Fractal Thoughts

Joss Whedon reacts to Veronica Mars Kickstarter Campaign and is (of course) asked about Firefly

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 14:55:00 -0400

Joss Whedon reacts to Veronica Mars Kickstarter Campaign and is (of course) asked about Firefly:

Joss Whedon on the Veronica Mars Kickstarter campaign that raised a record 2+ million in 12 hours.

So what was your reaction when you heard this was happening with Veronica Mars and it was so successful?

Joss Whedon: It was unfettered joy. A) I thought it was an awesome and ballsy move. B) I love V. Mars and want more of it. And C) It feels like a real game-changer. Like, not since Louis C.K. [selling his comedy special directly online].

Embracing change: Participants at Digital Hollywood's Media Summit ponder the impact of new technologies

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 14:27:30 -0400

Embracing change: Participants at Digital Hollywood's Media Summit ponder the impact of new technologies:

dhcontentsummit:

“This year’s event, which took place in early March at Midtown Manhattan’s McGraw-Hill Building, reinforced the view that dramatic changes in the media landscape can be weathered. Many new developments, in fact, like the jaw-dropping success of Netflix’s unprecedented David Fincher/Kevin Spacey “House of Cards” original Web marathon and the increasing capabilities of mobile devices, are downright thrilling.”

The Publisher’s Anxiety at the Electronic Book

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 22:18:38 -0400

The Publisher’s Anxiety at the Electronic Book:

This.

The screen was supposed to be limitless, a portal to another dimension…yet novels have merely traded one container for another.

And more importantly, THIS.

Huge amounts of attention are therefore being given to more or less superficial parts of the debate: pricing, formats, business models, the latest gadget. What are being sidelined are the most important aspects of literature’s digital future. Namely, how can we use digital devices to change the way we tell stories?

XOXCO: Publishers Should Publish, Not Chase Technological Trends

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 22:10:16 -0400

XOXCO: Publishers Should Publish, Not Chase Technological Trends :

xoxco:

In the complex decisions between responsive HTML5 websites and native mobile applications, publishers shouldn’t take sides.

The insight of content management systems (going back decades ago to document processing systems and technologies like SGML) was to separate content from presentation.

…

Forbes: "IF Kids Are Our Future, Our Future Is Ebooks"

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 22:06:53 -0400

Forbes: "IF Kids Are Our Future, Our Future Is Ebooks":

“The next wave of the ebook revolution is coming and it’s going to be led by kids.”

theeditorialintern:

By Jeremy Greenfield (January 31, 2013).

“While just under a quarter of U.S. adults are reading ebooks, some 54% of kids are reading them — that’s more than double.”

“The next wave of the ebook revolution is coming and it’s going to be led by kids.”

j5rson: Industrial Plutocracy by ~j5rson

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 21:41:54 -0400

j5rson:

Industrial Plutocracy by ~j5rson

picadorbookroom: Smart tips on using your Kindle from Mom. Not...

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:44:29 -0400

picadorbookroom:

Smart tips on using your Kindle from Mom.

Not surprisingly, this went viral.

(Thanks to FSG for the tip.)

Why The "Second Screen" Industry Is Set To Explode

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 21:18:00 -0400

Why The "Second Screen" Industry Is Set To Explode:

Stories will spread cross-platform whether we want them to or not. Content creators need to be paying attention.

dmtrendsonline:

Watching television while also using a smartphone or tablet is one of the most popular leisure activities of the mobile era. The mobile industry is working hard to create mobile apps and sites that relate to what’s on TV, in order to capitalize on this behavior.

This approach is often referred to as the “second screen,” the idea being that the tablet or smartphone becomes a TV companion device, allowing for added levels of interactivity— whether on social networks or dedicated second screen apps and sites that complement on-air content.

In a recent report from BI Intelligence, we examine how second screen apps, social networks, and mobile sites will ultimately succeed in drawing significant audiences, analyze how they will begin to see some advertising dollars, and detail the opportunity represented by audience analytics and second screen commerce.

Here’s why the second screen industry will ultimately succeed:

Usage is growing rapidly:85% of smartphone users reported second screen-linked behavior at least once a month, over 60% reported doing it on a weekly basis, and 39% did so daily. Over 80% of 18- to 24-year-olds told Pew they used their phone while watching TV, and 60% of Americans with annual incomes above $50,000 use their phones while watching TV.

And mass acceptance isn’t even necessary: All that matters is that a significant minority of viewers develop this habit (especially if they are highly engaged viewers). In the U.S. alone, TV ad spending was $18.4 billion in the third quarter of last year, a $74 billion annual run rate. If mobile can carve out even a small share of that pile of dollars via second screen channels, it would boost the mobile industry tremendously.

Second screen isn’t really a new activity: It’s a natural update to the old ways of engaging with TV, like the old office water cooler conversations about last night’s football game or popular TV drama. Moreover, second screen-type behaviors were already popular on desktops and laptops, before mobile came along and made it a lot easier to participate.

Second screen apps and sites are bridges: They bring together the powerful but increasingly fragmented world of television media, and the fast-growing but still undeveloped digital realm. For TV-centric advertisers and content producers, second screen provides a channel through which to test out digital strategies while still remaining tied to familiar territory.

iconoclantastic: Henry Jenkins on Transmedia.

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 21:13:29 -0400

iconoclantastic:

Henry Jenkins on Transmedia.

Why publishers should hire storyrunners

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 12:30:45 -0500

So what’s a storyrunner? Have no idea. In fact I’m pretty sure I just made that up. As you might already know, I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about and writing stories for digital platforms. The other day, as I was sifting through vast amounts of content trying to reorganize it for better flow and continuity, I started feeling less like a writer and more like a showrunner.

