Your idea is fascinating. How might this transmedia "issues first" approach work in a real-life client engagement? Could you provide an example to illustrate this? I have submitted a non-profit entry for a collaborative media campaign entitled "International Mentorship Month" using compelling storytelling to raise global awareness of the life-transforming importance of Mentorship, and would like to explore further how your concept could enrich the user experience in the context of that campaign.
Hi Cathy, Sure and thanks for writing. We are in the middle of launching this framework and have started applying it to projects in the last few months. One of our first clients is a filmmaker whose project is not yet launched, so can't provide identifying details-- but the film is still pre-storyboard so we're seeing the impact of shaping the platform from an early stage. The first thing we've done with her is to identify the issues and social themes she wants to explore and which are emerging, followed by targeted audience segmentation, distribution strategy and funding support for action steps based on those issues. We will further work with her to create a blueprint of what the engagement platform looks like-- and the deliverable in her case is a strategic plan.
A nonprofit example is Global Grassroots (http://globalgrassroots.org), which took our framework and used it to construct the information design of their website when they relaunched it. This isn't technically a client example-- I am on the Board, but the org's leadership did the work independently. (Part of the framework analysis is creative commons licensed, available at http://transmedia-activism.com, and available to anyone to use in their campaign construction.)
Another project you should look at is http://resistnetwork.com, a great example of proactive transmedia activism. (Again, this is not technically a client example. I am personally a partner in the effort, but it is not a project connected to the Transmedia Activism Design Group.) The leadership here has delved into the issues of systemic poverty, divisions and walls, forced migration and constructed a participatory engagement and action platform before the film is even completed.
Yes, those sites were most helpful. I like the idea that you have developed a framework that helps define and develop the media strategy. There will always be a valued place for the editorial component in professional journalism, and I hope this can coexist and combine with the voices of the people to empower more to feel enough of a vested interest to act for social change.
The rise and success of social media show unequivocally that people do want their own voices heard. I think a well thought out and researched plan or framework is key to actively and continually engaging people to act, whether it is to donate money, buy a product or service, volunteer, or advocate for change. People will act when they feel personally attached to your project, whether it is a movie, charitable cause, social mission, or business. One must focus on developing and sustaining the passion and motivation to act for the issues addressed.
I think transmedia as a change strategy is packed with potential. But for the uninitiated, I wonder if your team can make clear just what a transmedia framework will DO, or ask participants to DO. Maybe compare and contrast how a typical media outreach campaign differs from a transmedia campaign; maybe use an environmental film as an example. I think people would benefit from seeing such a clear illustration.
Thanks for the comment, Brad. And thanks for the opportunity to explain transmedia further.
One way to explain transmedia:
1) It allows storytelling
- through various, decentralized authors who have
- created content around a particular story or related sets of stories, and
- that is distributed across multiple forms of media.
2) It immerses an audience in a story’s "universe" through
- a number of entry points (distribution channels) into the story, and
- by creating opportunities for participation through contributions of related content.
The advantage is to provide a comprehensive and coordinated experience of a complex story.
This is particularly good for social change issues, where media can play such a crucial role in engagement toward action. Media tools can help explain not only the social issue, but create a narrative thread around the related issues and systems. It also allows for proactive and continuous issue engagement, something traditional action campaigns don't always do when using media.
What the transmedia activism framework does, then, is to immerse participants into a universe that tells a comprehensive story of a particular social issue. When someone applies the framework to a campaign that has a media engagement component, they will source content (media, information, etc., existing or commissioned, depending on available resources) that relates to the issues in the campaign and to the other content-- and bring participants into the same effort, asking them to source, create, suggest, donate and distribute content.
You cited to an environmental film as an example-- I'm assuming you mean Inconvenient Truth, which combined the film's website, a book and its separate website, an online study guide, and blogs, which all were engagement counterparts to the original lecture series and the film. This is a great example of a resource-rich, centrally coordinated cross-media campaign. This campaign wasn't as decentralized as some transmedia campaigns are (think of The Matrix, as cited to often by Henry Jenkins-- which is not at all a social issue universe, but does demonstrate effective use of user-generated content). I cite back to http://resistnetwork.com, which even ahead of the film is accepting and distributing user-generated content.
"This nonlinear, proactive campaign strategy, as it is implemented, will create an alternative to top-down information and trickle-down aid..." this line says it all and is what is so needed especially in the non-profit world of fund solicitation and action beyond the dollar amt...
i agree. i think this style of strategy allows the project to have a life all its own. it becomes the sum of its parts--the collective community creating/interacting with it.
This framework is great. We need to move in the direction of less duplication. In the end, there are way too many organizations trying to do the same thing to the same people without always involving the people. I am a big believer in bottom up change where we listen more.
Technology has provided us with tools to connect people and their stories. We need more story telling that is also two way. We need to get back to two-way conversations.
I am very excited about what your framework can provide the world and very supportive of this submission to make change happen.
