2. Update: Interactive PDF Worksheets
The worksheets in this presentation are now available for
download as an interactive PDF. This allows you to add your
own project information, print and share.
Download via e-junkie here: http://an.cr/sa/xuRut
3. Active Story System™ - Goals
Active Story System™ has been developed to service the needs of the creative &
advertising industries in an era of attention scarcity, content abundance and
multi-platform consumption
a design process for creating participatory multi-platform story-experiences
a framework for commercial success that:
is goal-oriented
integrates storytelling, engagement, social media & content strategy
a series of documentation templates & worksheets
4. Active Story System™ - Benefits
Distinguishes storyworld design decisions from individual story design decisions
Combines/integrates entertainment and marketing decisions
Provides visibility of story structure and logic to navigate it
Provides visibility of character development and player advancement
Provides documentation templates and a series of worksheets to encourage
structured thinking and fewer design decision mistakes
Offers a practical organizational framework for the delivery of persistent
storyworlds
5. The Active Story System™ focuses on the telling of
participatory transmedia stories
6. Definition
• Requirements
• Goals
• Success Criteria
•KPIs, measurement
• Scope
•Countries, Territories,
Languages, Number of
Audience
•Interworking with other
companies & technologies
•Timing & duration
•Budget
• Customer
Development
• ActSS Define the World
•Story, Experience, Premise,
Goals, Audience, Platforms,
Execution
• One Sheet
• Title, log line, call to
action, short synopsis
• Creative direction
• look & feel, tone, mood,
age rating, violence,
language
• Team
• Risks
• Principal resources
• names and availability
• Principal creative
• Principal technical
development
• Inbound: Licensing &
copyrights
• Outbound: Franchising,
merchandising and
licensing
• Community
• management, editorial,
legal
• Business Case
Design
• ActSS Define the story
•Premise, Themes, Characters,
Locations, Periods, Objects, Factions,
Hierarchies
• ActSS Define the Experience
•Gaming, Role-playing, Exploring,
Observing
• ActSS Define the Execution
•Timing, Events, Platforms, Pacing
• ActSS Write Synopsis
• ActSS Develop
Synopsis into Scenes
• ActSS Design the Engagement
• ActSS Design Interaction
• Platform-specific documentation
• Marketing Communications
• Series synopsis & arcs
• Future stories
• Media assets
•Video, audio, image, text, mobile, web
• Events & locations
• Merchandise
• Touchpoints
•Owned, Paid, Earned
• Languages, countries, geo-
restrictions
• Capacity planning
• Controls
Delivery
•ActSS Design Operations
•Editorial & Legal processes,
Social media guidelines,
Community management,
Escalation
•Production
•Implementation & testing
• Audience building &
community outreach
•Marketing communications
• Advertising, SEO, paid Search,
Seeding, PR, Social media
•Launch
•Operations
•Metrics
TM Project Linear Workflow Active Story System™
7. TM Project: Actual Iterative Workflow
The Active Story System™
takes a deep dive into every
design aspect of the
experience. The author*
then loops back to add
detail and address
practicalities and project
delivery issues
*Author = anyone creating the
transmedia project
(storteller/narrative
designer/producer etc.)
8. Define the
World
• Story
• Experience
• Audience
• Platforms
• Goal1
• Execution
Define the
Story
• Premise
• Themes
• Characters
• Locations
• Periods
• Objects
• Factions
• Hierarchies
Define the
Experiences
• Goals
• Gaming2
• Role-playing2
• Exploring2
• Observing2
Define the
Execution
• Timing
• Events
• Platforms
• Pacing
What can we use
from the storyworld
to inform
participation?
What types of
activity will meet
our goals?
1 What’s the goal: Revenue, Reach, Preference, Action?
2 Game player styles checked against each participation opportunity (e.g. killer, achiever, socializer, explorer)
How are the
audience activities
realized?
Who is this for and
what are our goals?
