Transmedia Storytelling and Entertainment: An annotated syllabus

Abstract

This article describes my experiences teaching a course on Transmedia Entertainment and Storytelling at the University of Southern California, a course which sought to bridge across multiple media and methodologies, to integrate the perspectives of industry insiders, and to encourage students to apply what they learn to the challenge of “pitching” a media franchise to a panel of creative practioners. The essay both shares the syllabus as a resource for other teachers and reflects on the challenges of teaching such cutting edge content. [Electronic Arts game designer] Neil Young talks about ‘additive comprehension.’ He cites the example of the director's cut of Blade Runner, where adding a small segment showing Deckard discovering an origami unicorn invited viewers to question whether Deckard might be a replicant: ‘That changes your whole perception of the film, your perception of the ending … The challenge for us, especially with the Lord of the Rings is how do we deliver that one piece of information that makes you look at the films differently?’ Henry Jenkins, Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide (2006)