Aarset said at the end of his article Follow the Money. Nothing more true can be said about the nature of the media industry these days. Films, games, books and other elements of media are coming together for modern Franchise events movies.
The must have films, becoming the must have games, books and endless barage of media texts. There is so many multipe elements to a story now as they branch out in every possiblen direction in their endless attempt to make money.
The industry as a whole is now a combination of industries working together in order to produce the endless elements of these corperate intextual comodities. So much so films are now becoming tools and in a sense advertise,me
Wednesday 24 February 2010
Tuesday 23 February 2010
Reasons for what i highlighted and didn't
Specifically in my research i have tried to openly look at a range of websites by using academic scholar feature of google. And the results have been surprisingly good in quality.
The first three slides, deal with a website that actually in itself has done a comparison between the spirits within and advent children. This makes a interesting debate about Barthes' theories. And examines what is actually transfered between medias and what can not be which presents the flaw in transmedia with games.
The slides4 and 5 are from a very descriptive article that takes a more negative stand on transmedia storytelling and crossbranding. This examines perhaps the failings in both Advent Children and Spirits Within. This i feel counterbalances a perhaps strong bias of mine.
6, 7 and 8 go into detail about final fantasy role in transmedia with 9 going into plot of spirits within.
Essentially all of it gives backgroud and areas into my research. I intend to examine things further with questionaires, comparison of trailers and main scenes and further research into Jenkins vs Aarseth
Specifically in my research i have tried to openly look at a range of websites by using academic scholar feature of google. And the results have been surprisingly good in quality.
The first three slides, deal with a website that actually in itself has done a comparison between the spirits within and advent children. This makes a interesting debate about Barthes' theories. And examines what is actually transfered between medias and what can not be which presents the flaw in transmedia with games.
The slides4 and 5 are from a very descriptive article that takes a more negative stand on transmedia storytelling and crossbranding. This examines perhaps the failings in both Advent Children and Spirits Within. This i feel counterbalances a perhaps strong bias of mine.
6, 7 and 8 go into detail about final fantasy role in transmedia with 9 going into plot of spirits within.
Essentially all of it gives backgroud and areas into my research. I intend to examine things further with questionaires, comparison of trailers and main scenes and further research into Jenkins vs Aarseth
Final Fantasy Spirits Within trailer
Final Fantasy Spirit's Within Trailer
I think the interesting thing in looing at the trailer for this media product is the way it refers to pre existing ideas and such without using any reference other than name Final Fantasy to previous works withing the series.
The trailer itself seems very Sci-fi in it's approach and the characters look very American. The reason i bring this up is that the characters from the games are abstract of nationality. They are implaceable and definately not American.
The Very sci-fi action genre this trailer tries to appeal to is not the fans of final fantasy who know of the sword weilding, fantasy Rpg following a extroadinary adventure but a American movie goer who sees action packed blockbusters. The removal of recognisable characters, the genre change all point out despite the same name this is not a Final Fantasy piece but a thing of same name alone.
It seems more Aliens than Final Fantasy. As the extracts I have highlighted mention this film was to go on to be a flop. Possibly due to all this change and change of audience.
The trailer tries making Final Fantasy high concept which in doing so is dangerous as most Final Fantasy plots are so deep and cover so much no single sentance can ever sum them up. The fact this one can be shows how different it is to it's predecessors.
Action film bout aliens, and a mission to save the planet. Very High Concept theme if i ever heard one.
[Coming soon Final Fantasy Advent Children trailer review and comparison]
I think the interesting thing in looing at the trailer for this media product is the way it refers to pre existing ideas and such without using any reference other than name Final Fantasy to previous works withing the series.
The trailer itself seems very Sci-fi in it's approach and the characters look very American. The reason i bring this up is that the characters from the games are abstract of nationality. They are implaceable and definately not American.
