Enrol in this Free Course Now


Transmedia Storytelling: Narrative worlds, emerging technologies, and global audiences is an exciting new free online course from UNSW Art & Design in collaboration with digital media think-tank and creative workshop X Media Lab, launching on September 19, 2016. 

The course is ongoing, and opens for enrolment each month. This gives you the flexibility to learn at a pace that suits you. 

Learn the strategies used in Hollywood to create innovative multi-platform storytelling experiences, from leading names in transmedia storytelling from the US, Canada, the UK and Australia.

About the course

Transmedia storytelling is the practice of designing, sharing, and participating in a cohesive story experience across multiple traditional and digital delivery platforms - for entertainment, advertising and marketing, or social change.

 

Have you ever read a book, seen a movie, watched a television show, or played a game that centred around different aspects of a larger story or universe? You may be familiar with popular examples of such universes like Star Wars, Marvel, and The Walking Dead (to name a few). How do the professionals develop such expansive narratives? How do they ensure that each element stays true to the original story? How do they innovatively use different technologies to share the stories, grow audiences and create an active and involved community of fans?

More and more, we are also engaging with elements or franchises of larger and more complex stories across a much more diverse range of platforms like interactive web experiences, social media communities, mobile devices, theme parks, and even augmented and virtual reality. A major challenge that current and future storytellers face is being able to engage different audiences in a story that is seamlessly told across all of these different platforms.

Who is this course for?

This course is designed for creative professionals, students, or anyone interested in gaining an ‘inside’ understanding of leading industry storytelling practices in contemporary culture using digital and emerging technologies. If you have a great story idea for entertainment, marketing or social change and want to learn how to develop it into an engaging multi-platform narrative experience that you can share with the world, then this is the course for you.

What will I learn?

This course will help you to design a strategy for developing and telling your own transmedia story. By completing the course you will learn about what it takes to:

  • Shape your ideas into compelling and well structured narratives and complex storyworlds
  • Identify, understand, and engage different audiences in your stories
  • Create cohesive user experiences across different platforms
  • Evaluate existing and emerging technologies to share your story with the world, and help your audience participate in the larger storyworld you create.

The course provides you with a unique, authentic, and industry relevant learning opportunity. You will have access to current theory, industry examples and advice and undertake learning activities that will equip you with the tools you need to start developing your own ideas.

Who will my instructors be?

You will learn effective transmedia design strategies from UNSW Academics Dr Simon McIntyreAssociate Professor Emma Robertson, Dr George Khut, Dr Oliver Bown, and Dr Jef Koh.

You will also examine case studies that demonstrate how amazing ideas, technology and audience contributions can be brought together to create dynamic storyworlds. You'll see examples of major, successful transmedia storytelling projects involving movies, digital entertainment, gaming, virtual reality and more. You’ll also hear from the following transmedia professionals brought to you by our industry partner X Media Lab.

  • Susan Bonds, 42 Entertainment, Los Angeles, USA
  • Flint Dille, Screenwriter, Game Designer and Novelist, Los Angeles, USA
  • Cindi Drennan, Illuminart, Adelaide, Australia
  • Tom Ellard, UNSW Art & Design, Sydney, Australia
  • Catherine Fargher, Dr Egg Digital, Sydney, Australia
  • Hal Hefner, 3AM Creative, USA
  • Brian Seth Hurst, StoryTech,  Los Angeles, USA
  • Henry Jenkins, School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California, USA
  • Mikey Leung, Digital Storytellers, Sydney, Australia
  • Alex Lieu, 42 Entertainment, Los Angeles, USA
  • Geoffery Long, Annenberg Innovation Lab, University of Southern California, USA
  • John McGhee, UNSW Art & Design, Sydney, Australia
  • Joseph Narai, Transmedia Entertainment, Sydney, Australia
  • Jeff Nicholas, The Uprising Creative, Los Angeles, USA
  • Sergio Paez, Graphic Artist working in animation, TV, video games, and film. Co Founder, StoryboardArt, California, USA
  • Steve Peters, No Mimes Media, Los Angeles, USA
  • Stuart Samuels, Stuart Samuels Productions, Toronto, Canada
  • Charles Santoso, Concept Artist, Sydney, Australia 
  • Seth Shapiro, New Amsterdam Media, Los Angeles, USA
  • Scott Snibbe, Eyegroove, San Francisco, USA
  • Tracey Taylor, The Pulse, Sydney, Australia
  • Robert Tercek, Public Speaker, Digital Media Strategist, and Executive Leader for Creative Ventures and Business Innovation, University of Southern California, USA
  • Kevin Williams, Founder & Director of KWP Ltd and DNA Association, UK
  • Brent Young, Super 78, Los Angeles, USA
  • Maya Zuckerman, Transmedia SF, San Francisco, USA

Start developing your own transmedia story now

Sign up now to begin developing your own story idea into a transmedia story world with gudiance and insights from UNSW Art & Design academics and industry professionals:

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