The Three Es: The Value of Transmedia Fiction For Franchise Deve... https://www.provideocoalition.com/the-three-es-the-value-of-transm...

TMC

The Three Es: The Value of Transmedia Fiction

Franchise Development

James Waugh July 4, 2013

My first tangible encounter with a transmedia franchise came on my si

1 of 14 7/23/20, 10:09 AM
The Three Es: The Value of Transmedia Fiction For Franchise Deve... https://www.provideocoalition.com/the-three-es-the-value-of-transm...

before, I had started to see my first grade contemporaries playing with

had the ability to transform from trucks, planes, guns, and boom boxes
the coolest things imaginable to any six-year-old boy: robots! These, of c
generation of that bedrock product of geek culture, Hasbro’s billion-dol
At the time, I couldn’t begin to fathom how these objects would spark s
engagement and creativity within me, nor could I anticipate how they w
childhood in such a rich and encompassing way. They were, after all, jus
that the cool kids at school were playing with Transformers during rece
covetously as they shifted between automotive and robotic forms. Like
grade schooler, I had to have them too so I could join the fun. The word
that the two Transformers I needed to get were called Optimus Prime a
names to me then, not the characters that would come to define them
looming on the horizon, I sat down and composed a wish list, making s
leaders were at the top.

I always hated alarm clocks. (I still do.) But I remember setting mine to 6
before my birthday so I could start opening gifts as early as possible. Wh
the next morning, I ran right up the stairs in pajamas to my parents’ bed
and over (in a cute voice that I’m sure went unappreciated at 6 AM), “It’s
birthday! It’s my birthday!” On the dresser I saw a large box wrapped in
sporting a big blue bow. My father, seeing the eager smile on my face a
were fixated on the package as if a tractor beam had them in its grip, g
handed me the present. I wasted no time shredding the wrapping pap
was beneath. But something was wrong. The packaging didn’t have the
interstellar robotic warfare that was standard on all Transformers toy bo
generic white cardboard, the kind that held the socks I’d get at Christm
lumps protruding from within. Inside were two yellow zucchinis with Sh
drawings on them, anthropomorphizing the vegetables with eyes, whe

“Zucchinibots!” my father said, trying to hold back a smile. My eyes narr

NOT. COOL. “I saw those Transformers you keep talking about,” he cont
probably would like something I made for you myself more… And they’r
Transformers are so expensive. I figure with zucchinis, I can make you n
want!”

I was mad. Fuming. This had to be either a joke or some cruel misunder
mother was sure to rectify. But as the hours rolled by and I still had noth
play with as my grandparents arrived with balloons and cake, it seemed
Autobots or Decepticons on my birthday after all. It was Zucchinibots fo

2 of 14 7/23/20, 10:09 AM
The Three Es: The Value of Transmedia Fiction For Franchise Deve... https://www.provideocoalition.com/the-three-es-the-value-of-transm...

Near sundown, we ate dinner. I opened a few other non-Transformer pr

way to dessert. When the cake came out, I made a wish. I want Optimu
Megatron. They were already becoming characters in my mind. Once th
something happened that left me believing in miracles and the power
come. My father reached behind the couch and revealed two new gifts,
big bows. My eyes lit up at the sight. To this day, I’ve never unwrapped p
had come true. I got my Transformers—Megatron and Optimus Prime.
names in glee. I was so elated that it completely slipped my thoughts th
and some might say mean joke had just been played on me.

It’s a funny memory that I hold dear, even if it does remind me of the te
humor my father had. And, sure, the force of that memory alone was en
back fondly at those toys for years. But nostalgia doesn’t explain why I (o
parents) continued purchasing Transformers for the next six years of my
man have consumed movies, comics, TV shows, and books based on th
present day. Unlike so many other toys that I’d gotten as a kid, played w
weeks later for the next new thing, Transformers inspired an affinity fro
time went on.

Why was that? Why do I see Transformer toys and still get bombarded w
characters they represent, burrowed into my mind, my imagination giv
context and personas that go far beyond the plastic and metal they’re c

The answers to these questions led me to the career I have today, as I d

importance of character and story and realized the deeply meaningful i
in any form of brand building.

