Transmedia Storytelling: Narrative worlds, emerging technologies, and global audiences

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/transmedia-storytelling

Introduction

### Course Review: Transmedia Storytelling: Narrative Worlds, Emerging Technologies, and Global Audiences **Overview** The course "Transmedia Storytelling: Narrative Worlds, Emerging Technologies, and Global Audiences" on Coursera brilliantly captures the essence of modern storytelling that transcends traditional boundaries. In a world increasingly dominated by digital interactions and interconnected media, this course delves into how narratives can be crafted and shared across various platforms—be it films, books, video games, or even social media, ensuring a holistic and immersive experience for audiences. Have you ever found yourself engaged with a story that spans across different mediums? Think of iconic franchises like Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or The Walking Dead. They all exemplify the power of transmedia storytelling, and this course provides the tools and insights to create similarly engaging experiences. **Syllabus Breakdown** 1. **What is Transmedia Storytelling?** The course kicks off with an introduction to transmedia storytelling, setting the stage for what’s to come. You'll meet the instructors and gain a solid understanding of the course mechanics. This module lays the groundwork for your own narrative strategy, emphasizing the anatomy of stories and their relevance in our communicative landscapes. 2. **Creative Ideas Generation - Building a Storyworld** Creativity is pivotal in storytelling, and this module introduces various techniques for developing a rich narrative universe. The course encourages brainstorming and the utilization of different tools to expand your ideas, ensuring that your storyworld is both immersive and coherent. 3. **Understanding a Transmedia Audience** Knowing your audience is key to effective storytelling. This module dives into audience engagement through concepts like ethnography and participatory design. Understanding who your audience is and how they interact with your story allows you to refine your strategy and enhance the overall impact of your narrative. 4. **The Transmedia User Experience** The focal point of any transmedia project is the user experience. This module highlights how the convergence of narrative, audience, and technology plays a crucial role in designing engaging strategies. By exploring various frameworks and theories, you'll learn how to create experiences that captivate and maintain audience interest over time. 5. **Using Creative Technologies** Technology is an essential aspect of modern storytelling. This module exposes you to both traditional and emerging technologies, such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). The integration of these tools not only enriches the narrative but also personalizes and immerses the audience in the story, creating a more profound connection. 6. **Stories from Industry - Professionals’ Career Journeys and Advice** One of the highlights of this course is the opportunity to learn from seasoned professionals in the field. Instructors share their personal career journeys and offer invaluable advice for aspiring storytellers. By examining real-world examples from the film, digital entertainment, and VR industries, you will gain insights into what it takes to succeed in this dynamic field. **Recommendation** If you're passionate about storytelling and are intrigued by how narratives can be expanded across various platforms, this course is a must-enroll. It’s not just for marketers or content creators but for anyone with an interest in the art of narrative and how it can be adapted in the digital age. The course content is structured in a way that is accessible to beginners while still providing depth for those with prior knowledge. The combination of theoretical frameworks, creative exercises, and practical industry insights makes it an enriching experience. Additionally, the collaborative and interactive nature of the assignments will enable you to apply what you've learned directly to real-world scenarios, enhancing your understanding even further. In conclusion, "Transmedia Storytelling: Narrative Worlds, Emerging Technologies, and Global Audiences" is not just an educational endeavor; it’s an exploration into how stories can shape our interactions and experiences in our increasingly digital world. Whether you're looking to break into the industry, enhance your creative skills, or simply broaden your understanding of storytelling, I highly recommend this course on Coursera. Join today and start weaving your narrative tapestry across the vast landscape of transmedia storytelling!

Syllabus

What is Transmedia Storytelling?

This module will introduce you to the instructors of this course, and give you an understanding of how the course works and what you will learn. We will also introduce you to what Transmedia Storytelling is and how it is important to the way we interact and communicate. We’ll explain the anatomy of story and the importance of developing a narrative, and show you some examples of contemporary transmedia storytelling. The information in this module will form the backbone of your own transmedia strategy that you will develop over the duration of the course.

This module introduces you to creative thinking techniques that you can use to help you develop a cohesive and rich story narrative. You’ll explore important models of creative thinking, along with different tools and techniques that can help you expand your narrative into a storyworld that will become the basis of an effective transmedia strategy.

Understanding the different audiences that engage with elements of a transmedia experience can help develop and improve the reach and impact of your storyworld. This module explores the concepts of ethnography and participatory design as a means of identifying, engaging, and learning from your audience, to help you to focus your strategy to better meet their needs.

The success of your project is ultimately determined by the quality of the audience's experience. Will your transmedia strategy capture people’s imagination and continue to engage them in multiple facets of the larger storyworld over time? In this module you will being to think about how the convergence of narrative, audience, and technology affects the design of a transmedia strategy. You will also explore theories and frameworks that will help you better understand how to design and evaluate engaging, persuasive and enjoyable transmedia user experiences.

Working in a transmedia context means taking a flexible and inclusive approach to technologies - old and new. Within this module, you will be exposed to evaluation and design strategies for different technologies in a transmedia storytelling context. It showcases several examples of creative uses of technology in storytelling, and explores how emerging digital technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are creating new possibilities for narrative personalisation and audience immersion in a story.

Meet the instructors who will be guiding you through the course, and benefit from the stories of personal career journeys of some of the biggest names in transmedia storytelling from the USA (Hollywood), Canada, and Australia. Hear their advice about getting started in the industry, and examine examples of their work in movies, digital entertainment, virtual reality and more.