"TRANSMEDIA SERVICES" BY STARLIGHT RUNNER ENTERTAINMENT

As seen at: http://www.starlightrunner.com/transmedia

Starlight Runner Entertainment was founded by Jeff Gomez and Mark Pensaville in 2000; the industry has branded and distinguished itself as one of the leading transmedia franchising companies (“About Starlight Runner Entertainment”, n.d.). The company has since proposed their knowledge and creativity when leading transmedia academic, Henry Jenkins, expressed interest in the company (Jenkins, 2008). Therefore, this article “Transmedia Services” offer their clients a guide and insight into the companies ethos, and use of transmedia techniques (“Transmedia Services”, n.d.).

As stated, the objective of the article “Transmedia Services”, is to emphasis the techniques and services offered by Starlight Runner Entertainment. Evidentially, the article centralises around its companies’ identity, particularly focusing on founder, Jeff Gomez. With personalisation referring to their clients, and the company itself, lexis “it”, “us”, “we”, “you”, are used to connect and converge audiences.

A strong factor argued throughout the article, is the emphasis of transmedia as the most important factor in expanding and producing a successful franchise. The article expresses how “good transmedia helps to validate and celebrate the expression and participation of audience members”. Using Henry Jenkins “prosumer” theory, the clients acknowledge the importance of audience culture, and thus, seek consolation by employing Starlight Runner Entertainment to help reinforce and expand the clients’ franchise. This is reinforced when the article states their collaboration with their populist clients, including Coca-Cola: “[Coca-Cola was] slow to come up with an expansion on the concept after the commercial proved one of the most popular in the brand's history … Global Advertising Strategy Jonathan Mildenhall turned to Starlight Runner. “. Further, the article states that transmedia is important in appealing to newer audiences, especially with reformation that 30-second advertisements, as well as print and radio advertising achievements are declining. Therefore, Starlight Runner Entertainment express that using a foundation platform, narrative can be carried to different media, including “comic strips, magazine inserts, mobile apps, billboards, movie theatre posters, costumed performers, web sites, and of course, more”.

Throughout the article, Starlight Runner Entertainment underlines what transmedia is, and how they execute these techniques. Focusing on the young-audience and the expanding digital culture, Starlight Runner Entertainment centres around “pervasive communications”; the article expresses the need for an expandable narrative and world “The narrative needs to be accessible through an array of media platforms, and the story must be designed to play to the strengths of the platform at hand”. With links to external blogs, and through definitions, the article is successful in expanding readers’ knowledge and understanding. However, the article doesn’t fully expand on how to proceed these techniques, again, this technique is used to market Starlight Runner Entertainment’s services, and advance their client-list.

Furthermore, analysing the literature of the article, and the professional-voice, it is reinforced that the article’s purpose is to only market the company, and convince clients of their professionalism and experience. Therefore, meaning this article is to only be read in relation to the company, rather than to be enjoyed or perceived individually. This is because the text alone doesn’t offer creative education. Likewise, as a literature piece, the article offers no opinions or narrative, and therefore cannot challenge or entertain expanding readers. This means the intended audience is only to be clients, or expanding businesses.

However, knowledge of codes of conduct related to transmedia, is a topic that is explored and exploited throughout. Starlight Runner Entertainment’s founder and CEO, Jeff Gomez, stated his encouragement of creative recognition, in relation to The Producers Guild of America. These conducts produce recognition of both what a transmedia franchise is, and the ownership of that transmedia franchise – this, again, is significant in creating a franchise identity. Within the codes, readers can recognise two factors: 1. A transmedia franchise must include three or more narratives that emerge and exist, within the same universe. 2. Credit would be received by creators who inert the most significant portion of product planning (Code of Credits – New Media, n.d.).. Likewise, the code states that these producers create and implement interactive endeavours to unite the audience with the narrative. The Producers Guild of America’s president, Marshall Herskovitz expresses that “the Guild’s decision to expand the Code of Credits to recognize the Transmedia Producer underscores the changing media landscape and the critical role of the producer within new creative mediums” (Producers Guild of America, n.d.).

Another way in which readers can recognise the subtle advertisement and convincing voice, using analytics; statistics display the success of the transmedia franchise. For example, “the award-winning campaign was signified as one of the most successful in the company's history, spiking global sales over 4%. The five-note musical theme is now a staple for the Coca-Cola brand”. This would further appeal to clients, as they believe the success, and apply the ideology onto their franchise and how it could benefit them.

In conclusion, the article presented is significant for clients of Starlight Runner Entertainment. However, as an individual article, it offers little insight into the transmedia world, and only offers advice, rather than guidance. This article acts as consultant piece, to lightly mention services offered. This is intentional to contain the company’s success, and in hope to expand their client list. However, all information is factual and helpful, but offers no sense of opinion, which could challenge the audience. Therefore, I would conclude that this article is significant, but will only be applicable for particularly audiences.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

About Starlight Runner Entertainment. (n.d.). Retrieved from Starlight Runner website: https://www.starlightrunner.com/about

Code of Credits – New Media. (n.d.). Retrieved from Producers Guide of America website: http://www.producersguild.org/?page=coc_nm#transmedia

Jenkins, H. (2008). Talking Transmedia: An Interview with Starlight Runner’s Jeff Gomez (part one). Retrieved from http://henryjenkins.org/blog/2008/05/an_interview_with_starlight_ru.html

Producers Guild of America (n.d.). Retrieved from Transmedia Centre’s website: http://www.transmediacenter.com/about/producers-guild-of-america/

Transmedia Services. (n.d.). Retrieved from Starlight Runner website: http://www.starlightrunner.com/transmedia