El objetivo del vídeo era doble. Por un lado, iba a estar presente en la portada de la web en cuestión, a modo de breve explicación de su funcionamiento. Por otro, el vídeo [...]]]> Hace unos meses terminamos un trabajo para un cliente. Se trataba de un vídeo explicativo de cómo funciona su aplicación web.

El objetivo del vídeo era doble. Por un lado, iba a estar presente en la portada de la web en cuestión, a modo de breve explicación de su funcionamiento. Por otro, el vídeo iba a ser exhibido en el stand que nuestro cliente iba a montar en una feria del sector en Alemania.

Tras varias semanas de trabajo, preparación del guión, grabación y edición, montamos el vídeo, para lo que utilizamos una melodía que previamente habíamos adquirido en Vimeo Music Store , un servicio que ofrece la popular plataforma de vídeos online de la mano de Audiosocket, un servidor de música libre de royaltis.

Tras abonar el importe para el uso de dicha melodía, recbimos el documento que acredita la utilización legal de la pista de audio por nuestra parte bajo una licencia llamada Indie Filmmaker / Small Business License Agreement, cuyas cláusulas cumplimos con creces.

Pues bien, esta semana el cliente se ha puesto en contacto con nosotros, preocupado por que el GEMA (la SGAE alemana) les ha remitido una carta en la que le reclaman casi 300 euros por la utilización de soporte audiovisual en la feria que se celebró en Düsseldorf.

Entre los supuestos permitidos por la licencia que adquirimos, precisamente, se dice explícitamente que puede “exhibirse la obra de forma pública, interna y externa. Por ejemplo, en ferias”.

Publicly performing the Work both internally and externally (e.g., tradeshows).

Nuestra pregunta es la siguiente: ¿Cuál es el sistema que utilizan las asociaciones dedicadas a gestionar los derechos de autor para reclamar cánones, royalties y demás?

Porque lo único que se nos ocurre es que el inspector de turno se pasara por la feria, stand por stand, y que fuera apuntando aquellas empresas que exhibían material audiovisual (ya sea audio o vídeo) para, acto seguido y sin mayores garantías, hicieran llegar a todos ellos una factura por el uso de obras sujetas a derechos de autor que ellos supuestamente gestionan.

Si todo esto fuera cierto y generalizado, reflejaría la flagrante y sistemática impunidad con la que actúan.

Afortunadamente, tenemos en nuestro poder el documento que acredita el uso legal de la música en la obra que realizamos para este cliente. Suponemos que bastará para que los del GEMA desistan en el intento de cobrar algo que no les corresponde pero… ¿En cuántas ocasiones habrán cobrado utilizando esta arbitraria metodología de “trabajo”? ¿A cuántos incautos (con todo el respeto) habrán engañado y pretenden engañar?

Porque esto es la ley del “si cuela, cuela”.

Ahora estamos a la espera de la respuesta del GEMA. Lo que más irrita es que, precisamente, en la productora transmedia Transistoria nos cuidamos muy mucho de utilizar licencias Creative Commons (a poder ser) o libres de royalties precisamente para no tener que tratar con este tipo de entes, entre otras razones prácticas y morales.

In my opinion, black literature, mystery tales, police stories and thrillers are very likely to become [...]]]> I’ve heard through the blog of Profesionales Digitales about what appears to be “the first transmedia novel in Spanish”. A novel entitled “El silencio se mueve ” (“The silence moves”), by the renowned writer Fernando Marías.

In my opinion, black literature, mystery tales, police stories and thrillers are very likely to become transmedia experiments, especially in facilitating the reader’s immersion in the narrative, because the fact of having to resolve puzzles and find clues makes possible the direct involvement of the reader into the story. While obviously is not a requirement to design a transmedia narrative, the present case itself fits within that genre.

The argument of the Marías’s novel revolves around the mysteries surrounding the researcher Juan Pertierra, who has the ability to listen to the silence, inherited from his father. After his death, the investigator is in a tough time, and he receives the visit of Liza and Lisa. From what I have read, Lisa (daughter of Liza) mysteriously disappears from time to time, “traveling in silence”. Back from her trips she always outlines the same drawings.

The novel, if we can call it so, uses a variety of narrative techniques, as several short stories, a comic book, some websites and even a phone number that readers can call to know more about the character.

