicated to cult fans (some ARGs, mobisodes) while others brought new viewers (some ARGs, documentary) (Sasaki, 2012). However, passive consumers who only watched TV series were able to easily follow the plot too. ‘Lost’ incredibly challenged the audience with ARGs and documentary because they not only confusingly blurred the reality and fiction but also encouraged the worldwide fans’ collaboration ‘offline’ in order to solve mysteries.

The design of ‘Lost’ fully reflects the mysterious content, for instance, stressful music in mobisodes combined with pictures of the vast scratched TV series’ title on a smoky and cold island warn about the awaiting secrets and fear. Therefore, this design’s choice correctly informed fans about the experience they would get.

TV series Lost trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72kQIIDBIUU

References:

Sasaki, D M (2012) Transmedia Storytelling and ‘Lost’ Path to Success. University of Jyväskylä: Jyväskylä

Poniewozik J (2006) ‘Why the Future of Television is Lost’. Time.com. 24th of September. [Online] Available from: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1538635,00.html [Accessed: 16 November 2012]

Transmedia Storytelling

Definition: Transmedia is a multiplatform storytelling technique which enhances audience‘s interaction as well as participation by presenting different parts of the plot through several types of media. It developed the new participatory culture because any audience could entry certain points of the plot and fans’ interaction became visible (Jenkins, 2008). Moreover, information started to be not only consumed but also engaged with facing fans’ evolvement from ‘viewers’ to ‘viewsers’ (Sasaki, 2012). However, Carlton (2012) states that transmedia campaigns are being pushy and intrusive especially because of the urged consumers’ participation.

The Inside

It was a well organised marketing campaign for Toshiba and Intel which presented a social horror film experience made of 8 episodes. ‘The Inside’ can be defined as transmedia because the audience enormously contributed to the story which also developed through several platforms such as social media, website, film episodes and video logs.

‘The Inside’ started with an official trailer and online-only casting call for a film’s role which presented the plot and idea of audiences’ participation in shaping it. Following film episodes revealed that the main character called Christina is trapped in an unknown room with the undetected Internet connection on her Toshiba P775 laptop which was powered by the Intel chip www.brandchannel.com/home/image.axd?picture=2011%2f7%2fintel_inside_day1_still.jpg. The only way to escape and find out the current location is by using social media such as Facebook www.facebook.com/pages/Christina-Perasso/214021851970980, Twitter https://twitter.com/ChristinaP887, and YouTube which videos are no longer available. Www.theInsideExperience.com website (does not exist anymore) and Christina’s video logs between the film episodes were constantly making hints about the room and current happenings while social media tools offered a real opportunity to participate in developing the plot by letting Christina know what could be her next steps. With a help from fans and followers Christina eventually escapes the room and the whole story ends happily.

This marketing campaign was a very unusual transmedia example because its plot almost completely relied on the audience’s response and participation. Therefore, creators had to be fully aware of a certain demand for new types of advertisement. It was stated that ‘The Inside’ social horror film experience targeted these young consumers who were no longer affected by the usual form of advertising campaigns and looked forward to ‘video snacking’ as well as challenging participation (Shayon, 2011). The thrill of this campaign was probably associated with the fact that social media was the only way to keep in touch with a missing person. Moreover, the main audience’s challenge was to find out how to escape the actual room which was only seen from the posted pictures.

‘The Inside’ design was appropriate to the story because its logo used cold iron colours which represented intense action and dark mood as well as strong font with cut letters creating an impression that they were shown from ‘inside’ of an object. Moreover, the low quality of room’s pictures proved her current situation and the informal appearance of social media profiles convinced that Christina was an average woman who got into trouble.

Official movie trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAxBYrIY_no

References:

Carlton M (2012) ‘Insight: Media Storytelling – Transmedia tales build consumer relations’. Campaign Asia-Pacific. May p. 24 [Online] Available from: http://encore.city.ac.uk:50080/ebsco-web/ehost/detail?sid=ab090a52-4d99-4461-8929-785965cd02e0%40sessionmgr112&vid=1&hid=108&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=bth&AN=76163495 [Accessed: 29 November 2012]

Jenkins, H (2008) Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York University Press: New York

Sasaki, D M (2012) Transmedia Storytelling and ‘Lost’ Path to Success. University of Jyväskylä: Jyväskylä

Shayon S (2011) ‘Intel and Toshiba Lauch The Inside Experience’. Brandchannel.com. 25th of July. [Online] Available from: http://www.brandchannel.com/home/post/2011/07/25/Intel-Toshiba-Inside-Experience.aspx [Accessed: 15 November 2012]