Transmedia vs. Traditional Storytellling

This reading opened my eyes to the endless possibilities that exist through transmedia storytelling. It brings a whole new level to traditional storytelling. In my opinion, this can be a good or bad thing.

                Traditional storytelling gives you a linear story that you either read or hear. This is one dimensional as if you are watching the events in the story take place. Transmedia storytelling gives humans the capability to take a one dimensional story and put a person inside of it. From this point on, the story is no longer linear. The story changes depending on your decisions. It takes a person who feels like they are witnessing the story taking place and places them in the story. The witness becomes a character and the story begins to engage all of the senses. This gives people the power to become one with a story and fully experience it.

On one hand, transmedia storytelling is positive because it engages people more than ever before. On the other hand, transmedia storytelling can be seen as negative because it allows people to rely on everything they are given. With traditional storytelling, listeners and readers were only given a plot. In order to become immersed in the story, one had to use their imagination. People had to imagine what it would be like if they were a character in the story. Transmedia does not require any extra thought. Everything is given to the person. This could damage the way people think and cause people to use their imagination less.