Storytelling across worlds : transmedia for creatives and producers / Tom Dowd, Michael Niederman, Michael Fry, Josef Steiff.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Part 1. Understanding transmedia storytelling : One story : What is transmedia? -- The Producers Guild definition -- Transmedia, intellectual property and franchises -- Stumbling toward transmedia -- Transmedia storytelling for producers -- The role of the transmedia producer -- Audience, presentation and platforms -- Transmedia for creatives -- One world, many stories -- Adaptation vs. extension vs. expansion -- Where to start -- Reboot and reinvention -- Cornerstone platform/property -- Engagement and participation -- Worldbuilding and key story elements -- The challenge of transmedia development -- Development processes -- Weaving the universe -- Story universe vs. the storyworld -- Building blocks -- Key story elements -- Style/tone -- More to explore -- Storytelling and narrative continuity -- Driving the story -- Genre types -- Plotting points and curves -- World out of balance -- The beginning and end of our universe -- Narrative coherence -- Continuity, canon, and consistency -- Part 2. Many media -- Motion pictures and visual storytelling : How fast?: Speed -- How much?: Duration -- How big?: Shot size -- Why film? -- Basics of film storytelling and structure -- Turning the plot curve upside down -- Three-act structure in film -- Key transmedia elements and motion pictures -- Presenting a visual story with words -- Story summaries -- Scripts/screenplays -- Film production realities -- A film's life cycle -- Film franchises and sequels -- Film and transmedia -- Film and other media -- Interview: Phil Hay -- Television and serialized storytelling -- Basics of television storytelling -- Formats and how long it takes -- Why television loves genres -- Key transmedia elements and television -- Television production realities -- Spin-offs -- Revival -- The remake/reboot -- Television and transmedia -- A modest proposal: a transmedia network -- Interview: Carlton Cuse -- Video games and interactive storytelling -- The state of video game development -- Participatory content, for the win -- Basics of game design and storytelling -- Key transmedia elements and video games -- Video game storytelling structure -- The concepts of agency and affordance -- Character, action, and the expression of character -- Dialogue and conversation -- Game production realities -- Production time and timing -- Production methodologies -- Developers and publishers -- Licensing -- The game production process -- Video games and transmedia -- Interview: Jordan Weisman -- Other forms of storytelling : Intellectual properties that started as novels, comics or new media -- Cultural artifacts -- Does anybody just make a universe for the hell of it? -- Other forms of narrative extension -- Conventional additions -- Unconventional additions -- Batman and Naruto face the challenges of size and longevity -- Naruto/Naruto Shippuden -- Batman -- Interview: Anthony Del Col -- Choosing properties and forms : Fan base -- Developed universe -- Economic factors -- Author's pull -- Final thoughts on existing property -- The expectation and impact of extension and expansion -- A final thought: the blurring of ownership -- Part 3. Managing the story -- Managing the transmedia property -- Maintaining the brand -- Marvel and story extension -- Feedback and conversation -- Brand loyalty, across platforms -- Release schedule -- Marketing -- The gift of fire -- LIcensing and rights management -- Fans, fandom and fan culture -- Technical management -- Project and multipurpose sites -- The transmedia intellectual property bible : Building the bible -- Story, rules and underlying assumptions -- Sharing the bible -- Updating the bible, maintaining the franchise -- The bible as a dynamic digital document -- Part 4. End matters : Wrap up -- Appendix A. Motion picture platform bible -- Appendix B. Television platform bible -- Appendix C. Video game platform bible -- Appendix D. Platform bibles for other forms of storytelling -- Appendix E. Sample trademark licensing agreement -- Appendix F. The Producer's Guild of America Code of credits definition of transmedia producer.

"Don't restrict your creative property to one media channel. Make the essential leap to transmedia! From film to television to games and beyond, Transmedia: One Story - Many Media gives you the tools to weave a narrative universe across multiple platforms and meet the insatiable demand of today's audience for its favorite creative property. This, the first primer in the field for both producers and writers, teaches you how to: - Employ film, television, games, novels, comics, and the web to build rich and immersive transmedia narratives - Create writing and production bibles for transmedia property - Monetize your stories across separate media channels - Manage transmedia brands, marketing, and rights - Work effectively with writers and producers in different areas of production - Engage audiences with transmedia storytelling Up-to-date examples of current transmedia and cross-media properties accompany each chapter and highlight this hot but sure to be enduring topic in modern media"-- Provided by publisher.