THE POWER OF CHARACTER AND NARRATIVE

As human beings, we are all storytellers (whether we’re good at it or no

around us by telling stories. Our memories are simply stories about our
context, character, and catharsis to everything that we perceive. This es
about Transformers. There’s a beginning, a middle, and an end—a desir
inevitably, a resolution. Sure, that was a bit of a deus ex machina at the
was attempting to deliver the defining example of narrative form. That
by which I relate to those events in my life, and you probably won’t forg
Stories create a deep, impactful connection among those who experien
to reflect on the characters and form opinions about what they do, ultim
on our lives. Stories are mankind’s original interactive medium.

3 of 14 7/23/20, 10:09 AM
The Three Es: The Value of Transmedia Fiction For Franchise Deve... https://www.provideocoalition.com/the-three-es-the-value-of-transm...

My engagement with the Transformers continued not because of the m

but because of something that happened shortly afterward. That was w
Transformers, a 22-minute animated TV series I’d eagerly watch the sec
school. It may have been a glorified toy advertisement, but the show ta
Prime and Megatron were far more than names on a box. They were ch
personalities, needs, and desires, whose stories made me contemplate
courage, and loyalty, along with concepts like right and wrong, jealousy
those birthday presents had an entirely new layer of connectivity and co
enriched my time playing with Transformers, and though I didn’t under
then, it was directly responsible for forging my personalized connection
brand and the toys within it. These weren’t just playthings anymore; the
whom I had thought about and emotionally reacted to, giving them an
anything else in my cluttered toy chest.

The TV series might have been enough to keep me hooked, but my exp
On a trip to the grocery store, I found my way into the periodicals sectio
Marvel’s Transformers comic books. This new expression of the IP—that
—allowed Hasbro to push deeper into the Transformers’ mythology tha
in a non-serialized television show. That’s right: I said “mythology.” This w
ladies and gentlemen, and it was so much richer than its competitors b
notions like giving the universe a cohesive history. It didn’t matter whet
behind the property still hung on cool cars turning into silly robots with
Bumblebee. The comic and TV show sparked ideas that begot new toys
toy line were integrated into these other media. Transformers began to
of my life. When I wasn’t playing with them, I was reading about them o
television. The Transformers brand became all-encompassing, and my c
cemented by the ancillary content to the core product. It was distinctly
before the term was coined and it was unlike so many of its competitor
 Looking back, it was these early transmedia encounters that made the
indelible to me and, it was this defining transmedia experience, the ima
ride of that toy brand, that has led me down the career path I’ve travers
professional. There were lessons to be had in its construction, lessons th
the entertainment brands of today.

Below I’ll posit what I believe are the three strongest benefits of develop
material outside of a property’s core focus. (Just as toys were the core fo
games are the core for the company I am employed by. However, you c
product with whatever applies best to your interests.) I call these benefi
ENRICH, ENGAGE, AND EVANGELIZE. By creating an ecology of narrat

4 of 14 7/23/20, 10:09 AM
The Three Es: The Value of Transmedia Fiction For Franchise Deve... https://www.provideocoalition.com/the-three-es-the-value-of-transm...

entertainment, you make the IP richer, give fans greater potential enga
and allow Evangelizers to increase the brand’s advertising in manifold w
methodology to my former work as a film executive and most adamant
Blizzard Entertainment, expanding and developing blockbuster brands
StarCraft, and Diablo.

ENRICHING THE IP

There’s an old adage in Hollywood that “work begets more work.” In an

famine, the momentum garnered from being prolific is undeniable. Th
development as well. Expressing transmedia narratives across platform
character and concept creation. It generates fluid momentum that inev
creators a much more fertile landscape to compose future content from
out; villains will be born; the setting will be more deeply examined. By d
the conveyance mechanisms for the story world—the franchise develop
truly mining the entire potential of the IP, as inevitably creators ask diffe
come up with different answers depending on the platform they’re wor
up because of the specific needs of a comic book, a novel, or an ARG (al
narrative might not have been possible or even considered during the d
or movie. The IP steward constantly needs to do exploratory work, plum
searching for the “Yahooo!” of striking gold. Often, that “yahoo” concept
until years after its initial discovery.

