Transmedia Storytelling vs. Doctor Who Reaction Videos
The primary element of my project is based around creating a fan-style reaction video for YouTube based on the recently released Series 12 trailer of Doctor Who in combination with a breakdown review which breaks down the trailer step-by-step and analyses each featured clip in speculative detail.
At first glance, the project itself, before production, already possesses some elements of transmedia techniques, by being uploaded to and “broadcast” on YouTube or Vimeo, the original trailer is being “dispersed across multiple delivery channels” (Jenkins, 2009a).
But through “additive comprehension” (Jenkins, 2006: 123), a first-hand reaction to the trailer adds a “new piece of information” which revises our “understanding of the fiction as a whole” (Davidson, 2010), namely the analysis and intricate breakdown of the trailer itself.
On this level, it also conforms to the principle of “drillability” as by conducting a detailed and meticulous breakdown of the trailer — by speculating on what is potentially happening in each scene and which episode it derivates from — the creator is “drilling down deeper” to explore a deep plethora of narrative extensions based on something that “captures [their] imagination” (Jenkins, 2009a).
So while on one level non-creative fans would ‘spread’ the message — such as by sharing the trailer on social media — other fans can use their creativity to ‘drill’ the message further — by breaking down and reviewing the trailer.
Something which can “enhance viewer engagement” and encourage the creator’s further participation as a Doctor Who fan and emphasise their continuing fan dedication and passion.
This is something I have noticed when looking at previous breakdown videos created by other creatives, many of which have described each clip in detail and talked speculatively about what it could imply, based on previous rumours and filming pictures, for example.
However, my project could also incorporate further elements of transmedia storytelling, for example, the reaction and review video has the potential to be live-streamed on YouTube as opposed to being edited and uploaded at a scheduled time. Thus, potentially enhancing viewer engagement as they are encouraged to enter into the “world of the story” (Jenkins, 2009a) through immersion.
Their [the viewer’s] experience could be encouraged by the creator urging them to comment on the video in the usual fashion, usually as a coda at the video’s conclusion — or in the form of a livestream — a consistent stream of comments throughout — which outline their own reactions to the trailer and offer their own fan-oriented analyses and perspectives as to the contents of the trailer.
This was also a common precedent throughout existing reaction and breakdown videos, encouraging their viewers to “Like”, “Subscribe” and comment below with their own viewpoints on the trailer, including elements the creator themselves may have missed.
Hence, emphasising the constant desire of creators to keep viewers engaged with their “drillable” content so prevalent in the era of vlogging and online video consumption.
Moreover, this would encourage “worldbuilding” (Jenkins, 2009b), as while the video itself is evidence of “extractability” — namely, the creator is incorporating aspects of Doctor Who into his “everyday” creative profession of videography (and potentially through the ‘branded’ clothes he wears during the video) — the viewers’ ability to comment on the video and share their own opinions enables them to “engage more directly with the worlds represented in the narratives” (Jenkins, 2009b).
Thus, the video (the reaction and breakdown segments) effectively extends the narrative of the original trailer by providing a new and original perspective on how it is perceived — particularly from a fan’s point of view — and “drills” down into its narrative to explore previously undiscovered details.
As well as further encourage audience engagement through the incorporation of transmedia storytelling elements which enable them to invest more deeply in the story than they could solely from the narrative of the original trailer.
References
Davidson, D. (2010) ‘Commentary and Critique’ Carnegie Mellon University. Available at: http://www.etc.cmu.edu/etcpress/content/chapter-11-commentary-and-critique [Accessed: 21 November 2019].
Jenkins, H. (2006) Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: New York University Press.
Jenkins, H. (2009a) ‘The Revenge of the Origami Unicorn: Seven Principles of Transmedia Storytelling (Well, Two Actually: Five More on Friday)’ Confessions of an Aca-Fan. 12 December. Available at: http://henryjenkins.org/blog/2009/12/the_revenge_of_the_origami_uni.html [Accessed: 21 November 2019].
Jenkins, H. (2009b) ‘Revenge of the Origami Unicorn: The Remaining Four Principles of Transmedia Storytelling’ Confessions of an Aca-Fan. 12 December. Available at: http://henryjenkins.org/blog/2009/12/the_revenge_of_the_origami_uni.html [Accessed: 21 November 2019].
