Active Story System™ for Transmedia Storytelling

This licence allows you to remix, tweak, and build upon this work non-commercially, as long as you credit attribution to Robert Pratten (@robpratten) and license your new creations under identical terms. © Transmedia Storyteller Ltd 2012

Update: Interactive PDF Worksheets

The worksheets in this presentation are now available for download as an interactive PDF. This allows you to add your own project information, print and share.

Download via e-junkie here: http://an.cr/sa/xuRut

Active Story System™ - Goals

Active Story System™ has been developed to service the needs of the creative & advertising industries in an era of attention scarcity, content abundance and multi-platform consumption

a design process for creating participatory multi-platform story-experiences

a framework for commercial success that:

is goal-oriented

integrates storytelling, engagement, social media & content strategy

a series of documentation templates & worksheets

Active Story System™ - Benefits

Distinguishes storyworld design decisions from individual story design decisions

Combines/integrates entertainment and marketing decisions

Provides visibility of story structure and logic to navigate it

Provides visibility of character development and player advancement

Provides documentation templates and a series of worksheets to encourage structured thinking and fewer design decision mistakes

Offers a practical organizational framework for the delivery of persistent storyworlds

The Active Story System™ focuses on the telling of participatory transmedia stories

Definition • Requirements • Goals • Success Criteria •KPIs, measurement • Scope

•Countries, Territories, Languages, Number of Audience •Interworking with other companies & technologies •Timing & duration •Budget • Customer

Development • ActSS Define the World •Story, Experience, Premise, Goals, Audience, Platforms, Execution

• One Sheet • Title, log line, call to

action, short synopsis • Creative direction • look & feel, tone, mood,

age rating, violence, language

• Team • Risks • Principal resources • names and availability

• Principal creative • Principal technical

development • Inbound: Licensing &

copyrights • Outbound: Franchising,

merchandising and licensing

• Community • management, editorial,

legal • Business Case

Design • ActSS Define the story •Premise, Themes, Characters, Locations, Periods, Objects, Factions, Hierarchies

• ActSS Define the Experience •Gaming, Role-playing, Exploring, Observing

• ActSS Define the Execution •Timing, Events, Platforms, Pacing • ActSS Write Synopsis • ActSS Develop

Synopsis into Scenes • ActSS Design the Engagement • ActSS Design Interaction

• Platform-specific documentation • Marketing Communications • Series synopsis & arcs • Future stories • Media assets •Video, audio, image, text, mobile, web • Events & locations • Merchandise • Touchpoints •Owned, Paid, Earned • Languages, countries, geo-

restrictions • Capacity planning • Controls

Delivery •ActSS Design Operations •Editorial & Legal processes, Social media guidelines, Community management, Escalation

•Production •Implementation & testing • Audience building & community outreach •Marketing communications • Advertising, SEO, paid Search, Seeding, PR, Social media

•Launch •Operations •Metrics

TM Project Linear Workflow Active Story System™

TM Project: Actual Iterative Workflow

The Active Story System™ takes a deep dive into every design aspect of the experience. The author* then loops back to add detail and address practicalities and project delivery issues

*Author = anyone creating the transmedia project (storteller/narrative designer/producer etc.)

Define the World

• Story • Experience • Audience • Platforms • Goal1

• Execution

Define the Story

• Premise • Themes • Characters • Locations • Periods • Objects • Factions • Hierarchies

Define the Experiences

• Goals • Gaming2 • Role-playing2 • Exploring2 • Observing2

Define the Execution

• Timing • Events • Platforms • Pacing

What can we use from the storyworld to inform participation?

What types of activity will meet our goals?

1 What’s the goal: Revenue, Reach, Preference, Action? 2 Game player styles checked against each participation opportunity (e.g. killer, achiever, socializer, explorer)

How are the audience activities realized?

Who is this for and what are our goals?