Mining an IP for all of its potential pays off down the line, and it is the m
create ancillary content. Comics, novels, books, and so on aren’t where t
and they shouldn’t be judged by that value. They are conceptual spark
as the franchise matures. The costs attributed to these projects should
inexpensive R&D.

Let’s see IP mining in practice with a few examples. I’ll shift away from T
moment and look at an instance from the granddaddy of entertainmen
In the mid-1990s, Dark Horse Comics released a series called Tales of the
the events during the as-yet-unexplored “Old Republic” era of the IP’s h
moderately successful title, which in dollars-and-cents terms is compar
However, the series was full of terrific ideas and built a rich mythology f
covered in the Star Wars universe. Years later, when RPG super-compan
license from Lucasfilm to develop a video game, the content and conce
fleshed out in these comics led to the now-legendary Knights of the Old
spawned a sequel, a series of comics, toys, and novels that further explo

5 of 14 7/23/20, 10:09 AM
The Three Es: The Value of Transmedia Fiction For Franchise Deve... https://www.provideocoalition.com/the-three-es-the-value-of-transm...

politics. Currently, EA and BioWare are maintaining a massive MMORPG

expression of the Star Wars IP, an expression that would never have bee
hadn’t been firmly committed to developing narrative within the frame
across multiple platforms, in order to realize Star Wars’ full potential.

Another great example comes from my experience at Blizzard Entertain

Warcraft’s expansion, Cataclysm, features the mad black dragon Deathw
Deathwing first appeared in the 1996 Warcraft II expansion, Beyond the
he was a fairly minor character. However, as the years went on and Blizz
Pocket Books, the Warcraft novels explored Deathwing in greater depth
much bigger villain with a lot more nuance behind his behavior, a flesh
character. This was possible because linear prose narrative asks differen
than the video game world did in ’96, demanding insight into personali
plausible motivations. This work begot work… By the time 2010 rolled ar
villain displayed prominently in four novels. His motives had been thoro
became clear to the game’s developers that this character was the idea
for to raze the realm of Old Azeroth! Because Blizzard’s publishing prog
incubated the IP and its villains, Deathwing was ready to go when the c
game—needed him. The ancillary content developed in Blizzard’s novel
useful tool in the overall success of the Warcraft franchise.

Finally, the FPS giant Halo has also delved into its IP to incubate and en
franchise. Writer and Microsoft narrative design director Eric Nylund wr
The Fall of Reach. In 2010, the setting and concepts generated in that ti
launching point for the blockbuster FPS game Halo: Reach, a reimagini
envisioned in the novel. In addition, Halo’s publishing program invented
leading, of course, to the 2009 title Halo 3: ODST, a game centered on th

With the right steward representing the core product, this ancillary con
the franchise. The bean counters might say that it doesn’t make enoug
that’s only because they often don’t understand the mercurial nature o
development, andoften fail to attribute the cost of these projects to R&D
primary medium.

ENGAGE THE FANS

Every time you finish a story, you start a conversation. This has never be
because there are more places than ever to have these discussions. As I
story is designed to challenge its viewers/readers to reflect on their opin

6 of 14 7/23/20, 10:09 AM
The Three Es: The Value of Transmedia Fiction For Franchise Deve... https://www.provideocoalition.com/the-three-es-the-value-of-transm...

characters and, inevitably, their own morality. These reactions are not m
Going back to Transformers for a moment, I can still recall countless arg
debates about why Megatron kept Starscream around when he clearly
Decepticon leader, along with many other disputes that are too dorky t
that one weren’t bad enough). My friends and I were invested in these s
needed to share our feelings about the characters with each other. The
designed to evoke an emotional response. But from a purely mercenary
engaged us in the brand. We were engaged in Transformers, talking ab
show wasn’t on or the next issue of the comic wasn’t out. They were an
lives, and more often than not, we ended up purchasing a new toy som
month.

