Discovering the effects of mediums with Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet
By: Chris Tao
Assignment: Choose any transmedia property with at least four iterations, (such as a role-playing game, novel(s), video game(s), and film(s)). Identify how the message changes as it moves from medium to medium, considering audience, codes and conventions, and perspectives/points of view/values. What changes were required by the new format? Which ones were editorial decisions? Which changes do you agree with? Why? Which ones do you disagree with? Why?
Since its creation in the 16th century, the story of Romeo and Juliet has been adapted numerous times through a variety of mediums, including ballets, musicals, movies, and even mangas.
Each and every one of these mediums offer a new version of how the story of these star-crossed lovers is told. However, the different mediums also affect the storyline due to the creative choices made by their creators in order to adapt to their chosen medium. By reading left to right on the subpages, a profound analysis of each medium will be presented, as well as how the message is shaped by the conventions and limitations of each medium. The audiences, points of view, and codes and conventions used to create each version are significantly different from one another and all contribute to a different version of storytelling.
Here is how the story of Romeo and Juliet began as a play, then a ballet, followed by a musical, multiple movies, and even a manga, and, ultimately, how it affects the overall message.