OTT & Transmedia

Ugo Cavallo thanks for the encouragement. But, I also write primarily in the scifi-fantasy-horror genres and most of my stories don't feature that many earth-bound locations.

However, there are some locations I love because they remind me of sites from some of my fave books. I will list them here in a day or 2. I'm actually facing a deadline at present.

Elaine Haygood Ops! Even in deep space there will always be something that is taken from reality. Guys and fellow writers, whatever your genre, from horror to fantasy (do I have to say that Tolkien's middle ground exists in New Zealand?) Always remember to gather ideas from the places you see or know ;)

I've always wanted to sheet a scene at Grand Central Station in NYC. That's my #1 spot..

Nice! 9 left ;) Sam Sokolow

Ugo Cavallo Tolkien's Middle Earth was inspired by many places in the English countryside as well as some historical places/sites elsewhere in Europe.

Peter Jackson and his team at WETA built those sets in New Zealand because that's where they were shooting and a lot of those places had to be digitally enhanced to get the exact look and feel they needed.

Besides, those stories are primarily Fantasy, set in "an age gone by". Just like how the original Star Trek films primarily used a quick shot of the Golden Gate Bridge to show an example of San Francisco and Earth.

Perhaps, a better example would have been Bladerunner. Set in a dystopian future featuring a city that is an amalgamation of New York, LA, and my hometown, Chicago.

And yes, I will apologize for not having taken part in your "exercise" in a way you consider acceptable.

Now, haven't I been saying for ALL the years (since 2013) I have been on this platform that AVOD is the only model which will work in streaming in the long run? (I will answer that... yes). FAST has been around for a few years now but it's not necessarily as useful for the industry or public as one might think for... reasons not pertinent to this post. I can list two streamers so far gone belly up who relied on FAST over the last year.

There is such. huge movement into FAST and AVOD. It's really fascinating. Hopefully leads to more viewership accountability and residuals for creators and artists.

NFTs are another interesting animal as they ONLY exist as digital media as I understand it.

And, may cause you more trouble than they're worth.

Case in point: A certain "individual" last year sold digital trading cards that featured illustrations of him in rather "fantastical" situations.

He priced said cards at $99.00 (USD) each, which his fans then bought a boatload of.

The thing is, it was very soon after the release of these cards that it was reported by several news outlets that the minute the cards were purchased, they immediately lost 100% of their value. And the poor sods who'd purchased these cards in good faith were worth with, well...NOTHING.

You don't have to use NFTs if you want to give people a special piece of art they can print and display.

You can offer things like a high-resolution digital print that backers at a particular level can then get access to via a Dropbox link with the understanding that the link is a one-time use that they can't share with others.

They can then print the art out in whatever size they'd like.

I started reading "kid's stuff" ( Casper, Richie Rich, etc.) and then my aunt introduced me to Wonder Woman, and I discovered Marvel, Creepy, Eerie, and so on.

It has been an interesting journey that has taken me from a reader of comics to a creator and now, looking to move to a motion comics creator. This was very informative as McFarland is kind of a hero to us Indy creators.

That was enjoyable. Now, back to writing!

I'm so glad, Maurice Vaughan!

I love that, Elaine Haygood! I similarly fell in love with comics as a kid. We didn't have a comic book store in our small town, but during the summers, I went to a camp that took us to the library every Wednesday and I would station myself in a corner and read comics the entire time. Once I got a job and started making my own money, I was able to start investing in a collection of my own. I've yet to experience making one, but it's a long-time dream that I hope to reach someday.

Elaine Haygood and crew: I was addicted to Archie comics growing up. Really, they were the only ones I read, but Casper the Friendly Ghost was my favorite cartoon, next to Bugs Bunny. I got into Marvel late, in my 50s -- because of Captain America and the Winter Soldier. Hooked and obsessed. Still haven't ready any other comics other than Archie. I guess I need to buy a graphic novel and expand. But I love McFarlane to the moon and back. BTW, Canadian dude, too -- from Calgary. ;)

Todd McFarlane created the Edmonton Oilers oil drop third jersey logo and was a co-owner of the team. He sold his shares to the current owner Daryl Katz. BTW, here is his Ice Hockey Wiki: https://icehockey.fandom.com/wiki/Todd_McFarlane

Hi Wayne Cothron - feel free to post it in the Your Stage Lounge (www.stage32.com/lounge/promotion) and on Your Wall. You could also post your promotion in one of the other Lounges if your post starts a conversation that's helpful and educational to the community. For example, if you post your podcast link in one of the other Lounges, within that post you could start a discussion about podcast, give a tip on making a podcast, etc. It doesn't have to be long, just something that starts a conversation that's helpful and educational. Hope this helps and if you have any questions, let me know.

