OTT & Transmedia

Maurice Vaughan Funny thing, there's actually no such thing as a "transmedia producer" from the initial stage. Transmedia is something that happens after you are successful in one media, then expand into another. IMO, the whole "designing worlds" idea is absurd for screenwriters who are just going to see their script to someone else... It's creative bubble gum IMO. And for a producer, work the numbers and issues out of trying to feed more than one media at a time and you'll understand why the only time it's been attempted was by a Japanese anime company who failed at it...

Thanks for the insight, Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg. I don't make transmedia projects as a screenwriter, but I put a note/page in my pitch material letting producers, directors, etc. know there's potential for transmedia and merchandise.

Happy Sunday, Geoff Hall! I saw the finale at home.

Maurice Vaughan Hi Maurice, I watched it yesterday and thought it was a great finale and probably the only one which wouldn't have felt like a cop-out. It was a brilliant conclusion and the only loose end to me, was what happened to Dr Kay (Linda Hamilton).

The finale saved the season for me, Geoff Hall. There's things in the finale that could've been a lot better in my opinion though.

Maurice Vaughan fire away, Maurice…

Here's one thing I think could've been a lot better, Geoff Hall. SPOILER! The final battle was too short, emotionless, it wasn't suspenseful, and some things didn't make sense, like why the giant monster was hurt by rifle bullets.

I've been learning about transmedia on Stage 32, but I want to learn more about it, Cynna Ael. I like cross-platform better than transmedia. I know what cross-platform means right away when I hear it. Thanks for making the post. I'm looking forward to your other post!

Maurice Vaughan Thanks! I tend to use cross-platform more often because to me, you're actually crossing to other mediums with the IP universe itself- not just one story. One of my favourite ways to establish IP and make it fun is a one page comic. What does it do? It doesn't need to be coloured- it can be black and white- but by doing a one page comic- you can put it on your blog, your website, whatever and create a public short story version of any story in your IP. Plus, it's cheaper to get the comic made. One thing I will tell people as someone in indie comics-- get a professional letterer. It makes a difference.

You're welcome, Cynna Ael. I like your one page comic idea! Thanks for the idea and tips!

Holly Fouche thanks, I like the simplicity of this choice.

Hi Mandi, one term I mentioned earlier that may be useful in this context is “Super Story.”

It’s used in education and development to describe a story world designed to naturally extend across generations and mediums (including theatre, audio drama, art installations, film, TV, and interactive), without being tied specifically to digital-first assumptions.

I’ve found it helpful as language when “transmedia” feels dated or too narrowly defined.

Mandi Allen Why not just "adaptation" - that's the actual term used in industry and it's descriptive.

Transmedia, (as was told in 3 film schools) is not same story, shared across platforms aka Multi Media. The story strands morph/grow/prequels/ sequels/relocate. Each part of the eco system, tells another part of a story & from a different POV. Audiences can be 4 quadrant & even cross pollinate the genres. EG Vintage Noir adult thriller film 1946, characters back story novellas 1920’s for all ages, comic, novel, social media & avatars etc.

I prefer cross-platform storytelling. One? It means that your stories can be linked across many platforms without retelling the same story. Plus, I love the idea of cross-linking stories together.

Game IPs are increasingly becoming the backbone of transmedia storytelling, evolving far beyond their original medium. We’re seeing titles extend into film, TV, comics, and even interactive formats that blur the line between entertainment and participation. A good example of this crossover can be found in the gaming sector itself, showcasing how audiences are drawn to interactive, narrative-driven spaces, such as live dealer casino games, that feel immersive and connected across platforms. It highlights how the demand for engagement is shifting—people don’t just want to watch or play; they want to experience a world. That’s exactly why strong IPs have the power to anchor transmedia strategies in the years ahead.

Absolutely right, Fred Smith, I couldn’t agree more, strong game IPs are becoming the anchor for immersive transmedia worlds.

Lemon Kovronskiynick Interactive storytelling shows you truly understand your audience. It reflects how well you grasp not just what they want to see, but how they want to experience it. It’s also great to pick a story you can visualize clearly in your mind, one that stays exciting as you build it out, and can handle added layers without losing its core. Once you find that kind of project, that’s the one to expand.

Totally agree. It’s exciting to see games treated as the foundation of an IP rather than the final step. Developing Astro Burn across game and TV at the same time feels like a smart way to keep the world, tone, and ownership aligned from day one. It also shows how important it is to think about structure early, not just creatively but strategically, so the IP can grow naturally across formats. This kind of ecosystem thinking is something we’re seeing more often online in general, where platforms are built around a clear core and then expanded in a coherent way. A good example outside of entertainment is https://magyarkaszinooldalak.com/, which works as a centralized information hub for online casino content, organizing guides, comparisons, and related topics around a single focus. In both cases, having a strong foundation makes it much easier to scale into new areas without losing clarity or consistency.

