QPORIT

TRANSMEDIA AT NYFF50

THE 2012 NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL

TRANSMEDIA

A NEW WORD

FOR AN OLD IDEA

WITH NEW TECHNOLOGICAL POWER

The New York Film Festival, the Tribeca Film Festival and SXSW have all announced TRANSMEDIA programming!  NYFF50 is having a special all day, two day event on transmedia, with presentations of immersive experiences, panels and workshops, running with concurrent sessions in three venues! (See below for the schedule and complete details about all the events).

What is TRANSMEDIA?

Frankly, I never heard the term before the NYFF programming announcement.

But I do know “live, immersive, interactive, site-specific, location based, loose-linked synchronous and asynchronous multimedia, with archived and streaming video, audio, music, dance, chat and social media commenting.”

I guess TRANSMEDIA is a better term.

According to Wikipedia, the term, “transmedia” was coined in 1991 by USC professor Marsha Kinder, and “Transmedia Storytelling” was later used as the title of a 2003 article in the MIT Technology Review by MIT media professor Henry Jenkins.  In the storytelling community, “transmedia” has been gaining more and more currency for years.

It could become a buzzword now with a major two day event at NYFF50 and events at TFF and SXSW.

Transmedia storytelling puts an emphasis on telling a strong, coherent story using diverse media.

 “CONVERGENCE” is a term also sometimes used when talking about transmedia projects. It has (at least) two similar, but not identical meanings. In the sense that is being used here, CONVERGENCE is the idea that diverse media will converge in the seamless telling of a single story.

“TRANSMEDIA” has a similar meaning, expressed in the opposite way: TRANSMEDIA is the seamless telling of a single story across diverse media.

Note:  “Convergence” is actually most often used in a slightly different way, to describe the fact that many media – TV, web, radio, music can be (someday) presented on unified hardware and software.  All the various media will be able to converge on a single device with software that can be used to select and play whatever you want.

Note: Cross-media is also sometimes used as a synonym for transmedia.

Some examples of transmedia are:

Sleep No More – It takes place in the fictional, but fully realized “McKittrick Hotel”  (location) where the audience follows the actors from room to room (immersion). The actors sometimes engage audience members one-on-one (interaction). There is music and  abstract dramatic movement. Thematically, the actions are derived from Shakespeare and Hitchcock (theater and film). Before and after you are in a cabaret.  Even before that, the tickets and web site are in character – they are part of the show.

The Lion King – After the movie there was a Broadway play.  There are toys.

Star Wars – The story (aka “the franchise”) is expanded into six films, a TV show, games, theme park rides, books…

American Idol – After each show, the audience votes.  The voting is an integral part of the show. Then there’s “The Results,” a different but related show. There are visits by the contestants to their home town.  The judges talk about the show on talk shows… it’s all part of a transmedia experience.

Playing with Reality invites a member of the audience to come on stage.  That person becomes the central figure of an improvised story. (Theater with audience interaction.)

Before TV, Broadway shows would release singles of their best tunes to radio to build up interest in the show. (Asynchronous use of a different medium for marketing.)

Sports events are live, on TV, webcast, have a statistics website, and there are pre-shows and after-shows.

Many TV shows now have affiliated web sites which provide more information about the show, sometimes adding scenes that were not on TV, sometimes having the characters create blog posts, sometimes allowing the audience to interact with the characters. Many post full episodes online so that someone who misses an episode live can catch up, and not drop out as a viewer because they’ve lost the thread of the plot.

And, going back a bit, it has been pointed out that the Greeks used drama, music, dance, poetry performance, prose, sculpture and other arts to tell the stories of their myths and their gods.

All of these are examples of productions which employ diverse media as part of a single, unified project. (The project as a whole is sometimes called the “franchise” – especially when it was not originally conceived and designed as a transmedia project, but started out as, say, “Superman” in a comic book, and then built upon that.)

There are many media and many techniques that can be used.  Of course, recent developments in computer and web technology have opened up many new possibilities.

And there are many flavors of transmedia, depending, for example, on whether the project is fiction or non-fiction, on whether live events are primary or secondary, and on whether the project is episodic, like a TV show or webisodes, or essentially singular, like a theatrical show or a feature film. A production can be conceived as transmedia storytelling, or transmedia elements can be (and often are) used for marketing and promotional support for projects conceived as film, or theater or TV. (Currently, marketing and promotional projects are where most business models and most $$ for transmedia are!)