Designing the Participatory Storyworld Four creative processes that blend marketing with entertainment

Designing the Participatory Story

5. Write synopsis

•Premise •Themes •Characters •Conflict

6. Develop

Synopsis into Scenes

• Information revealed •Character development •Audience quests

7. Design the Engagement

•Personalization •Actions •Teams •Pacing •Motivations • Immersion

7. Design the Engagement

•Personalization •Actions •Teams •Pacing •Motivations • Immersion

6. Develop

Engagement into Scenes

• Information revealed •Audience quests •Character development

5. Write synopsis

•Premise •Themes •Characters •Conflict

8. Design the Interaction

•Platforms •Media •Out-of-World • In-World •Block diagrams •User Journey • platforms •phases

9. Design the Operations

•Editorial process • Legal process • Social media

guidelines •Community

management •Escalation •Metrics

Story-first approach

Experience-first approach

Storyworld Worksheets and Templates

World Definition Worksheet

Story Worksheet

Experience Worksheet

Execution Chart

Additional Storyworld Documentation

Story bible

Participation bible

Project: Date / / Version

y

STORY

EXPERIENCE

Describe the story in a few sentences

Describe the audience experience in a few sentences

AUDIENCE PLATFORMS

GOAL EXECUTION

Who is the audience for this storyworld? What are the primary platforms?

What’s the objective of the project? Reach, Preference, Action? What’s the revenue model – does there need to be one?

What’s the roll-out plan?

PREMISE What is the message the writer wants to convey? What does she/he believe to be true?

Active Story System™ World Definition Worksheet

Project: Date / / Version

STORY EXPERIENCE

PREMISE THEMES

CHARACTERS LOCATIONS

PERIODS OBJECTS

FACTIONS HIERARCHIES

Copy and paste Story from the previous slide Copy and paste Experience from the previous slide

What is the message the writer wants to convey? What does she/he believe to be true?

What themes are explored?

Who are the main characters? What are the main locations?

Thinking of the storyworld timeline, what are the significant periods? Significant plot points/turning points/reversals?

What are the significant or iconic objects in this storyworld? (e.g. rings, goblets, sonic screwdrivers, Martini cocktails?)

What are the main rivalries or tribes or sects? NB: this can help the audience identify and choose a group to belong to

What levels and ranks are there within the factions? NB: this can be useful for community forums and games where people can “level up” depending on activity or success.

Active Story System™ Story Worksheet

Project: Date / / Version

PREMISE THEMES

Copy and paste Premise from the previous slide Copy and paste Themes from the previous slide

GAMING ROLE-PLAYING

OBSERVING EXPLORING

In this participation type, what (moral) choices might the audience be given to make them feel the premise?

In this participation type, what information or questions might the audience be given to make them think about and reflect on the premise?

In this participation type, what additional information (in world and out of world) can the audience explore?

In this participation type, the audience creates their own entertainment from the tools, apps, media, props (physical and digital) etc and advice you’ve given them. How will you enable the audience to role-play and create their own entertainment?

GOALS What are the creative and commercial goals of the audience participation?

MOTIVATIONS Use separate Intrinsic Motivations worksheet as frequently as necessary: for the world and/or for each story-experience

Active Story System™ Experience Worksheet

Execution chart

Online

Story-Experience B

Story-Experience C

Story-Experience A

Story-Experience E

Real World

Story-Experience F

Story-Experience G

Story-Experience H

Story-Experience D

Relative timing

Pri

mary

Pla

tfo

rm

Story

Gaming Co-creation

Real-world

Immersion Radar

Primary platform

Execution Chart (example: Mask of the Red Death)

Online

Psychophol experience

Wastelander experience

Web series

Tarot Cards

Real World

Event: Festival Screening

Mobile app

DVD release

Feature film

Story

Gaming Co-creation

Real-world

Immersion Radar

Two bibles: the story and the experience

Storyworld Bible

Participation Bible

Information needed to take part

Information revealed through participation

How is audience participation created & managed?

What defines this storyworld?

