The Writers Guild of America sponsored a
couple of panels at the 2009 Digital Hollywood Fall Conference in Santa Monica.
Here's part of a report on those, from the WGA's newsletter:
Transmedia
Storytelling: Writing and producing for the multi-platform universe,
explored the question: With a whole universe of entertainment – TV, broadband,
DVD, Facebook, Twitter, Bebo, Manga, books, Alternate Reality, games – tomorrow’s
writers will need more than a three-act structure to engage an audience – what
does the future have in store?...
“Heroes
is basically an MMOG (massive multiplayer online game),” [said] Flint Dille.
“We’re in a time now where the fans have to own part of the story. There is an
expectation that we will see the story on all mediums: games, mobile, etc.”
Aside from high quality standards,
sophisticated web-savvy audiences who interact and years of project
development, there is one other challenge facing writers when it comes to
writing for new media.
“A show can’t just be ‘a show’ on the Internet.
It has to be everything,” said [John] Fasano, which precisely sums up the key
message from this fall’s Digital Hollywood conference. The future is
moving to an integrated digital media world, and adaptation is fast becoming
part of survival. "
I
think the same is going to be true for writers starting out in all media.
(For more information on New Media and the WGAW,
click here. For more information on Digital Hollywood, click here.)
(For help with all kinds of writing, buy
my book, “Your Writing Coach,” which guides you from idea through to
publication. More information at www.yourwritingcoach.com.)