Well they're not that good at movies, so maybe this will work.

Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg Oh my, do I detect a little cynicism there, Shadow?

That's so interesting! Thank you for sharing, Geoff Hall!

Ashley Renee Smith thank you kindly, Ashley.

I remember the the VCR was going to destroy the movie industry. Didn't happen. It expanded the industry. Some technology that threaten creators should be regulated. But technology that offers audiences more choice - the customers - should be tried and respected. As long as the creative community is properly compensated then new models of reaching people can be explored. It's about the creators and the customers.

Things are hotting up in the Transmedia universe.

On the other hand - prnewswire is a budget press release service... (things industry looks at when assessing the seriousness of a company)... The Pangea Entertainment website just says "we have realms"... It's been a couple months now since that press release, haven't seen anything

Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg good to know, Shadow. I’ll keep a lookout on my Goggle Alerts for this one.

Success begets success. I'm not the biggest horror fan in general but really impressed with the way they've expanded this brand and grown something off the spark of the first film. Really cool. Thanks for sharing, Ashley Renee Smith.

That sounds so cool, Niki H! I miss Comic Con so much.

I'm sure that isn't an easy thing to do, Ashley Renee Smith ("change up its approach and story each time, while still staying true to the world and rules that have been established"). "The Hangover 2" changed its story, but its approach was basically the same (a group of guys waking up hungover and having to find their friend before his wedding). To me, "The Hangover 2" felt like "been there, done that." That being said, "The Hangover 2" did better than "The Hangover" at the box office.

That's true, Maurice Vaughan! I think it comes down to the approach. I also didn't love The Hangover 2 because it felt a bit stale to me and too similar to the original, without being as surprising and fun. But I would credit its box office success mostly to the fact that the first movie was such a breakout hit, that it continued to grow a fan base after it was released and that generated a lot of excitement for the sequel, so more people saw it in theaters.

Ashley Renee Smith I’m not a big fan of this kind of horror, I mostly prefer J-horror or supernatural horror. But there’s things to be learned from this in terms of Transmedia potential.

Hi Stephen Rhodes! Thanks for doing this AMA! I would love to know what your favorite project has been to work on and why?

Thanks so much Amir Mo for the question - I think the best way for you to break in would be to demonstrate you can take your existing writing experience and apply it to interactive narratives by creating your own interactive experiences using Twine or other similar programs, or create sample scripts that factor in player agency.

I think you may also want to look at varying up your writing samples to include genres more commonly seen within games. There are not a lot of 'comedy' focused titles out there, so having some writing that demonstrates your range will also instill confidence in teams you apply to.

That being said, sounds like you have plenty of experience so I think you should look for projects and studios that excite you with positions open and apply. I think if you can demonstrate with samples and in interviews that you understand how to apply storytelling to an interactive medium I think you'd easily land a mid-level narrative/writing role in the industry. Putting yourself on the radar of games industry recruiters on somewhere liked LinkedIn will help in finding a position that best fits your writing style also.

Hope that helps and best of luck with the search!

Hi Petula Miller and thank you. Great question! Most desirable skills I look for are a collaborative mindset, professional writing experience of any kind, a clear and unique voice, and understanding of how games are built.

Some of those can be taught whilst on the job, others are harder to instill. I prioritize good writing, clear voice, and a collaborative mindset so I know people can get the work done and can do it as part of a writing team.

Having any form of industry experience does help a lot, but doesn't mean it has to be writing specifically for games. Hope that helps!

Hi there Emily J thanks for your question! This is a tough one to answer. I feel like I have enjoyed every project I have been involved with for different reasons, whether its because of the people I worked with, the studio culture, the project itself, or IP I really liked playing with.

I am going to be cheeky and pick three and I'll explain why with each one:

1. LEGO City Undercover - it was my first big project in the industry & so it meant a lot to me. (I wasn't even a writer back then, I was a designer).

2. The Witcher 3 - it was an incredible experience with a team I truly loved working with on a project I was a huge fan of already. It was also the first time I lived abroad and was super scary, but it was a defining moment in my career and I made lifelong friends I am still very close with today.

3. Call of Duty Vanguard - I'm a huge history nerd so getting to create a story set within WW2 was really exciting for me, and I love the team at Sledgehammer. The best part though was it was the first time I got to build and lead a narrative team from scratch and seeing them all grow over the course of the project, then jump to other bigger and better things was truly humbling.

I am really proud of all the projects I have been a part of and I attribute a great deal of the writer and developer I am today to the amazing friends and colleagues who I met and who supported me along my journey. I'm very fortunate to have worked with some of the best developers in the industry.

Yes Stephen Rhodes , this is particularly encouraging to read. Thanks again for doing this AMA!