Today, these conversations aren’t happening in just the schoolyard anym

series of tubes known as the Internet, and every opinion ever uttered, n
be found with the click of a mouse. Continuous creation of ancillary stor
more to talk about, more to think about, and more to engage with whe
from the core medium or are in between movies, seasons, or novel relea
express their reactions on company message boards or external journal
summarize and review this content. For Warcraft, there is such an avid p
with the game’s lore that there are many of these sites to choose from,
debates to occur. This leads to a much deeper experience than the core
ever offer. Your audience can engage with what they love at all times, in
means if they’re not in the mood to interact with the primary medium,
or (perhaps more importantly) share their views about the franchise an
enough material so fans can constantly learn something new, constant
to the IP, is the ultimate goal of transmedia narrative.

In the game space, another strong benefit of ancillary content is that it

replay the game, giving them more to explore. Other media can flesh o
in rich, exciting ways, inspiring players to revisit a level or game so they
fresh context. This ancillary content often results in a much more enjoy
enabling fans to have greater understanding and deeper pathos than t
currently induce. For an MMO developer with monthly subscribers, hav
keep gamers intrigued and eager to renew their subscriptions is a mass

If you engage your fans properly, giving them content that spreads like
communities and news sites and offering them other ways to experienc
inevitably you’ll cultivate the coveted Super Fan.

7 of 14 7/23/20, 10:09 AM
The Three Es: The Value of Transmedia Fiction For Franchise Deve... https://www.provideocoalition.com/the-three-es-the-value-of-transm...

Year after year, time after time, the people who will consistently return t
feel the most rewarded, the most involved in the IP. These are the Supe
before. They line up for BlizzCon in their tier 8 paladin armor. They are th
Jokers wandering like twisted zombies around the halls of Comic-Con. T
know every last bit of all the characters’ histories in the fictitious worlds
everything that’s produced under the IP out of sheer enjoyment. They s
or overlooked. They are the ones who will come back after Metacritic ha
or Rotten Tomatoes kills your supposed blockbuster. Any franchise wor
needs Super Fans and longs to have hordes of them, and not just becau
their personal purchases (though that ain’t bad). If you engage these fa
become Evangelizers of your property and the best honest advertising
hope to find.

Which, of course, brings me to our next E.

THE EVANGELIZERS

Ultimately, having an enriched IP that people are engaged with should

Evangelizers, fans who will spread the holy gospel of your franchise. The
your careful nurturing of the transmedia experience so much that they
with others. They’ll write essays decades later about their fan love (like m
walking billboards for your franchise, and they will do so for their own e
you’ve done your work right and respected them. These fans will pick u
more avenues of engagement. They spawn fansites, clubs, cosplay even
ways to interact with the property. Some of these fans even start busine
adoration. Sites like WoW Insider and Lorehound earn revenue by adver
want to engage further with the IP. In World of Warcraft, every guild ha
shares the game’s story with those who don’t read the books or all the q

Today a major avenue for Evangelizer participation is the magic of wiki

knowledge of every beloved franchise is easily discoverable with only a
you’re not a Super Fan or you don’t take in the transmedia content, one
IP of choice will open up the Cliffs Notes for a panoply of information. I c
times I’ve found myself losing entire weekends to the Star Wars (Wooki
or Lost wikis. These resources have inevitably lent massive efficacy and
Once again, these sites are created by Super Fans, by Evangelizers who
sharing the information, stories, and character histories that have enter
benefits and get more franchise-engaged pleasure because of the Evan
transmedia experience goes far beyond the actual products made for it

8 of 14 7/23/20, 10:09 AM
The Three Es: The Value of Transmedia Fiction For Franchise Deve... https://www.provideocoalition.com/the-three-es-the-value-of-transm...

Evangelizers, fans who don’t have time to consume that entire novel or
every expansion can go to these sites and see that their franchise is offe
than the core medium.