The use of diverse media, especially giving the audience an important role, is important in some exciting new theatrical productions (such as Sleep No More). In theater, and for storytelling, live elements are usually primary.

In film circles, transmedia elements other than the film itself have usually been ancillary – used for enrichment (both intellectual enrichment and $$$ enrichment) or marketing. It is somewhat unusual for a film festival to put as much emphasis on transmedia that is significantly live as is the case in the NYFF programming detailed below.

The Film Society of Lincoln Center, in collaboration with StoryCode and KillScreen Magazine has a long running project in place to study, discuss, and experiment with transmedia. (http://www.filmlinc.com/films/series/convergence-immersive-media-at-lincoln-center ).  There is a sign-up on this filmlinc convergence page to receive notices about future events. Also, to keep up with some transmedia events around the city, join the Transmedia NYC Meetup Group (http://www.meetup.com/Transmedia-New-York-City/) which is closely affiliated with StoryCode.

Music, movement, and many other media are integrated into transmedia productions. The audience, through interactivity in any number of ways, is often an important ingredient of transmedia.

In the following video, Diane Paulus, who brought Sleep No More to the American Repertory Theater  (ART) in Cambridge, MA, and directed the Tony Award winning revival of Hair, in which the audience is brought onto the stage at the finale, talks about her interest in using music and dance, and giving the audience an active role.

Note: Click on the 3D-icon-button to select the viewing mode: Normal 2D; Or 3D using Red/Cyan glasses; Or on a 3D monitor; Or on a glasses-free 3D lenticular screen. Click on the gear-icon-button to set the resolution.

One of the difficulties with using ancillary media to extend a project that has been created and thought-through in some other medium is that the new element must be executed to be effective in its own right, and it must make sense as an extension of the original project, enriching rather than demeaning it.  A simple example is a sequel to a great movie. It’s difficult, and it takes great effort to make the sequel work. When it works, the underlying project can be enriched and enlarged.

Another one of the difficulties with some transmedia projects is that they may be underfunded (or at least the elements of transmedia which are not central to the project are underfunded), so that the result becomes more of an experiment than a creative masterpiece. The transmedia elements are just a “demo.” Or an inexpensive (aka underfunded) promotional add-on.

It can be a goal to make a “transmedia project,” (much as one sets out to make a “feature film”). Tribeca and the Ford Foundation, in fact, have just awarded grants for transmedia projects and have announced the application period for grants for next year. (http://www.tribecafilminstitute.org/filmmakers/newmedia/about/)

Or one can tell a story, make a film, present a play, and when you look at all the elements that have gone into it, you describe it as a “transmedia project”.

Or, you can have a project and then think about all the disparate techniques and media that are now available in the toolbox of transmedia elements, and see what elements might be used to develop your project to its best advantage.

A DESCRIPTION OF THE ELEMENTS OF TRANSMEDIA

A project might be described as TRANSMEDIA if it contains some (but probably not all) of the following features (this list itself is not necessarily all of the possible transmedia elements):

LIVE

Audience members and a cast are there when it is happening! It can be a theatrical event, a convention, the telling of a story, a meet-up…

SYNCHRONOUS OR ASYNCHRONOUS

Transmedia events can all occur simultaneously, or some events can be before, after or during others. A TV series or webisodes can use web and other events in-between the main shows as marketing, enhancements to the story, or part of the story. On American Idol, the voting occurred after the performances and before the results are announced.

IMMERSIVE, LOCATION BASED, SITE-SPECIFIC

The venue (or venues) where the event takes place can be a specific part of the story.  There may be many sites, as in a scavenger hunt.  Murder mystery dinner parties can be about a murder that takes place in a dinner party.  Tony n' Tina’s Wedding is a story that takes place at a wedding in a wedding hall. Sleep No More takes place at the “McKittrick Hotel” and the audience follows the action into the rooms in which the events occur. 

In shows by Playing With Reality, a member of the audience becomes a central part of the show. This is immersion in the story, rather than immersion in a physically realized location.

Here is a backstage moment (in 3D) with the cast of Playing With Reality, (Note:  Jeff Wirth, who is presenting WHISPERS IN THE DARK --see the program below-- helped coach the cast of Playing With Reality.)

