A production proposal by Kathryn McKinney B

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1 A production proposal by Kathryn McKinney B

2 Transmedia Storytelling is the technique of telling a story across different platforms. Unlike the usual stories, where the same story is repeated in books, movies and games, transmedia storytelling offers a whole new experience. The purpose of Transmedia Storytelling is to immerse users in the world it creates. But also it previews the opportunity of bringing elements out of that world to the users real life. transmedia Storytelling For example, the first part of the story is a book, the second part is available in a game and the third as a movie. The combination of different platforms turns the narrative into a wider, bolder and more immersive experience, reaching and engaging a larger audience....a process where integral elements of a fiction get dispersed systematically across multiple delivery channels for the purpose of creating a unified and coordinated entertainment experience. Ideally, each medium makes it own unique contribution to the unfolding of the story. (Jenkins 2007)

3 Introduction #SaveTheAniamls is an ARG developed with the idea of user investment in mind. The storytelling experience tells of the story of Animal Farm after the novel from the point of view of the over worked animals. The farm is not what it seems from promo videos and so the user is asked to help. The experience allows the user to learn through podcasts and videos of what is actually happening on the farm. The development relies on the time players put into the experience. The franchise experience is developed with a breadcrumb effect pulling users from one medium to another. This ARG is designed to be played across 6 days starting with the promo video and across the period of a week users will be engaging with game characters podcasts to find out more. The game was designed for 100 players in order to experience the full potential.

4 This story follows the life of the animals on Animal farm from when the novel ends. so the animals devise a plan. They know they can not do this on their own and need help from the When all podcasts have been listened to the website will crash and show a URL and a countdown to outside world however this proves the escape. The countdown will last Life has become much worse on the farm. The pigs have taken over acting more human each day. They are coming up with bigger plans to extend the farm and build new machinery and work the animals even harder. difficult with the pigs keeping a close eye. They decide to develop a secret website where people who know of their story can visit and help them. To access the website you until the next and final day when the URL will take them to a You Tube video, thanking the audience for their support and it was with that the animals had the faith in themselves to escape during the night and run to freedom. It will provide the user with a link to sign SYNOPSIS The animals are overworked and starved. The pigs have reduced their food rations to save money whilst they themselves feast each night in the warmth of the house. must first see Clover s tweet, #SaveTheAnimals. It shows a video what the pigs think to be a promo video for the farm however at the end it becomes hacked, it features the hash-tag and URL to the a petition to stop animal cruelty. The narrative aims to provoke emotions within GCSE pupils and grab their attention. It allows the audience to gain closure from the With the death of many of original animals on the farm they are being replaced by new healthy animals who are being worked to death and so the cycle continues. website. Once the website is accessed you will see a virtual farm where you can access podcasts on the accounts of the animals suffering under story with it ending in equilibrium. It allows a young audience to experience the feelings of the animals under the rule of Napoleon through a modern day form of social media and web based content. The It must come to an end. Napoleons reign with the hope someone will help. There will be 5 narrative in an unknowingly way portrays the cruelty of animals Clover is becoming old and tired different podcasts from 5 different and encourages the user to sign and refuses to spend her last days animals where they will ask for help. a petition and play their part in under the control of Napoleon and 1 podcast will be revealed each day. stopping this.

5 Plot points Clover, the main character, sick of living under the tyrant, Napoleon, tweets out #SaveTheAniamls with the promo video Many of the animals begin to tweet this hashtag and video in order to create hype After accessing the website players will look through the virtual farm and click on the horse shed where they will listen to a podcast account from Clover The next podcast of Muriel, he sheep will then be revealed to the user followed by Bailey, one of the puppies from the novel, Maggie the donkey and finally Dexter the horse The website will then crash and show a URL with a countdown timer to the escape The user will then be taken to a You Tube video telling the user how through the users support they escaped the farm A link to a petition will be provided, encouraging the user to sign and play their part in preventing animal cruelty.