Participation bible

Goals (commercial & creative objectives)

Policy (for treating fans consistent with company core values)

In world (Storytelling) Gaming/Role-playing/Observing/Exploring Platforms Events Timing

Out of World (Policy) Social media policy (communication style, crisis management)

Community policy (rewards, highlighting, banning, legal action)

Editorial policy for fan-generated content (encouraged, allowed, ignored, removed)

Legal policy Escalation procedures

Story Worksheets and Templates

Immersion Worksheet

Motivations Worksheet

Participation Worksheet

Interaction Worksheet

Scene Chart

Character Steps

User Journey

System/block diagram

Content/Data map

Operations Worksheet

Project: Date / / Version

IMPORTANCE OF STORY & EMOTIONAL PRESENCE

IMPORTANCE OF REAL WORLD & PHYSICAL PRESENCE

IMPORTANCE OF CO-CREATION

IMPORTANCE OF GAMING & PLAY

Importance of narrative, depth of world & degree of authorial control. Addresses emotional presence: player feels as they might in real life experiencing real world events. Refer to other worksheets that discuss story.

Extent to which story-experience pervades real locations & times, real people & events. Addresses physical presence: player feels physically transported to storyworld environment. Describe physical locations & entities or how this experience pervades real life.

Ability of audience to change or contribute to the story or experience. Addresses narrative presence: player feels able to affect the story. Describe means by which audience directs, influences or improves upon the story.

Audience has goal, use of puzzles, use of game mechanics (trophies, levels, leader boards etc.); activity purely for enjoyment & fun. Describe the game mechanics if appropriate.

Active Story System™ Immersion Worksheet

Project: Date / / Version

AUTONOMY: CHOICES & CONTROL GROWTH: MASTERY, COMPETENCE, LEARNING & UNDERSTANDING

CURIOSITY: COMFORT, VARIETY & SURPRISE

RELATEDNESS: CONNECTION & CONTRIBUTION SIGNIFICANCE: IMPORTANCE & UNIQUENESS

How will the audience be surprised? How does the experience offer variety and comfort?

How much freedom does the audience have to explore, to determine timing & outcomes, to personalize their persona/experience?

How will the audience perceive a feeling of accomplishment? Will they gain a new insight or understanding? Will they have gained a new skill or improved existing skills?

How does the audience build relationships with others and/or with the characters?

How does the audience gain bragging rights, self-importance or self-affirmation? How is the audience made to feel unique & valued? Are there leaderboards, badges, membership levels?

Active Story System™ Motivations Worksheet

Project: Date / / Version

PREMISE AUDIENCE GOAL

FINAL ACTION FIRST ACTION

CHARACTERS PERSONALIZATION

SOLO ACTIONS COMMUNITY ACTIONS

COMPETITIVE ACTIONS COLLABORATIVE ACTIONS

PACING

Copy and paste Premise from the previous slides What must the audience achieve? What’s the call to action?

Is this action: meaningful, thought-provoking, confirms the premise, allows personalization, generates conversation, hits as many intrinsic motivations as possible?

Is this action: meaningful, thought-provoking, relevant to the premise, allows personalization, generates conversation, hits as many intrinsic motivations as possible?

What characters are needed? Roles: Hero - the character who plays the game; Mentor -the character that offers advice and useful items Assistant - a character who offers occasional tips; Tutor - a character who explains how to play the game; Final Boss - the villain the player must defeat in the last battle; Hostage - a character to rescue.

What audience actions are taken alone and in private What audience actions are taken in public and shared with or discussed with the community

What audience actions are taken in competition with others or with a character

What audience actions are take in collaboration with others or with a character

Is the personalization relevant to the storyworld? Allow audience to join a Faction or vary according to Hierarchy? Generate word of mouth? Generate repeat play?

Does the pacing of the experience match the pacing of the narrative?

Active Story System™ Participation Worksheet

Project: Date / / Version

PLATFORMS MEDIA

SETUP/REGISTRATION/ ACTIVATION/PLAY/DECOMMISSIONING

OUT-OF-WORLD ENTRY POINTS IN-WORLD ENTRY POINTS

How do new audience members enter the system? What’s the process for them to indentify themselves to the characters? How & when are they called to action (activated)? Create a chart for the “user journey”?

What platforms are being used for this story? What media do we need? Rich media and text based.

