I AM... KATRELL THE PHENOMENAL

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So, yesterday I learned something new. While I consider myself a transmedia storyteller of sorts (more on that in a bit), I discovered that I may actually be an East Coast transmedia storyteller.

I was at Barnes & Noble - successfully resisting the bargain books and browsing new indie fashion mags - when I passed a table packed with books that I wanted to scoop up and bring home. Titles like: Think Like a Rockstar: How To Create Social Media and Marketing Strategies That Turn Customers Into Fans and Jab, Jab, Jab Right Hook: How To Tell Your Story in a Noisy, Social World. 

But the one that really grabbed me was:

Ultimately I didn’t take the book home, but I did take this golden nugget from Chapter 2: What is Transmedia Anyway? 

There’s a divide between what some wags would call West Coast versus East Coast transmedia. West Coast-style transmedia, more commonly called Hollywood or franchise transmedia, consists of multiple pieces of media: feature films, video games, that kind of thing.

The author, Andrea Phillips, uses Star Wars as an example of W.C. transmedia: how the films, video games, and books are lightly interwoven, but can be consumed on their own. Others have stated that it could be a way to save the studio system, or just a way to play with Intellectual Property that they don’t own.

As for the East Coast…

On the other end of the spectrum, East Coast transmedia tends to be more interactive, and much more web-centric. It overlaps with the tradition of independent film, theater, and interactive art. These projects make heavy use of social media…and the plot is so tightly woven between media that you might not fully understand what’s going on if you don’t actively seek out multiple pieces of the story. 

Andrea uses Lance Weiler’s “indie film experience" Pandemic as an example: 

Pandemic 1.0 at Sundance from Lance Weiler

One reason for this technical divide is that some producers are #antitransmedia due to the Producer’s Guild creating a transmedia producer’s credit. This resulted in disagreement whether or not it was too strict (with a minimum of 3 or more story lines) or even irrelevant. Some argue "Franchising isn’t transmedia, it’s FRANCHISING!”

Where this concerns you, is to think about how you can use transmedia, East or West coast style, to enhance your business, campaign, or project. The great thing with East Coast-style transmedia is you start with one story and build it up piece by piece.  

Henry Jenkins, author of Spreadable Media, gives a convincing Six Reasons Why Transmedia Producers Should Read Spreadable Media.  For example, he encourages to follow Retro-users.  In contrast to following “lead users” or those that can set trends, he argues that:

…retro-users do the opposite kind of work: they sift through cultural materials which are about to be swept off to the junk yard and they help to identify content which still has potential value.

It’s a lot of information, but here are a few easy things you can do:

Do a little transmedia research online. Look at examples, if possible see how people in your situation are using it.

Discuss transmedia with some of your friends or colleagues. Would the West or East coast model work better for you?

Brainstorm a way you can start your transmedia campaign. Remember, you can start small and build, build, build.

Now, do it!

In the newest issue of the Star Wars comic, that takes place after Episode 4 & before 5, a bounty hunter that had been looking for Han Solo finally tracked him down, and revealed herself to be Sana Solo aka his estranged wife!!!!

My first reaction was holy shit. Han Solo was married? She’s black, so is she Lando’s sister? Is she possibly Finn’s mother? This is such a huge revelation for such an iconic character like Han, & there was no such mention or clue in the original trilogy of these events ever happening, so they definitely got my attention.  

But then my second reaction was damn this feels familiar. I know that I had read a scene like this before somewhere. Then I went through my collection, and I remembered.

THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT A WOMAN: She puts God first before anyone and anything, knows that her family is priority, understands that her children are the ultimate reason for purpose and that her legacy can only live on through the sacrifice of giving and loving unconditionally. She is often times the glue that keeps the family together, the backbone behind the men in her life whether that be her grandfather, father, brother and or business/life partner(s). She is the perfect fit for a man. She’s the light that enters a room followed by a delightful scented aroma. She brings emotions out of you that no one can explain, yet and still, you find yourself not being able to get enough of her. She may test you but at the same time bring the best out of you. She is your strength while simultaneously your weakness. There’s something about a woman…. not to be confused with those who claim to be one in today’s society. There is a sense of pride that comes with the role of a woman but just because she was born one doesn’t mean she can uphold the position. When a woman knows her true worth, she can become an asset to everyone who crosses her path. When she understands that there is a choice to take hold of the power that so exists within her bosom, it is then where we as a human race will begin falling back into our original place of culture and morality. WOMEN, many of us have fallen into the wrong position when it comes to our power. True leaders know the importance of their roles and don’t need the title to do what’s right. We have more power than we give ourselves credit for, yet many are trying so hard to claim more than we need to. Sadly, the roles of men vs women have been reversed to the point where we don’t even have a culture that exists within our country any longer. Traditions are becoming a thing of the past. Confusion has become the “norm” which has regrettably left us with more chaos than order. Why? Because we are so busy trying to be something we were never supposed to be in the first place. As a woman I can only speak for women. While I support independence, I don’t condone disrespecting the levels of power a woman has been rightfully given from birth vs those of men. I truly believe if we focus more on uplifting, giving, loving and helping rather than tearing down, taking from, hating and competing… our world as we see it will begin to change for the better. It may not change right away, but I do believe there are strength in numbers. And if we agreed today to shift our focus into a more beneficial perspective for all… just MAYBE there might be hope for us after all. Again, this is not to test women of power who are making a difference. This is for those who have disgraced our innocence and true worth by forgetting how valuable they actually were. There’s something about a woman….If ONLY she knew.