Week 1 Analysis: Nailing Down Transmedia

Trans-media and Cross-media storytelling are both important for marketing in Media Communications. I would say the best way to describe Trans-media storytelling is to tell one story on many different platforms. Some examples of this would be Facebook, Twitter, Websites, blogs, YouTube and other social media platforms. This could include any current technology available in any format.

Cross-media storytelling is more like expanding a current franchise, by giving content to the viewer on various platforms in a continuous format. Cross media storytelling is often used to give the viewer more insight in current, existing franchises. Some examples of franchises that use Cross-media effectively would include: The Walking Dead, Star Wars, Harry Potter and The Avengers. Both types of storytelling can be used in the marketing of new products.

A good example of a Cross-Media story would be Batman. The new show Gotham is a great example of Cross-Media storytelling. The show focuses on a specific time period in the Batman universe, by showing us what the city was like when Bruce Wayne was a child. The show focuses on the police force and also on how Mr. Wayne grew into the character that so many followers of the character have come to know. The reason I chose this example is because this is an effective way to provide backstory to the reader and is a slightly different take on a franchise that already exists.

A good Trans-Media example would be the film Prometheus. This is an example of a trailer being used to make other curious about a film. The trailer is known is a great example of Trans-Media storytelling. This is because instead of using a regular trailer the film used one that would expand the world instead of just show footage of what is in the world. The reason I chose this example is because it has become influential and many other brands and advertisers have used this format for many products in many different industries. Also, it is interesting to note that this film can also be viewed as an Aliens prequel and can also have some elements of Cross-Media storytelling.

An example of an ARG is “The Beast” It was created in 2001, and is considered an early and influential example of an ARG. It was a mystery game that was used to promote the film A.I.: Artificial Intelligence and also a series of planned games, based on the film. The mystery was created over all types of social media of the time including E-mail and websites. The game only lasted a few months, but had millions of participants worldwide. It also inspired many people to attempt to create their own ARG’s and is also an early example of how the Internet could bring people from all walks of life together, to pursue a common goal.

Transmedia Fairy Tale Story Element Map

I have decided for my project to modernize the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The main story will be told by Goldilocks and there will be a website devoted to this. This is the starting point for the story and everything will be connected from here. The website will have a main home page with the general story and there will be links to other pages, with a page for each bear. From there the story will expand: Papa Bear’s story will be represented in presentation form and posted on YouTube. Mama Bear’s story will be created with a blog page in Blogger. Baby Bear’s story will use a PowToon creation.  Goldilocks and each bear will tell a new part of the story from where the last one left off, but they will use their own point of view. The story will have some minor changes to make it a bit more modern. The main plot of the story will be the same, however.

Each part of the story will connect with each other and lead the reader to the next part. This will continue on until the reader gets to the end of the story. The conclusion will take place on YouTube and finish off the story.

Timeline:

Monday:

Brainstorming/ideas

Tuesday:

Make a decision on story to use and appropriate social media to use

Wednesday:

Start writing main story and creating social media for the story.

Thursday:

Finish main story. Create Powtoon animation and videos

Friday:

Create main website, blog and other media needed.

Saturday

Finish off any media not yet created, put everything together into one story.

Sunday:

Go back over everything, make sure everything works and flows together. Make changes and/or corrections, if needed. Publish and submit everything.

GTS Week 1 Practice A

There are a lot of things that I learned in project management. I got a reminder of just how many things go into a project. The main thing I learned was how many different components go together to create a solid project plan. This is important for all project, but it will be especially important for the fairy tale project this week.

A lot of things that I learned in project management will be helpful including: a timeline, a marketing strategy, an analysis of need and certainly objectives. This will all help me to proceed with the ultimate objective or goals of the project.

The timeline is helpful because it allows me to stay on task and tells me how many parts of the project I still have left to work on. Marketing is important because I must create compelling content that the viewer understands and is willing to follow over multiple platforms. I also must strategize which avenues of social media to use and how to construct the story around them. I also must have a clear objective into what the ultimate goal of the project is. This all leads to the finalized project, which can certainly be helped by the knowledge gained in project management.

Week 4 Reflection: Self Evaluation

Week 4 Reflection: RISE Peer Feedback

This is a peer review for Candace Bastien.

Hi Candace,

The thing I noticed right away when visiting your site is the use of colors and backgrounds. This puts attention on the material right away. I also like how you have a lot of pictures on the home page. I also find your pictures on the menu page really effective. They make me want to order the items right away. When I clicked on all of your links, I noticed that you keep the colors and background consistent on each page, which is something I need to fix on my own project.

One thing I was wondering were you trying to attract attention to the recipies or to the business itself because I could not find any days of operation or locations on your site? The other thing I was wondering was if you considered putting more information about the business on the home page. The about page is great, but the front page doesn’t really tell us anything about the goals of the business.

Have you considered adding the days and times when we can purchase these items. I love your images, but it seems like it would be easier to have the locations posted on the website, instead of having to call the business to find this information. Also, have you considered changing the menu bar. The bar is very interesting, but for me the way the menu bar scrolls down when searching for content is a bit distracting. Also perhaps you could put the company logo on the top of the page. This is something I also need to do on my project. Also, the two different logos is a bit confusing as I am not sure which one represents the company.

