Story World Explorers

Frank & Jack Konrath

Join us as we have fun, in-depth conversations with creators about their passion projects. Together exploring their story world, characters, themes, and potential transmedia outlets. 

  1. SWE #20 Show Sold Separately with Jonathan Gray

    08/21/2025

    SWE #20 Show Sold Separately with Jonathan Gray

    Send us a text Embark with us and fandom studies expert Jonathan Gray as we explore the importance of paratexts in transmedia storytelling!    Jonathan is a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and author of Show Sold Separately.  His work examines how media entertainment and its audiences interact and examines how and where value and meaning are created.  A principal part of this research is found exploring paratexts; the secondary and tertiary texts produced by both the fandom and entertainment entity to support, hype, and contextualize the larger pieces of content.  Think the movie poster for a feature film, the fanfiction that focuses on a side character, and the action figure for a superhero.      Paratexts are incredibly important to the transmedia ecosystem, as it allows your audience to form initial and new opinions of the content your produce.  They refract messages to make new meanings and cause regenerative conversations between you and your audience.  Paratexts are often seen as marketing or fan obsessions, but in reality they have immense power create a living story world.     We spoke about what paratexts are and how to identify them and then examples of the power of paratext observing Superman and The Simpsons.  We also explored how the independent artist can use paratexts in their own work to reframe messages and drive interest into their larger projects. If there is one episode you should listen to in this Story World Explorers season, make it this one!    #transmedia #paratexts #fandomstudies      Support the show Are you an intrepid explorer with your own story world? You should be a guest on Story World Explorers! Connect with us here: https://clovispointcm.com/be-a-guest

    1h 1m
  2. SWE #19 Unknown 9 with Chris Masson

    07/29/2025

    SWE #19 Unknown 9 with Chris Masson

    Send us a text Embark with us and transmedia producer Chris Masson as we explore transmedia lessons learned from the rise and fall of the Unknown 9 story world!  Chris was the Transmedia Architect of Reflector Entertainment’s Unknown 9 story world up until the world’s cancelation with less-then-ideal reception of the video game, Unknown 9: Awakening.  Unknown 9 was a pure transmedia franchise, with stories expanding from novels to podcasts. Chris’s responsibilities where that of a lore master, owning the transmedia bible and ensuring world continuity throughout the Unknown 9 story world.   Chris experienced the dizzying highs and devastating lows of the Unknown 9 story world.  He knows what works and certainly what does not when it comes to transmedia in a large studio setting.  After reflection, Chris has compiled his thoughts and developed a studio focuses transmedia model to correct the mistakes and pitfalls that befell Unknown 9. We spoke about what happened with Unknown 9 and the lessons that can be derived from it.  Chris shared pieces of his transmedia model for large studios looking to expand into transmedia storytelling.  Pulling it all together, we then discussed how independent artists can utilize these lessons learned as well with their own story world creations. #transmedia #unknown9    Introduction: (0:00) Unknown 9 Transmedia Lessons: (4:24) Studio Transmedia Model: (20:20) How YOU can use this: (37:10) Transmedia Timeline: (52:10) Support the show Are you an intrepid explorer with your own story world? You should be a guest on Story World Explorers! Connect with us here: https://clovispointcm.com/be-a-guest

    1h 13m
  3. SWE #18 Farbodies with Nick Jones, Richard Durham, & Bo Paterson

    07/08/2025

    SWE #18 Farbodies with Nick Jones, Richard Durham, & Bo Paterson

    Send us a text Embark with us and transmedia producers, storytellers, artists and creators Nick Jones, Richard Durham, and Bo Paterson as we explore the haunting, dark deco world of Farbodies!  Farbodies: https://www.farbodies.com/ Urban Folkcore: https://www.farbodies.com/store/p/urbanfolkcorephysical We are not safe. Farbodies is a pure transmedia franchise with a timelining beginning in antiquity and spanning to where the Novelle, Urban Folkcore, starts in the city of Ghostward, 1996.  Authoritarian propaganda floods the rain soaked streets of the city as residence, numb to reality, shuffle on with their days.  Unbeknownst to the population, a secret war between ancient factions is being waged for the rights to explore, control, and study the supernatural pouring into Earth.   "For in the darkest corners of reality, evil creeps. Hoping to consume our world. The ancients knew of this truth. They developed rituals, talismans and systems of magic to protect humanity against the incomprehensible entities which gaze upon us with hungry eyes."   We spoke about the artistic style of City of Ghostward, the ancient factions, and the hardcore music scene.  The Novelle is available for purchase July 14th 2025. The DeLuca twins and the Hardcore Scene of Ghostward have some work to do! Support the show Are you an intrepid explorer with your own story world? You should be a guest on Story World Explorers! Connect with us here: https://clovispointcm.com/be-a-guest

    1h 8m

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Join us as we have fun, in-depth conversations with creators about their passion projects. Together exploring their story world, characters, themes, and potential transmedia outlets.