Fun fact about game scripts- many of the comic creators work behind the scenes creating their scripts. The concept is similar and it allows for growth and crossover opportunities for screenwriters, comic creators, and more. Is it wrong I still long for my D&D campaigns?

This is such a fantastic breakdown, Waheed Rehman. I love that you highlighted how intentional and adaptive each of these transmedia examples has been.

As someone who writes in the fantasy genre and dreams of building transmedia worlds, I found your takeaways really inspiring. It’s true, you don’t need a Marvel-sized budget to build something lasting. You just need intention, passion, and a smart understanding of your audience.

I’d love to see you share more posts like this here in the Stage 32 Transmedia Lounge on a regular basis. You clearly have a strong grasp of what makes these franchises tick, and that kind of insight is invaluable for creators navigating IP development.

Incredible post, Waheed Rehman! "Transmedia storytelling works best when each platform adds a new dimension to the world. Repetition is boring." You're right. I don't want to just watch the same thing over and over in different mediums. I want to see new things and characters.

The Last of Us is a lesser-known franchise that's pushing the boundaries of transmedia storytelling. There's the games and the TV series, and I just found out there's a comic book miniseries. And I'm sure Naughty Dog could expand the transmedia universe even more with another console video game, TV spin-offs, console game spin-offs, movies, mobile games, etc.

Thanks so much Waheed Rehman for this breakdown. I've had to develop a few cross-platform IPs and, as a writer, really loved, opening up the world.

Exploring a lot of transmedia projects lately, and it's fascinating how storytelling can expand across different platforms without losing cohesion. While researching, I came across some interesting examples in sports media collaborations, and I realized how partnerships can really enhance audience engagement. For instance, I recently read about the 1xbet partnership which gave me a fresh perspective on how strategic collaborations work in practice. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re curious about real-world applications beyond traditional transmedia narratives.

I love this a lot. I think so many people don't grasp the concept of transmedia in a way that makes it easy to recall. Seeing it like this- makes a difference.

Ashley Renee Smith Not very excited. X-Men did great with R-rated films. Moving the franchise fully under Marvel is concerning because Marvel skews more youth-focused than adult, and that could limit X-Men’s ability to retain an adult audience.

I hear you, and that’s a concern of mine too, Dwayne Williams 2. X-Men has always worked best when it leans into heavier themes, moral ambiguity, and consequences, and there’s a real risk of sanding those edges down under a more youth-leaning Marvel tone.

That said, I do think Deadpool & Wolverine showed something important. Marvel proved they’re willing to push into more extreme territory when it serves the material. It was a massive box-office success, earning over $1.3 billion globally, becoming one of the biggest films of 2024, and the highest-grossing R-rated film ever.

So I’m cautiously optimistic. If Marvel treats X-Men less like a brand extension and more like a thematic pillar that needs maturity to function, there’s real potential there. The question is whether they let the X-Men stay uncomfortable, political, and emotionally complex, or try to flatten them into something safer. That balance will make or break it for a lot of us.

I agree Ashley Renee Smith, and it makes me wonder Is there a specific X-Men character you’d want to anchor that transition, either in the crossover or through a spin-off that would keep the adult tone?

It’s a tough one, honestly, Dwayne Williams 2. The original film franchise chose to anchor so much of the X-Men around Wolverine, and it feels like Marvel is doing something similar by kicking off the X-Men’s integration into the core MCU through Deadpool, using him as the catalyst to bridge the two worlds. From a business and tone-setting perspective, it makes sense, but it does narrow the entry point.

Personally, I would love to see them mix it up and shift the long-term future of the X-Men toward Katie “Kitty” Pryde. She’s been a leader within the X-Men for a long time, yet she’s never really been given the focus she deserves on screen. Anchoring this new era around her would allow Marvel to cast a young actress in a fan-favorite role and let that character grow alongside the franchise, giving them a long runway for films over the next several years.

She also offers something different thematically: a grounded, human entry point into a complex, often darker world, without defaulting to the same emotional beats we’ve already seen. That kind of perspective could preserve depth and maturity while still opening the door to new audiences.

Ashley Renee Smith Wow, that would honestly be a perfect character to start from! Kitty’s powers would be exciting to explore visually at their full potential, and she brings a strong emotional core to the story. I was also thinking Nightcrawler could work really well on the darker side, especially if they explored his connection to Mystique and a possible evil clan tied to his abilities. His Brimstone teleportation feels like it could fit naturally alongside a Doctor Strange–style mystical framework.

