The interaction between media and audience

In the last session, I mentioned that the biggest transformation accompanying the rise of transmedia phenomena is the blurring of boundaries between content creator and consumer. This tremendous change is not just in content creation, but also in the manner in which media contents are consumed. Consumption of media content used to be abiding by the particularities of a media platform, but now consumption is expanding, with infinite replication possible. New dimensions are being added to the process in the realms of planning and production. In the past, when writing a piece of fiction, the author would not have expected that the story’s protagonist would later be transformed into a children’s toy, which would eventually find itself sitting on a child’s bed somewhere.

Now, we don’t exclude such possibilities when we create a story, an image, or a character. Multitudes of creative possibilities exist in a transmedia environment, so it’s important to understand the convergence of multiple media platforms, and also to keep in mind such possibilities when utilizing the creative output later on. We engaged in a high volume of multitasking when working on something on a computer. We are likely to have several browsers or tabs open, but even just one window consists of various layers. A window with an image could hold content that traversed the Eastern Western hemispheres, as well as across time, as it was probably stored, imported, edited, and copied in various locations.

Additionally, the text was likely copied and remade, and the video and audio and text file can be simultaneously opened in one window, thus giving a single window’s content multiple layers. We are all too familiar with this and are now starting to embrace this all as a single medium. Our bodies and sensory systems absorb and integrate multiple sensory stimuli to make this experience possible. Our five senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch operate simultaneously. While we do not necessarily classify sensory information, our sensory experience is somewhat ranked and ordered on an unconscious level. For instance, think about uploading a photograph to SNS. Today, I had brunch with some friends at a fabulous restaurant.

I took a photo, and uploaded it with the

following comment: This place is awesome and the food was delicious. In reality, however, what percentage of my media content was from my real experience? We think that we are delivering information almost perfectly, but while we had the meal, I uploaded the photo and remark. Now, consider all the sensations you experience while eating, and guess what percentage of that experience is in the media content. You will then realize how amazing our media utilization is. There is the seeing of the food, the tasting of it, and after eating, the feeling of satiation. All of these accumulate to add to your satisfaction of the experience.

While my photo can be well-taken, vivid and of incredible resolution, and can be uploaded in real time, it does not convey the aroma of the experience or the warmth of the food. It does not convey the sensations you undergo when the food touches your lips. The media content, in fact, has suffered a great loss of information. Nevertheless, such content still provides stimuli for considerably satisfying

discussion: “Ah, you had that there!” or “Wow, that looks yummy!” We think that if we can reduce this information loss, the delivery of content will for the most part be accurate. We think that the portion of information that is lost can be recreated and filled in by the consumer. It is not just mere audience participation that happens when media is created; in transmedia, the audience can directly implement changes to shape the direction and form of the media content. There has been research conducted on audience participation movies, on whether audience members can discern if what they are viewing is real. When you think about it, film roles are played by actors in disguise.

What is bright red may be blood, or perhaps ketchup. The audience knows the distinction but is trying to understanding it intentionally. That was a dangerous scene and I believe that is blood that is dripping. Consequently, with that conclusion, the audience joins in with screams and despair. If I fail to join the experience, I will end up wasting my money on a movie ticket. My intention to participate and engage in the process is already there from the beginning. The role of the audience has grown greatly in the transmedia environment. As a result, media creators and consumers are no longer two distinct subsets. In convergence, even the simple action of viewing a scene is participation.

More specifically, the storytelling is woven in an interactive manner. Participative language is included in transmedia storytelling and transmedia content to encourage such involvement and activity.