Tron

Being a bit of a movie buff, it’s always nice to watch a movie, let alone as part of a class period.  Having never seen it before, it was also a chance to expand upon my vast movie trivia knowledge, as well as sense of anything that likely went over my head in Tron: Legacy.

It is always great to see the “this is what the future could be!” types of movies, and right from the beginning you could see that’s exactly what Tron was.  At a time when computers were far too large and complex for the household, it takes a sci-fi look at what the hell a computer even is, or could be.  We are whisked through a crazy adventure in which the movement of data appears to us in the form of intense battles and attempts to conquer the world even outside of cyberspace.  This movie is also likely one of the first in a long (and still continuing) trend of films that ask, “what if computers get too smart?”

For anyone who has not see the original Tron, here is an extremely brief rundown of some key scenes, just to get the gist.  However, if you haven’t seen this movie, I suggest you watch it instead and come back.

Not only was this a great film for its time, but it still has an undeniably great plot if you look past the cgi (computer-generated images) of old, which often look cheesy in the high-definition scrutiny we place movies under today.  However, you really cannot deny how sick this looks.

This movie is also great for the purposes of this class.  As we talked about before, this was really one of the first times we see a real demonstration of transmedia storytelling.  With the game being released at the same time as the film, we get immersed in this very real universe of Tron.  We get to play the same games we see in the film, see for ourselves what the characters have to go through and try our own hand at each of them.  It brings the film to life for us.

On a personal note, this has to be one of the better movies I have seen in a while.  People tend to forget that “amazing graphics” can never compensate for a great story and the ability to immerse the fans in an experience.

Transmedia Storytelling

Transmedia storytelling is potentially the most genius way I can think of for companies to get their reach their consumer base on a more consistent level.  By following them across multiple media platforms, it allows for companies to get large portions of consumers more emotionally invested in their products, making them much more willing to continue buying/using their product/service.

A great example of this is when television shows tell you that you can follow the show more closely and receive updates on new shows and developments by following them on Facebook and Twitter.  You can then log on to their website where you can see exclusive content, watch webisodes (which are of course online only), and even subscribe to a newsletter or fan club.  Each of these reaches people in a different area, and each one attempts to get you more of your time, emotion, and possibly money invested.  Not all of us are willing to do these things, but for those that are, which is likely more people than most would believe, it gives them more reason to stay interested.  The shows Chuck and Heroes have both been perpetuators of this trend, with many more I cannot apparently muster the brain power to think of.

Another place you see this is in movies, particularly ones geared towards a younger audience.  You see movies that will then become board games, video games, etc., adding more to a story already in place.  These are aimed at getting you further invested in that company, as well as branding your image for others to see.

I’m not saying this is a bad thing.  People enjoy doing what they want to do, and if you can’t get enough Chuck and you want to watch and own everything that has to do with that show, then great!  However, we do need to acknowledge we are being branded and “bribed” in this way so we can make sure we fully understand what we get ourselves into.