EMERGING MEDIA TERMS

This section is a range of terms that appear regularly in LAMP labs as indicators of media use

Cross-platform

For some people it is as simple as presenters asking someone to phone in at 7.30pm during a TV show to give their opinion - for others it is a plethora of gadgets, computers & TV sets all being recruited into use to fully engage with a complex story delivered many times during the day, week or year.

Cross-platform means using at least two delivery platforms to deliver a service that engages the audience and inextricably relies on each of the platforms. By its nature the viewser has to interact at a minimum very basic level as they ‘travel’ across platforms. Of course the editorial richness and interactive engagement will take precedence over just ‘using the technology’ OR somewhere to put all that ‘cutting room floor footage!’

User journey

In its simplest terms the route a user takes through an interactive service or combination of media types and platforms. Designing services requires great planning in 1) The multiple possible directions a user can take and 2) How one refers or directs users between media and device.

A typical example is a continuing TV show with online and mobile synchronized play-along narrative elements. There may also elements where the experience continues after the show. After the first show it may have 3G and broadband elements, after the second maybe only the broadband element remains. There may also be a continuing simultaneous based narrative fed out to sms mobiles leading up to and from each show, with a strong call to action to drive viewers to play each subsequent game.

A term used to describe physical or virtual spaces that become host to narratives. Distinct from Story Worlds, these environments can be in close proximity and even overlapping. The stories range from at one end of the spectrum inhabitant created and shared through to the heavily scripted. There are potentially five levels:

Story Environments

A term used to describe physical, adaptive 3D, augmented reality or virtual spaces that become host to narratives. Distinct from Story Worlds these environments, which may have quite different narrative themes, can be in close proximity and even overlapping. The stories range from at one end of the spectrum inhabitant created and shared through to the heavily scripted. There are potentially five levels:

Level 1 - Shared, Level 2 - Seeded, Level 3 - Influenced, Level 4 - Character, Level 5 - Scripted

LEVEL 1 - Shared

• Inhabitants create their own stories and shared mythology in a non specific narrative space.

LEVEL 2 - Seeded

• Catalyst writer/actor role plays and brings others into their story world in a generic narrative space

LEVEL 3 - Influenced

1. Static - The environment is rich but only communicates in a visual static way
2. Living - The environment speaks to you, a monologue, pushes story at you eg; ghosts, residual lives, placed signage etc:
3. Dynamic - You have a dialogue with the environment which responds to most things you do. E.g.: objects and bots respond to your chat

LEVEL 4 - Character

Environments that are richly rendered, require you to improvise around strong character definitions with others who are also role playing.

1. Improvised - human
2. Non-player characters are key role players

LEVEL 5 - Scripted

• The most passive where you inhabit a scripted part using two methods depending on the technology

1. Automatically animating you and talking for you with others (automated) in group scenes
2. You deliver a pre-set script as actor

Call to action

The use of relevant incentives to entice viewers and users to interact. An engaging and intriguing trigger to draw audiences into using the service. source

Excerpt from crossing media cycle © C Dena, G Hayes

Recognition

Create a trusted environment in which call-to-action’s can contextually exist. A familiar brand, physical and virtual space or identity that already has meaning to the potential audience. Make sure the activity required is within a property that is appropriate to what the target audience(s) are capable of and what they would expect of it.

Attraction

Provide an attraction to entice the audience: be visually and intellectually interesting. This is the most vital stage, as decisions are made within seconds.

Invitation

This stage is the defined call. The invite is sent out to act. A good invite provides details of why they should act (for example “Do you want to win $20,000?”), how they will act (“Just click the red button”), what they should expect if they act (eg: “You’ll experience amazing gameplay”) and what will happen if they act: the reward (eg: “You will win $20,000”).