Designing the Participatory Storyworld
Four creative processes that blend marketing with entertainment
9. Designing the Participatory Story
5. Write
synopsis
•Premise
•Themes
•Characters
•Conflict
6. Develop
Synopsis into Scenes
•Information revealed
•Character development
•Audience quests
7. Design the
Engagement
•Personalization
•Actions
•Teams
•Pacing
•Motivations
•Immersion
7. Design the
Engagement
•Personalization
•Actions
•Teams
•Pacing
•Motivations
•Immersion
6. Develop
Engagement into Scenes
•Information revealed
•Audience quests
•Character development
5. Write
synopsis
•Premise
•Themes
•Characters
•Conflict
8. Design the
Interaction
•Platforms
•Media
•Out-of-World
•In-World
•Block diagrams
•User Journey
• platforms
•phases
9. Design the
Operations
•Editorial process
•Legal process
•Social media
guidelines
•Community
management
•Escalation
•Metrics
Story-first approach
Experience-first approach
10. Storyworld Worksheets and Templates
World Definition Worksheet
Story Worksheet
Experience Worksheet
Execution Chart
Additional Storyworld Documentation
Story bible
Participation bible
11. Project: Date / / Version
y
STORY
EXPERIENCE
Describe the story in a few sentences
Describe the audience experience in a few sentences
AUDIENCE PLATFORMS
GOAL EXECUTION
Who is the audience for this storyworld? What are the primary platforms?
What’s the objective of the project? Reach, Preference, Action?
What’s the revenue model – does there need to be one?
What’s the roll-out plan?
PREMISE
What is the message the writer wants to convey? What does she/he believe to be true?
Active Story System™ World Definition Worksheet
12. Project: Date / / Version
STORY EXPERIENCE
PREMISE THEMES
CHARACTERS LOCATIONS
PERIODS OBJECTS
FACTIONS HIERARCHIES
Copy and paste Story from the previous slide Copy and paste Experience from the previous slide
What is the message the writer wants to
convey? What does she/he believe to be true?
What themes are explored?
Who are the main characters? What are the main locations?
Thinking of the storyworld timeline, what are the significant
periods? Significant plot points/turning points/reversals?
What are the significant or iconic objects in this storyworld? (e.g.
rings, goblets, sonic screwdrivers, Martini cocktails?)
What are the main rivalries or tribes or sects?
NB: this can help the audience identify and choose a group to
belong to
What levels and ranks are there within the factions?
NB: this can be useful for community forums and games where
people can “level up” depending on activity or success.
Active Story System™ Story Worksheet
13. Project: Date / / Version
PREMISE THEMES
Copy and paste Premise from the previous slide Copy and paste Themes from the previous slide
GAMING ROLE-PLAYING
OBSERVING EXPLORING
In this participation type, what (moral) choices might the
audience be given to make them feel the premise?
In this participation type, what information or questions might
the audience be given to make them think about and reflect on
the premise?
In this participation type, what additional information (in world
and out of world) can the audience explore?
In this participation type, the audience creates their own
entertainment from the tools, apps, media, props (physical and
digital) etc and advice you’ve given them. How will you enable
the audience to role-play and create their own entertainment?
GOALS
What are the creative and commercial goals of the audience
participation?
MOTIVATIONS
Use separate Intrinsic Motivations worksheet as frequently as
necessary: for the world and/or for each story-experience
Active Story System™ Experience Worksheet
14. Execution chart
Online
Story-Experience B
Story-Experience C
Story-Experience A
Story-Experience E
Real World
Story-Experience F
Story-Experience G
Story-Experience H
Story-Experience D
Relative timing
PrimaryPlatform
Story
GamingCo-creation
Real-world
Immersion Radar
Primary platform
15. Execution Chart (example: Mask of the Red Death)
Online
Psychophol experience
Wastelander experience
Web series
Tarot Cards
Real World
Event: Festival Screening
Mobile app
DVD release
Feature film
Story
GamingCo-creation
Real-world
Immersion Radar
16. Two bibles: the story and the experience
Storyworld
Bible
Participation
Bible
Information needed to take part
Information revealed through
participation
How is audience
participation created
& managed?
What defines this
storyworld?