The Very sci-fi action genre this trailer tries to appeal to is not the fans of final fantasy who know of the sword weilding, fantasy Rpg following a extroadinary adventure but a American movie goer who sees action packed blockbusters. The removal of recognisable characters, the genre change all point out despite the same name this is not a Final Fantasy piece but a thing of same name alone.
It seems more Aliens than Final Fantasy. As the extracts I have highlighted mention this film was to go on to be a flop. Possibly due to all this change and change of audience.
The trailer tries making Final Fantasy high concept which in doing so is dangerous as most Final Fantasy plots are so deep and cover so much no single sentance can ever sum them up. The fact this one can be shows how different it is to it's predecessors.
Action film bout aliens, and a mission to save the planet. Very High Concept theme if i ever heard one.
[Coming soon Final Fantasy Advent Children trailer review and comparison]
Monday 22 February 2010
Final Fantasy Spirits WITHOUT
The focus of my research intends to be based upon the conflicted notion between the films Final Fantasy 7 Advent Children and Final Fantasy Spirits Within.
These are prime examples between the conflict of fan film and cross media branding. And how a film can appeal either to it's core fanbase or a larger populace.
Much of what i have obserbed within this and through personal experience has taught me that this very arguement is one of neither side being right or wrong, there is in some ways merits in both. The film Spirits within released in 2001 baring the same title is at best little more in resemblance than that.
It is a more hollywood esk feature film, aimed to appeal to a American audience. As such is a very different market already from the origional. The look does not follow Ashfords rules of convergence as neither characters, the world or [*] are transfered.
There is no gunblades, summons, magic. No Cloud Strife, Squall, TIdus or other. It is completely extract. WHile true final fantasy between games does not usually make habbit of carrying the world or characters over, key things like it's chocobos, gunblades, summons are it's legacy it passes between it's products.
Witht the above said Spirits Within choses to ignore this tradition and those elements more using the name. Another stylistic element lost was the characters look, being that all the characters in the games up to that point had made a point of having a other world esk feel with a viewer unable to place them. Yet in this all the protagonists were clearly American.
Having been stripped of it's look, it's character's, it's legacy and name, Spirits Within is just a American sci fi film with a name. About men fighting aliens. THis infact itself is a insult as the very genre of Final Fantasy is more a fantasy genre, of far away worlds, and mythical creatures.
The plots of the games we're deep and meaningful and ever changing. No Final Fantasy game could ever be placed in the same one liner plot as this mockery.
It is in all of this I say the only resemblance is the name and character Cid who even still bares no likeness or character traits to the Cid from the other FF games.
FInal Fantasy Spirits Within, is more like Final Fantasy; Spirits WITHOUT the FInal Fantasy
These are prime examples between the conflict of fan film and cross media branding. And how a film can appeal either to it's core fanbase or a larger populace.
Much of what i have obserbed within this and through personal experience has taught me that this very arguement is one of neither side being right or wrong, there is in some ways merits in both. The film Spirits within released in 2001 baring the same title is at best little more in resemblance than that.
It is a more hollywood esk feature film, aimed to appeal to a American audience. As such is a very different market already from the origional. The look does not follow Ashfords rules of convergence as neither characters, the world or [*] are transfered.
There is no gunblades, summons, magic. No Cloud Strife, Squall, TIdus or other. It is completely extract. WHile true final fantasy between games does not usually make habbit of carrying the world or characters over, key things like it's chocobos, gunblades, summons are it's legacy it passes between it's products.
Witht the above said Spirits Within choses to ignore this tradition and those elements more using the name. Another stylistic element lost was the characters look, being that all the characters in the games up to that point had made a point of having a other world esk feel with a viewer unable to place them. Yet in this all the protagonists were clearly American.
Having been stripped of it's look, it's character's, it's legacy and name, Spirits Within is just a American sci fi film with a name. About men fighting aliens. THis infact itself is a insult as the very genre of Final Fantasy is more a fantasy genre, of far away worlds, and mythical creatures.
The plots of the games we're deep and meaningful and ever changing. No Final Fantasy game could ever be placed in the same one liner plot as this mockery.