6 Background & context With the animals having taken over and Jones and his men chased off the farm. Manor Farm is renamed Animal Farm, and the Seven Commandments of Animalism are painted on the barn wall. With the pigs having taken over and Napoleon s lust for power increasing to the point where he becomes a totalitarian dictator, forcing confessions from innocent animals and having the dogs kill them in front of the entire farm. Eventually, the pigs begin walking on their hind legs and take on many other qualities of their former human oppressors. The Seven Commandments are reduced to a single law: All Animals Are Equal / But Some Are More Equal Than Others. The novel ends with Pilkington sharing drinks with the pigs in Jones house. Napoleon changes the name of the farm back to Manor Farm. The other animals can no longer tell the pigs from the humans. We pick up the story a few years later and find out what is happening on the farm now? Are the pigs still dictating? Are the animals still being starved and killed? Is there an end in sight?

clover Clover has seen it all. She can not take anymore. Clover calls to save the animals and escape from Napoleon s control. Characters Lambert is the white goat that lives on the farm.

7 Clover was Boxer s companion, a stout motherly mare approaching middle life. Like Boxer, she s loyal and strong. After Boxer was taken to the glue factory and with many of the original animals having passed away from starvation and being over worked Clover stepped up to lead the animals out of the farm. clover Clover has seen it all. She can not take anymore. Clover calls to save the animals and escape from Napoleon s control. Characters Lambert is the white goat that lives on the farm. He is one of the more intelligent animals as is able to read. Lambert always does his share of the work and can be depended on in battle to do what she can. He is not the strongest or most dynamic animal, but is solid. Lambert Like Clover, Lambert can not put up with it any longer. Lambert has just got insight into Napoleon s latest plan to expand the farm and knows of the work which will be enforced on the animals and the harm which will be caused on the animals to work harder.

Bailey is one of the nine puppies, After the death of Boxer, Dexter which Napoleon confiscated and was brought to the farm to replace secluded in a loft to rear into fierce, him.

the unknown to Napoleon. true commandments of the farm. Bailey has been trained since birth He willing to do whatever it takes however after witnessing many to bring the animals to freedom.

He is not much of a talker and has a reputation for getting his own way. Napoleon expels Maggie is quite new to the farm. After the death of Benjamin Napoleon bought Maggie from a near by farm.

Maggie knows this is no life for a young donkey and wishes to be free. Snowball from the farm and takes over.

8 Bailey is one of the nine puppies, After the death of Boxer, Dexter which Napoleon confiscated and was brought to the farm to replace secluded in a loft to rear into fierce, him. He is an enormous beast, elitist dogs that act as security nearly eighteen hands high, and as guards. However, Bailey is secretly strong as any two ordinary horses on side with the other animals. put together. He feels it unfair to treat the other Dexter is a strong male leader to animals unkindly and so is secretly the animals with a desire to bring out to help the animals escape down Napoleon and restore the unknown to Napoleon. true commandments of the farm. Bailey has been trained since birth He willing to do whatever it takes however after witnessing many to bring the animals to freedom. deaths of animals his kind heart Bailey sees it to be cruel and unfair and seeks to bring an end to the tyrant, Napoleon. dexter Napoleon is a large, rather fierce boar. He is not much of a talker and has a reputation for getting his own way. Napoleon expels Maggie is quite new to the farm. After the death of Benjamin Napoleon bought Maggie from a near by farm. Maggie is a young donkey suffering under the commands of Napoleon who is working her to the ground. She is made to do much of the labour around the farm and is under feed with little time for rest. Maggie knows this is no life for a young donkey and wishes to be free. Snowball from the farm and takes over. He modifies his opinions and policies and rewrites history continually to benefit the pigs. Napoleon awards special privileges to the pigs and especially to himself. For example, he dines on Mr. Jones s fine china, wears Mr. Jones s dress clothes, and smokes a pipe. As time goes on, Napoleon becomes a figure in the shadows, increasingly secluding himself and making few public appearances. Maggie Napoleon Eventually, Napoleon holds a conciliatory meeting with the neighbouring human farmers and effectively takes over Mr. Jones s position as dictator.

