Published on International Documentary Association (http://www.documentary.org)
Transmedia Is the New Black: "Media That Matters" Conference Explores the Future of Storytelling
By Lynn Hughes
The most successful documentaries have lasting impact. This concept isn't revolutionary. Any director
pouring his or her life into a documentary wants that effort to be worthwhile. But in today's swiftly
changing media landscape, how do filmmakers achieve that impact? And perhaps more importantly, how
can this new landscape create opportunities that enable the impact we strive for?
There seems to be a lot of talk these days about transmedia storytelling among the documentary
community. Certainly there are those who have been aware of the concept since it was first introduced in
the '90s and then brought into the mainstream culture in 2003 by MIT professor Henry Jenkins.
Commercial media interests have been capitalizing on transmedia storytelling for decades now.
So just what is it?
Transmedia storytelling is storytelling across multiple forms of media with each element making distinctive
contributions to a viewer's understanding of the story. By using different media formats, transmedia creates
"entrypoints" through which viewers can become immersed in a storytelling world.
Telling stories across platforms seems a perfect way to create impact. So why hasn't the documentary
community fully adopted it?
This is just one of many questions posed at the Center for Social Media's Media That Matters conference
which was held in Washington, DC, last month.
Many know the Center for Social Media for their groundbreaking work on Fair Use. But in their 10 years
of operation, the Center has also offered a robust programming slate that addresses pressing needs in the
documentary community. One of the Center's most successful programs (and perhaps the best kept secret in
the documentary community) is its annual conference.
The conference began in 2005 as a workshop entitled Making Your Documentary Matter. It was billed as a
showcase of strategies and resources for documentary filmmakers. Over the years it evolved into the
Making Your Media Matter conference, tackling issues from public engagement strategies to ethical
documentary filmmaking. This year the conference was re-launched as Media That Matters, to celebrate the
Center for Social Media's ongoing partnership with Arts Engine, the New York-based nonprofit that
"supports, promotes and distributes independent media of consequence." Pat Aufderheide, director of the
Center for Social Media, sees a great synergy in the partnership. "We are thrilled to collaborate with Arts
Engine, with which we share values and goals; our separate conferences have a similar approach and attract
similar populations. We both want the people who come to our conferences to be alerted to the other one."
This year's theme for Media That Matters was Storytelling Across Platforms, the goal of which was to
demystify the concept of transmedia. Aufderheide says they wanted to "bring it down to earth and practice,
and demonstrate creative approaches to using all the media available to support documentarians'
objectives." And the speakers at MTM did not fail.
The most compelling panel was a look at three successful transmedia projects--Jacqueline Olive's Always in
Season Island, a Second Life outreach accompaniment to her Always in Season documentary currently in
production; Roland Legiardi-Laura's new media project Power Poetry, which grew from his documentary
To Be Heard; and Luisa Dantas multi-platform documentary project Land of Opportunity. What was
remarkable about these projects is that while each uses a different media platform, they are all engaging
and activating the audience outside of the documentary viewing experience. And for many in the
documentary community, that is the ultimate goal.
From Luisa Dantas' Land of Opportunity.
Transmedia storytelling is an active process. As Legiardi-Laura pointed out, "A lot of filmmakers think ‘I
did my film, now I'll do a website.' That's very passive." It's up to the filmmaker these days to recognize
the power of the tools they have available to them and to use them. Yes, for most, money is an issue, but it
needn't be an excuse.
More and more funds are becoming available for transmedia projects. Alyce Myatt, who was recently
appointed New Media Director at the National Endowment for the Arts, announced that the agency's
guidelines had been revised to reflect the inclusion of transmedia projects. And with the advent of
Kickstarter, it's becoming easier to raise funds for projects like these. Legiardi-Laura breaks it down pretty
simply: "Ideas, imagination and passion will sustain you. There are a lot of people doing this development
with little money."
And filmmakers shouldn't let their technophobia get in the way of their vision. Olive knew from the
beginning that she wanted an interactive platform to explore her subject matter: the dark history of lynching
in America. But she knew she needed help to realize her vision. Olive began by reaching out to those who
could help her. The National Black Programming Consortium had a new media program that helped her
get started. She also received support from the Bay Area Video Coalition. Once she identified Second Life
as the right platform, Olive recruited her development team. She encouraged others not to "be intimidated
by the tech folk...They can really help you expand your reach. They can be advocates for your film and
they're helping you translate your vision." Dantas concurred: "If you have an idea and you want to extend
the reach of your story beyond the reach of your piece, you need to start to suss out who has the skills set of
what you want to do, because there is a huge interest in tech developers in working with more traditional
storytellers."
From Jacqueline Olive's Always in Season Island.
The takeaway from this year's Media That Matters conference can be summed up like this: How do you get
heard in a society drowned out by white noise? The first way is to tell a compelling story that draws people
to it. What to do next? At the end of the film, when people are there with you, they are there with you for
a tiny window. Through transmedia, they can become a storyteller. They can become a participant.
So what are we waiting for?
Lynn Hughes is an award-winning documentary filmmaker living in the DC area. A geek at heart, she also
consults on digital media issues and outreach for films and nonprofits.
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Source URL: http://www.documentary.org/magazine/transmedia-new-black-media-matters-conferenceexplores-future-storytelling