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This is an excerpt from a really great post from Paul Bourke:
This is the first time I’m able to share some of the thinking behind my upcoming story project We Dream of Nothing.
Depending where you look or who you speak to, transmedia gets championed, misunderstood, knocked, supported, defined and re-undefined. What I want to add to the conversation though in theses next few posts, is a look at some of the practical and creative things in the pipeline, focussing particularly on what can only be explored because of the interactive, multiplatform nature of this story: A story which flows the Audience through multiple physical and virtual spaces in order to complete it.
Some of the paragraphs are specific to the shape of WDON, some I think are more general things, but unique to transmedia.
Apologies if some bits sound vague, I want to throw some ideas out without spoilers attached. All thoughts welcomed.
First among the upcoming assumptions in this post is that the reader values story first, but is also interested in new/additional/different ways to speak to/with an Audience.
We Dream of Nothing is an original, science fiction fantasy story that connects two characters at opposite ends of the universe. The story is hidden inside the female lead’s dream research website. From there the Audience can explore the story through 28 episodes – combinations of video, comics, audio, collaboration, data swapping, and, well… all sorts of other fun things to see and do....
...Ticket Prices.
I’ve thought about this a lot and have decided that after the first few free episodes, there will be a ticket price on the Story Experience. Here’s why.
1. Some of the services I’m using will cost me money per ‘user’. I don’t have a sponsor and can’t pay out for the inevitable millions who will flock to the site. So everyone must pay their way and I must make sure the experience is worth more than it costs in cash.
2. Charging provides something for me to ‘offer’, namely a discount. The full ticket price will be on the site, but I have laid out ways that early project supporters can get discounted and free access to the story.
3. This really is particular to the design of WDON I think, but with regards to rights, I am producing a lot of the content myself (for season 1) but also contextualising content that stands up in its own right that I have asked others to produce. i.e I am charging for the story. If I do this then it means core creative contributors can benefit in a measurable way – on this in the next post.
Ultimately I think, if original, indie/published, interactive, multiplatform, transmedia stuff is to stick around it just has to have a ticket price. So I will be charging people for my project, trusting to reviews, testimonials and word of mouth to convince good people it is worth the buy. It will cost more than an app, but less than a hardback I think. I’ll let you know how that goes!...'
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