Further Reading

For a more in depth look at the history of transmedia and a great explanation of what it really means, I would definitely suggest “Brave New Story World: An Introduction to Developing Transmedia Narratives” by Joe Velikovsky. 

This article strives to educate a wide audience on the definition of transmedia by exploring its history. By going through the history of transmedia, Velikovsky also shows through popular stories what is and what is not transmedia. Some examples he chooses are Star Wars, Twin Peaks, Lost, and BBC’s Sherlock. He focuses mostly on Star Wars throughout, showing how the first novel written in the Star Wars universe does not count as transmedia due to the fact that its canonicity was later revoked with the arrival of Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back. However, later novels do count as a form of transmedia due to being specific continuations and explorations of other characters that are not the focus of the Star Wars franchise.

This method is very effective for those who are unfamiliar with the term transmedia, but are familiar with popular fiction such as Star Wars. The examples he chooses to write about are all large enough franchises that almost everyone has certainly heard of them, and thus can have an understanding of their stories. Later, when he discusses Sherlock, he goes more into the modern methods of transmedia, with the accompanying blog that John Watson runs within the confines of the show, and viewers can follow along with gaining an extra look into Watson’s character. This is definitely a beginner’s look into transmedia, though useful for those more versed in transmedia to see a bit of the history of the medium.

I would definitely recommend it for all of you who are interested in learning more about transmedia. It’s a very quick, enjoyable read, and I for one thought it was very helpful to learn what precisely does not count as transmedia.

Velikovsky, Joe. "Brave New Story Worlds: An Introduction to Developing Transmedia Narratives." Screen Education.68 (2013): 82-9. ProQuest. Web. 23 Jan. 2014.