Maurice Vaughan, Is there a particular X-Men character you’d love to see the franchise focus on going forward?

Thank you Maurice Vaughan and Haley Mary, I’m glad you like Iron Rain’s title :) I think it fits Ranmaru perfectly because it represents both who he was and will become (as well as what he can do).

And that’s very true Haley Mary, writing is an adventure~

You're welcome, Banafsheh Esmailzadeh. I don't think I've heard of a title representing those things. Thanks for the idea.

I like to create across games, anime, TV, and music videos/shorts Banafsheh Esmailzadeh, and when a world starts expanding on its own like that, I take it as a signal. When it happens, I step back and map the universe across platforms, outlining what version of the story belongs in each medium. I’ll build a separate outline for each format, with visuals and structure designed specifically for gaming, anime, or feature film.

If one platform doesn’t gain traction, I don’t see it as a failure. I’ll reframe the same core world and pitch it through a different format, because sometimes people connect to an idea more easily when it’s presented through the medium they understand best. It’s a powerful and genuinely exciting place to be creatively.

No worries Maurice Vaughan, most if not all of the titles in Petal are singular words that nonetheless have double or more meanings (for example Petal itself means an actual flower petal but is also Jiro's nickname for his girlfriend Hannah [whose full name in Japanese literally sounds like "petal"], and it's also a homophone for "pedal" because of Jiro's being a drift car driver), so I broke tradition a little bit with Iron Rain being a two-word title, and its companions once again by giving them more than two word titles lol. Duality is also a big theme in the series as well as most protagonists having more than one name so in Ranmaru's case I wanted to show both who we come to know him as in Seed (Iron) and who he is behind that name (Rain).

That's a great way of going about it Dwayne Williams 2. I'm going according to my own skills and how much control over the narrative I want, and predominantly for Iron Rain I do want it animated whereas the side stories I can see as single-episode comics if not also animated as special episodes. For Petal as a series, though, I have strong doubts about it translating well into anything live action, Seed is the only exception.

I'd like figurines made of my characters for collectors and kids, Banafsheh Esmailzadeh. I put a note/page about toys and other merchandise in my pitch material for some of my scripts.

Oh lovely Maurice Vaughan, and thanks for letting me know I can do this in my pitch materials. I might design some toys and figurines.

You're welcome, Banafsheh Esmailzadeh. Designing toys and figurines is a great idea! And who knows? A producer, director, etc. might see them and get interested in reading your work.

Wow, I love the idea.

I’ve been thinking about merchandise for my worlds. It would be incredibly satisfying to see someone wearing clothing inspired by my characters, or quotes that reflect each world’s lessons and vibes.

Dolls feel especially fitting for my fantasy characters.

I would absolutely love seeing it as a toy Banafsheh Esmailzadeh, and LEGO feels like the perfect fit given how they’ve historically expanded stories through transmedia rather than just merchandise. The value they added to Star Wars through LEGO storytelling is something I’ve always admired.

Dwayne, that’s exactly the kind of architecture IPBSE is built to support. You’re already doing the hard part — designing a core world that can hold multiple formats without breaking. The framework simply gives creators a way to memorialize that structure so the canon, the adaptation bibles, and the expansion logic are protected, priced, and ready for whatever format comes next. If you ever want to see how your world maps into that structure, I’d be glad to show you.

Thanks, Baron Rothschild. Appreciate that! I already develop full bibles per project, register copyrights, and pitch, so the underlying structure is in place with my studio. Thanks for reaching out, happy to connect if there’s a specific business-side angle where our approaches intersect.

Totally makes sense — you’re clearly already strong on the creative side.

Where IPBSE tends to intersect with established workflows like yours is on the business/documentation layer: mapping ownership, contribution history, valuation context, and the upstream structure that sits above the bible and before the pitch.

If you ever want to see how your existing materials translate into that upstream layer, I’d be glad to walk you through it — no pressure at all.

Thanks for the offer Baron Rothschild. I appreciate you taking the time to explain the angle. Always good to be aware of how different frameworks approach the business layer. I’ll keep it in mind moving forward.

Anytime, Dwayne — different frameworks reveal different leverage points. Glad the angle was useful.

Thanks for sharing the video, Geoff Hall. I think a three company town would be terrible for the industry and indie producers, writers, etc. Less jobs and less original movies, shows, and more.

Maurice Vaughan thanks Maurice, how would the distribution strategy for indie films change if this did happen?

You're welcome, Geoff Hall. I'm not sure. Hopefully it doesn't make things worse for indie films.

Well it's only a 4 company town now...