A Creator's Guide to Transmedia Storytelling: How to Captivate and Engage Audiences across Multiple Platforms

Book excerpt: The First How-To Strategy Guide to Transmedia Storytelling “Phillips’s book is a powerful tool for anyone who wants to make a career for him- or herself within the world of transmedia. Through her guidance, the reader is able to understand the fundamentals of transmedia and the power it can have when used with a compelling and strong story." —David Gale, Executive Vice President, MTV Cross Media “Transmedia storytelling is a bold and exciting new arena for creativity and innovation. . . . Andrea Phillips provides a compelling, thoughtful, and clear guide to a next generation of creators in this medium. She demystifies the process and proves that you, too, can push the envelope and be part of the future of storytelling.” —Michelle Satter, Founding Director, Sundance Institute Feature Film Program “An excellent and fair-minded primer and survey of the underpinnings and fast-evolving techniques behind multiplatform narrative. Andrea Phillips is one of a small handful of writers capable of both practicing and clearly conveying the principles of transmedia storytelling. Highly recommended!” —Jeff Gomez, CEO, Starlight Runner Entertainment “A no-nonsense guide for the fun-filled and strangely awesome world of transmedia storytelling.” —C. C. Chapman, coauthor of Content Rules and Amazing Things Will Happen Includes Q&A sessions with the world’s leading experts in transmedia storytelling About the Book: What is transmedia storytelling and what can it do for you? It’s the buzzword for a new generation—a revolutionary technique for telling stories across multiple media platforms and formats—and it’s rapidly becoming the go-to strategy for a wide variety of businesses. If you work in marketing, entertaining, or advertising, transmedia storytelling is a must-have tool for pulling people into your world. Why do you need A Creator’s Guide to Transmedia Storytelling? If you want to attract, engage, and captivate your audience, you need this book. Written by an award-winning transmedia creator and renowned games designer, this book shows you how to utilize the same marketing tools used by heavy-hitters such as HBO, Disney, Ford, and Sony Pictures—at a fraction of the cost. You’ll learn how to: Choose the right platforms for your story Decide whether to DIY or outsource work Find and keep a strong core production team Make your audience a character in your story Get the funding you need—and even make a profit Forge your own successful transmedia career With these proven media-ready strategies, you’ll learn how to generate must-read content, must-see videos, and must-visit websites that will only grow bigger as viewers respond, contribute, and spread the word. You’ll create major buzz with structures such as alternate reality games and fictional character sites—or even “old-fashioned” platforms such as email and phone calls. The more you connect to your audience and the more you get them involved in the storytelling process, the more successful you will be. This isn’t the future. This is now. This is how you tell your story, touch your audience, and take your game to the next level—through transmedia storytelling.