Making story innovation tangible
A personal journey of creative self-discovery amidst the emerging storytelling revolution in Asia.
This article is a preview excerpt. The full essay is published at the SNOBBY ROBOT — MAGAZINE FOR DIGITAL CREATIVES, Issue #1, Summer 2015.
“We transmedia practitioners and webseries creators often come from a very diverse professional background.
Most of us transitioned from a traditional media field over into the world of interactive, immersive and participatory storytelling. Some even come from an entirely different end of the spectrum, like finance or science.
For many, working in new media means a constant struggle. Creating your own content is a way to provide proof of concept, but often these projects lack resources and reach. Commissioned projects, that often pay the bills, also see limited resources deployed and often get adjusted throughout the production process to a point where creative identification with the final product is not always a given.
Adding to this conundrum comes the challenge of educating clients and finance partners about new technology innovation and emerging story formats. Transmedia creatives are constantly hitting the traditional media gatekeeper’s wall called “NO”. But still, there is the hope to find someone with the right mindset that can get things changing within the market eventually.
In a field with few benchmarks, loads of variables and no proven business models, transmedia creators are left high and dry on a bumpy road to make ends meet while finding their own artistic voice.
Everyone has their very own journey — how they ended up in this specific business and what it took to get things started. So here is my story through the unchartered transmedia territories of Asia:”
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“Innovation and especially transmedia is a double edge sword in Asia. Being ahead of the curve rarely pays off.
Changing the media landscape from outside (with a startup idea or project) has hardly worked out. Too much is dependent on Guanxi (relationships), reputation or “face”. Change only comes from within, with plenty of resources at your disposal.
Making things tangible is of utmost importance. In Asia, no one invests in ideas or potential opportunities. Without a commercial proof of concept that can be duplicated things simply will not move forward.
But here comes the chicken and egg situation for media makers. How to achieve tangibility when not having the right amount of funding or resources? How to create such a proof of concept project without having a big partner in the back that brings you enough traction? How to make a name for yourself without having a connection with the traditionalists and industry gatekeepers?
The potential of the Asian market comes purely from its vast untapped audience population. An audience that has been barely exposed to interactive media. An audience with a majority of mobile natives under 30.
The seasoned media conglomerates have been struggling for years now. After years of shunning innovation their audiences have begun to migrate to YouTube or other online content providers that can churn out more short format content much faster due to their lean business models and cutthroat production structures.
Yet, the next big step in Asia’s media market will not be how to make stories more interactive or engaging but rather how to reach the audience with content. Redesigning distribution and marketing infrastructures are the big imminent challenges. At this point in time, it is all about serving the content hunger first before finding extravagant recipes for gourmets.
These past years I have come full circle a couple of times on different levels. Looking back, each experience was precious and contributed to where I am today. Along this journey I had the privilege to met so many brave comrades-in-arms that helped make my crazy ideas come true and who supported me in ways I could not possibly have imagined or asked for.”
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Hooked? Read the full story at SNOBBY ROBOT — MAGAZINE FOR DIGITAL CREATIVES, Issue #1, Summer 2015.
