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Digital Narrative Forms

Course Director: Panagiotis Kyriakoulakos
co-lecturer: Alexandros Merkouris
Course Code: 7554
Educational Units: 4
ECTS Units: 5
Type: Compulsory Stream 1 (ΥΕΚ1)
Semester: 08 (Spring)
Hours: 2 hours lecture and 2 hours lab

 

In this course is undertaken the intensive practice of fundamental audiovisual and interactive narrative techniques from script writing and staging to the final editing of transmedia works.

Course sessions:

  1. Narrative Techniques: In this session we provide the timeline of the narrative techniques invented from the ancient times to today's digital era. We categorise all narration notions that are used in contemporary works independently of their appearance in the History of civilisations.
  2. Creation of Digital Worlds: Emphasis is given to Transmedia World Building techniques that aim at the creation of multiple representations destined to multiple media platforms (transmedia storytelling). The paradigm shift in storytelling is explained, as well as the importance of methodological frameworks to draft adequate design documents.
  3. Design of audiovisual works: The stages of the design process for the implementation of an audiovisual work are analysed, followed by the description of the deliverables (design documents) resulting from each stage of the design process.
  4. Elements of audiovisual narratives: The notions of concept, synopsis, plot, treatment and script are analysed following the dominant approach in Film Theory and Practice.
  5. Character Design: This session is dedicated to the central role of protagonistic characters in fiction films and various character design methods are presented based on the current scholar litterature.
  6. Mise en scene theory: The theory of Film Direction is approached in both micro (screen composition, shot staging) and macro (visual narration, editing, visual transition effects) levels..
  7. Design of interactive works: The contents of an interactive design document are analysed in detail (subject and content structure, visual approach, interaction environment, user experience, technical description, promotion strategy).
  8. Transmedia Design Guidelines: Theoretical and analytical considerations are provided for the Design of Transmedia Projects that are based on the same initial digital content.
  9. Transmedia Content Transposition: In this session we provide methods of transposition from a linear digital content (i.e. audiovisual work) to an interactive one (i.e. game) through the analysis of a few case studies.

The students should be able, at the end of the course, to prepare Transmedia Design Documents and produce prototypes in video and in at least another medium (comics, game, book, radio, internet platform, etc).

  • Abbott, H. P. (2005). The Future of All Narrative Futures. In J. Phelan, & P. J. Rabinowitz, A Companion to Narrative Theory (pp. 529-541). Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.
  • Bertetti, P. (2014). Toward a Typology of Transmedia Characters. International Journal of Communication, n.8, (pp.2344-2361).
  • Dena, C. (2009). Transmedia Practice: Theorising the Practice of Expressing a Fictional World across Distinct Media and Environments. (PhD dissertation, University of Sydney).
  • Gambarato, R. R. (2013). Transmedia Project Design: Theoretical and Analytical Considerations. In Baltic Screen Media Review, n.1, (pp.80-100).
  • Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: New York University Press.
  • Kallas-Καλοδεροπούλου, Χ. (2006). Η τέχνη της επινόησης και της αφήγησης στον κινηματογράφο, 66 ασκήσεις και 1 μέθοδος. Αθήνα: Εκδόσεις Νεφέλη.
  • Phillips, A. (2012). A Creator’s Guide to Transmedia Storytelling: How to Captivate and Engage Audiences across Multiple Platforms. New York: McGraw-Hill.
  • Scolari, C. A. (2009). Transmedia Storytelling: Implicit Consumers, Narrative Worlds, and Branding in Contemporary Media Production. International Journal of Communication, n. 3, (pp. 586-606).
  • van Wyngaarden, E. ( 2014, October 1). Transmedia Value Creation, The Paradigm Shift In Media. Transmedia desk, Training for trainers.

Related Scientific Journals:

  1. International Journal of Communication.
  2. Convergence.
  3. International Journal of Art and Technology
  4. Leonardo