Action

It is at this point the audience acts: they click a button, get up from the couch and go to their computer to open a webpage, go to that movie, read that comic you pointed them to, go to that other webpage, get that pen & paper and commit to the game. They have crossed the line, taken a plunge without necessarily knowing the rules of the game. They want to win the money, be the fastest, be the best most intelligent. They’ve put their hand out to you, so know you must…

Acknowledgement

Acknowledge their presence, action and commitment. If possible, acknowledge them personally immediately (“Great to see you Bill!”) or get their details asap. But before you venture into data collection, recognise the action (have a system response of some kind). Also reward them for their efforts: this can be done visually with an appealing display and/or with a gift of some kind and/or with compliments. Treat them as committed to the adventure, and as a co-experiencer/player, not a passive audience anymore.

Engagement

The participant is engaged and the experience is meeting or exceeding expectations (anything else means opt out). There must be a sense at all times that they are nearing the goal, the reason for taking action. There must also be repeated rewards and acknowledgments, as well as increasing levels of interactivity & difficulty.

Summation

It is here that the original goal is attained. Reward for repeated action and engagement with property. There needs to be an obvious change of state that reflects the experience of the (now transformed) audience. It needs to meet expectation and is the most critical part for it loops back to the start of the cycle in reinforcing trust and facilitating the water-cooler effect. The audience can now be invited to another property within a brand, to be a part of the post-event discussion and next-event planning and so on.

Resolution

When engagement with the property ends.

© C Dena, G Hayes 2005

Cross media, transmedia

"Multi-channel media companies must recognize the vital importance of the Internet, and then go beyond replicating their offline properties to tailor their online strategy to the distinctive characteristics and preferences of online audiences," said David Schatsky, Senior Vice President of Research at JupiterResearch. source Jupiter 06

See Cross-Media Entertainment site by LAMP mentor Christy Dena for precise definitions

SeeWhatHappens.com

SeeWhatHappens.com recorded 11 million hits in the six hours following the ad’s debut

The site received more visitors in its first 24 hours than Mitsubishi Cars.com does in an entire month

Two thirds of these people watched the full :50 web spot two or more times online they continued to interact with the manufacturer’s website by downloading brochures, locating a local dealer, and more

User generated content

Media content created by users rather than professional producers and production companies. As a phenomena of Web 2.0 it equally applies to text, still imagery, audio and video. The term dates from 2005 according to Wikipedia.

Personalisation

See Personalize Media site by LAMP director Gary Hayes for further definitions.

1 - the filters or agents of choice through which we have services and media selected for us and tailored to us and 2 - the design of services and content that are flexible enough to resonate with others on a one to one, or one to few level.

Media meshing

“is a behavioral phenomenon that occurs when people begin an experience in one medium, such as watching television, then shift to another, such as surfing the Internet, and maybe even a third, such as listening to music. The explanation for this behavior is the constant Thesearch for complementary information, different perspectives, and even emotional fulfillment.”

Simultaneous usage

"simultaneous media usage, ie multiple exposures to various media forms at a single point in time for the same media consumer, occurs in and among a substantial portion of the US media population. The existence of simultaneous media exposures, created by multi-tasking consumers, is a fact in today's media marketplace." source

Blog

An abbreviation of ‘web log’. A web diary which is easy to use and update via a content management system. New entries or ‘posts’ are highlighted, readers are invited to comment and may subscribe via RSS feed

Cookie

A Cookie is a data file that a Web Server sends to your browser whenyou visit a Web site. The cookie is updated each time you return and holds info about you, which may be used later.

Internet TV

Television services available via broadband internet either as streamed services or via download. The BBC and US networks CBC, AOL/Time Warner and ABC have launched services

IPTV (Internet Protocol Television)

Television services carried via internet protocol. Generally delivered via Internet Service Providers as a ‘walled garden’ service ie. isolated from the wider internet

Long Tail Theory

Digital distribution via the internet has opened global markets for niche media content. The ‘long tail’ on a distribution graph represents niche media products not generally available in retail outlets but available for sale online.

Property

An original idea (or rights in an existing work) that may be exploited using a range of media eg. book, game, television, film, mobile media.

VRML

Virtual reality modeling language. AnISO standard for 3-D multimedia and sharedvirtual worlds on the Internet.

Wiki

(‘Wiki’ means quick in Hawaian) A collaborative web site that allows users to write and edit content on the site. The best known example is the wikipedia - over 1.2 million entries in the English version at July 2006.