Transmedia and Magical Sorcery

     Transmedia is a growing way in which people are telling stories. For those of you who aren’t quite sure what transmedia is, I’ll explain a bit. Transmedia is telling stories across multiple platforms. While the platforms in which storytellers use are important in getting the message out to the masses, the real key to transmedia is the stories.

     I’m currently a Content Strategist Intern for a social media marketing company, and the first thing I learned on the job was this: you can use the hippest, fanciest, rootin-tootinest social media tools available, but if your content isn't engaging, then you’re S.O.L. (Stuck On a Log).

   

     People love to hear good stories. So that’s what you should give them when trying to be a successful transmedia storyteller. Especially in this age of information overload we live in. Stories allow for the “experience” mentality, so instead of simply telling information, we can actually show what happened, when, where, and why, etc. Stories also create emotional and personal connections which in turn create continuing bonds from hearing about the experience in the story.

     Effective transmedia storytelling is driven by the following:

·         Creativity- use that noodle and be unique!

·         Cultural Attractors- these draw together a highly involved audience.

·         Cultural Activators- these are motivators to initiate behavior.

·         Strategy-any successful story needs a well thought out plan to maximize its impact.

·         Sustained Engagement- getting people to stay engaged with the story is important in keeping the story relevant to its viewers.

     This brings me to Interactivity and Engagement. One of the most important things for transmedia storytelling is engaging your viewer. Without engagement, your story really won’t be able to soar in success. You have to get your audience to care in order to create engagement. This can lead to interactivity, creating an even deeper engagement throughout your audience. In order to keep your audience interested, you have to create an environment with your story that will keep them coming back for more.

     A good example of transmedia storytelling from a large company is Walt Disney World’s “Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom.” This interactive game allows Magic Kingdom visitors to become sorcerers who travel across the theme park fighting Disney villains by using collectible cards like the ones shown in the picture. This attraction takes classic Disney characters from their own stories and creates a unique and changing interactive experience among guests. This experience seems to be pretty popular among kids visiting the parks, and keeps them coming back for more villain-fighting, sorcery-fun!

     Here's a link to Inside the Magic's article on Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom:   

http://www.insidethemagic.net/2012/07/walt-disney-world-to-expand-sorcerers-of-the-magic-kingdomwith-final-spell-cards-at-home-trading-game-pin-collection/ 

  I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about transmedia storytelling. Thanks for reading and have a magical day!

A New Way to Game: "Disney Infinity"

Last week, Disney unveiled their newest venture in the gaming world at the El Capitan theatre in Hollywood. This highly anticipated upcoming video game is called “Disney Infinity.” The game will give players the chance to interact with the game’s characters and worlds in new and creative ways. For example, players will have the power to choose some of their favorite Disney and Pixar characters and explore many different worlds in the game with each other. "Disney Infinity" will be able to be played on gaming consoles, online, and even on mobile devices, keeping the possibilities of how to play wide open.

There are a few aspects of "Disney Infinity" that differentiate it from most typical top selling games. Here’s a list of some of the cool details included in the game:

• Figurines-players will have a character such as the ones in the picture below and control that character in the game. This is similar to the popular video game “Skylanders.”      

• Play sets-there will be three virtual worlds in the game: Monsters University, The Incredibles, and Pirates of the Caribbean. In this “Play set” mode, gamers will only be able to interact with the characters from that specific world. Each world will remain true to its story. However…
•  Toy Box mode will give players complete control over how they play, allowing them to truly “play” and be in control of the game. For example, players will be able to create a game in which Dash Incredible races Lightning McQueen. This will allow players to be extremely creative while playing their own individual game. This is where Disney has really hit the target in my opinion. Bringing characters such as Lightning McQueen, Jack Sparrow, and Wreck-it-Ralph together in a single game sounds like a heap of fun to me!
• Power discs will also be available to gamers who wish for more virtual toys, which will upgrade each world’s abilities.

Sounds pretty cool, right? I’m not much of a gamer myself other than the occasional “Brave” themed Temple Run app on my iPhone, but this "Disney Infinity" thing seems kind of awesome to me! What do you think? Are you so excited for the new game to come out that you just can’t keep your Mickey ears on? Let me know by leaving a comment below! And for more information on "Disney Infinity", follow the link below to 'Inside the Magic’s' full article on the Disney Infinity unveiling in Hollywood last week. There you’ll find the full video of the presentation along with further explanations of the game. 

http://www.insidethemagic.net/2013/01/disney-infinity-video-game-unveiled-to-be-cross-platform-toy-box-with-character-figurines/

Also, here's the link to Disney Infinity's official website. Feel free to check it out as well!      

https://infinity.disney.com/#!/game

Thanks for visiting and have a magical day!