17. Participation bible
Goals (commercial & creative objectives)
Policy (for treating fans consistent with company core values)
In world (Storytelling)
Gaming/Role-playing/Observing/Exploring
Platforms
Events
Timing
Out of World (Policy)
Social media policy (communication style, crisis management)
Community policy (rewards, highlighting, banning, legal action)
Editorial policy for fan-generated content (encouraged, allowed, ignored, removed)
Legal policy
Escalation procedures
18. Story Worksheets and Templates
Immersion Worksheet
Motivations Worksheet
Participation Worksheet
Interaction Worksheet
Scene Chart
Character Steps
User Journey
System/block diagram
Content/Data map
Operations Worksheet
19. Project: Date / / Version
IMPORTANCE OF STORY &
EMOTIONAL PRESENCE
IMPORTANCE OF REAL WORLD &
PHYSICAL PRESENCE
IMPORTANCE OF
CO-CREATION
IMPORTANCE OF
GAMING & PLAY
Importance of narrative, depth of world & degree of authorial
control. Addresses emotional presence: player feels as they
might in real life experiencing real world events. Refer to other
worksheets that discuss story.
Extent to which story-experience pervades real locations &
times, real people & events. Addresses physical presence:
player feels physically transported to storyworld environment.
Describe physical locations & entities or how this
experience pervades real life.
Ability of audience to change or
contribute to the story or experience.
Addresses narrative presence: player
feels able to affect the story. Describe
means by which audience directs, influences
or improves upon the story.
Audience has goal, use of puzzles,
use of game mechanics (trophies,
levels, leader boards etc.); activity
purely for enjoyment & fun. Describe
the game mechanics if appropriate.
Active Story System™ Immersion Worksheet
20. Project: Date / / Version
AUTONOMY: CHOICES & CONTROL GROWTH: MASTERY, COMPETENCE,
LEARNING & UNDERSTANDING
CURIOSITY: COMFORT, VARIETY & SURPRISE
RELATEDNESS: CONNECTION & CONTRIBUTION SIGNIFICANCE: IMPORTANCE & UNIQUENESS
How will the audience be surprised? How does the experience offer variety and comfort?
How much freedom does the audience have to explore, to
determine timing & outcomes, to personalize their
persona/experience?
How will the audience perceive a feeling of accomplishment?
Will they gain a new insight or understanding? Will they have
gained a new skill or improved existing skills?
How does the audience build relationships with others and/or
with the characters?
How does the audience gain bragging rights, self-importance or
self-affirmation? How is the audience made to feel unique &
valued?
Are there leaderboards, badges, membership levels?
Active Story System™ Motivations Worksheet
21. Project: Date / / Version
PREMISE AUDIENCE GOAL
FINAL ACTION FIRST ACTION
CHARACTERS PERSONALIZATION
SOLO ACTIONS COMMUNITY ACTIONS
COMPETITIVE ACTIONS COLLABORATIVE ACTIONS
PACING
Copy and paste Premise from the previous slides What must the audience achieve? What’s the call to action?
Is this action: meaningful, thought-provoking, confirms the
premise, allows personalization, generates conversation,
hits as many intrinsic motivations as possible?
Is this action: meaningful, thought-provoking, relevant to the
premise, allows personalization, generates conversation,
hits as many intrinsic motivations as possible?
What characters are needed? Roles: Hero - the character who plays the
game; Mentor -the character that offers advice and useful items
Assistant - a character who offers occasional tips; Tutor - a character
who explains how to play the game; Final Boss - the villain the player
must defeat in the last battle; Hostage - a character to rescue.
What audience actions are taken alone and in private What audience actions are taken in public and shared with or
discussed with the community
What audience actions are taken in competition with others or
with a character
What audience actions are take in collaboration with others or
with a character
Is the personalization relevant to the storyworld? Allow audience
to join a Faction or vary according to Hierarchy? Generate word
of mouth? Generate repeat play?
Does the pacing of the experience match the pacing of the narrative?
Active Story System™ Participation Worksheet
22. Project: Date / / Version
PLATFORMS MEDIA
SETUP/REGISTRATION/ ACTIVATION/PLAY/DECOMMISSIONING
OUT-OF-WORLD ENTRY POINTS IN-WORLD ENTRY POINTS
How do new audience members enter the system? What’s the process for them to indentify themselves to the characters? How & when
are they called to action (activated)? Create a chart for the “user journey”?
