OTT & Transmedia

Thanks for sharing the examples, Ashley Renee Smith. Interactive promenade theatre, text and voice messages, puzzles, role-playing and collaborative experiences on platforms like WhatsApp. I didn't know transmedia covered so much! I played games on the Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network websites growing up, and I just realized the games were transmedia.

Those are very cool Ashley Renee Smith. Of course, my eyes first read: Clockwork Orange. Now that would also be quite an adaptation into Steampunk. lol.

Hahaha! I can understand why you would have read it that way at first, Debbie Elicksen.

I like transmedia storytelling, Ashley Renee Smith. I get to enjoy the same characters and stories on different platforms. I haven't tried transmedia storytelling yet, but I have some scripts and ideas that could be transmedia projects.

I thought about something while reading your post. STRANGER THINGS has stores. Do you think stores and restaurants are part of transmedia?

I think that they can, yes! As long as there's a narrative component to it in some way that builds on the world of the story. So if there's an immersive quality to the popup restaurant or shop where you're a customer on a specific day while something noteworthy is happening around you, then it's continuing the narrative.

I agree, Ashley Renee Smith. There should be a narrative component to the store/restaurant in some way that builds on the world of the story. I'd like to go to a STRANGER THINGS popup one day. I saw that there's one in Las Vegas.

Thanks for the info, Debbie Croysdale. "Funds needed by artist to execute Pre Awareness can be minimum or even free. EG Podcast, Self Publish Novel, Whattpad etc." You're right. I've seen articles and short stories get bought by producers and production companies, and it doesn't cost much for a writer to publish an article or short story.

Nicely done. :) People outside the comics industry are often surprised when they learn the "Big two" comics publishers can be beaten or when they learn that manga far outsells superhero books ...even in the USA.

As an entertainment lawyer, I rep filmmakers and comic book creators and publishers on every day; the past few years there has been an uptick in screenwriters dusting off their old scripts with an eye towards turning them into comic book scripts. The biggest mistake I see screenwriters make is the still think in terms of movement as opposed to still panels which suggest movement.

Let me explain. In a screenplay you might have an action line which reads, "But as Dr. Nefarious triumphantly steps up on the Soap Box of Evil to announce his plans for world domination to the terrified crowd, Capt. Cauliflower loosens his bindings just enough to flick the power switch his cruciferous cannon and switch it to “overload.”

We all can see different ways to direct that scene, and possibly even have a single shot in mind. But when it is time to turn it into a comic book script, we must break each moment into a separate panel, and the general rule is one action per character per panel. It’s almost more helpful to think of panels as individual photos.

Which means that Dr. Nefarious stepping up on the Soapbox of Evil may take one or two panels, another one or two for Capt. Cauliflower to loosen his bindings and switch on the cannon, and maybe a fifth or sixth to show the canon overloading. At approximately five-six panels a page, and 22 pages per comic, filmmakers often realize too late that they’ve run out of pages. Bottom line: when you shift from films (motion) to comics (stationary illusion of motion) you need to envision your story in a fundamentally different way.

If anyone is interested in what comic book contracts should look like, I wrote the first book dedicated to comic book law a few years ago: https://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Lawyer-Comic-Book-Creators/dp/0415661803

Hi, Thomas Allen Crowell. I've been thinking about turning scripts into comics. Thanks for the insight and book rec. I added your book to my Amazon list.

Maurice Vaughan- One piece of advice I'd offer is to really focus on defining your core story and understanding how it can naturally expand across different platforms. Each medium—whether it’s film, social media, gaming, or podcasts—should add a unique layer to the narrative while staying true to the central theme.

Another key factor is audience engagement. Transmedia thrives when audiences feel involved and invested in the story world. Consider how you can create interactive elements or opportunities for your audience to explore different parts of your project in ways that feel immersive and organic.

Lastly, start small and scale up. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the possibilities, but focusing on one or two platforms first can help you refine your approach before expanding further.

Great advice, Ashley Renee Smith! Thanks for sharing them. I like that you said "Each medium—whether it’s film, social media, gaming, or podcasts—should add a unique layer to the narrative while staying true to the central theme." I think each piece of a Transmedia project should bring something new to the table. I don't think it should be a copy and paste kind of thing across different mediums. Like the show I'm watching now THE LAST OF US. It's true to the game, but there are new things in the show that aren't in the game. There are things in the show for gamers and fans of the game as well as TV show fans.

I've heard of Grand Theft Hamlet, Pat Alexander. I've seen similar videos on YouTube, but this is the first time I've heard of one of them getting distribution. I'm looking forward to checking out Grand Theft Hamlet.

That's awesome Billy Kwack. I'm running a Kickstarter for the local comic store edition of my comic book you may want to check out. Links on profile.

Cool Preston, I'll check it out and good luck

Happy New Year, Preston Poulter! That's incredible and inspiring! I've been thinking about turning scripts into graphic novels and comic books for a while. I'm gonna look into it this year. Thanks for sharing the video.

This video was very eye opening and thanks for sharing Preston Poulter Also Subbed, Happy 2025!

Extremely cool on so many levels. Wow. Thanks for sharing, Preston Poulter!

That's looks fun, Florin Şumălan! It reminds me of The Movies PC game I had way back. I have to try out It's a Wrap! Thanks.

Maurice Vaughan , you're welcome.

I played too "The Movies". I liked that game very much.

The gameplay is different in "It's a Wrap!", but yeah, I think too this is fun.

Enjoy!

hilarious trailer.

This video taught me that YouTube’s downward pressure on ad revenues relates to “late stage Capitalism.”

More reasons why serious independent producers are coming to the IPG and getting involved...

Great share, Brian Onley! Adam Savage said, "Every artist has to deal with commerce and has to be able to make a living.' He's right. When I was a new screenwriter, it was all about art. I wasn't even thinking about selling my first script. Now, it's about art and commerce.

I like Netflix's model, Geoff Hall. I think it's safer for actors to get bigger upfront payments because they don't know if movies and shows will do really well.

Maurice Vaughan I agree, Maurice. Guaranteed income, you think would be something with a more positive judgement from the Unions.

and in Russia, film studios earn an average of 500% profit on TV shows. and it doesn't matter if the series is successful or not. I don't think the situation in America is any different. therefore, I think the ratings were invented to save on employee benefits. we can say that any series earns money for the studio only if it does not burn a lot of money on it during production. therefore, it is difficult to say which payment scheme is more honest and reliable, because everything depends on the studio and the budget of the series. and since no one knows the real accounting of production, employees are held hostage by the situation and are forced to take what they give.