Cult Media (Transmedia Storytelling)

Panelists: Danny Bilson, Transmedia Creator; Jeff Gomez, Starlight Runner; Jesse Alexander, Heroes (on "Facebook" also Alias and Lost); Gordon Tichell, Walden Media

Some Keywords: Cult, media, niche entertainment; engagement entertainment; "Creatives"; Transmedia: getting small pieces of a bigger story and extending that story.

+The growth of B entertainment in to A spaces/entertainment attributable to humanizing  characters/ stories and bringing A level drama to traditionally B level content.

+Would Heroes still be on TV, with its large production budget, since its numbers are down this season, of it didn't have DVDs, iTunes/Amazon, and other revenue streams?

+Push to build a hard-core fanbase, the “early-adopters.”
JA: that strategy is very important, but also build in things that are accessible to the general audience. JG: characters involved with powerful emotions plus the transmedia resources that were official are what enable "deep" engagement.

Guiding transmedia practice: What we are doing in this room is reverse engineering.  The rationalization of what was an emotional practice (DB: Do what you as a producer want to see as your guide, or "get out of show business" (David Lean).); they can use what academics do to create a meta-level awareness of their practices (DB and JA).

My question (got asked by Henry from the BigBoard): So far, only "officially" produced transmedia experiences have been discussed. Does fan generated transmedia content, with Heroes or other media objects, fit into the equation? How are their efforts supported -- or suppressed? 
JA: There is the heroes “Create a Hero.” JA: Yes, but we have to protect the canon, the property, the brand. So we'll create new characters for you to fuck around with.  DB: Sure, but there will clearly be official and unofficial content.

Another question from the board: "What will it take to move the industry past the notion that transmedia is still essentially a clever way of advertising products or content, and toward treating transmedia content as its own viable product?"

A: The suits are still holding the purse strings. // JA: use the tools you have for DIY.
DB: fan-GC is a form of feedbak, actually a feedback loop. 
GT seems to think people are reading less because of other media, easier media -- but Harry Potter books and other forms of traditional print are being produced and consumed. (Alice & Jason Mitchell nearly let from their seats, through down their laptops, and rushed the stage).