Media Made My Day: The Cosmonaut: Spanish Transmedia

During the last decade, stimulating achievements in technology and new forms of communication have brought an unprecedented development to the ground of artistic creation. Regarding the design and promotion of entertainment products (films, books, video games,...), the verdict seems clear: the traditional narratives have become obsolete. Just as the different channels of distribution have experienced a deep diversification over the years, the way in which the content is presented has also suffered strong changes. New narratives and platforms seek to involve the public in virtually infinite stories, which are constantly enriched by many different ramifications. The outputs are getting more complex, the fields are broader and the future still boundless, but the concept is nothing new: we are talking about "transmedia storytelling".

The idea was developed by Henry Jenkins, Provost Professor of Communication, Journalism, and Cinematic Arts and one of the major scholars regarding the field of Convergence Culture. Jenkins introduced the term on his essay “Searching for the Origami Unicorn” (Henry Jenkins: Convergence Culture, pp.93-108), defining the transmedia storytelling as a process where the integral elements of a fiction are systematically dispersed across multiple delivery channels, in order to create an unified and coordinated entertainment experience. Thus, each medium has its own unique contribution to the development of the story.

Beyond the creation of complex artistic universes, the transmedia narrative opens the door for huge opportunities of promotion. From viral marketing campaigns, spread through several different platforms, to the total involvement of interested audiences, which become the actual promoters of these projects. Furthermore, since different extensions of the same story are placed in clearly distinct media, this can attract greater types of public, filling different segments of the market. All these benefits have been explored by the entertainment industry all around the world, which finds in Transmedia Storytelling a new creative horizon and a profitable model of business.

Experts on the subject maintain that one of the pioneering experiences regarding Transmedia narrative was "The Matrix", by the Wachowski brothers. It all started in 1999, with a successful movie that brilliantly set up a specific universe of references and innovations. Soon after, this "cosmos" kept on growing with subsequent films, comics and numerous video games. Throughout this prolific landscape, and contrary to what skeptics might think, viewers did not attend a constant repetition of the same themes and plot, but these were increased with new characters, situations and storylines. The inquisitive viewer could not acquire a complete understanding of the narrative by just watching a movie, therefore, he must delve into the multiplying ramifications of the universe.

What at that time seemed strange and eccentric is nowadays a consummated reality. We can talk about several examples of Transmedia storytelling all across the globe (from modest independent movies to the biggest commercial franchises). Although most of these projects still limited to the American media landscape, it is not difficult to find some remarkable cases overseas. Here in Europe, the Spanish precedent stands vividly among others, not only because of the structural innovation of its projects, but also regarding their original strategies of production (through collective financing and participatory creation). Among several examples, there is one case we must highlight:

The Cosmonaut (El cosmonauta)

It is the biggest and most successful transmedia project produced in Spain, an audacious science-fiction movie directed by Nicolas Alcala and released in 2013.

The story is set in the Soviet Union, during the turbulent years of the space race. It begins in 1967, when a couple of young friends, Stas & Andrei, start their training as cosmonauts. During the process, they will be involved in dangerous political intrigues, power struggles and some of the biggest technological achievements of the 20th Century. They will also meet Yulia, a telecommunications engineer with whom they will establish a deep friendship, always teetering on the verge of love.

“A film made by more than 5000 people”.

"The Cosmonaut" is a notable piece of work, not only because of its approach and narrative, but also for its innovative funding plan, new business model and use of Creative Commons license in its production. It has been one of the most successful projects in the world in the use of CROWDFUNDING, having raised €400.000 from over 4,500 people who have made small and medium sized donations to make the film. The production was completed through private sponsorship, merchandising and pre sales distribution, accomplishing what was initially designed as a three/stage plan.

After a year of promotion, the "The Cosmonaut" received a lot of attention from the biggest Spanish media. There were several reports about the film in various television channels across the country, as well as in different newspapers, magazines and radio stations. However, the main coverage of the project came mainly through the Internet. A great amount of blogs and websites based on new media content published promotional articles on the movie. It is also important to mention that most of this mediatic attention was generated after a two-day music festival called "CosmoNauts". It was organized as a mass event to promote the film: nine popular bands of the Spanish indie panorama played in front of an audience that, according to the organization, reached the 400 people between both days. The emerging filmmaker Nacho Vigalondo was the host of the ceremony, and the event was held in one of the most popular concert halls of the country. Although it was a mild economic failure, the organizers connect the subsequent promotional success of the movie (and its ulterior peak of sales in the online store) to the interest aroused by the festival.

In the same way, the movie distribution model was also innovative. It was simultaneously released in different platforms, in order to allow every user to choose the format they prefer, and each of them adopted distinct particularities: For instance, the release on the Internet still today totally free and in HD, while the TV distribution will have an alternative ending for each channel. A special presentation in cinemas was also designed to encourage people to go to the theaters. This was called “The Cosmonaut Experience”, and it merged elements of performance and recreation with active interaction of the audience. It is also planned to make a series of webisodes, mobile content, or even an ARG, among others. Each series of content will show its own perspective of the story, enriching the transmedia experience.