9 Podcast Script sample Podcast: Clover Clover: SOUND: LOW FARM SOUNDS IN THE BACKGROUND. (THE CHESHIRE CATS VOICE WILL BE QUITE IN A WHISPERING TONE TO CREATE THE SENSE OF SECRECY) It has now been 47 weeks since Animal farm was changed to Manor Farm. The animals are exhausted, starving and over worked. Napoleon is trying to expand the farm and build more windmills meaning longer working days and more money for him. Something needs to be done. I can not watch this go on for much longer. The pigs and their guard dogs are finding enjoyment in whipping us and working us to death. Old Major s legacy is no more. Each night as we lay exhausted in the barn we hear the feasting, drinking and chatter of pigs from the house. Their clothing and human like tendancies are increasing and their resemblance to pigs are no more, their are unrecognisable. Too many have died and suffered and this must come to an end. Just today I witnessed a pig tease one of the young sheep. He teased her with food and later denied her of her rations due to the fact she was exhausted and could not work to the pigs ridiculous standards. This is no life for young animals. Bailey, a guard dog of Napoleon has shown sympathy to us. However, we must be careful. If Napoleon was to see this he would have him killed. We are working to find a way out and he may provide an opportunity for freedom. But we need your help! We can not do this on our own. The animals need you to play your part in our escape. We have secretly set up this escape mission unknown to the pigs due to their lack of intelligence. Promote our hash-tag, help us trend and help others to hear our story. Follow the trail to aid our escape #SaveTheAnimals

10 The target audience for this transmedia narrative is young GSCE pupils. The platforms used are also targeting this audience as they would be the most popular age group to use these social media accounts. It can possible attract older adults who have read Animal farm. Deomographics Due to the fact the audience is young and can not drive or travel easily on their own the narrative is all online to make it as easy as possible for the audience to access and gain the full experience. Mainly students will be targeted through Twitter and via sharing of the resources and platforms. Some tried and true information about the majority of youth is that: Teens are obsessive about sharing information via social media Teens are equally as interested in discovering information as they are sharing it Teens prefer content that s delivered in real time Teens want to participate and be involved Teens are often egocentric Teens care about what other people are thinking (English, 2018) The narrative is designed around the concept of sharing a message and involving the audience in the escape of the animals.

11 Sarah, 15 Mark, 16 GCSE Pupil studying Animal Farm in English Wallace High School, Lisburn GCSE Pupil studying Animal Farm in English Rainey Endowed School User profiles Sarah studies is studying for her GCES s. She loves Media Studies and ICT, the more experimental modules within her subjects. She is member of her choir and drama club. She spends her free time helping out on her families farm and riding her horses. Work: When Sarah isn t helping out on her families farm she is volunteering at her local riding school, teaching young children to ride the horses. Media: Sarah loves to read, when she is not reading she is on Twitter and Instagram. She doesn t really watch TV but she keeps up with her favourite Youtubers Life: Sarah is from Lisburn and loves to hang out with her friends during the weekends. She is hoping to go back to School for 6th form to study English, ICT and Media Studies. Mark is studying English at GCSE and hopes to go on to study it at A Level. He enjoys the creative writing and literature. He is part of the debating society and takes part in competitions for his school. Work: Mark works part time in WH Smith, his local book shop on a Thursday evening. Media: Mark loves to keep up to date with world news and politics. He is active on Twitter and likes to get into healthy debates on government issues. Life: Mark lives at home in Magherafelt with his mum during the week and stays in Belfast with his dad during the weekends. He hates travelling between his parents but enjoys the quiet time on the train to read a book.