I have not had occasion to flip through the book, but after the reviews I have consulted I can not wait to go to the book store to buy a copy. I promise to tell you my experience once I finish reading it, in case it has a clear preconceived end…

The Witness

Dark Knight

Pandemic 1.0

The truth about Marika

In recent days is growing a sort of controversy surrounding the term transmedia. I can even say that there is a new movement under the label antitransmedia.

It’s a very positive discussion, since it allows to exchange views and define a concept that seems quite abstract.

Any label or new term is in [...]]]>

In recent days is growing a sort of controversy surrounding the term transmedia. I can even say that there is a new movement under the label antitransmedia.

It’s a very positive discussion, since it allows to exchange views and define a concept that seems quite abstract.

Any label or new term is in danger of being trivialized once it becomes fashionable. We have seen the case of the term Web 2.0 and many others. To the extent that those who felt initially identified with the primitive concept feel the need to flee.

I have to say that I agree with many of the things that have been said against the use of the term transmedia storytelling. It is also true that I still believe in this “new ” form of storytelling.

Because, for me, the essence is still telling a good story, beyond the means used to tell it.

I leave here some excerpts from articles that have contributed to the controversy. You can find my opinion in the comments I made ​​in some of them.

Geoff May: Your mom is transmedia

It seems like these days a lot of the “transmedia” attention is given to projects that really take place only on the web, as classic multimedia (audio, video, graphics, perhaps some social networking), and are generally promotional material for some new product within an existing IP, or franchise – thus, a component or extension of the greater experience that is the transmedia franchise. They may or may not tell a story. They may or may not be interactive. They may or may not even be fun.

Steve Peters: The Transmedia Hijack (or How Transmedia is the New Dihydrogen Monoxide)

Pandora’s Box is open, the cat’s out of the bag, the horses have been stolen, (insert cliché here). The term is pretty useless (as are clichés), as it’s popularly being used to describe something that’s been around for a long, long time. It reminds me of the prank that Penn & Teller pulled on folks asking them to sign a petition against the use of dihydrogen monoxide in all our food. It’s just a new buzz-term for something there are already plenty of perfectly good  words for (none of which I’ll list here, thank you).

Gonzalo Martín: Transmedia de sentido común

El palabro transmedia sigue en vía ascendente como hype y, creo yo, que por el hecho de poner nombre a lo que la convergencia de medios e historias está provocando en las formas de narrar – de lo que sea – se tiende a sumar tecnologías y no a asumir que es la forma natural en la que crecen los contenidos hoy en cuanto no piensas que te tienes que adscribir a una tendencia. No acaba de nacer (para la publicidad, prácticamente nada a nivel local) y ya tenemos que olvidarnos del término.

On March 18 I was invited to the event called Videoweb 2011 to give a presentation entitled “It’s the story, stupid: A personal view of transmedia storytelling“.

I will summarize some of the ideas thrown into the void

Both events are very interesting. Tranxmedia (March 18, multibox EiTB room) tries to be “a [...]]]> The next 18 and 19 March are held in Bilbao two interesting events in regard to the audiovisual sector: Tranxmedia Conference (organized by EiTB and Tabakalera) and Videoweb 2011, the third gathering of video creators network.

Both events are very interesting. Tranxmedia (March 18, multibox EiTB room) tries to be “a meeting point for audiovisual professionals, digital and technological industries, investors, entrepreneurs, students and interested audiences. The aim is to reflect on the scope of the changes that are taking place, exchange experiences based practice and start to identify new business models”. You can visit the website to see schedule and the speakers.

In adition, Videoweb (March 19, same place) has been held over the past three years, and has become a reference. Intended as “a gathering of videobloggers, audiovisual producers, video platforms and Internet companies to share knowledge and discuss the future and present of online video”, this year is more interesting than ever, with top level speakers and a complete schedule.

Transistoria starts walking
In Transistoria we have spent many months working on the launch of the company, and next weekend we have a unique setting to jump-start our new project.

We’ll be present at both events. Of course, as learners of what there is going to be told, but also to share our experiences.

In Videoweb, I am giving a paper entitled “It’s the story, stupid. A personal view of transmedia storytelling”. I won’t advance much now, but as the title suggests I’m going to talk about that concept called transmedia storytelling, in a speech full of personal experiences and reflections. Later in this blog I will post the slides of the presentation.

As I say, after months of hard work preparing this project called Transistoria, in recent weeks we have accelerated preparations and I hope to get to both events with the wallet full of business cards and quiver full of arrows.

See ya!