Multimedia vs Transmedia

Multimedia, as defined, is telling a single story in multiple platforms whereas transmedia is telling multiple stories over multiple mediums that overall tell one big general story (One3 Productions). What has transformed our modern society is the technological creations of aspiring innovators, those who magnify their ideas for monetary values. From what has become a simple form of entertainment now has an extraordinary multitude of production, in addition to stories having the capabilities of renovation and expansion through multiple platforms. And by this I mean, the products of multimedia has become obsolete, due to the reason that mostly everything has become transmedia.

                 A single story is being told through multiple platforms, in other words, different formats of video, text, graphics, which becomes DVDs, theater, and television. Ultimately, these are products that the audience does not have the ability to input their thoughts and feelings, but rather see visually with their own eyes. They are one means of entertainment, seeing and listening to a single story told through automated graphics and video on a screen. Such examples of these would be films as Twilight, Harry Potter, Marvel films, and even in films made directly and inspired by books. Multimedia is the original form of entertainment, produced by movie productions, writers, and etc, limiting involvement from nonprofessionals.

While multimedia limits communication and interaction, transmedia allows the audience to indulge in this participatory culture of media. It goes beyond the limits of just visual capabilities, but communication with others is key to this essence of transmedia. As I mention marvel films, such as Spiderman, X-Men, Thor, and etc, transmedia allows the audience to consume this product through video games as well, where consumers are controlling their own story of this general idea of heroes and villains through a remote control which then is represented in their screen. Give a Spider-man fan a Spider-man game, and watch him overjoy the possibilities of living the life of Spider-man and his powers through one tool (the remote control). Even portable games have been created via apps on cell phones. Social networks engage in transmedia as YouTube users make their own videos of critical reviews of multimedia production, and even parodies of multimedia songs. Blogs and webpages are also created to discuss the events, dislikes, and likes of certain films.

 Storytelling is the key word in transmedia for transmedia offers audience to produce their own stories on a singe story, which undoubtedly has resulted from one general idea. As the picture above depicts a story that is being processed through different platforms which include social networks, blogs, game works, and etc, it illustrates the essence of producing transmedia. Monetary consumption is also relevant as it allows for more companies, organizations, businesses, and etc. to produce and gain monetary values, paving way for businesses and consumers to enter the market.

Multimedia, I say, is becoming obsolete, due in part because of the creation of new innovations of video game systems, the internet and its social websites. With these modern advances, multimedia is not just multimedia, a mass of media combined together, but has become transmedia, the interactive society communicating from a common interest of a multimedia product.