#cwebfa

[transmediawriting]

Transmedia Writing Class Shoot Day, July 2016

If the vain, petty, jealous deities of ancient Greece were alive and well in 2016, where would they be found? Why, on their own reality TV show, of course!

That’s the fun premise of The Real Goddesses of Mt. Olympus, an upcoming multi-platform student project that’ll use websites, social media, and YouTube videos to peer into the lives of these modern-day mythical characters.

I had a blast helping my Transmedia Writing campus students (as well as some of their creative friends from other disciplines) shoot video on the Full Sail University studio back lot: (L-R) Daniela (Creative Writing for Entertainment BFA major and current TMW student), Sha’ Kerea (CWEBFA; current TMW student); Ramona (CWEBFA; future TMW student); Kyle (CWEBFA; future TMW student); Taylor (CWEBFA; current TMW student); Gordon (CWEBFA; current TMW student); Sarah (Music Business major); Brittani (actor); Alann (Music Business major); and Isabella (Media Communications major).

(One of the things I really love about Full Sail students is how creative, supportive, and collaborative they are with each other.)

Thanks for all your hard work this past month, gang, and good luck on your final project!

[transmediawriting]

Hansel & Gretel vs. The Mad Hatter

Ah, shoot day — one of my favorite days in my Transmedia Writing class each term!

At Full Sail University, we have an entire studio back lot (including a private woods area) for our students to use; this month my campus students are creating a fun transmedia mash-up of The Brothers Grimm and Lewis Carroll. (One team in the online section of my class this term is doing an adaptation of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland as well — maybe it’s something in the air this time of year?)

In the top photo (L-R) are students Andrew, Daniel, Jessica (a Full Sail Game Art student, playing the part of Gretel), Adam (as Hansel), Dempsey (as The Mad Hatter), Ben, Jason, and Matthew. In the last photo is Dempsey with his character’s talented makeup artist (and my former Transmedia Writing student) Adelia.

It’s so fun to see my all my students’ hard work come to fruition each month, and to see Full Sail students from different departments bringing their creative talents together to make cool stuff. Congrats to these and all my current Transmedia Writing students!

[transmediawriting]

I work at a pretty cool place.

[transmediawriting]

First Person Travel is a first-of-its-kind travel agency that runs all-inclusive immersive narrative adventure trips throughout the Bay Area. We’re looking for folks to join us!

“First Person Travel is a first-of-its-kind travel agency based out of San Francisco. We develop and run all-inclusive immersive narrative adventure trips throughout the Bay Area. Our first production, The Headlands Gamble, is currently in a soft-launch phase, and we’re looking for people to join our rockstar team.”

How cool does this sound? They’re currently looking for an Associate Producer, a Stage Manager, and a Field Operations Lead.

Hat tip to Christy Dena for the link.

[transmediawriting]

TMW Hall of Fame: Holmes & Associates

In this student project, based on the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, YOU play the role of a prospective assistant to the illustrious ladies of Holmes and Associates, a detective agency headed by Sherly Holmes and her faithful sidekick, Dr. Harley Watson. To prove your mettle, you’ll need to explore the fictional town of Baskerton, NY, and piece together the clues that will explain Watson’s recent, hasty disappearance.

This project really takes the concept of “worldbuilding” to a whole new level in my class — its creators have essentially built an entire virtual town that you navigate via an interactive ThingLink map, and each fictional town business has its own website, complete with working email, phone number, and more. The storyworld just seems to keep going and going the more you click, and it’s really up to you how far down the rabbit hole you’d like to go.

Put on your detective hat and start your journey at holmesandassociate.wix.com/weareonthecase.

Congratulations to my former students and new Transmedia Writing Hall of Famers Michael Conard, Daniel Conklin, Patrinia Johnson, Kathleen Khan, Liana McComie, Megan Mcglamery, and Orion Christy!

[transmediawriting]

Archer Season 6 GIANT Easter Egg

As Archer’s Pam Poovey would say, holy s---snacks! This very impressive and deep rabbit hole shows once again how well the makers of Archer know and love their fans. I do not have nearly the amount of free time, patience, or brains required to decode something like this, but I am glad there are people out there who do. The razor-sharp Imgur poster who figured this out should probably be working in the lab with Dr. Krieger himself!

Hat tip to Krystyn Wells for the link!

[transmediawriting]

“Dreams of Riley’s Friends is a six-week encounter with a stranger from out of town. The decisions you make about this new-found friend, steer a story that occurs entirely by text messages on your mobile phone. No set, no lights, no venue to go to.

Will you invite Riley to tomorrow’s parade? Will you keep dreaming of the house that is slowly filling up with milk? Will you change the way you feel about the metal lever in your mind?

Dreams is an interactive, slow-motion story that unfolds over six weeks. Sometimes we’ll send several texts in a day. Sometimes none for a week. Where the story takes you – and the Riley you get to know – depend on the choices you make.

From Kirk Lynn, Steve Moore, Zack Booth Simpson, Justin Sane, Andy Stalick, and the team that brought you last year’s Computer Simulation of the Ocean.”

Sounds promising! I signed up at the above link with my cell phone number, email address, and first name, and got a confirmation message saying I’d receive the first text message of the show on April 7th at around 7pm, along with further info on what to expect, and how the story will play out. I’m looking forward to it!

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“‘Audience’ is not really the affected term for it. I’ve struggled with it for a really long time within the work, because in some instances I’m always trying to leave room for the audience to participate in some way. The audience is a hive mind. They’re fast, smart, and challenge you in ways that are really quite exquisite.”