Of course, traditional licensing rationale still holds water here. Expanded

brand bubble is terrific, low-cost advertising. Shelf space in stores for pr
Wars or books like Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects reminds consumers of
billboard Coke ads remind drivers of their favorite soda. Many of the nov
Blizzard have ended up on the New York Times Best Sellers’ list, which m
highbrow folks who read the New York Times every Sunday can’t escap
of Warcraft when they want to find out what’s going on in the literary w
of brand evangelizing, and all of it is possible because of the ancillary co

A LIFE’S PASSION SPARKED BY PLASTIC

Those are the Three Es, the three values that codify my personal metho
franchise building through transmedia content.

You get the idea. I could write on and on, proselytizing you about why I
is an effective and essential component of franchise building and why I
methodology is the ideal philosophy for creating that content. I could fu
three Es and rattle off examples ad nauseam. Instead, I’ll spare you and
this codification of ideas is its simplicity, and that you’ll reflect on your o
see how those Es have impacted you. Because despite all the business
how producing ancillary content helps make you money, at the end of t
money by creating amazing experiences for people like you and me, an
important. This content makes you money by doing something intrinsic
people great stories, characters, gameplay, and entertainment that give
and meaning.

For me, two plastic toys and the ancillary fictional content that support
career and passion. I hope the work I (and you) create has the same effe
somewhere who’s already dreaming of the franchises of the future. I jus
doesn’t have as demented a sense of humor as mine did… Then again, m

James Waugh is the Lead Writer, Franchise Development at Blizzard

TWITTER –  @Waughtang

9 of 14 7/23/20, 10:09 AM
The Three Es: The Value of Transmedia Fiction For Franchise Deve... https://www.provideocoalition.com/the-three-es-the-value-of-transm...

Support ProVideo Coalition

Filmtools
Filmmakers go-to destination for pre-production, p
production equipment!

Shop Now

WHAT DO YOU THINK? LET US KNOW.

Your comment...

Login with or as guest:

Name *

Email *

Comments: 0

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

No comments to display

10 of 14 7/23/20, 10:09 AM
The Three Es: The Value of Transmedia Fiction For Franchise Deve... https://www.provideocoalition.com/the-three-es-the-value-of-transm...

PVC Favorites
NAB 2016 – some thoughts on the VR hype-stream and
the reality of PRESENCE
Written by Neil Smith

With less than two weeks to go before NAB 2016 and my inbox regularly 2 Years Ago
inundated with a multitude of...
The film look: wha
there two of them

11 of 14 7/23/20, 10:09 AM
The Three Es: The Value of Transmedia Fiction For Franchise Deve... https://www.provideocoalition.com/the-three-es-the-value-of-transm...

Helping filmmakers realize the full potential of VR

storytelling
Written by Jeremiah Karpowicz

Figuring out how content creators can and should approach storytelling in a
virtual environment is something I’ve explored in...

Using Reward-based Crowdfunding to Build Exposure:

The Results
Written by Jerome Goerke

Near the start of our reward-based crowdfunding campaign I wrote a piece

for PVC outlining the ‘partnership approach’ we...

Distributed Databases: Tech Disruption That is Going to

Give Media Producers a New Edge
Written by Michael Magee

The Fellini film 8½ is perhaps one of the best films about the anxiety and
creative crisis of making...

12 of 14 7/23/20, 10:09 AM
The Three Es: The Value of Transmedia Fiction For Franchise Deve... https://www.provideocoalition.com/the-three-es-the-value-of-transm...

Latest

41 Mins Ago
Reviewing the Sig
Sensor In A Tiny B
CONTACT USEFUL LINKS OUR WEBSITES

" +1-747-444-1870 Advertise With Us Filmtools

# Mobile App moviola.com

contact@provideocoalition.c Topics Moviola Digital

13 of 14 7/23/20, 10:09 AM
The Three Es: The Value of Transmedia Fiction For Franchise Deve... https://www.provideocoalition.com/the-three-es-the-value-of-transm...

om Meet the Experts

Webinars

Contact Us

© 2020 ProVideo Coalition, a Moviola Company. All Rights Reserved.

Terms of Service Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Sitemap

14 of 14 7/23/20, 10:09 AM