INTERACTIVE

The audience can follow actors around; the actors may talk directly to the audience; the actors may talk one-on-one with members of the audience; members of the audience may become a central part of the action; the audience can collectively decide the action (as in American Idol where viewers vote to determine the outcome).

VIDEO

The project may use videos on the stage, post videos on the web about the show, post videos “by” the characters, embed or link to related videos.  Theatrical films, as part of their promotion, may use videos by or for their audience, or to supplement the information in the film (for example, with an expert commenting on the material in a documentary). The Daily Show, for example, tapes extended interviews with interesting subjects and posts them on the web.

VIRTUAL REALITY, AUGMENTED REALITY, 3D,

VIBRATIONS, AROMAS & OTHER NEW TECHNOLOGIES

Why not?

WEB AND SOCIAL MEDIA, COLLABORATION AND COMMUNITY

Social media can interact with the audience. The audience can contribute to social media and form a community. (There’s an ad-hoc community, for example, forming around Sleep No More.) The characters can take a presence on social media with twitter accounts, blogs, or other postings. (For example, The Blair Witch Project used the web to promote the film before it was released.)

ANYTHING RELATED…

GAMES, MUSIC, DANCE, ABSTRACT MOTION, CLOWNING,

BOOKS, PRODUCTS…

Well, in fact, basically anything that can be related to the story or the project can become a transmedia element in the project.

LOOSE-LINKED

The elements of a transmedia project can be any kinds of media, and can either be synchronous or asynchronous with respect to other elements. There must be some method of linking to the disparate elements, but it’s not necessarily a direct hyperlink. We’ll call them LOOSE-LINKED together.  It’s a generalization of “hyperlinked,” which normally means simply that when you are on a website, you can click on a link to another URL and bring up a copy of a new web page. Loose-links can be as simple as a hyperlink, or as complex as needing to complete a scavenger hunt to find the next connected media element.

The point, of course (or a point… there are others) is to use -- as appropriate -- the full panoply of available media and technologies to create the most interesting, most compelling, (and in some cases, most educational, and in some cases, most profitable) project experience possible.

TRANSMEDIA PROGRAMMING AT NYFF50 (2012)

Here is the description (from the Film Society) of the TRANSMEDIA programming event during the NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL

1 – AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM

2 – A DESCRIPTION OF EACH EVENT

3 – A SCHEDULE OF EVENTS BY DATE/TIME

4 – A SCHEDULE OF EVENTS BY VENUE

AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM

"Serving as the crowning event for the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s year round programming commitment to transmedia, NYFF Convergence will be presented on Saturday, September 29 and Sunday, September 30 at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center with two full days of panels, workshops and “immersive experiences” designed to be an intimate gathering for creators, designers, thinkers and fans.

"Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Director of Digital Strategy, Eugene Hernandez, said, “The way stories are being told is changing, or rather expanding, thanks to new tools and technologies that allow storytellers to engage and involve an audience in new ways. With NYFF Convergence we're focusing expressly on those artists and filmmakers rather than the technology.”

"The inaugural event will include a Keynote Conversation between visionary storyteller Tommy Pallota (A SCANNER DARKLY, ”Collapsus”) and Hernandez. Pallotta was most recently responsible for the Emmy-Nominated transmedia thriller ‘Collapsus’. He first connected Richard Linklater with animation when he produced the award-winning feature film WAKING LIFE. He followed up with Philip K. Dick’s A SCANNER DARKLY, starring Keanu Reeves and Robert Downey Jr. Pallotta is currently directing a hybrid documentary about Somali pirates and survival in a failed state called, THE LAST HIJACK.

"Other special guests include Bill Plympton, Andrew Evans, Nick Bernadone, Andrea Phillips, Mark Harris, Caitlin Burns, Jeff Wirth, George Strayton, Amy Neswald, Steve Schultz, Laura Steritt, Jason DeMarco, Brian Fountain, Blaine Graboyes, Jamin Warren, Barry Alexander Brown, Michael Knowlton, Nina Lassam, Amanda Harvard, James Carter, Daniel Laikind, Lindsay Ellis, Jeremy Redleaf, Scott Newman, Garry Delfiner, Lina Srivistava, Pamela Vitale, and many more.

