So, I recently read an article about the concept of transmedia storytelling and authorship in Harry Potter (yes, I constantly spend my non-existing free time reading random articles [insertion of GIF with Barack Obama doing mic drop] which means that this might be quite a long post. For that I am sorry). The article demonstrates the various ways in which the development of Pottermore has given an indication of understanding transmedia storytelling and franchising. Furthermore, the article will examine the importance of Pottermore in terms of the development of the Harry Potter franchise.
The article (Pottermore: Transmedia storytelling and authorship in Harry Potter by Cassie Brummitt) states that Pottermore as a product and an experience has become essential for development of the franchise. Furthermore, the product has been used as a strategic concept with the purpose of reinventing the known brand and keep a constant interest and engagement of the fans since it began as a form of communication between the author and the fans (the concept of subcreation and keeping a constant interest of the readers and audience can be further explored in Building Imaginary Worlds: the theory and history of subcreation by Mark J.P. Wolf in the chapter Worlds within the World). However, at this point the updated version functions more as a source of information which, according to the article (Brummitt 112), comes at a necessary time for the management aspect of the franchise. Pottermore is not the only strategic attempt to keep the franchise going. It has been mentioned in the post Business aspects within the franchise (yes, it was the only title I could think of) that Rowling understands intellectual property which has been represented in her collaborative creativity and ownership of the characters. Therefore, she has become a part of the attempt to develop other products within the franchise such as the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film trilogy and the stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and, thereby, expand the intellectual property of the franchise. These various strategic decisions and “franchise developments demonstrate a willingness on the part of Potter creatives to depart from dominant narratives and iconographies.” (Brummitt 113) Additionally, the article argues that the development of Pottermore manage to reflect the history of the franchise as a complete and the constant changing industrial context that it works within. The development of Pottermore is supported by a much more evident understanding and awareness of transmedia franchising.
The concept of Pottermore is quite well thought out. It encourages participation and certain forms of interactivity by the fans of the franchise; the website had a function as a simply community where new information about the secondary world was given by Rowling herself and her “writing was […] tied thematically to the narrative through digital interactivity, in an attempt to conflate traditional methods of reading with virtual opportunities for participation.” (Brummitt 115) However, as mentioned previously, the website has gone through various changes resulting in a more strategic approach with the function of aggregator for the complete franchise. (This is sort of random, however, did you guys know that Rowling invested £8 million in the company Pottermore Ltd. With no particular date of repayment?) The overall construction of the website as an immersive experience for the individual depended on additional material to the act of reading the books added by Rowling; therefore, giving her creative authority (I am of course aware of the existence of other people that have had influence like the marketing team and the administrative employees). The article, therefore, argues that Rowling has played a significant part in creating an identity for the website. Furthermore, the fact that she gives an insight into her process of thought and personal opinions reinforces her status as authority.
The website has not simply an immersive function since it also works as an online source for the Harry Potter e-books and further serves to promote “specific commodities in a media environment featuring Potter products with competing iconographies.” (Brummitt 116) When you access the e-book store the website is divided into the immersive version and the commercial version, however, with the influence of Rowling within both of them. The article further argues that the website can be seen as part of a growing tendency “toward using new media for marketing purposes in the publishing industry” (117) by referring to the “paracontent” theory of Michael Bhaskar which identifies platforms using digital content that have become more immersive. The concept of paracontent in terms of Pottermore gives a broader understanding of the ability of the website to exist as an immersive, social platform and a marketing strategy simultaneously. As a digital publisher, Pottermore is of importance due to the specific strategy used, which can be described as unprecedented. Yes, another random fact about Rowling’s involvement with Pottermore Ltd. Rowling “retained full control over the sale of the Harry Potter e-books and audiobooks after having founded the company in 2009. This resulted in the fact that “[o]nline retailers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble could list the e-books on their website, but consumers purchasing the products were redirected to Pottermore for the final sale.” (Brummitt 117) So, it has been stated before on this blog that Rowling is quite awesome. However, not alone her willingness but her ability to gain control from influential corporations in the industry of the publishing sphere indicates her influence as an author which extend to her willingness to expand the franchise further and “retain control over the expansion of her intellectual property.” (Brummitt 118) Nevertheless, it should be noted that “[b]y September 2015 […] Pottermore had transitioned to an open-commerce model – the standard industry practice that enables retailers to sell books.” (Brummitt 118) This specific transition away from the initial strategy indicates a change towards a more collaborative authorial approach. Eventually, these changes resulted in the current version of the website which acknowledge the existence of other media companies such as Warner Bros. and Universal. However, there occurs an absence of media relating to the broader aspects of the franchise most noticeably the films. There is a rejection on the part of Pottermore in terms of the wider transmedia franchise and there is an “emphasis on following the narrative of the books, featuring new illustrations that depart from the Warner Bros. films’ iconography.” (Brummitt 119) Therefore, there occurs this insistence on the part of Pottermore to adapt and represent only a single property in the transmedia franchise.
In terms of the desire to create a sense of interaction by the fans and the declaration of centrality of importance regarding the fans, the article argues that there were few means through which the audience could form their own personal experience. Furthermore, the article argues through Henry Jenkins (for more information about his theory on transmedia storytelling http://henryjenkins.org/2007/03/transmedia_storytelling_101.html or Convergence Culture: where old and new media collide (2008)) that understanding participatory culture is of a certain importance since it gives permission to acknowledge the complexity of interaction between the fans and the author.
I have previously mentioned that I have no shame nor guilt in comparing the Harry Potter franchise with that of Star Wars. I have completely no shame or guilt and, therefore, I am going to compare them again in terms of authorship. Yes, you read correctly. I simply have to before ending this post despite the dreadful length of it already. However, the complete franchise has constantly been
Harry Potter within Media 