It is in all of this I say the only resemblance is the name and character Cid who even still bares no likeness or character traits to the Cid from the other FF games.
FInal Fantasy Spirits Within, is more like Final Fantasy; Spirits WITHOUT the FInal Fantasy
Ashford part one
Ashford says there things transfer,
Character, World and [*insert later] between media products.
Characters easily transfer through media products as personalities can easily be reproduced across formats. Basic personality traits, emotional responces and such can be written same across all styles/modes of presentation.
There is however one exception, from games to films/books. Because of the interactivity of games the players character experiences a level of customisation.Be it Mass Effect where you can choose multiple decisions and other medias are unable to play out scenarios for all because of extra time and needs the additional parts would need; or Final Fantasy where while the protagonist goes through the same motions both in game and storytelling cutscenes, the method of play can be different.
An Example of this is one player may have cloud use certain summons in the game and never attack or another player may only use attacks or magic. Because of this it is impossible for a film or book to replicate all these versions of the same character. So like with the case of advent children they use the very core base of character the moodey loner, the look, and a basic feel for the defauls of character leaving out many of ways people would play as him in game.
This is not nessesarily a bad thing but a nessesity for none interactive media outlets that either can not support multiple options or the time and manpower required to get the hours of extra footage would be so rediculously costly it is not possible.
The world/universe is the other replicated thing. Star Wars and it's universe is one of the biggest and most replicated of these. Key places both seen and mentioned in films have been designed and redone throughout games, animations, manga, and across the media spectrum. Signiture worlds and places relation have created maps so much so that these places are in effect like our own world.
As such they are replicatable like our own world and easily put across medias. Signiture visuals replicated in both game and film.
Character, World and [*insert later] between media products.
Characters easily transfer through media products as personalities can easily be reproduced across formats. Basic personality traits, emotional responces and such can be written same across all styles/modes of presentation.
There is however one exception, from games to films/books. Because of the interactivity of games the players character experiences a level of customisation.Be it Mass Effect where you can choose multiple decisions and other medias are unable to play out scenarios for all because of extra time and needs the additional parts would need; or Final Fantasy where while the protagonist goes through the same motions both in game and storytelling cutscenes, the method of play can be different.
An Example of this is one player may have cloud use certain summons in the game and never attack or another player may only use attacks or magic. Because of this it is impossible for a film or book to replicate all these versions of the same character. So like with the case of advent children they use the very core base of character the moodey loner, the look, and a basic feel for the defauls of character leaving out many of ways people would play as him in game.
This is not nessesarily a bad thing but a nessesity for none interactive media outlets that either can not support multiple options or the time and manpower required to get the hours of extra footage would be so rediculously costly it is not possible.
The world/universe is the other replicated thing. Star Wars and it's universe is one of the biggest and most replicated of these. Key places both seen and mentioned in films have been designed and redone throughout games, animations, manga, and across the media spectrum. Signiture worlds and places relation have created maps so much so that these places are in effect like our own world.
As such they are replicatable like our own world and easily put across medias. Signiture visuals replicated in both game and film.
Monday 15 February 2010
Trialers and games
In games trailers and opening can be seen many cinematic conventions, both setting the game visually and genre wise the same as a film.
Resident Evil 5 trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UX89tmpiuDA&feature=fvw
In the trailer above many cinematic conventions can be seen,
same camera angles, use of lighting, low/high angles to determine powerplays, montarge and music. The cinematic is actual cut scene footage and not representive of gameplay. Cut scenes are essentially films that piece the gameplay together to create narative.
In essance it is being marketed like a film. In a similar High key film manner
By the end of this blog i aim to establish
Resident Evil 5 trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UX89tmpiuDA&feature=fvw
In the trailer above many cinematic conventions can be seen,
same camera angles, use of lighting, low/high angles to determine powerplays, montarge and music. The cinematic is actual cut scene footage and not representive of gameplay. Cut scenes are essentially films that piece the gameplay together to create narative.