"Highlights of the two-day event include immersive experiences for the attendees. The premiere of the film component of indie transmedia project MCCARREN PARK features an educational, multiplatform experience that pits Brooklyn hipsters against raging dinosaurs. RENGA, a feature length film in which the audience completely controls the Space Invaders-like action, surviving or perishing together.

"TEDxUpperWestSide BREAK will be an exploration of what story means in the 21^st Century all done in the signature TED style. TRANSMEDIA TEST KITCHEN will put the audience in the middle of a first-of-its-kind exhibition-style transmedia showdown between two competing storytelling teams, and WHISPERS IN THE DARK is an immersive fiction experience that plunges a non-actor participant into a ghost story that plays out over 24 hours in settings throughout New York City.

"Panels announced will feature discussions with transmedia content innovators and a look at how the explosion of digital technologies have helped and hindered storytelling. Other topics that will be explored will include showing and sharing the similarities and differences in producing for multiple platforms, dynamic new opportunities for non-profits, and looking at how transmedia can provide different forms of artistic expression outside of the traditional record release format for musicians, among other topics.

"Transmedia workshops will offer attendees a guide to producing cross-platform projects on a budget, offer pitching strategies, and instruction on developing story and structure for the aspiring transmedia producer in a world where the audiences can become the main characters."

NYFF CONVERGENCE

PANELS

BEST OF BREED Transmedia Content Innovators
Sunday, September 30 (12:00–1:00), BEALE
Presented in collaboration with Digital Hollywood
Guests: Daniel Laikind (Stickfigure Productions); Lindsay Ellis (Nostalgia Chick, Blip); Jeremy Redleaf (Brackets Creative):  Scott Newman (Revel In New York), Gary Delfiner (Popcornflix.com)
From web series, content applications, social media, and beyond, this panel of established creators will discuss the state-of-the art of transmedia, where it has been and where it is going in a lively debate-style presentation.

BRIDGING THE TECH DIVIDE
Saturday, September 29 (4:30-5:30) GILMAN
Speakers:  Mark Harris (THE LOST CHILDREN), Barry Alexander Brown (LAST LOOKS), Michael Knowlton (Murmur, StoryCode)
The recent popularity of transmedia storytelling has been enabled by the explosion of digital technologies that most of us take for granted.  From the front lines of the movement - the creators, builders, and fans - new technologies are born everyday that may be useful tools in telling stories.  But these same elements that excite the core audience may very well be a barrier to entry for a broad portion of the population.  This panel will explore how we bring transmedia into more homes, free it from cult status, and create experiences designed for our moms.  Join filmmaker/technologist Mark Harris (creator of immersive film experience THE LOST CHILDREN), filmmaker Barry Alexander Brown (Editor on DO THE RIGHT THING, MALCOLM X, Creator of LAST LOOKS), and Mike Knowlton (Murmur Co, Co-founder of StoryCode) for what promises to be a lively discussion.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: Place-based Storytelling
Saturday, September 29 (11:30-12:30); BEALE
Speakers: Steve Schultz, CEO Moveable Feast Media; Andrew Evans from National Geographic ; Bill Plympton, animator;  Casey Neistat, filmmaker
In this dynamic presentation, we will explore location as a backdrop for filmed entertainment and compelling narrative. In the first half of the presentation,  three leading-edge storytellers will present their “films”, each of which were created on the Moveable Feast Mobile Media platform for location-based storytelling.  These filmmakers will then join Steve Schultz, creator of Moveable Feast, to discuss the future of multimedia in a geo-tagged world. The panel will cover topics including immersion, curation, and the interplay between “online experiences” and “offline experiences”. The discussion will also explore the meaning of “relevance” as it relates to audiences who are fully mobile-enabled.

MULTIPLE PRODUCERS, MULTIPLE PLATFORMS
Saturday, September 29 (1:00-2:00) AMP
Presenter: Produced in Partnership with the Producer’s Guild of America, East.
Moderator: Blaine Graboyes
Guests: TBD
Today's producers are working on every platform including film, TV, social, games, mobile, events, comics, ARGs, and more. This panel features members from The Producers Guild (PGA) who will share the intimate details on the past, present, and future of producing for multi-platform distribution. Each presenter will discuss a similarly sized project (approximately $1MM budget) with a focus on a specific platform. We will discuss the process, team, budget, tools, goals, metrics, marketing, audience, and business structure of each project, as well as push each producer to predict the future of their work and industry. Our goal is to show and share the similarities and differences in producing for multiple platforms and to get a sense of how these formats are blending to create new opportunities for producers and new experiences for viewers. This session will be accessible and relevant to all audiences, and will combine technical, business, and creative concepts to present a complete picture of producing for today’s platforms.

