RTF 331K Transmedia Storytelling

This Tumblr will be collaboratively authored by students in RTF331K: Transmedia Storytelling at the University of Texas at Austin.  This is a space to post responses to readings, and to share/reblog relevant materials related to transmedia storytelling broadly, and the Star Wars transmedia franchise specifically. 

Star Wars: The Old Republic is a video game transmedia extension to the Star Wars filmic universe.  It is of the Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game genre.  The game takes place approximately ten thousand years before the events of the films. Events closely mirroring those in the films are occurring in the galaxy, but on a much grander scale.  The empire of the Sith still exists and is at a galaxy wide conflict with the a Republic like group of systems backed by the Jedi, so the narrative of light versus dark side is still consistent as with the films, and most other Star Wars paratexts.  The Old Republic, due to its nature as a multiplayer game, is an active narrative paratext that encourages fan interaction within the universe, with the universe and each other, and without in the same manner.  From a functional perspective, The Old Republic serves as a prequel to the parent text of the Star Wars films, explaining the cyclical nature of the conflict between the light and dark side and how the two sides both came to be and what they stand for in more detail than is allowed in the films.  It is easily accessible as it is not particularly skill intensive and is also free to play; although there are a number of transactions that can be made for aesthetic purposes so as to produce revenue for the producer of the game, that being the Canada based video game studio BioWare and publisher Electronic Arts. It can attract fans due to it being set in the Star Wars universe and (at least at the time of release) its lore is considered canon, thus peaking interest in any lore junkies like myself. It could also serve to introduce new people to the world of Star Wars (although this is probably a small minority of players due to the cultural spread of Star Wars at large, and one of the main draws of the game being it being a licensed game and thus an official extension within the Star Wars universe, giving the game a certain weight in the minds of the fan community.

This article is an interview of Thrawn series of Star Wars expanded universe books, Timothy Zahn. He is asked about the creation of his characters, as well as other things, but most interestingly from an authorial standpoint is his experience writing in an established universe versus writing within a universe he has created.  In the interview, Zahn talks about writing within the rules of an already established universe such as Star Wars.  He says that, when he writes his own universes, he can make the rules along the way, as long as he remains internally consistent.  On the other hand, writing for an already established universe means he has to adhere to that universe’s rules, but he also doesn’t have to explain them to readers; they are already known and understood to the reader of his extensions.  A quote from the interview that expresses Zahn’s thoughts would be, “It’s kind of the difference between playing basketball where you’ve got the edges, you’ve got rules, you’ve got how many people you can have on the court at the same time. Versus Calvin ball which Calvin and Hobbs like to play where I can kind of make things up however I want to do them.”  Zahn also talks about his authorial thought behind creating his character, Grand Admiral Thrawn.  He wanted to remain consistent to the universe of Star Wars, but also to create a character that wouldn’t step on the toes of the characters created by the original author of the text, George Lucas.  “Not your usual Imperial. When I was offered the Star Wars books, the first thing I knew I wanted to do was that I wanted to do something that felt like Star Wars but was not doing what Lucas had already done.”  He wanted to do this so that his character would be both interesting and recognizable. Being a villain in the Imperium, Thrawn needs to rule, so Zahn wanted him to rule differently from the rule by power or fear that distinguished Lucas’ Emperor or Vader characters, “How about a villain who leads by loyalty? Because in my opinion that’s a much more dangerous adversary because his people will fight for him whether he’s in the room or not.”

The article talks at length of J.J. Abrams as the new author figure of Star Wars and how he uses nostalgia to boost the success of the upcoming film. The article questions the overuse of nostalgia and its power juxtaposed to the original trilogy’s “breath of fresh air”. Yet, it praises Abrams excellent use of old artifacts of the trilogy in a practical effects and almost gritty manner, especially against Lucas’s attempt at the bold CGI fest of the prequel trilogy. In summary, the article says the cards are stack in Abrams favor for success.

The article takes a look at a change in Disney’s Star Wars shows. The article frames the decision as a response to fan outcry. For years Disney had dance off shows with Star Wars characters, which some fans took as demeaning. Now, Disney puts on a Star Wars tribute show, something more serious to better “respect” fans, especially with Episode VII around the corner. But is this really respecting fans, or is this something more suited to the new face of Disney’s Star Wars, as well as a good introduction to the new generation. The tribute is based around introducing the characters to the crowd and letting them have their time in the spotlight. This all culminates with a Symphony in the Stars fireworks show, another spectacle showcasing the work of John Williams. Not only does this show please fans new and old, but it masks itself under the guise of taking Star Wars “more seriously”. ��j�

This article describes the excitement and events at the Star Wars: The Force Awakens panel at San Diego Comic-Con. Fan interactions with authors and actors create an interestingly rare atmosphere. Beyond that, the article really showcases how much the shadow of the original trilogy holds over the new movie. All of the returning actors had the most excitement and surprise built up around them, while the new comers less so. The most exciting bit was a surprise Star Wars concert, an interesting but extremely nostalgic medium to focus on: John Williams’ music. Conventions are largely about celebrating and debating the old, while simultaneously hyping the new. The industry more and more takes the advertising from convention hype to its advantage. pw>��j