What platforms are being used for this story? What media do we need? Rich media and text based.
Where does the audience cross the threshold from reality to
fiction?
What are the calls to action?
What are the out-of-world websites, social media, objects,
locations, events?
What are the fictional entry points for this story?
What are the calls to action?
What are the in-world websites, social media, objects, locations,
events?
Active Story System™ Interaction Worksheet
23. Scene Chart (example: Lowlifes)
Show how the story moves forward scene-by-scene. What information or state
change causes audience experience of the story to progress? What new information
does the audience gain?
Note: specific platforms may or may not be mentioned
25. Character Steps (example: boy meets girl)
Show how the characters (perhaps player-character) changes as experience
progresses
Steps and Paths
Characters&Player(s)
Color-coding denotes same scene
26. Character steps for open world/branching story
(example: New Tokyo)
Steps and Paths
Characters&Player(s)
Scene branches
Player-character attributes/groups affecting scene
28. User Journey
Time and/or Stages and/or Acts
Platforms
Show possible path(s) taken by audience to access story/experience
Show relationship between platforms over time
29. User Journey: Limitations
Transmedia stories (ought to) tend towards a mesh or network of information points rather
than simple linear path an “open story”
Open stories best described by states rather than paths and hence user journey diagram is
less helpful
decision point alternative endings
A
B
C
plot point
character detail
Exposition
Linear Story
Branching Story Open Story
30. User Journey (example: Roswell)
eBook
Online Quests
Location-based Quests
Final event+
eBook holds many answers/clues to the puzzles
Detail expanded later in additional documents
Roswell quests: visitor gets points AND uncovers clues
Clues on social media, blogs, wikipedia etc
User Journey diagrams can easily become confusing. Especially with branching or open stories
Simplicity is always best
Defer complex interactions to lower-layer diagrams
31. User Journey (example: Roswell Experience)
Find the location of the alien landing
(e.g. go into store to get grid ref and answer
questions)
Collect points and get to top of the leaderboard
(e.g. upload photos, check-in, tweet, email)Location = story
content & unique
NEC code
Interactive story and choices
from characters in Cult and Hunters
eBook (web URLs)
websites
Location
storylets
32. User Journey (example: Transbay)
Shows scenes (possible states) available in relation to linear story (scheduled content)
33. System/block diagram (example: Transbay)
Shows how important experience data will be displayed – without the detail of a wireframe diagram
35. Consider journey phases
The user journey can be divided into six phases:
Setup - this is action to create the starting conditions before the audience experience starts
Registration - the Author decides how (or if) the Audience makes itself know to the experience
Activation - a call-to-action (which maybe at the same time as Registration or later in time)
Play - this is the main body of the experience
Wrap - if the World is to be ended then this stage ensures everything is wrapped up.
Setup Registration
• Attraction/
Spectacle
• Call to action
• Data capture
• Initial status
Activation
• (Re)Call to Action
• Explanation
Play
• Structure
• Mechanic
Wrap
• Resolution
36. Project: Date / / Version
EDITORIAL PROCESS LEGAL PROCESS & FRAMEWORK
COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT & GUIDELINES OPERATIONAL PROCESS
ESCALATION PROCESS METRICS
Who must approve the content?
How will the content be approved?
What timescales are required?
Are there legal issues regarding the publication of content? Who
must sign-off from legal?
Who is in charge of the community?
What authority do they have?
What is the escalation procedure?
How are they to deal with problems?
What are the procedures for:
a. Purchasing merch and/or subscribing to story
b. Raising a question or fault
c. Who handles questions and faults?
Who is in charge and when do they get notified? How is success measured?
What measures are to be reports? How frequently?
Active Story System™ Operations Worksheet
37. CONTACT
Robert Pratten,
CEO & Founder, Transmedia Storyteller Ltd
robert@tstoryteller.com
@robpratten
USA: +1 415 287 4150
Europe: +44 207 193 4567
Pervasive Entertainment Platform
The Active Story System™ is available on
…the world’s most powerful transmedia storytelling software from…
