How to Attract, Involve andReward Your Audience

© Jackie Turnure 2006

Rules of Engagement

Rules of EngagementBack to Basics

• The role of story, no matter what the medium• Our primal narrative need for meaning• Meaning comes from an emotional connection• How do we connect?• What grabs our attention?• What keeps us watching/listening?• Once we leave/pause, what brings us back?

Rules of EngagementThe Process

• Engage – create curiosity and suspense

• Involve – immerse us completely in the world

• Extend – direct us within and across media

• Surprise – keep us on the move

• Reward – make it worth our while

Rules of EngagementEngage

• The hook raises a dramatic question

• Curiosity evolves into suspense

• An emotional connection is made

• The audience has an expectation

• Structure - the hook is kept alive

• The dramatic question is answered

Rules of Engagement“Franny’s Feet”

• The Set up –

– Franny has a problem, she puts on the pair of shoes

• The Hook –

– “Where will my feet take me today”

– Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, etc

• Plays out -

– Franny is transported to somewhere where she helps someone

– She comes back having learned something

– Her grandfather doesn’t believe her but she finds evidence andputs in her treasure box

– “Where will my feet take me tomorrow” (circular)

“Franny’s Feet”The Hook

“Franny’s Feet”Interactive

“Franny’s Feet”User Generated Content

THIRTEEN/WNET NEW YORK AND DECODE ENTERTAINMENT TO BRING "FRANNY'S FEET" TO PBS

KIDS(r) Saturday July 8

• The PBS KIDS broadcast of "Franny's Feet," produced by DECODE Entertainment in association withThirteen/WNET, will premiere with 26 half-hour episodes. DECODE is also producing additional content toaccompany the PBS KIDS broadcast. The new segments, in which Franny prompts audience participation, aredesigned to be highly interactive and to build young viewers understanding of specific educational content exploredin the episode.

• The fun continues online, where kids can join Franny on adventures around the world-from Africa to South America,to the South Pole -- and all kinds of places in between. They can also engage in a variety of entertaining andeducational games, including those that help build vocabulary. A "Franny's Feet" preview site will launch atwww.pbskids.org in conjunction with the broadcast premiere. Brand new online features connected to the newbroadcast segments will also be created throughout the first season.

• Already seen around the world on channels including ABC Australia, France 5, Cartoon Network in Japan, Canada'sTeleQuebec, TVP Poland, Cartoon Network Taiwan, TV2 Denmark and TV12 Singapore.

• Google 50,000 links

“Franny’s Feet”Evolution

Rules of EngagementInvolve

• Create compelling characters

• Immerse us in a world

• Break the fourth wall

• Emotional involvement

• Transparent navigation

• Track progress and feedback

• Evolve the interaction

Oz – The Magical AdventurePC Adventure Game for 4 – 7 yr olds

Oz – The Magical AdventureAn Immersive World

Oz – The Magical AdventureIntegrating Games into that World

Oz – The Magical AdventureCustomising that World

Oz – The Magical AdventureTransparent Navigation and Tracking

Oz – The Magical AdventureShow Progress and Reward

Rules of EngagementExtend

• Motivate the user to explore within the media• Incite user to move across media• Ensure that all parts are compelling and stand alone,

but also work together• Track and prompt based on personal profile• Increase the emotional investment• Consider point of entry and the multipath interactive

journey

www.amazon.comExtend

www.pandora.comExtend

www.pandora.comPersonalise

www.pandora.comExtend

Rules of EngagementSurprise

• Create a rising action

• Raise the stakes, increase the emotional connection

• Use turning points

• Deepen, expand and keep changing the experience

• Red herrings, dead ends, tangents and detours

• Audience participation

• Encouragement to replay/return

“Forget the Rules”Surprise

“Forget the Rules”Audience Participation

“Forget the Rules”Surprise

Rules of EngagementReward

• Delivering on a promise• The answer to the dramatic question• Emotional satisfaction and fulfillment• Replayability• Resonance, what do we take away• The ultimate question – was it worth our time?

FacadeReward

FacadeReward

FacadeBeyond the Game

Rules of EngagementSummary

• To work, our projects need to emotionally engageour audience

• Why do you care about your subject matter?• What makes it compelling?• How will you engage, involve, extend, surprise and

reward us?• And what will we take away?

Rules of EngagementNext Steps

• Determine the philosophy/vision underpinningyour project and what it is you are trying tocommunicate

• Think about how your audience is going toemotionally connect to your material

• Use the hand out and consider how the five stepsof engagement apply to your project in all its crossmedia applications