TRANSMEDIA STORYTELLING

Transmedia storytelling consists of multiple texts of a fiction that get spread out across multiple channels, in order to create a unified entertainment text [as a whole]. The movie Cloverfield is a good example of this in many ways. The simple fact that there are multiple channels through which Cloverfield fans (and the creators) post comments, video clips, pictures and clues serves as a main purpose for transmedia storytelling. Watching the movie is one medium used to tell the Cloverfield story, on-line interactive sites are another, and even searching Youtube where "real clue videos" are posted, are all different points of entry for fans to interact with and become a part of to get the full story.

I wanted to write this blog about how Seth's presentation of Cloverfield is a perfect example of transmedia storytelling. First of all, I would have never known that there were so many channels of Cloverfield text before Seth presented this on Wednesday. Going into this movie I would have had no idea there were secret clues or meanings behind specific scenes and words, etc. According to Jenkins, "transmedia producers have found it difficult to achieve the delicate balance between creating stories which make sense to first time viewers and building in elements which enhance the experience of people reading across multiple media" (Transmedia Storytelling 101). Cloverfield was a good example of transmedia storytelling because if you happen to come into contact with the movie Cloverfield for the first time without previous knowledge of the other forms of media storytelling, you would have simply been a satisfied viewer. However, if you would have had previous knowledge of the secret clues and then saw the movie, you would have been more engaged with the movie. Therefore, the line between "first timers" and so- called "expert fans" would have been crossed, yet clearly separated into two different viewers. Cloverfield did a good job of achieving a balance between keeping the first timers' interest and the expert fans intrigued to find out more clues after the movie.

At first I thought that the on-line sites for fans was a bunch of bull hockey. I felt that the creators just wanted to get money by connecting the Slusho product as a "clue" (on one of the characters' shirts) to the movie and gain financial insights to appear that the movie has secret connections. However, I came to the realization that media conglomerates, like the creators of Cloverfield and the company Slusho, have every reason to want to connect their brands and spread their franchises across multiple media channels in order to promote the movie while publicly advertising their product. This blurs the space between advertising (Slusho) and entertainment (Cloverfield) but in a subliminal way that made fans want to buy the product before seeing the movie. In conclusion, the creators of Cloverfield kept the fans intrigued by telling a story before the movie even came out in theaters. By adding clues that led fans to sites that eventually led them to more sites for more clues was a perfect example of telling a story through multiple media channels. Overall, I thought Seth did a great job of explaining how Cloverfield was a good example of transmedia storytelling.