Transmedia: Storytelling for the Digital Age

Henry Jenkins:  "As my student Geoff Long likes to say, transmedia is an adjective, not a noun, and as such, it needs something to modify. Much of the conversation here has centered around transmedia entertainment, transmedia storytelling, or perhaps transmedia branding and transmedia learning. But, when the word transmedia modifies activism or mobilization, there is no more important voice in the world today than Lina Srivastava. In her hands, transmedia becomes a verb — something we do to make a difference in the world."

DRC: Part Two of this interview can be found here.

Henry Jenkins: "Today, I want to highlight yet another effort to encourage civic and political reflections around the superhero genre. In this case, I am focusing on a study and reflection guide recently released by the Fandom Forward Project of the Harry Potter Alliance, to encourage conversations about the representation of gender, disability, and political/civic engagement within the extended Marvel universe."

Elaine Sheldon & Sarah Ginsburg:  "Whether you are plugged into the impact metric conversation, or feel alienated by it, this episode of the She Does Podcast is for you. Lina [Srivastava] breaks down how to catalyze and amplify social impact through creative media, and she warns of pitfalls she sees in the industry, breaking down unrealistic expectations and pressure put on filmmakers to make change."

Jaya Mahajan:  "Priya’s Shakti is  a social impact multi media project that has an augmented reality (AR) comic book, street art and social media pages . It is a project that aims to create an alternative attitude towards violence against women."

Alice Quinlan:  'This week, the POV Engagement team caught up with the strategist behind the Who Is Dayani Cristal? campaign. Lina Srivastava gives us an inside look on her team's goals for campaign and tips for other impact producers on "passing the baton".'

Keith Stuart:  "Games industry professionals can make gaming communities more tolerant by actively promoting and exhibiting inclusive values, according to new research. "

Leila Nachawati:  "As media coverage of Syria is increasingly monopolized by geopolitical and military approaches, a small town in northwestern Syria continues to provide a collective account of the country that is both accessible and nuanced."

[Part 2/2 can be found here.]

Rae Ann Fera:  "With the follow-up to its highly successful “Back to the Start” film, the fast-food company continues to educate and drive forward positive change in food production, says Chipotle’s Chris Arnold."

This is proving to be an excellent series of articles.  I can thoroughly recommend them to anyone interested in game design.  You'll find part 1 here.

Transmedia for good ....

How to convert an audience from observer to advocate for your cause.

Henry Jenkins:  "What do you see as the biggest challenges confronting transmedia producers today as they seek to adopt these practices towards promoting social justice?"

DRC: Part One of this interview can be found here and Part Two here.

Robert Pratten:  "Transmedia for Change (T4C) is an umbrella term that encompasses transmedia activism (change in society or community) and personal growth (change in lifestyle, personal development). Underlying T4C is the belief that stories matter, that those stories need to be told to the right people at the right time and most importantly that projects should offer a pathway to success."

Chelsea Stark:  "The 'Games for Change Awards' seeks to honor games that inspire change from many different backgrounds and styles."

Dipal Parmar:  "A unique aspect of the comic book is that it has been brought to life through the use of augmented reality app Blippar to create animation, videos and other interactive elements."

Cory Doctorow:  "In this impassioned, eye-opening study Costanza-Chock tracks the world-shaking power of transmedia organizing. - Junot Diaz"

Lina Srivastava:  "Who is Dayani Cristal?, is an intimate examination of the journey of one migrant who perished in the Arizona desert, far from his native Honduras, with no real identification but a name tattooed over his heart" ...

Transmedia Producer, Lina Srivastava, shares the social impact tools that accompany Who Is Dayani Cristal?

Sam Gutelle:  "Pemberley Digital has established itself as a leader in transmedia YouTube entertainment. [...] With its latest transmedia tie-tin, Pemberley is leveraging its uniquely dedicated fanbase for a good cause."

This article contains some great insights for anyone involved in building a fan community.  The other two articles in the series are also well worth a read: Part 1 Executive Production and Part 2 Initial Concepting and Design.

Update:  Part 4 from Frima Studio, developer of Half the Sky Movement: The Game, is now available here.

A fascinating article.  If you'd like to know more about the game itself, check out Half The Sky Movement Is A Facebook Game For (Spare) Change over at Fast Company or play it on facebook.

This sounds like a great project: plublic art meet transmedia storytelling.  Note: For those of us outside of Toronto, we can engage with the project at http://murderinpassing.com.