Anyone familiar with the television industry knows a showrunner is the individual charged with giving a show tone and direction. The showrunner is usually an Executive Producer, the head writer, and more often than not, the series creator.

But what is a storyrunner?

A storyrunner is essentially a high tech editor charged with overseeing the distribution of content across various platforms while maintaining overall tone and direction, and ensuring story continuity. Or maybe it’s the storyworld’s author themselves, only with more creative control and a broader partnership than is given to writers under a standard contract.

Why do publishers need storyrunners?

Because authors are becoming content creators and stories are growing outside of the confines of the book.

An Amazing Contest for a Brilliant Debut Novel

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 12:16:18 -0500

Ellen Oh’s PROPHECY has arrived and this stunning debut is being celebrated in a big way over at Ciny Pon’s blog. So if you’re like me and dying to read this book (cause it’s got a demon slayer, mythology and is set in ancient Korea, people!) and love swag, head on over to enter.

I’m buying this if I win or not, but I have to admit I’m a sucker for swag. Good luck!

It’s here…. A demon slayer? Ancient Korea?...

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 12:00:49 -0500

It’s here….

A demon slayer? Ancient Korea? Mythology? Yes please.

An overview of Disney's Living Worlds program and Terms & Conditions

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 09:59:28 -0500

An overview of Disney's Living Worlds program and Terms & Conditions:

The above link brings you to a great overview of the Disney’s Living Worlds initiative to cultivate transmedia projects, by Michael Andersen at ARGNet. The article further clarifies the “a fully paid-up, transferable, non-exclusive, perpetual, worldwide, irrevocable, royalty-free license” language in the Terms & Conditions section and should be read by anyone thinking of applying by the December 1st (midnight PST) deadline!

HarperCollins Imprint Aims at Lucrative Young Adult Market

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 11:25:47 -0500

HarperCollins Imprint Aims at Lucrative Young Adult Market:

This.

“Readers of Y.A. have embraced digital reading in a big way,” Ms. Katz said. “We’re seeing short-form content becoming more popular in the digital marketplace, and HarperTeen Impulse allows us to experiment with new concepts and deliver content quickly.”

Two key elements that must be noted is the focus on experimenting with new concepts and a move to deliver content more rapidly, a drum I have been beating for a long time now.

Digital will trend for Middle Grade readers too, mark my words.

School Library Journal– YALSA’s YA Lit Symposium Considers Fandom, Contemporary Fiction and Transmedia | School Library Journal

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 11:10:33 -0500

School Library Journal– YALSA’s YA Lit Symposium Considers Fandom, Contemporary Fiction and Transmedia | School Library Journal:

The buzz at YALSA’s YA Lit Symposium? Fandom and transmedia, people. Let’s say it again, fandom and transmedia.

oliveryeh: devidsketchbook: FLOWER SCULPTURES PARADE IN...

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 22:07:45 -0500

Flower sculptures parad in Zundert, Netherlands | Post by devidsketchbook.com

Flower sculptures parad in Zundert, Netherlands | Post by devidsketchbook.com

Flower sculptures parad in Zundert, Netherlands | Post by devidsketchbook.com

Flower sculptures parad in Zundert, Netherlands | Post by devidsketchbook.com

Flower sculptures parad in Zundert, Netherlands | Post by devidsketchbook.com

Flower sculptures parad in Zundert, Netherlands | Post by devidsketchbook.com

Flower sculptures parad in Zundert, Netherlands | Post by devidsketchbook.com

oliveryeh:

devidsketchbook:

FLOWER SCULPTURES PARADE IN ZUNDERT, NETHERLANDS

Bloemencorso, the annual parade of flowers in Zundert. Despite the relatively small nature of Zundert (a small town with a population of about 20,000) the variety of and ingenuity of these sculptures seems to know no bounds. [via thisiscolossal]

I don’t think I can watch another Macy’s Parade…

Heartening to know things of such beauty are still being made.

Disney's Living Worlds: Bringing Immervise Stories to Life in the Real World

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 13:14:04 -0500

Disney's Living Worlds: Bringing Immervise Stories to Life in the Real World:

The deadline is approaching for Disney’s Living Worlds, a program to develop collaborative, transmedia projects. Have your entries in by 11:59 pm PST, December 1, 2012 and make sure to read carefully the Terms and Conditions before you apply.

"In what may come as a pleasant surprise to people who fear the Facebook generation has given up on..."

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 10:38:34 -0400

“In what may come as a pleasant surprise to people who fear the Facebook generation has given up on reading — or, at least, reading anything longer than 140 characters — a new report from the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project reveals the prominent role of books, libraries and technology in the lives of young readers, ages 16 to 29.”

- America’s Facebook Generation Is Reading Strong : NPR / No surprise, but data is always good. Yay readers! (via gwendabond)

Rejected by at least 26 publishers for being, in author...

Wed, 03 Oct 2012 09:05:49 -0400

Rejected by at least 26 publishers for being, in author Madeleine L’Engle’s words “too different” and on the American Library Association’s list of the 100 most frequently challenged books, A WRINKLE IN TIME is a very good reason to support Banned Books Week.

"Three rules for interacting with your community: - Understand the people with passion and “fire” -..."

Fri, 28 Sep 2012 10:55:32 -0400

“

Three rules for interacting with your community:

- Understand the people with passion and “fire” - just because you can’t see them doesn’t mean they are not there!

- Release control – it’s scary but necessary! (simply let it go!)

- Drop your tools, and make new ones that work in the reality you’re in..

”

- Peter Espersen, TEDx Transmedia 2012, Rome. (via tedxtransmedia)