NON PROFIT DESIGN SUMMIT
Sunday, September 30 (1:00-2:00) AMP
Guests: Lina Srivistava (Mod)
Immersive storytelling presents many new opportunities for traditional cultural institutions to engage new audiences.  After spending the day in intensive small group discussion, leaders from several New York institutions will engage in an open dialog about the collision of art, technology, and participatory culture.

NOVELS IN NEW FORMS
Sunday, September 30 (10:00-11:00) BEALE
Presented in collaboration with Digital Hollywood
Guests: Nina Lassam; Amanda Harvard (SURVIVORS SERIES, IMMERSEDITION)
Authors and technologists discuss online publishing and the power of the tablet computer as a storytelling tool.  It’s a world of boundless possibilities, time for a deep dive!

WIN/WIN: Transmedia, Adult Swim, and it’s Musical Partnerships
Saturday, September 29 (11:00-12:00); AMP
Speakers: Laura Steritt, Writer: Starlight Runner, Founder: Transchordian; Jason DeMarco, Adult Swim/Cartoon Network
As the music industry changes, musicians and record labels must create new revenue streams and alternative avenues to potential fans. Transmedia storytelling can not only fulfill these needs, but also provide different forms of artistic expression outside of the traditional record release format.  Almost since its inception, the television network Adult Swim has established a powerful relationship with various musicians and independent record companies. With their classic bumps, music video production, original programming, and even their own label, Adult Swim has created innovative content that benefits all parties involved: the network, the musician, and the viewers.  This panel brings together Jason DeMarco, VP of Strategic Marketing & Promotions and overseer of all music programs, and two of his co-creators, [musician], and [record label head], to speak to the process and benefits of their creative partnerships.

WORK IN PROGRESS: NY_HEARTS
Sunday, September 30 (10:30-11:30) GILMAN
Guests: James Carter, Cast of NY_HEARTS: LES
NY_Hearts blends love stories with a multimedia storytelling iPhone app, and the sights and sounds of New York City neighborhoods. Characters recall how they met and fell in love, leading listeners, like voyeurs, to sexy moments and special spots and receiving gifts from local small businesses along the way.  The first part of three tent pole stories, NY_Hearts neighborhood tales will spur an  online web series that ultimately focuses on a central character that features in a live, immersive theater event. Over the span of 20 months and multiple media platforms, the project explores themes of love, art, determinism and addiction.  Join creator James Carter for a conversation about the project, and meet participants who have taken NY_Hearts journey. Focusing on the current neighborhood, Park Slope, Brooklyn, hear about their experiences, ask questions, and learn what it takes to create this layered theatrical project.

WRITING TRANSMEDIA
Saturday, September 29 (3:00-4:00) AMP
Presenter: Presented in Partnership with Writer’s Guild of America, East
Guests: Nick Bernadone (30 ROCK); George Strayton (TRANSFORMERS)
Writing for open, interactive worlds is a wholly different enterprise than creating a typical screenplay.  This panel will feature writers from television, the web, and feature films and explore the creative process from the writer’s unique perspective.


WORKSHOPS

TRANSMEDIA ON $8.00 A DAY
Saturday, September 29 (12:30-1:30) - GILMAN
Presenter: Brian Fountain
The world of transmedia is a beautiful place to visit but telling your story there can get expensive quickly. Whether you are seasoned producer or a greenhorn looking to dip your toe into the water, this handy guide will show you how to affordably produce a compelling cross-platform project without compromising on quality.  Join tour guide Brian Fountain, and discover some of Transmedia’s best kept secrets. You’ll learn about emerging technologies that are affordable or free. Plus insider secrets on how to recruit top talent to your next project. All for the price of a Starbucks Venti Caramel Macchiato per day.

