Jenkins' "Transmedia Storytelling 101" - Cloverfield ARG

Last week we discussed Jenkins’ “Transmedia Storytelling 101.” It was a very straightforward reading, probably because it used current examples of media works unlike the previous readings. Jenkins states that transmedia storytelling is “a process where integral elements of a fiction get dispersed systematically across multiple delivery channels for the purpose of creating a unified and coordinated entertainment experience.” In the article Jenkins says that these stories are expansions of classically constructed narratives that “may add a greater sense of realism to the fiction as a whole.” He says here that transmedia storytelling adds new elements, characters and worlds that go beyond the actual storyline of the original text in order to make it more realistic for fans.

One example of this idea comes from none other than the monster movie “Cloverfield.” Since the movie takes place through the eyes of a character’s camcorder experiencing the monstrous event first hand, it would realistically be impossible for the camcorder owner in the movie to know where the monster came from and what it was seeking as it destroyed New York City. In the movie we only experience the characters trying to escape from the monster. In order to creative buzz, the marketing team at Paramount Pictures put a lot of work into creating a viral marketing campaign/alternate reality game that fans could utilize to learn more of a back-story to where the “Cloverfield” monster came from. Paramount executives created several viral marketing websites such as slusho.jp, tidwave.com, tagruato.jp, Jamieandteddy.com, 1-18-08.com, and character profiles on myspace.com. Fans had the opportunity to learn (or perhaps only speculate) where the monster came from and why it attacked New York City.

By following the ARG I speculate that the monster was awoken by the Deep Sea Drilling company, Tagruato, at the Chuai drilling station located off the coast of Connecticut. Instead of drilling for oil, I believe they were hiding a secret about the drilling of deep sea nectar, the primary ingredient in Slusho slushee drink (Slusho is a subsidiary of Tagruato). As they dug into the ocean floor, the monster was awoken and then decided to destroy the drilling station (seen in the viral news video below). The monster then decided to wreak havoc on the closest land-mass (New York City). However, this is only speculation and the team involved with the movie has yet to confirm or refute this theory.

By creating these viral marketing websites, “Cloverfield” fans had to opportunity to speculate and create a storyline beyond the primary work (the movie) in order to add a sense of realism to the storyline as a whole.