In essance it is being marketed like a film. In a similar High key film manner
By the end of this blog i aim to establish
Hi I'm going to update my lecture notes soon.
Though wanted to note a observation of mine recently,
Star Wars is one of few rare Media products that is both transmedia and cross media branding.
It's universe and story transverses games, books, films ect
BUT it also has been redone like with lego Star Wars repeating original story in different ways.
The only other unique product i can think of anywhere near this is final fantasy. Which like with Final Fantasy seven transfered it's universe across games, films and book, but has appeared different many times when it has crossed over like with spirits within.
It occurs Star Wars may be too big a project to do so I am looking to narrow my idea. Am also concidering effect of East to West. Like way eastern films and concepts are being remade in west as i feel there more mileage there and more focus
Though wanted to note a observation of mine recently,
Star Wars is one of few rare Media products that is both transmedia and cross media branding.
It's universe and story transverses games, books, films ect
BUT it also has been redone like with lego Star Wars repeating original story in different ways.
The only other unique product i can think of anywhere near this is final fantasy. Which like with Final Fantasy seven transfered it's universe across games, films and book, but has appeared different many times when it has crossed over like with spirits within.
It occurs Star Wars may be too big a project to do so I am looking to narrow my idea. Am also concidering effect of East to West. Like way eastern films and concepts are being remade in west as i feel there more mileage there and more focus
Tuesday 9 February 2010
Thoughts on Essay
Am thinking what to do for my project as i indicated in my last post Final Fantasy my origional idea seems too much. ANd not sure what group i am with yet.
Something like Star Wars seems to be of more appeal. Or Dragonball z that across it's genres stays one big story for most part. Or maybe comparing and contrasting way films like Dragonball and Spirits within are different and possible reasons why?
Something like Star Wars seems to be of more appeal. Or Dragonball z that across it's genres stays one big story for most part. Or maybe comparing and contrasting way films like Dragonball and Spirits within are different and possible reasons why?
New thoughts
Games and Films,
Between the cross branding of different texts of Media in all of it's forms games and films are the closest in appearence and stylistic conventions. It is not surprising transnational media corporations (TNMCs) such as Sony, Time Warner, or Disney are having more film and games interlinked in their mass market sales pitches.
Looking back over the last decade famous titles like The Lord of the Rings, Matrix and such have all taken part in these companies mass bombardment of a idea. By releasing a concept through multiple venues in a attempt to maximise profits.
However this comes in two forms
Trans-media and Cross Media branding,
the prior is a fictional world and different stories from that are told through different formats, and only by combining the different products do you get the full story.
THe latter is just the one idea replicated on those different avenues.
Recently the one that stands above all of these is Final Fantasy, being a manga, game, films, anime, and books. The problem with final fantasy is that it is so hard to define in either of the two above. It exhibits traits of both
It is part trans media for example way final fantasy seven was done as a game and had a film loosely tieing in with it but crossbranding in that most of final fantasies have no relevence to each other and are set in different worlds. Minus a few of the repeated creatures but these have no prior knowledge of any of other events.
The other film spirits within bares even less resemblance and just ties in with the name alone. Which caused heated debate with the much loved FF7 Advent children film. I can see Oksana's point people with no prior knowledge of Final Fantasy may view it differently but at the same time it comes back to the question is it a companies responcibility to be lotal to fans of brand or tell stories and make money.
Spirits Within was a standalone product. Open to a much bigger audience than FF7 advent children which required some understanding of Final Fantasy.
Between the cross branding of different texts of Media in all of it's forms games and films are the closest in appearence and stylistic conventions. It is not surprising transnational media corporations (TNMCs) such as Sony, Time Warner, or Disney are having more film and games interlinked in their mass market sales pitches.
Looking back over the last decade famous titles like The Lord of the Rings, Matrix and such have all taken part in these companies mass bombardment of a idea. By releasing a concept through multiple venues in a attempt to maximise profits.
