What is Transmedia Storytelling?
Transmedia storytelling uses multiple media platforms tell a coordinated story across time. Multiple narratives come togethr, constructing a larger storyworld. Each media piece—whether it’s a comic, advertisement, social media post, novel, video game, mobile app, or a film—functions as a standalone story experience—complete and satisfying. Like a giant puzzle, each piece contributes to a larger narrative. The process is cumulative and each piece adds richness and detail to the story world, such as character backstories and secondary plotlines. This makes for a richer audience experience and multiple access points. For entertainment, it lets creators weave together several stories over time, expanding ways for the audience to engage, immerse and enjoy a larger experience. Think Marvel Cinematic Universe. For brands, it creates more ways for consumers to imagine themselves with the product or service, triggering emotional connection and personal investment through identity and aspiration.
Transmedia storytelling takes advantage of the way the human brain processes information and constructs meaning: synthesizing, linking and exploring multiple sources.
Transmedia storytelling is fully participatory. The audience is actively involved, elevated to social and creative collaborators. When people actively participate, either through content creation or following a trail across assets, they become stakeholders in the transmedia experience alongside the brand or cause. The unfolding story design creates the motivation to engage with other participants, seek out other parts of the story, and contribute to the narrative by adding content.
Transmedia stories can be simple, across a few low-tech media platforms or break down the barriers between the story and reality by bringing the narrative out into the real world, in the form of complex and exciting alternative reality games (ARGs), where participants engage with narrative elements and characters using real world locations as part of the storyworld.
Dr. Pamela Rutledge is available to reporters for comments on the psychological and social impact of media and technology on individuals, society, organizations and brands.
[…] some doublespeak I just discovered that nonetheless describes something I am passionate about–transmedia storytelling. Coined by media experts in the early 1990′s and currently being advanced in popular media by […]
[…] P. (2013). What is Transmedia?. Available: http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/. Last accessed […]
[…] Rutledge, P. (2013). What is Transmedia Storytelling? Retrieved Oct 15, 2013, from athinklab: http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] For Class: Transmedia Story Telling […]
[…] To break the concept down, transmedia storytelling encompasses a variety of media technologies e.g. television, comic books and video games which all individually contribute to the telling of the story. These technologies, individually, are satisfying but when pieced together like a giant puzzle add a higher level of engagement and participatory. […]
[…] A book comes out that your friend loves and they loan it to you. Before you know it the film is in the box office. Then you’re waiting for the soundtrack to be released on iTunes. Later you’re inviting that same friend around to play the newly released game with you. If you’re lucky, a spin-off TV show might come along. And when you’re not completely immersed in any one of these mediums presenting your new favourite, movie, game, song or show, you’re looking at social media – the comments, posts, extensions of the story online. The story. Something which once might have taken you less than a week to finish, has now become a part of your life. This, is transmedia storytelling. […]
[…] old methods. It is no longer bound to one medium, one timeline, one method of interaction. Instead transmedia storytelling uses multiple media platforms (to) tell a narrative across time. The process of this requires involvement from many different parties, creating a culmulative […]
[…] the telling of the story. These technologies, individually, are satisfying but when pieced together like a giant puzzle, add a higher level of engagement and participatory […]
[…] (2014). What is Transmedia Storytelling?. [online] Available at: http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ [Accessed 16 May. […]
[…] (2014). What is Transmedia Storytelling?. [online] Available at: http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ [Accessed 16 May. […]
[…] means telling a story through different media platforms. While every story has details of their own, it’s like a giant puzzle; each piece contributes t… Transmedia is complimentary, they all are connected to one world. They are joined together, not […]
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[…] P. (2014). What is Transmedia Storytelling?. [online] Athinklab.com. Available at: http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ [Accessed 19 Nov. […]
[…] other key points brought up in Career Gear were transmedia, knowing what’s next in the industry, making your brand social, experiential marketing, and […]
[…] é sobre publicações transmídia – aí você me pergunta: mas que diacho é isso? Nas palavras da Dr Pamela Rutledge (e nas minhas também, porque fui eu quem traduzi o trecho, […]