XYEYE: STORY PITCH PROGRAM
Sunday, September (2:30-3:30), GILMAN
Presented by: Pamela Vitale, XYEYE
Engage yourself in our transmedia frenzy! Join the team from XYEYE as they present their nine step strategy mapping formula in a play-by-play demonstration with a real client during our multi-media presentation. Learn about our process, its origins, purpose and cycle from beginning to end and even become a part of the action, riffing with the XYEYE as they brainstorm live. Watch an idea grow into a concept and end as a strategic plan with blazing momentum.

YOU’RE SUCH A CHARACTER: New Roles for Audiences in Storytelling
Sunday, September 30 (11:00-12:00), AMP
Presenter: Andrea Phillips
Transmedia forms can turn the relationship between the audience and the story on its head. A compelling transmedia narrative can turn the audience from a collection of passive consumers into an active character in the story — a character whose actions are absolutely pivotal in driving the plot forward. That feeling of agency can make an already-great story into something even more amazing.  We'll discuss how to structure a story so that the audience has a part to play, too, and explain why it can create a more intense experience for a player -- and ultimately even lets a creator tap into a whole new range of emotions, like pride, frustration, and guilt.


IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES

MCCARREN PARK PART I: HIPSTER DINOS, TRANSMEDIA, and Producing Something for Nothing
Saturday, September 29 (2:00-3:00) BEALE
Presenters: Caitlin Burns

MCCARREN PARK PART II: HIPSTER DINOS, TRANSMEDIA, and How to Get Noticed Without Paying For It
Date: Saturday, September 29 (4:00-5:00) BEALE
Presenters: Caitlin Burns

"Nothing ruins a good party like a Velociraptor attack. And when a group of urban hipsters gets caught up in a whirlwind of Mesozoic fury, it’ll take more than PBR and vinyl records to get them out alive."

McCarren Park is an interactive educational transmedia experience available on phones, the Internet and even a card game.  In this session, a selection of scenes in the first half of the narrative will be combined with lessons learned creating the feature for under $3500.00. How do you inspire collaborators to engage in your story world? What are some tactics that worked on this project and others to build an audience and to get that audience to add their own content into the story world? How do you create a story that can translate from one platform to another? How do you do that without a huge budget? Finally, what are the barriers to production on a miniscule budget and how can you overcome them?

RENGA: THE NYC PREMIERE!
Sunday, September 30 (12:30-2:00) GILMAN
Guests: Adam Russell & Jonathan Sear, Dir.
Renga is about finding a way home. Attacked and left for dead, our hero must carefully marshal their resources to build a new ship, confront their nemesis and finally return home. Only this hero isn't visible on the screen - it's the entire audience, working collectively to control the action using laser pointers directed at the screen. Turning the traditional hero's journey on its head, Renga asks the question - what if the ultimate reward can only be grasped by many hands? The show combines real-time crowd interaction technology, retro videogame aesthetics and a wry sense of humor to bring the audience together and leave them feeling a deep sense of camaraderie. The title refers to a form of collaborative poetry with 100 verses that blossomed in 15th century Japan.

TEDxUpperWestSide BREAK
Saturday, September 29 (5:00-6:00), AMP
Presented by: TEDxUWS
Story is everywhere. In recounting to your friends over drinks, "You will not believe what happened on the subway," in epic Hollywood style, even in 140 characters, we organize our lives around stories. TEDxUWS will be an exploration of what story means in the 21st century. We'll have screenwriters, technologists, scientists and more giving talks in the TED style -- short, powerful and thought-provoking. Between talks you will have some of the most engaging discussions in recent memory.

TRANSMEDIA TEST KITCHEN
Sunday, September 30 (3:00-4:00), AMP
Presented by: Brian Fountain and Matt Bolish
Two teams enter, but only one will leave victorious. Witness this first-of-its-kind exhibition-style transmedia showdown. Over the course of an hour, two teams of elite storytellers will conceive, build and pitch their best cross-media story. Not crazy enough for you? Wait! There’s more. In an unforeseen and dramatic twist, which you will already know about because you are reading this now, the teams learn they must also incorporate a secret ingredient. Spoiler Alert! The secret ingredient is you, the audience. That’s right you will be part of history. And who will decide the fate of these two teams? Some Ivy-league eggheads? Nope. Some B-list celebrities? Not happening! Those guys are way too expensive to book. In a stunning conflict of interest, you (yes you!) will be casting your vote to decide the outcome of this event. One team will be crowned victorious. The other will suffer the deep humility of having to watch the other team being crowned victorious.

