Transmedia: Storytelling for the Digital Age

Laura Sterrit: " A transmedia campaign is only as good as its co-creators. Many originators—filmmakers, authors, musicians—are excellent at their art form, understanding how to use the medium to its best potential. Instead of forcing them to fumble through new and unknown platforms, it is much better to partner with creators who hold an expertise in those areas" ...

Laura Sterritt: "Music apps continue to be at the forefront of innovation for musicians. Björk’s Biophilia app album and The Polyphonic Spree’s Bullseye app were both beautiful and immersive, allowing for expression on the musician’s end and engagement for the fan" ...

"The California ska/rock band The Aquabats, with its long history of mythos and world building, has made the jump to television, with remarkable reviews. How did an eccentric ska band transition into children’s programming?"

"A transmedia campaign is only as good as its team. When a musician recognizes the value in creating extensions and decides to do so, they may not know how to successfully utilize the strengths of different platforms or how to create content for them."

[That's where "up-and-coming" software developer Max Weisel comes in ...]

Details have been slowly emerging about the Rome transmedia property. Originally a straight forward music album, two music videos (traditional and interactive HTML5) have since been released, and a full-length feature film is now being developed at the Sundance Lab. How did it evolve into a fully orchestrated music transmedia project?

While live performance may not often be considered an extension of recorded music, carefully crafted presentations can bring new meaning to the songs of an artist and convert potential fans.

When considering a transmedia extension for musicians, it is important to understand the difference between extension and repurposing.

Laura Sterritt: "From indie rock to hip hop to electronic music, browser-based games are becoming increasingly common extensions for musicians" ...

"As part of Björk’s Biophilia project, Björk has released a music album, an app album, and a traditional music video. I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the live tour, the culmination of the project, and was lucky enough to see her performance Monday night, as well as the educational exhibit at the New York Hall of Science."

While the definition of transmedia may be debated eternally, it is safe to say that establishing a two-way street with consumers is crucial to a transmedia campaign.

Music is one of the most difficult art forms to attempt transmedia storytelling with. Without a literal narrative or story world, musicians must work harder to convey their messages in other ways. However, a history of fictional bands and fictionalized versions of real bands have easily found their way into other media.