[…] there is a lot that goes into a well-run transmedia storytelling operation, And according to an article by Dr. Pamela Rutledge, “is fully participatory”. Although it is mainly used for a […]
[…] Rutledge, P. (2015). What is Transmedia Storytelling? Retrieved from http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] Dr Rutledge, P. (2015) What is transmedia story telling. Retrieved from http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] Rutledge, Dr Pamela,(2015). What is Transmedia Storytelling? Retrieved from http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
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[…] more technologies come forth, the relationship will amplify further. Transmedia storytelling is another steppingstone toward its zenith. It layers a master narrative through an array of media […]
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[…] Rutledge, P. (2015). What is Transmedia Storytelling? Studio Press. Retrieved from http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] 2: Athinklab.com,. (2015). What is Transmedia Storytelling?. Retrieved 7 May 2015, from http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
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[…] Rutledge, P 2015, ‘What is Transmedia Storytelling?’, A Think Lab, viewed on 1 May 2015, <http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/> […]
[…] Rutledge, P 2015, ‘What is Transmedia Storytelling?’, A Think Lab, viewed on 25 April 2015, <http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/> […]
[…] P. (2015). What is Transmedia Storytelling?. [online] Athinklab.com. Available at: http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ [Accessed 18 May […]
[…] P. (2015). What is Transmedia Storytelling?. [online] Athinklab.com. Available at: http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ [Accessed 18 May […]
[…] Talking about first time, turns out that’s exactly what my project is about. I mean, sort of… My project is about transmedia storytelling – now you ask me, what the heck is that? In the words of Dr Pamela Rutledge: […]
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[…] nos debemos detener en el Transmedia Storytelling, actual estrategia de comunicación de las marcas (y parte de su estrategia de […]
[…] in your story, you want them to trust your brand, right? Well, according to the media psychologist, Dr. Pamela Rutledge, Transmedia Storytelling immerses our brains at three levels: intuitive, sensory and executive. […]
[…] week I’ve been looking at Transmedia, I’ve found some information on a website called Transmedia Storytelling that explains a little bit about how it functions in todays society. I would like to […]
[…] Transmedia allows the narrative to expand over different media platforms and continue the story for a long period of time. Rutledge (DNA) states that transmedia “creates the motivation to engage with other participants, seek out other parts of the story, and contribute to the narrative by adding content”. This allows fans and followers to have their own impute and expanding the universe of their favorite stories. To view Pamela’s website click here. […]
[…] a New York City based global advertising agency, was the mastermind behind Decode. Decode utilized transmedia storytelling to mesh the tangible offline world with the digital world. As the famous rapper Jay-Z was getting […]
[…] Dr. Pamela Rutledge (2015). What is Transmedia Storytelling? [Web Article] Abstract Retrieved From: http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] Rutledge, P. What is Transmedia Storytelling?. Athinklab.com. Retrieved 21 October 2015, from http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
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[…] Rutledge, P. (n.d.). What is transmedia storytelling? Retrieved from http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] (1) http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] Dr. Pamela Rutledge explains the concept in greater detail: “Transmedia storytelling uses multiple media platforms tell a narrative across time. Each media piece—whether it’s a comic, novels, video games, mobile apps, or a film—functions as a standalone story experience—complete and satisfying. Like a giant puzzle, each piece also contributes to a larger narrative. The process is cumulative and each piece adds richness and detail to the story world, such as character backstories and secondary plotlines… Transmedia storytelling is fully participatory.” […]
[…] Rutledge, Pamela. “What Is Transmedia Storytelling?” Transmedia Storytelling Workshops for Organizations Branding. Accessed March 20, 2016. http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/. […]
[…] http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] Transmedia storytelling can be summed up as meaning when multiple media platforms each tell the same story. Whether this be a TV show, movie, video game, app, or book, the same story is told, just on different platforms. […]
[…] http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] Transmedia Storytelling http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
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[…] Dr. Pamela Rutledge describes transmedia as “Transmedia storytelling uses multiple media platforms tell a narrative across time. Each media piece—whether it’s a comic, novels, video games, mobile apps, or a film—functions as a standalone story experience—complete and satisfying. Like a giant puzzle, each piece also contributes to a larger narrative.” This to me is a perfect definition of transmedia. […]