STORY Importance of narrative, depth of world & degree of authorial control 5 4 3 radar 2 CHART CO - CREATION Ability of audience to change

12 The radar chart illustrates the direction of #SaveTheAnimals, it is heavily story and real world based with the narrative following on from the novel and allowing the users to experience the narrative as if it is real world. STORY Importance of narrative, depth of world & degree of authorial control radar 2 CHART CO - CREATION Ability of audience to change or contribute to the storyexperience 1 0 REAL WORLD Extent to which storyexperience provides real locations & times, real people & events GAMING Audience has goal, use of puzzles, game mechanics

The rise in popularity of social media platforms and apps has opened the door for storytellers to deliver their content in

When developing #SaveTheAnimals it is important to keep in mind the interests of the audience and the platforms they use.

The Education Policy Institute reports that 95% of UK 15 year olds use social media before or after school.

Youtube is a very popular platform amongst teenagers, which is not surprising given the plethora of content and influencers

13 The rise in popularity of social media platforms and apps has opened the door for storytellers to deliver their content in inventive ways that let them engage with the audience. When developing #SaveTheAnimals it is important to keep in mind the interests of the audience and the platforms they use. With having such a young target audience it seemed clear to target social media platforms. The Education Policy Institute reports that 95% of UK 15 year olds use social media before or after school. (UK Parliament, 2018) Platforms With this is mind is seemed clear to develop the narrative around social media and have an online presence. Youtube and Twitter were both two of the most used Apps of 2017 amongst teenagers and so seemed fitting to include these platform. Youtube is a very popular platform amongst teenagers, which is not surprising given the plethora of content and influencers available on the video-sharing site. I decided to include a website featuring soundcloud podcasts. Podcasts are more popular than ever and so I wanted to incorporate them within the narrative. Podcasts seemed to be a effective way of telling the story of an animal. These chosen platforms help to create a sense of community. Twitter (Minor) Youtube (Minor) + Soundcloud embeds on an interactive website (Major)

14 Channels Half of 9 16 year olds used smartphones on a daily basis. (UK Parliament, 2018) I intended for this experience to be accessible through smart-phones due to the wide access. Mobile: Twitter & Youtube: These platforms will allow the narrative to begin. They will feature promo videos. Content on these platforms will also help the experience. Interactive Website Laptop: Interactive Website : The website will act as the community hub as well as being the centre point within this ARG. It will be a one way website that will release information such as podcasts and links to social media accounts. The website will feature podcasts/audio content from soundcloud to enhance the experience of the player.

DAY 1 - Clover and animals tweet out # and

podcast User Journey DAY 3 - Access website

for second podcast DAY 4 - Access website

for final podcast DAY 6 - Access to escape

15 DAY 1 - Clover and animals tweet out # and URL DAY 1 - Access website for first podcast User Journey DAY 3 - Access website for third podcast DAY 2 - Access website for second podcast DAY 4 - Access website for fourth podcast DAY 5 - Access website for final podcast DAY 6 - Access to escape video and petition link DAY 5 - Countdown to escape begins

16 Design Specifications Design Aesthetic The aesthetic chosen for this project is minimal due to the use of podcasts and Twitter. However design will remain minimal. Due to the secrecy the images of animals will be black outlined images of animals to hold back identity. The colours used will be black, red and white to communicate the sense of urgency, death and the horror in which the animals re living. The typeface used is one to portray the look of a paint brush to reflect the commandments painted on the barn. Media Design Styles Audio - Each audio file recorded will have a low background static as though they are recorded in secret. Videos The promo video will at first feature shoots to portray a happy, fun farm using happy, upbeat music and happy looking animals. The end of the video will crackle as if hacked and turn red and flash the URL of the website, indicating something is wrong. Social media The animals Twitter profiles will be minimal with little content except the # s and URL link indicating little time to tweet due to hard work life.

For the main promotional images I took a free high quality images of a farm.