I do really like your pictures and color scheme. However, it might be interesting if you focused a bit more on where and when the service takes place. Great job overall.

Sincerely, 

Larry Antoskiewicz

Week 3 Lynda.com Certification: Up and Running with HTML

Week 3 Project: Portfolio Skeleton

Link to portfolio site: Larry Antoskiewicz Portfolio Website

• Do you feel confident in your understanding of the MCBS public-facing portfolio requirement?

Yes, I feel after this class that I have a much better understanding of the portfolio in general.

• Explain how the 1-, 2-, 3-star projects you are completing in your MCPP courses contribute to the requirement.

I have only been submitting one star projects so far, but I will be working on a two star project soon. I feel that I will be able to put some of these projects in my portfolio.

• What areas of this skeleton site do you feel are the strongest? Why?

I feel that the skills section is the strongest because I have the most content there.

• What areas do you feel need the most work? Why?

The resume section for sure, because it will be the hardest for me to build up and add information.

• Are you proud of what you created here? Why?

Yes, because I feel the site I created is easy to use and there is a lot of room to add more details and information as I get it. Also, the set up is easy to add many more projects to the site as I finish them.

Week 3 Anaysis: Portfolio Inspiration

Links to the sites:

http://www.imdb.com

http://www.rottentomatoes.com

http://www.pluggedin.com

Week 3 Exploration: Digging Deeper

• Why did you choose each particular article?

I chose “Creating a Successful Portfolio”, because I am realizing that it is very important to have some sample work available when trying to get jobs in the Media Communication industry. I am also curious about the best ways to set up portfolios.

The second article I chose was called “7 Principles of Effective Icon Design. I chose this article because I am considering creating some icons for the blog and video page that I want to start.

The third article I chose was “How Cross-Media Storytelling Will Change How We Interact With Content.” I chose this article because I am interested in doing television and film reviews. I would like to use a combination of writing (blog/website), video (YouTube), and possibly podcasting. I thought this article would cover how using multiple platforms can be effective.

• What did you learn?

One of the main things I learned from the portfolio article is to keep everything looking clean and organized. If the reader has to search hard to find things or has to go through too many menus, they may not look at the work at all. It is also important to make the portfolio visually appealing, but not doing too much, to confuse or intimidate the reader.

I learned that some of the most important rules of icon design are: the size, culture, brand recognition, and simplicity. Some of the most simplistic icons are the most remembered. Also, it is important that the icon created fits the brand.

The things I learned the most from the cross-media storytelling article are that the more platforms you have available the more chances for the core audience of a topic to get involved. An example used is how a television show can be on all over the world and then fans use social media to talk about it. It also talks about how franchises cross-market between movies, books, and video games. This is all helpful information.

• Can you apply the insight gained to the public-facing portfolio site you are building this week? If so, how?

I feel I can definitely use the information gained from the online portfolio article. I can also use the third article because it will allow me to better understand how to cross-market my projects.  I may be able to use the icons article. It will depend on what goes into the portfolio.

Creating A Successful Online Portfolio:

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/03/04/creating-a-successful-online-portfolio/

7 Principles Of Effective Icon Design:

http://design.tutsplus.com/articles/7-principles-of-effective-icon-design--psd-147

How Cross-Media Storytelling Will Change How We Interact With Content:

http://thenextweb.com/media/2013/04/30/what-we-can-learn-from-defiance-and-the-future-of-cross-media-storytelling/?utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+TheNextWeb+(The+Next+Web+All+Stories)

Week 2 Project: Soft Launch

Link to my site: website

I created the website as close to my wireframe as I could. I did have to move a few things around and decided to post the given testimonials, instead of an intro video. I felt this was more effective.

Week 2 Analysis: User Behavior

1. How much does this service cost?

2. How long will it take to groom my pet?

3. Is this website updated regularly?

4. Is there any Facebook, Twitter, or other social media associated with this website?

5. Are any other pet care services offered?

6. Is there some kind of members club and if so does it offer discounts?

7. Is there a customer service center online or by phone for questions and concerns?

8. What is the training of the employees who handle the grooming and boarding?

9. Do I have to make an appointment for this service or are walk in options available?

10. What types of products are used in the grooming of the dogs?

I believe my strategy will be adequate for the tasks above. I have a lot of the information already and should be able to find out and implement the information that I still need, without too much trouble. I already have information about many things like pricing and product use.

I do have some gaps like social media needs. I will have to research this a bit further and figure out just what this entails. I am not really sure the best ways to make use of this service.  Also, I would like to find out some background on the types of employees that perform this job.

I feel the site will work well in answering all of the basic information required. It should be easy to understand and will also introduce the customer to the services with a video and photo. Also, information like the logo and address information will be easily available. The mission statement and biography should also give the customer a good idea of what the business is about.

I do feel the site navigation will be intuitive because all of the basic questions a customer should have will be on or linked from the first page and any other questions can be answered based on the contact information, which is also on the home page. Also, the location information will also provided on the first page. This should make the customer experience hassle free. Furthermore, I feel like the information is organized in a way that makes for an easy to find things layout and also highlights main points of inquiry.