Who would have thought, over 10 years ago when I started pioneering in the field of crossmedia/transmedia that our ideas for new more engaging ways of storytelling would become a real accredited profession today! (that of the first theorists and practitioners playing in this greenfield, yes even before Jenkins wrote his influential work; 'Convergence Culture' and coined 'transmedia' for much of the work we where already looking at and doing, giving it names like "crossmedia"/ 'deep media"/'digital storytelling" etc..)) The Producers Guild of America has acknowledged the work of those who build transmedia productions as of now to be an official accredited field of expertise!
Here is how the PGA defines a Transmedia Producer:
A Transmedia Narrative project or franchise must consist of three (or more) narrative storylines existing within the same fictional universe on any of the following platforms: Film, Television, Short Film, Broadband, Publishing, Comics, Animation, Mobile, Special Venues, DVD/Blu-ray/CD-ROM, Narrative Commercial and Marketing rollouts, and other technologies that may or may not currently exist. These narrative extensions are NOT the same as repurposing material from one platform to be cut or repurposed to different platforms.
A Transmedia Producer credit is given to the person(s) responsible for a significant portion of a project’s long-term planning, development, production, and/or maintenance of narrative continuity across multiple platforms, and creation of original storylines for new platforms. Transmedia producers also create and implement interactive endeavors to unite the audience of the property with the canonical narrative and this element should be considered as valid qualification for credit as long as they are related directly to the narrative presentation of a project.
Transmedia Producers may originate with a project or be brought in at any time during the long-term rollout of a project in order to analyze, create or facilitate the life of that project and may be responsible for all or only part of the content of the project. Transmedia Producers may also be hired by or partner with companies or entities, which develop software and other technologies and who wish to showcase these inventions with compelling, immersive, multi-platform content.
To qualify for this credit, a Transmedia Producer may or may not be publicly credited as part of a larger institution or company, but a titled employee of said institution must be able to confirm that the individual was an integral part of the production team for the project
Why is this relevant? Because by an official credit transmedia producers (that what I also see as belonging to the field of crossmedia communication) can set up workable contracts with other parties in the field. Thereby being able to build (tradeable) property for their work. That is assets in the transmedia production company. I read http://www.deadline.com/2010/04/producers-guild-of-america-vote-on-creation-o… that much of this is the work of Jeff Gomez, one of the fierce protagonists of transmedia storytelling. Well done Jeff!
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