- What does McKee define as ‘The story problem’? Do you agree? Why/not?
Mckee’s “The Story Problem” is the further a story moves away from universal emotions and desires, the story results in being too complex and specific which then sacrifices elements that are symbolic and can relate to the audience. In some ways I do agree as moments experienced in a story can stick out to myself and others, creating a specific moments that stands out and acts as a highlight that can be talked about by anyone who has experienced it. I see this being used in dramas or even the thriller and horror genre in playing towards the theme of suspense and creating a fright in combination with telling a story. However there are examples that do come to mind in that this detailed fictional world created such as in the science fiction genre, people become very immersed and fascinated with it even though it is very different to their daily lives and does not really relate to them at all.
2a. Think of two narratives you’ve completed (not abandoned part-way through).Recount the plot of both your chosen narratives.
The plot of Get Out is about the protagonist Chris and his girlfriend Rose who both go to the countryside to visit Rose’s family. As Chris meet’s Rose’s parents, he gets nervous and becomes a bit intimidated by their behaviour towards him but later on he finds very disturbing information about Rose and her parents past.
The plot of Avatar The Last Airbender revolves around a world divided into four nations, the Earth Kingdom,the Fire Nation,the Water Tribe and the Air Nomads. Only a selected person (also known as the avatar is) within a certain time period can control all these four elements. Aang a 12 year old boy who is the chosen Avatar but as soon as the fire nation wanted to conquer the world, he vanished. Over 100 years have passed since and a sibling pair from the water tribe Katara and Sokka, find his body in an iceberg where he re awakens.
2b. Tell me the story of both narratives.
The story of Get Out is about Chris an African-American man who visits his Caucasian girlfriend’s parents during a weekend getaway. Even though the parents initially seem norma he Chris is not prepared to experience the secrets and horrors that lie ahead.
The story of Avatar The Last Airbender is about Aang who is the chosen who to save the world from the fire nation and to restore peace and unity between all four nations.
2c. What media were used to present these experiences?
Get Out was firstly initially released in cinemas whilst Avatar The Last Airbender was first broadcasted on TV. Both can now be streamed online to phone screens and computers.
2d. What affordances of each medium were used to good effect, in your opinion, and how?
For Get Out I think it was best experienced in a cinema as the surround sound quality of the speakers really heightened the suspense and fright I think is very intentional and is what makes a thriller movie have those elements of feeling disturbed and frightened as to what may happen next. The wide screen also enhanced the few jump scares and the framing of shots where the audience could easily tell when something may not look right.
- Think of a story or story-world (different from question b above) that you felt immersed in. Can you relate what about the experience caused this sense of immersion?
Sleeping Dogs is an action adventure game I played on PC about a police officer in Hong Kong who goes undercover in investigating one of Hong Kongs most strong and well established triads. To me this game can be closely compared to being a Hong Kong version of the famous Grand Theft Auto.
The overall look of the streets of Hong Kong in exploring it through the protagonist was an area I felt very immersed in. I can walk freely about in the wide city streets and also through the narrow streets of markets. The sound design also contributed to this immersion as I could recognise some to most of the phrases the NPCs shouted in English and Cantonese. Even when roaming around Hong Kong through driving, as well as listening to the outside soundscape of the car (e.g people, police cars etc), there were different radio stations I could flick which made me feel like I was driving through Hong Kong.
- Would you define Forest 404 as transmedia? Why/not?
I see Forest 404 being defined as a form transmedia. The way in how sound design is implemented in how the sounds well fitted what the characters were talking about, the use of atmospheric sounds to science fiction to nature like sound which really fitted the audio work. To me it even at moments of silence with atmospheric sound enticed me to keep listening and at times made me imagine and draw an image of the setting of this world. The subject matter of characters reflecting upon their busy work lives and their own lives with a mass amount of media available was to me representative of the fast paced nature of the modern generation and how much is available which a universal audience can understand. Leaving visuals and something to look at out of the work interacted with listeners in calling them to use their imagination in travelling through this fictional world and take notice in discovering new pieces of information throughout. I was then able to subconsciously create meanings that made sense to me within these gaps.
- Embed a video in your post from an internet search — this video should be an example of, or work to explain in some way, an aspect of transmedia storytelling. Underneath the video, reflect on why you thought it should be included, with reference to readings and/or your own research into narrative or crossplatform storytelling.
LEGO’s adaption of popular movies into a video game format is an example of transmedia storytelling. These adaptions in this case Star Wars can attract fans and viewers like myself who have seen the previous movies to be excited in playing a version of it expressed through legos. The LEGO Star Wars franchise can also be “characterized by the sensation of “being there” and describes an audience’s perceived connection with a story” (Gerrig 1993). LEGO does not only adapt the story into their games but also add an interactive experience of players being a part of this world which may have once been seen by the players through the movies. Due to the iconic nature of these games having minimal to no speech, there is a different element of humour in the way these characters communicate through actions which add to a different perspective to the story of Star Wars.
Rutledge (2018) explains how in transmedia storytelling, it can have elements where the audience travels across different platforms in the world of the story. The LEGO Star Wars franchise has also adapted this famous narrative into their physical forms of LEGO as well as the video games, allowing for a different dimension and senses in touch, play and imagination to be activated when thinking about Star Wars on top of their iconic movies.