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[…] What is Transmedia Storytelling?. (2016). Athinklab.com. Retrieved 23 April 2016, from http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] Dr Pamela Rutledge, Transmedia Storytelling, Brands,Ideas,Organizations and Advocacy,2016 http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] An example of Transmedia storytelling is through the enormity of the Star Wars Universe. Starting off from a Film Franchise and unknowingly moving into bigger and greater media platforms such as books, tv series, graphic novels and over 120+ games. Transmedia ultimately creates the motivation to engage with other participants and contribute to the narrative by adding and creating new content. […]
[…] These connections become a breeding of both interaction and communities. This is exciting for those collaborators wishing to commit themselves to productive narratives. “Like a giant puzzle, each piece also contributes to a larger narrative.” – http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] Rutledge, P. (2016) Transmedia Storytelling. Retrieved from http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] storytelling is the process of using multiple media platforms to create a narrative over time. According to Henry Jenkins each medium makes its own unique contribution to the unfolding of the […]
[…] practice of transmedia storytelling is an explosive concept that allows for multifaceted engagement with a foundational story that […]
[…] Transmedia can be understood as one world having multiple stories created within it. Like in Batman, the story started out as a series of DC comics, but then they were transformed into multiple movies, with all different versions and takes on the story, including the Dark Knight film trilogy by Christopher Nolan. […]
[…] 2016. Transmedia Storytelling. [ONLINE] Available at: http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/. [Accessed 28 April […]
[…] Rutledge, P. (2016). What is Transmedia Storytelling? [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] Rutledge, P. (2016). What is Transmedia Storytelling?. Athinklab.com. Retrieved from http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling […]
[…] References: -Rutledge, P. (2016). What is Transmedia Storytelling?. Athinklab.com. Retrieved 6 May 2016, from http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] my opinion, transmedia narratives are a stroke of genius from a marketing stand point. The amount of extra money a company […]
[…] through different perspectives (client, family member, care worker, donor, etc). Also consider “transmedia storytelling” – the technique of developing a story across multiple media. For example, this is a way to get […]
[…] http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] curious about defining transmedia, these interesting discussions from transmedia greats – here, here, and here – might be a good place to […]
[…] General transmedia storytelling resources: Membean’s Word Root of the Day “Trans-” Description, Transmedia Storyteller’s Transmedia Storytelling webpage, Organization for Transformative Works Our Projects, Wikipedia page on Transmedia Storytelling, ‘Confessions of an Aca-Fan–The Official Weblog of Henry Jenkins’ Transmedia Storytelling 101, Transmedia Storytelling: Brands, Ideas, Organizations, and Advocacy ‘What is Transmedia Storytelling?‘ […]
[…] little bit of research for this project, I found an actual term to relate what I am studying– TRANSMEDIA. While I knew that I did not want to simply compare a story in a book, versus that book being made […]
[…] http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] What is Transmedia Storytelling?.Athinklab.com […]
[…] Rutledge, P. (2017). What is Transmedia Storytelling? Retrieved April 17, 2017, from http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] Rutlidge, P., Dr. (n.d.). What is Transmedia Storytelling? Retrieved April 15, 2017, from http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] Rutlidge, P., Dr. (n.d.). What is Transmedia Storytelling? Retrieved April 15, 2017, from http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] desire to buy action figures or play their respective computer games. But after learning about transmedia, I’m starting to wonder if maybe, all this time, they’ve been a step ahead of […]
[…] interfaces allow for the narrative to grow across these channels, therefore making the narrative a transmedia narrative as the story isn’t restricted to one […]
[…] in an attempt to create a custom built experience for audiences (Ad Age). The following transmedia marketing campaigns have strategically blurred the lines between reality and fiction, enabling […]
[…] “Transmedia storytelling is fully participatory. The audience becomes actively involved, elevated to social and creative collaborators” Dr. Pamela Rutledge […]
[…] Rutledge, P. What is Transmedia Storytelling?. Athinklab.com. Retrieved 18 April 2017, from http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] Rutledge, p. (2017). What is Transmedia Storytelling?. Transmedia Storytelling. Retrieved from http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] interconnected world, stories have the ability to start in one medium and flow into another. Transmedia storytelling is a highly powerful tool, which can expand the publicity of a product across many audience groups […]
