Beyond One Screen

Multiplatform Storytelling is a powerful tool that can expand a narrative and deepen audience engagement. It can be valuable to understand how to use this strategy to promote a project and create a loyal fanbase. 

The multiplatform approach extends a narrative across multiple media platforms. It differs from traditional storytelling because it involves creating a cohesive meta-narrative that spans multiple media platforms and provides a unique experience for each of them.

To create a successful campaign, you need to have a central story that spans delivery platforms. These platforms could include short-form web videos, comics, mobile games, and even online advertising. Each platform should provide a distinct experience and contribute to the overall narrative.

One of the most successful examples of Multiplatform Storytelling is the campaign for the television series, Lost. The showrunners used various media platforms, including online content, video games, live events, and books, to expand the show's universe and deepen audience engagement.

The Lost Experience was an alternate reality game that ran between the second and third seasons. The game engaged fans in new ways, allowing them to interact with the show's universe through puzzles and challenges that led to them learning fresh information about the show's mythology.

In addition to The Lost Experience, the showrunners created a series of tie-in novels that added backstories for characters and mythology. These novels, such as Bad Twin and The Valenzetti Equation, were written by well-known authors and allowed fans to dive deeper into the show's universe.

In the campaign for the NBC series, Heroes. The showrunners used a variety of media platforms, including graphic novels and webisodes, to expand the show's universe and provide additional context for the show's mythology.

One of the most notable examples of the Heroes campaign is the series of graphic novels that were released alongside the show. These were written and illustrated by well-known comic book creators, working closely with the Heroes’ writing staff, and provided additional backstories for characters and to flesh out the show's mythology.

The Heroes’ showrunners also created a series of webisodes that focused on minor characters from the show. These webisodes, such as Going Postal and The Recruit, provided additional context for the show's universe and helped to deepen audience engagement. Characters would roam across not just the ancillary platform content, but also play a critical part in the main series.

Multiplatform Storytelling isn’t required when introducing a new IP to the world, but it can provide value. Not just for the audience, but the creative team exploring and expanding the fictional world they’re creating.

On the ABC series Alias the showrunners used a variety of media platforms, including a series of tie-in novels and a video game, to expand the show's universe and deepen audience engagement.

One of the most notable examples of the Alias Multiplatform Storytelling campaign is the tie-in novel Alias: Prequel. The novel provided the additional backstory for the show's lead character, Sydney Bristow, and helped to flesh out the show's mythology.

In addition to the tie-in novel, the showrunners also created a video game, Alias: Undercover, that allowed players to step into the shoes of Sydney Bristow and engage with the show's universe in a new way.

Engaging with the audience is also important for Multiplatform Storytelling. You can use social media to interact with fans and allow them to contribute to the narrative. For example, Lost used an alternate reality game to engage with fans and allow them to participate in the story.

The future of Multiplatform Storytelling is full of possibilities as new technology and media platforms emerge, Virtual reality and augmented reality may be used to create immersive experiences for the audience. By creating a Multiplatform Storytelling campaign, you can increase audience engagement, create multiple revenue streams, and expand the narrative universe.