WHISPERS IN THE DARK
Sunday, September 30 (2:00-3:00) BEALE
Presented by: Jeff Wirth
Whispers in the Dark is an immersive fiction experience in which a non-actor participant will become the lead character in a story that plays out over 24 hours in settings throughout New York City.  A young psychic spends the night investigating a room that has recently become haunted in Lincoln Center. Her encounter with the ghost sets her on an odyssey through the hidden worlds of New York City to uncover a dark secret.  A professional cast plays the characters that appear and engage with the participant in the real-world locations, while an invisible crew captures the entire experience in one extended 24-hour “take.” The experience culminates at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, where highlights from the adventure will be screened on September 30, 2012.

THE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS BY DATE/TIME

LINKS

For a preview of the Main Slate of films at The New York Film Festival 2012 see:

NYFF 50 – MAIN SLATE

http://qporit.blogspot.com/2012/08/2012-new-york-film-festival-nyff50.html

DESCRIBING TRANSMEDIA

WIKIPEDIA – TRANSMEDIA STORYTELLING

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmedia_storytelling

THE TECHNOLOGY REVIEW INTRODUCTION TO TRANSMEDIA STORYTELLING

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/401760/transmedia-storytelling/

TRANSMEDIA - AN ARTICLE AND A VIDEO INTERVIEW

http://theory.isthereason.com/?p=2832

TRANSMEDIA AT NYFF50

THE NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL 2012

FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER (FILMLINC / FSLC)

www.filmlinc.org

TRANSMEDIA AT FILMLINC

http://www.filmlinc.com/films/series/convergence-immersive-media-at-lincoln-center

COLLABORATORS ON THE
CONVERGENCE/TRANSMEDIA PROJECT 
AT FILMLINC

STORYCODE

www.storycode.com

KILL SCREEN MAGAZINE

www.killscreendaily.com

NY HEARTS – OFFICIAL SITE

http://ny-hearts.com/videos/

WHISPERS IN THE DARK – OFFICIAL SITES

http://wirthcreative.com/adventures/whispers

SIGN-UP FOR WIRTH CREATIVE ANNOUNCEMENTS (AND AUDITIONS!)
http://wirthcreative.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=ec9eb30effb75f850eb2abdee&id=214eb8b14e

TRIBECA

TRANSMEDIA AT TRIBECA

http://www.popdecay.com/2012/08/21/tribeca-film-festival-announces-2013-dates-new-transmedia-storytellers-program/12621

http://www.tribecafilm.com/news-features/2013_Tribeca_Film_Festival_to_Include_Transmedia_Selections_Dates_Announced.html

TRANSMEDIA GRANTS FROM TRIBECA

http://www.tribecafilminstitute.org/filmmakers/newmedia/about/

http://www.tribecafilminstitute.org/filmmakers/newmedia/news/167046025.html

TRANSMEDIA AT SXSW

http://www.indiewire.com/article/transmedia_panels_SXSW

http://www.connectioncafe.com/posts/2012/03-march/transmedia-storytelling-sxswi.html

SXSW INTERACTIVE 2013

http://sxsw.com/interactive

QPORIT

QPORIT – Preview: THE NYFF50 MAIN SLATE

http://qporit.blogspot.com/2012/08/2012-new-york-film-festival-nyff50.html

QPORIT ON SLEEP NO MORE

http://qporit.blogspot.com/2012/05/sleep-no-more-review-guide.html

QPORIT ON DIANE PAULUS AND RANDY WEINER

http://qporit.blogspot.com/2012/07/diane-paulus-and-randy-weiner.html

QPORIT ON OCULUS RIFT – VR HEADSET

(The significance of this device for transmedia is that it promises a whole slew of new types of media opportunities.)

http://qporit.blogspot.com/2012/08/1m-in-2-days-oculus-rift-immersive-3d.html

MORE ABOUT TRANSMEDIA

TRANSMEDIA - AN ARTICLE

http://theory.isthereason.com/?p=2832

TRANSMEDIA NEWSWIRE

http://geobrava.wordpress.com/2012/08/26/transmedia-keynotess-at-new-york-film-festival/

