Sunday, March 4, 2012
Peter Jackson Senior Digital Media C.L.T & Production Coordinator, Hunter College
Sunday, February 26, 2012
TRANSMEDIA. WHAT IS IT?
TRANSMEDIA. WHAT IS IT?
A definition of transmedia is not easy to come by try looking it up in the dictionary. Now hold on before you go the computer to look it up. I want you to got to actual printed copy of the dictionary not use the online dictionary that some of us have gotten used to lately. A pain in the you know what maybe, but just do it just for fun. I’ll give you moment and to save us sometime I will go to online version of the dictionary and see if I can find a definition as well. What did you find, nothing me neither. But lets not let that stop us from finding out what this tranmedia thing is all about. Hold on a minute while I plug transmedia into a search engine. Hmm looks we have something here good ol wikipedia it defines transmedia as the following.
“Transmedia storytelling, also known as multi-platform storytelling, cross-platform storytelling, or transmedia narrative, is the technique of telling stories across multiple platforms and formats using current digital technologies. It is not to be confused with traditional cross-platform media franchises,[1] sequels or adaptations.”
Since wikipedia is not always seen as a scholarly resource of information I going to do some more digging. Give me a moment. Ok I found something we can use. It's from the creator of the NBC tv show "Heros" Tim Kring “Transmedia is a fancy word for a simple concept: telling stories across multiple platforms.”
Sound its just more the same from Mr. Kring which is a lot to wrap your head around. Perhaps a definition is not going to do it when defining transmeida lets think of something else. Maybe we should use an example of transmedia that would serve us better. For example the ABC’s drama “Castile” where the character of Richard Castile a very successful mystery/crime writer is paired with a New York City police detective Kate Beckett to solve crimes. (Mostly murders). In the show Richard is penning a book tilted “Night Heat” with the lead character Nikki Heat loosely and not so loosely inspired by Beckett. The real “Night Heat” book released by publisher Hyperion at the same time as the shows is airing with Richard Castile as the author. A second book is entitled “Naked Heat” released during the shows second season. All welded together moving the storyworld from tv show to the book and back again. The books are tied into the plot of the plot of the show and part of the storyworld of the show. There you have it an example of transmedia. Which in provides us with a definition. What’s that you sayi? You have some questions. Well shot.
What if I have seen the tv show but not read the novel I’m I going to be miss part of the story?
What about other forms of media?
Are they using social media as well?
Who else is using trans media?
Wouldn’t transmedia be good for marketing?
How do I learn more?
Whoa, slow down looks like you more questions than I can answer in single blog posting. But I will say that the answers to your questions are the challenges that tranemedia makers take to heart during the creative process. I guess the only way to continue this is to employ transmedia to perhaps answer your questions.
Work cited :
Jenka Gurfinkel, " Your Life Is A Transmedia Experience — Now With Pictures!"http://social-creature.com/.blog.Febuary,10,2012
Monday, December 13, 2010
BLOG ENTRY #4: ANIMATION
BLOG ENTRY #4: ANIMATION
What can I say about Flash animation?
For one thing Flash animation it is very labor and time intensive. Unlike shooting our videos for instance, which was more of a set up and go type of process. Animation takes a new attension to detail and some coaching as well to get from one step to the next. It made me think more about making some nesseary changes to improve workflow so I get from one step the next. That included the dreaded learning from trail and error, tral and errore process.
Which takes me to the learning curve which I think is the most intresting to me because Flash animation seems to take from every mediuam to create it's own world that can be as fexible as you need it to be. For instance with the video you are limited time and space to where can place the camera. Sometime limiting your shot choose. But with animation your camera can be anywhere, I mean literally anywhere. From the top of a building to the tip of someones finger or inside someones mind even. This can create dramatic effects to the animation. Opening up the possibilites to what you can do with the camera creatively. The ablitily to included interaction takes it to whole other level to me. Come on how many of us wanted to jump in to a cartoon when we were little kids? Able to be apart of that cartoon world where you an do anything that you imagation can dream up! Adding the interacation is almost like doing that! But overall thank god for Flash because I could not imagation sitting down and having to hand draw every picture for every little movemen. Flash it make the process that much easier.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Reflections on Our Video Project
BLOG ENTRY #3: PRODUCTION NOTES
My reflection on the our past video project are that each stage of production Pre-production, Production and Post-Production all must work in balance with each other to make a successful project. This was evident even before we started any of these stages. Our idea and how it is developed into something tangible had to show that we are paying attention to the devil and the details that could possibly affect our project. This effect can be both in negative fashion and a positive fashion. Once our idea was secure and brought up speed our Pre-Production definitely set the mood for how we were going to set up shoots and shot. Most helpful was our shoot sheet and storyboard. With each shoot planned on the shoot sheet and drawn out on the story board it made moving from shoot to shoot that much easier. It think we would not have finished in the given class time without our shoot sheet. It was useful to us in the post-production stage aswell because we were able to see what shoost we need to use to put the clips together. Pulling a list of usable takes and pull them into the Final Cut Express timeline. Making smooth transition in the Post- Production stage were the biggest challenge was trimming clips so they fit just right not to much and not to little. A few second here and there can really make a big difference between clips working against or for your project. In the end working this project gave us first hand expericance of how all the stages take the theory of each aspect Pro-Production, Production and Post-Production together like they are the puzzle pieces of video making.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
BLOG POST # 2: Editing Analysis
BLOG POST # 2: Editing Analysis
Skunk Anansie - My Ugly Boy
Skunk Anasie’s music video for their new song My Ugly Boy is the focus of my editing Analysis. The video starts with a tracking close up shot of the singer feet she is wearing a pair of high heeled red shoes and she is walking in a dark parking garage. You can hear the light guitar riffs start with as soon as soon as her left foot hits the ground. This shoot last about 4 seconds and is followed by a series of very quick shots of her holding a set of car keys (medium wide shoot), walking up the a car (wide shoot), opening the car door, her in the car closing the door (medium shoot), her in the car (close up) starting the engine (medium shoot), stepping on the pedals (close up) and shifting the gears (close up). A shot of the speedometer clocking around the dial shows the change of intensity and tempo of the music as the heavy guitar riffs kick in. Cut to shoots of the singer driving around the garage at high speed alone. At about he 34 seconds in we see that she checks the rear view mirror to revel that she is not alone but has passenger in the backseat. A slim, sweaty, disheveled man with messed up greasy hair. The songs subject "Ugly Boy". This shoot is the beginning of shoots that coincides with the lyrics of the song. A sign that some shots the shoots are being organized in term of content. For example when she sings the line “Where ever he likes to go the dirtest girls will show.” coincides with shoots of the man from the backseat of car standing in the garage with two questionable females.
This theme continues thru the course of the video.
Since it is a music video there is a lot of freedom in compsotion, color, movement, etc. But there is clear decision in the production to make everything dark and siddy. As if you see someplace you shouldn’t be and seeing things that you are not supposed to see. Everything from the car being the only one left in the garage to the band mate coming out the darkness near the end the video all done to create an underground feel to the video. From an editing standpoint they follow the rule of music videos that the shoots can be random and linear at the same time. Cut being seamless and obvious. What the editor does not do is follow the rule of most music videos, which is to have a cut every 3 to 5 seconds. “ My Ugly Boy " has a cut every 2 to 3 second. Most cut shoot are not longer than 2 or 3 seconds long. Which goes along with the fast pace of music. The editing does help give us some insight the story “My Ugly Boy” but keeps us entertained and excited about the song. Which is the job of a music video.
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