Comments
Your idea is fascinating. How might this transmedia "issues first" approach work in a real-life client engagement? Could you provide an example to illustrate this? I have submitted a non-profit entry for a collaborative media campaign entitled "International Mentorship Month" using compelling storytelling to raise global awareness of the life-transforming importance of Mentorship, and would like to explore further how your concept could enrich the user experience in the context of that campaign.
Hi Cathy, Sure and thanks for writing. We are in the middle of launching this framework and have started applying it to projects in the last few months. One of our first clients is a filmmaker whose project is not yet launched, so can't provide identifying details-- but the film is still pre-storyboard so we're seeing the impact of shaping the platform from an early stage. The first thing we've done with her is to identify the issues and social themes she wants to explore and which are emerging, followed by targeted audience segmentation, distribution strategy and funding support for action steps based on those issues. We will further work with her to create a blueprint of what the engagement platform looks like-- and the deliverable in her case is a strategic plan.
A nonprofit example is Global Grassroots (http://globalgrassroots.org), which took our framework and used it to construct the information design of their website when they relaunched it. This isn't technically a client example-- I am on the Board, but the org's leadership did the work independently. (Part of the framework analysis is creative commons licensed, available at http://transmedia-activism.com, and available to anyone to use in their campaign construction.)
Another project you should look at is http://resistnetwork.com, a great example of proactive transmedia activism. (Again, this is not technically a client example. I am personally a partner in the effort, but it is not a project connected to the Transmedia Activism Design Group.) The leadership here has delved into the issues of systemic poverty, divisions and walls, forced migration and constructed a participatory engagement and action platform before the film is even completed.
Hope this helps.
Yes, those sites were most helpful. I like the idea that you have developed a framework that helps define and develop the media strategy. There will always be a valued place for the editorial component in professional journalism, and I hope this can coexist and combine with the voices of the people to empower more to feel enough of a vested interest to act for social change.
The rise and success of social media show unequivocally that people do want their own voices heard. I think a well thought out and researched plan or framework is key to actively and continually engaging people to act, whether it is to donate money, buy a product or service, volunteer, or advocate for change. People will act when they feel personally attached to your project, whether it is a movie, charitable cause, social mission, or business. One must focus on developing and sustaining the passion and motivation to act for the issues addressed.
I think transmedia as a change strategy is packed with potential. But for the uninitiated, I wonder if your team can make clear just what a transmedia framework will DO, or ask participants to DO. Maybe compare and contrast how a typical media outreach campaign differs from a transmedia campaign; maybe use an environmental film as an example. I think people would benefit from seeing such a clear illustration.
Thanks for the comment, Brad. And thanks for the opportunity to explain transmedia further.
One way to explain transmedia:
1) It allows storytelling
- through various, decentralized authors who have
- created content around a particular story or related sets of stories, and
- that is distributed across multiple forms of media.
2) It immerses an audience in a story’s "universe" through
- a number of entry points (distribution channels) into the story, and
- by creating opportunities for participation through contributions of related content.
The advantage is to provide a comprehensive and coordinated experience of a complex story.
This is particularly good for social change issues, where media can play such a crucial role in engagement toward action. Media tools can help explain not only the social issue, but create a narrative thread around the related issues and systems. It also allows for proactive and continuous issue engagement, something traditional action campaigns don't always do when using media.
What the transmedia activism framework does, then, is to immerse participants into a universe that tells a comprehensive story of a particular social issue. When someone applies the framework to a campaign that has a media engagement component, they will source content (media, information, etc., existing or commissioned, depending on available resources) that relates to the issues in the campaign and to the other content-- and bring participants into the same effort, asking them to source, create, suggest, donate and distribute content.
You cited to an environmental film as an example-- I'm assuming you mean Inconvenient Truth, which combined the film's website, a book and its separate website, an online study guide, and blogs, which all were engagement counterparts to the original lecture series and the film. This is a great example of a resource-rich, centrally coordinated cross-media campaign. This campaign wasn't as decentralized as some transmedia campaigns are (think of The Matrix, as cited to often by Henry Jenkins-- which is not at all a social issue universe, but does demonstrate effective use of user-generated content). I cite back to http://resistnetwork.com, which even ahead of the film is accepting and distributing user-generated content.
"This nonlinear, proactive campaign strategy, as it is implemented, will create an alternative to top-down information and trickle-down aid..." this line says it all and is what is so needed especially in the non-profit world of fund solicitation and action beyond the dollar amt...
i agree. i think this style of strategy allows the project to have a life all its own. it becomes the sum of its parts--the collective community creating/interacting with it.
there's something uniquely organic about it.
This framework is great. We need to move in the direction of less duplication. In the end, there are way too many organizations trying to do the same thing to the same people without always involving the people. I am a big believer in bottom up change where we listen more.
Technology has provided us with tools to connect people and their stories. We need more story telling that is also two way. We need to get back to two-way conversations.
I am very excited about what your framework can provide the world and very supportive of this submission to make change happen.
if there's any activists out there that are ron paul supporters please join my group ron paul revolution to help restore america!
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