Narrative Media Universe (NMU)

*<You can learn more on the official Wikipedia Page if you so desire.>*

***" The Ultimate Goal of a Narrative Media Universe is to Establish an Efficient Business Model for Creators and Investors Alike, While Concurrently Delivering an Exceptional, Engaging Experience to the Audience. "***

**Narrative Media** refers to the use of ***Transmedia Storytelling*** techniques to deliver compelling stories that captivate and engage audiences in a given world. This approach involves the seamless integration of various media formats such as **films, books, video games, social media, and interactive experiences** (such as Augmented or Virtual Reality) to create a comprehensive and interactive story.

The objective of **Narrative Media** is to create an immersive and captivating experience for the audience, making them feel like they are part of the story. This is achieved through carefully crafted characters, plots, and settings that are designed to elicit a range of emotions, from joy to sadness, excitement to fear. The result is a compelling and unforgettable experience that keeps audiences coming back for more.

***Paperless: The City Of Madness was conceived by P. Raul Frola | Halflaugh as a Narrative Media Universe from the very Beginning in 2016 / early 2017.***

## ***Transmedia Storytelling***

Transmedia Storytelling is a technique that involves telling a story or a story experience across multiple platforms and formats using digital technology. This means creating content that engages an audience in various ways to permeate their daily lives. To achieve this, a transmedia production will develop stories across multiple forms of media to deliver unique pieces of content in each channel. These pieces of content are not only linked together, but are also in **narrative synchronization** with each other.

Transmedia storytelling is a relatively new field of study which involves the use of different media platforms to create a narrative that is more engaging and immersive for the audience. The term "transmedia" simply means "across media," and it can be used to describe a variety of different media phenomena. For example, some companies use transmedia to introduce their characters and storylines to audiences before the release of a film or other major media event.

Transmedia storytelling typically involves the creation of complex worlds with multiple characters and plot lines, which can be sustained across various media platforms for an extended period of time. The aim of transmedia is to attract a larger audience and engage them in the story in a more comprehensive way. For instance, some companies might release coloring books or other merchandise to attract younger audiences, while others may rely on fan fiction to fill in gaps in the original story.

**Transmedia Narratives** are a form of transmedia storytelling, and they involve the use of various media channels to communicate a single narrative. By extending the story across multiple mediums and platforms, creators can create a more engaging and immersive experience for the audience.

## ***Meaning***

Transmedia storytelling can be traced back to semiotics and narratology. Semiotics is the "science of signs" that is concerned with sense production and interpretation processes. Narratology looks at how structure and function factor into narrative with regards to its themes and symbols. The same text may create different kinds of implicit consumers.

Transmedia storytelling breaks through both language and media. It involves producing a fresh perspective on the original material and its original context across a new form of media.

Adaptation in transmedia storytelling involves translating one medium to another, such as a book becoming a film or a comic becoming a video game. However, pure transmedia involves dispersing content across various commodities and media, such as narratives being passed on verbally through live theatre, sermons, songs, art and illustrations. The approach to disperse content across various commodities and media is traced back to the Japanese marketing strategy of media mix originated in the early 1960s.

With the advent of mainstream internet usage in the 1990s, creators began exploring ways to tell stories and entertain audiences using new platforms. Early examples took the form of alternate reality games (ARG), which took place in real-time with a mass audience.