[…] is the practice of using multiple platforms to tell a cohesive narrative. It’s a participatory type of storytelling as it not only allows audiences to directly engage with the content but choose […]
[…] term ‘Transmedia’ refers to any story exposed over a variety of platforms to deliver a variety of coordinative […]
[…] Transmedia storytelling is so successful, because if it is done right you cannot avoid it! One example is the launch of a Norwegian reality TV series when I was back home over Christmas. When I turned the TV on, I would within an hour see a video-clip of a few boys camping in the woods. The next time I would see them in a cabin, and then by a lake, followed with the text “what happened to these boys”. I would see “missing ads” on the milk carton and I would see advertisements for a whole webpage dedicated to these boys on Facebook and Instagram. Then, out of nowhere a reality show started on TV, where the contenders were supposed to figure out this fake case about the boys who went missing by the lake. They had done it so well, that in fact some of my friends were not even sure if it was fiction or real. Literally everyone started watching it, just because of how well they had used transmedia storytelling, and everyone had at least once over Christmas thought about these boys and what could possibly have happened to them. […]
[…] Transmedia storytelling: “uses multiple media platforms to tell a narrative across time. The audience becomes actively involved, elevated to social and creative collaborators. They become stakeholders in the transmedia experience alongside the brand or cause.” […]
[…] “Transmedia storytelling uses multiple media platforms tell a narrative across time. Each medi… […]
[…] is Transmedia Storytelling?. 2017. What is Transmedia Storytelling?. [ONLINE] Available at:http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/. [Accessed 14 May […]
[…] thinking about transmedia storytelling, I immediately think of the one thing we can’t seem to escape at the movies…. Comic […]
[…] is called Transmedia Storytelling, where multiple media platforms are used to tell a story across time. This is done a lot with […]
[…] However, transmedia is telling multiple stories over multiple mediums but they combine together to tell one big story. ‘Each media piece functions as a standalone story experience. Like a giant puzzle, each piece … […]
[…] narrative can be bred into a collective. These versions being made onto multiple media platforms. Dr. Pamela Rutledge alludes to the idea of each being a puzzle piece contributing to the storyline as a whole. Daniel […]
[…] Transmedia storytelling is basically the telling of a narrative or story across multiple media platforms. Transmedia stories allow for the same story to be explained and engaged with differently by audiences depending on their medium – as the medium is the message. This is effective as audiences can contribute to the narrative by adding content, discover different aspects of the story on different platforms, and motivates engagement from likeminded people. […]
[…] those of you who don’t know what trans-media storytelling is… I’m not overly sure I even know. But alas, I’ve been asked to blog about it, […]
[…] Rutledge, P. ‘What is Transmedia storytelling’ Athinklab, < http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] Rutledge, P. (2017). What is Transmedia Storytelling?. Athinklab. Retrieved 30 May 2017, from http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] (2017). What is Transmedia Storytelling?. [online] Available at: http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ [Accessed 2 Nov. […]
[…] is called Transmedia Storytelling, where multiple media platforms are used to tell a story across time. This is done a lot with […]
[…] watching a lecture discussing transmedia storytelling this week I started think about how I can use this method to get more of my content out into the […]
[…] Rutledge, P. (2018). Transmedia Storytelling. Brands, Ideas, Organisations and Advocacy. Retrieved from: http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] Rutledge, P. (n.d.). What is Transmedia Storytelling? Retrieved from http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] Transmedia narratives are important when political agendas are intertwined into them and the constructed reality is perceived as actual reality. Similarly, once this transmedia narrative is constructed, those who ideologically contest it are criticised. […]
[…] transmedia storytelling the audience becomes actively involved (transmedia storytelling) ,they become collaborators of the story alongside the brand or cause. Thus, creating engagement […]
[…] Rutledge, P. What is Transmedia Storytelling?. Retrieved from http://athinklab.com/transmedia-storytelling/what-is-transmedia-storytelling/ […]
[…] channels can greatly increase the impact of a campaign. Adopting a campaign approach called Transmedia Storytelling harnesses the power of storytelling and the two-way nature of social media to connect with […]
[…] through different perspectives (client, family member, care worker, donor, etc). Also consider “transmedia storytelling” – the technique of developing a story across multiple media. For example, this is a way to get […]