Post Three: The Use of Multimedia in a Transmedia Tech World

   Chinwe A. Onuoha 

   Convergence 

   November 9, 2014

   Post Three 

                                                            The Art of Technology: 

                                       The Use of Multimedia in a Transmedia Tech World 

      

             The evolvement of technology in America has resulted to the development of new multimedia platforms, which has created the opportunity for people to communicate with each other and to disseminate groundbreaking information faster. The foundation of multimedia, however, has created a new interactive space online called transmedia, where people are able to engage in conversations about an idea or a cause through the art of storytelling. According to Henry Jenkins, an American media scholar and author of Convergence Culture, he stated in his weblog, Confessions of an Aca-Fan, he stated that "transmedia storytelling represents a process where integral elements of a fiction get dispersed systematically across multiple delivery channels for the purpose of creating a unified and coordinated entertainment experience. Ideally, each medium makes it own unique contribution to the unfolding of the story." 

             For example, Thursdays have transformed from an ordinary weekday to an event that people cannot wait to attend. From 8 pm to 10 pm, people tune into ABC to watch the drama unfold in Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and How To Get Away With Murder. However, the dramatic tensions, unexpected scenes and cliffhangers that Shonda Rhimes uses to draw millions of viewers every week doesn’t stop once the episodes are over. Before these episodes end, Twitter transforms to a discussion forum for fans to discuss their thoughts about those shows, to create predictions of what may occur during next week’s episode on Instagram with memes and Facebook explodes with statuses filled with hashtags that'll connect them with other #ShondaThursday crazed fans, only for them to do it all over again once Thursday comes on again. 

Courtesy of Essence.com

Multimedia, however, "refers to the integration of multiple modes of expression within a single application," according to Jenkins. "In a multimedia application, all the readers need to do is click a mouse and the content comes to them. In a transmedia presentation, students need to actively seek out content through a hunting and gathering process which leads them across multiple media platforms," says Jenkins.  Moreover, people who use multimedia platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr, for example, are showcasing what occurred on the show as a way for them to actively engage in this grand discussion that Shonda Rhimes has sparked with her ability to tell great stories. This new form of media is beneficial for major networks such as ABC and for writers, producers and directors, like Shonda Rhimes, because they need viewers in order to gain profits and to generate more viewers by the time another episode airs.

However, there are a couple of factors that creates a bit of an issue for media corporations such as ABC and writers such as Shonda Rhimes and that's the Internet and DVR, according to the authors of Converging Media, John V. Pavlik and Shawn McIntosh. Now that people can catch up on shows online for free or record shows on television whenever they’ve watched it has created a lot of issues for advertisers since they rely of viewers watching the show.

Courtesy of Essence.com

However, although “many people think television is mindless entertainment that does nothing for social skills and physical fitness,” (Pavlik, 142), others believe that television offers “quality content, educational television, news, and cultural programming,” and beyond popular belief, it has the ability to “get the couch potato off the couch and physically active,” (Pavlik, 142) by using any and all sources of multimedia to be included within the experience by engaging in rich conversations with other people who want to be a part of the discourse pertaining to the show or movie that they watch.

Another reason why interactivity is important is because “companies can see who commented on a particular story, how many visitors it had, how long they stayed, and where they went next,” (Pavlik, 162). More over, “this knowledge can influence editorial content as publishers seek larger audiences,” (Pavlik, 162) in the pursuit of expanding their brand revenue. For example, the cartoon Thomas and Friends, which is shown on Public Broadcasting Corporation, has turned from a thirty minute show and has earned a spot on the shelves of major department stores for children to re-create their own narratives in the comfort of their own homes with other kids who share the same interest in watching that cartoon with Thomas and Friends toys, sleep wear, books, house wear items and more.

In conclusion, multimedia and transmedia work hand in hand. Without multimedia platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, there would be no such thing as narrative storytelling, which is also known as transmedia. Both of these media platforms have created avenues for people to engage in enlightening conversations about their favorite shows, characters and their great anticipation about the episodes that will commence in the future through the use of memes, hashtags, blogs and YouTube videos.

                                                                Works Cited

1. Jenkins, Henry. "Transmedia Education: The 7 Principles Revisited."Confessions of an AcaFan." June 21, 2010. Web. 
2. Jenkins, Henry. "Transmedia Storytelling 101." March 22. 2007. Web.
3. Pavlik, John V., and Shawn McIntosh. Converging Media: A New Introduction to Mass Communication. New York: Oxford UP, 2011. Print.