TRANSMEDIA STORYTELLING IN ACTION

http://www.geoactivegroup.com/services/transmedia-storytelling

OGILVIE & MATHER ON THE DEATH OF TV & RISE OF TRANSMEDIA (VIDEO)

http://www.slideshare.net/OgilvyWW/the-end-of-tv-as-we-know-it-the-birth-of-transmedia

PAPER.LI TRANSMEDIA DAILY

http://paper.li/Chronotope/1321651504

TRANSMEDIA NYC MEETUP GROUP

http://www.meetup.com/Transmedia-New-York-City/

SOME TRANSMEDIA PROJECT DEVELOPING COMPANIES

Seth MacFarlane has the honor of hosting the season (38!) premiere of Saturday Night Live. (Tonight! 9/15/2012!) The Musical Guest is Frank Ocean.

Seth is possibly not that well known as a performer; he’s better known as the writer-director of TED (the teddybear film) and on TV for creating Family Guy and co-creating American Dad and The Cleveland Show.

He voiced Ted, the bear, himself, and also, many, of the characters on his TV shows. 

With a strong interest in science fiction, he has appeared – in person – on FlashForward and Star Trek and other shows.  He has also appeared at Carnegie Hall and Royal Albert Hall. 

He’s an Emmy winner and a Webby winner.

SETH MACFARLANE ON WIKIPEDIA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth_MacFarlane

SETH MACFARLANE ON IMDB

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0532235/

The Musical Guest is Frank Ocean.  He’s a young singer-songwriter from New Orleans. 

FRANK OCEAN ON WIKIPEDIA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Ocean

Some comments on the show:

COLD OPEN - One of the best and funniest, best written and best acted cold opens ever!  A campaign speech by Obama, with help from Romney & Ryan. (One could say, with enemies like these, one hardly even needs friends.)  The torch is passed from the old Obama to Jay Pharoah as (the new) Obama.  Jay has been one of my favorites ever since he joined SNL.

MONOLOG: A weird moment at the outset when Set invokes farrah Fawcett. A weird moment some time later with a strange remark about Jews.  Rest of the monolog was pretty good.  He has a nice old-fashioned voice, and he's REAL good at voices.  He did a kind of ventriloquist routine with multiple characters and no dummies.

FAKE CAMPAIGN COMMERCIAL - Not memorable.

DR RENE -- She gives sex advice, but she didn't show up, so a really crass producer fills in.  Amusing.

CLINT EASTWOOD AND THE CHAIR -- This was a hilarious riff on Clint's performance at the RNC.

LIDS -- Hat salesman with a cheer-up button.  PSY Gangnam Style has a gazillion hits on YouTube.  So here it is on SNL. (See below for an embedded video of the original -- 181M views and counting!)

PUPPETRY - A very funny skit with three new puppet-makers, one of whom is very serious.  Plus a little puppet-makeout scene.

OCEAN -- He has a different sound, but this is kind of a normal SNL music interlude.  Also it's very hard to make out the lyrics.

WEEKEND UPDATE -- The jokes are good. Alana Honey BooBoo Child & Mama is not funny.  Ryan Lochte is hilarious.  Mimi Morales is amusing, and terrific eye candy.  Best line of the show: Ryan Lochte (who, of course, is an Olympic swimming champion): "It feels so weird to be dry."

REAL COMMERCIALS -- Too many.  Too many boring commercials.  Too many boring commercials repeated too many times.  Only saving feature: there were a lot of interesting previews of interesting films & TV shows.

ARMY TRAINING -- How do you respond "Yes Sir" and "No Sir" when the question has no yes-or-no answer?  How do you tell the Sergeant that he is stuttering?

STEVE HARVEY -- Nice concept:  The Style Makeover makes the makeover-ee into a copy of the makeover-er.  On a big drooping mustache: "When you smile, it's a big surprise!"

BLIND DATE -- The waiter and the thief were funny.

ELIJAH AND EZEKIAL -- A new way to explain the letters in a URL.

I always hope for another super (and raunchy) skit to end the show. I'd like that to be as regular a feature as the Weekend Update!

Seth was a skilled host and fit right in.  Jay could be the next break-out star.  We need a break-out female.  I missed some of the old cast.

All in all, it was a much funnier and better written show than usual.  A good start to the year!



PSY GANGNAM STYLE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0