However this comes in two forms
Trans-media and Cross Media branding,
the prior is a fictional world and different stories from that are told through different formats, and only by combining the different products do you get the full story.
THe latter is just the one idea replicated on those different avenues.
Recently the one that stands above all of these is Final Fantasy, being a manga, game, films, anime, and books. The problem with final fantasy is that it is so hard to define in either of the two above. It exhibits traits of both
It is part trans media for example way final fantasy seven was done as a game and had a film loosely tieing in with it but crossbranding in that most of final fantasies have no relevence to each other and are set in different worlds. Minus a few of the repeated creatures but these have no prior knowledge of any of other events.
The other film spirits within bares even less resemblance and just ties in with the name alone. Which caused heated debate with the much loved FF7 Advent children film. I can see Oksana's point people with no prior knowledge of Final Fantasy may view it differently but at the same time it comes back to the question is it a companies responcibility to be lotal to fans of brand or tell stories and make money.
Spirits Within was a standalone product. Open to a much bigger audience than FF7 advent children which required some understanding of Final Fantasy.
Sunday 7 February 2010
Media Transference notes
Week one article quote that got my attention
"Today, the culture industries are not driven by storytelling, art, or visionary individuals.
TheWalt Disney era’s focus on end-user experience has been replaced by
the entertainment industry’s need to minimize risk in the face of rising cost of production
and advertising, which means that no stand-alone product, whether film,
game, or even comic book is worth risking the investment. The risk has to be
spread across media, and beyond, to secure the bottom line."
Has Cross Media transitions really destroyed the art of storytelling?
For some companies as mentioned above yes indeed it can be argued they have a less than artistic interest and one of financial. But is this a fair comment.
History has seen many cross media occurences with the unsuccessful Street fighters transferance to film to the successful Lord of the Ring ands not to be forgoten the comic franchises that has both put the lesser liked and the more recent successes of Batman and Ironman.
But i have to throw into mix, when transfering to a new media it is often attracting audiences who may not have came across old media? Without that prior knowledge the new piece may be undecernable to these viewers of the text. Yes the industry owes something to the already existing fanbase but does it not need to offer a way in?
Some of the reasons the conversions have caused unease are these changes but conventions of medias can't bring elements specific to another media type. A game is always fully interactive except during cutscenes. Film for example does not have this liberty. Films have a plot and story we can not take part in as a pose to enjoy the ride. When films like final Destination have gave us choice system these are limited and require film crews to do twice the work. This makes films much harder to make and is not a easy way when its revenue gained back is unlikely different from any other film
"Today, the culture industries are not driven by storytelling, art, or visionary individuals.
TheWalt Disney era’s focus on end-user experience has been replaced by
the entertainment industry’s need to minimize risk in the face of rising cost of production
and advertising, which means that no stand-alone product, whether film,
game, or even comic book is worth risking the investment. The risk has to be
spread across media, and beyond, to secure the bottom line."
Has Cross Media transitions really destroyed the art of storytelling?
For some companies as mentioned above yes indeed it can be argued they have a less than artistic interest and one of financial. But is this a fair comment.
History has seen many cross media occurences with the unsuccessful Street fighters transferance to film to the successful Lord of the Ring ands not to be forgoten the comic franchises that has both put the lesser liked and the more recent successes of Batman and Ironman.
But i have to throw into mix, when transfering to a new media it is often attracting audiences who may not have came across old media? Without that prior knowledge the new piece may be undecernable to these viewers of the text. Yes the industry owes something to the already existing fanbase but does it not need to offer a way in?
Some of the reasons the conversions have caused unease are these changes but conventions of medias can't bring elements specific to another media type. A game is always fully interactive except during cutscenes. Film for example does not have this liberty. Films have a plot and story we can not take part in as a pose to enjoy the ride. When films like final Destination have gave us choice system these are limited and require film crews to do twice the work. This makes films much harder to make and is not a easy way when its revenue gained back is unlikely different from any other film
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