Where does the audience cross the threshold from reality to fiction? What are the calls to action? What are the out-of-world websites, social media, objects, locations, events?

What are the fictional entry points for this story? What are the calls to action? What are the in-world websites, social media, objects, locations, events?

Active Story System™ Interaction Worksheet

Scene Chart (example: Lowlifes) Show how the story moves forward scene-by-scene. What information or state

change causes audience experience of the story to progress? What new information does the audience gain?

Note: specific platforms may or may not be mentioned

Scene Chart (example: New Tokyo)

Parallel (therefore potentially optional) scenes

Character Steps (example: boy meets girl) Show how the characters (perhaps player-character) changes as experience

progresses

Steps and Paths

Ch

ara

cters

& P

laye

r(s)

Color-coding denotes same scene

Character steps for open world/branching story (example: New Tokyo)

Steps and Paths

Ch

ara

cters

& P

laye

r(s)

Scene branches

Player-character attributes/groups affecting scene

Character Map (example: lowlifes) Show character relationships and key character data

User Journey

Time and/or Stages and/or Acts

Pla

tfo

rms

Show possible path(s) taken by audience to access story/experience

Show relationship between platforms over time

User Journey: Limitations Transmedia stories (ought to) tend towards a mesh or network of information points rather

than simple linear path an “open story”

Open stories best described by states rather than paths and hence user journey diagram is less helpful

decision point alternative endings

A

B

C

plot point

character detail

Exposition

Linear Story

Branching Story Open Story

User Journey (example: Roswell)

eBook

Online Quests

Location-based Quests

Final event +

eBook holds many answers/clues to the puzzles

Detail expanded later in additional documents

Roswell quests: visitor gets points AND uncovers clues

Clues on social media, blogs, wikipedia etc

User Journey diagrams can easily become confusing. Especially with branching or open stories

Simplicity is always best

Defer complex interactions to lower-layer diagrams

User Journey (example: Roswell Experience)

Find the location of the alien landing (e.g. go into store to get grid ref and answer

questions)

Collect points and get to top of the leaderboard (e.g. upload photos, check-in, tweet, email) Location = story

content & unique NEC code

Interactive story and choices from characters in Cult and Hunters

eBook (web URLs)

websites

Location storylets

User Journey (example: Transbay) Shows scenes (possible states) available in relation to linear story (scheduled content)

System/block diagram (example: Transbay) Shows how important experience data will be displayed – without the detail of a wireframe diagram

Asset/data map (example: Roswell Experience) Shows important experience-related assets & data

Consider journey phases The user journey can be divided into six phases:

Setup - this is action to create the starting conditions before the audience experience starts

Registration - the Author decides how (or if) the Audience makes itself know to the experience

Activation - a call-to-action (which maybe at the same time as Registration or later in time)

Play - this is the main body of the experience

Wrap - if the World is to be ended then this stage ensures everything is wrapped up.

Setup Registration

• Attraction/ Spectacle

• Call to action • Data capture • Initial status

Activation

• (Re)Call to Action • Explanation

Play

• Structure • Mechanic

Wrap

• Resolution

Project: Date / / Version

EDITORIAL PROCESS LEGAL PROCESS & FRAMEWORK

COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT & GUIDELINES OPERATIONAL PROCESS

ESCALATION PROCESS METRICS

Who must approve the content? How will the content be approved? What timescales are required?

Are there legal issues regarding the publication of content? Who must sign-off from legal?

Who is in charge of the community? What authority do they have? What is the escalation procedure? How are they to deal with problems?

What are the procedures for: a. Purchasing merch and/or subscribing to story b. Raising a question or fault c. Who handles questions and faults?

Who is in charge and when do they get notified? How is success measured? What measures are to be reports? How frequently?

Active Story System™ Operations Worksheet

CONTACT Robert Pratten,

CEO & Founder, Transmedia Storyteller Ltd robert@tstoryteller.com

@robpratten USA: +1 415 287 4150

Europe: +44 207 193 4567

Pervasive Entertainment Platform

The Active Story System™ is available on

…the world’s most powerful transmedia storytelling software from…