I placed the texture of the image and played with the light settings to create the final look.

I placed on the title over the image, large and bold for impact.

17 For the main promotional images I took a free high quality images of a farm. I wanted to create a much more since of horror and so found a free red texture. I placed the texture of the image and played with the light settings to create the final look. commandments on the barn who had always create this promotional image. I placed on the title over the image, large and bold for impact. I then wanted the image to represent the farm and so used the typeface to write the commandments on the barn. When it came to the typeface I wanted something that had a paint brush effect to indicate that it was perhaps the animals who had written the I felt the red tones coming through the sky and the harsh font produced something eye catching which promotes my desired message. #savetheanimals

The simple 3D like virtual farm allows the user to be immersed into the idea of the farm and be able to visualise it.

18 #SaveTheAnimals This web page mock up shows an virtual farm where the user will click on different sections of the farm to listen to the different podcasts. The simple 3D like virtual farm allows the user to be immersed into the idea of the farm and be able to visualise it. The design is minimal however I feel it fits well, with a complex narrative I feel the user will be drawn into the storytelling experience if it remains simplistic and easy to follow. The design is straight forward and easy to navigate. #SaveTheAnimals

19 Project Web Build: The web page will be built around the virtual image, soundcloud embeds will be placed on the image using coding techniques. Build Overview Soundcloud: An account will be required to hold the audio files that will be accessible through the website. Twitter: Twitter accounts will be created for each of the animals to provide the URL. Youtube: A YouTube account is required to host both the promotional and final video. Petition: A link will be provided to sign a petition to help do something about cruelty to animals.

20 Management User Management Users will be tracked by Google analytics on the web page. They will also be tracked by their comments on the Twitter and Youtube accounts. There we can see the success of the project and if they made it to the end of the narrative Content Management, Back-end and Platform All content will be created and stored before the launch of the project so that they can be released at planned times and dates through the running of the project. Builds The only builds required for this project will be the construction of the website and Twitter and Youtube accounts. Theses platforms will need to be set up with backdated posts and information before the launch of the project. Testing With some of the content of the narrative being delivered on Twitter, Soundcloud and Youtube the quality assurance aspect is covered by the pre-existing reliability of these platforms. The web page will require testing in regards to responsiveness to mobile and the navigation. This is to ensure that the system is set up correctly for the launch of the project. Goals The main goal of this project is to create an ARG with user involvement in mind. The aim is to reach a strong, young audience of GSCE pupils and educate them further on the story of Animal Farm. Success Indicators Success will be tracked through the use of Google analytics embedded on the website. This will show how many visits the page receives per day/ hour and where from. Another success indicator within this project will be the interaction of users through the use of comments on the social media accounts. Copyright With the main elements of this project there should be no issue in terms of copyright as all elements that is not original productions from the team will be either be royalty free or clearly referenced.

21 In order to make this project work I will need a development team that work well together with their different skills and abilities. Management / Producer Responsible for managing the production from start to finish. development team Writer Produces and writes the podcasts. Actors The actors will play the animals in recording the podcasts. Illustrator Responsible for designing the graphics, will be in charge of further drawings and crafts and overall look of the project. Coder The coder will be in charge of creating and making the main website. CINEMATOGRAPHER The cinematographer will be in charge of the filming of the video. It will need to be slick, fast and efficiently showing all the required clues and information.

22 bibliography English. (2018). Content Marketing to Teenagers: Trends and Platforms Outbrain Help. [online] Available at: advertisers/content-marketing-to-teenagers/ [Accessed 6 Apr. 2018]. Jenkins, H., Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide Revised., NYU Press. UK Parliament. (2018). Impact of social media and screen-use on young people s health inquiry launched - News from Parliament. [online] Available at: committees-a-z/commons-select/science-and-technology-committee/ news-parliament-2017/social-media--young-peoples-health-inquirylaunch-17-19/ [Accessed 7 Apr. 2018]

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