Lowlifes project presentation

Presentation to Coalition on Homelessness, SF

Robert PrattenProducer

About this presentation

• About Lowlifes

• What is “transmedia”?

• Transmedia Activism– definition

– examples

• CoHSF Campaign– Goals, Narrative, Actions

• Next steps…

LowlifeS’ synopsis

• Larry Hayes is San Francisco homicide detective with a drug addiction.

• He has a dead informant, an ex-wife fighting for custardy of their daughter and a private eye hired to dig the dirt on him.

High Concept

One story, three perspectives.Told over three platforms: novella, web series, blog.

dETECTIVELARRY HAYES EX-WFE

(JEN HAYES)PRIVATE EYE(LAUREN ORTEGA)

Aim: Whole is greater than sum of parts

Movie Game Book Transmedia

Whole is more satisfying than the sum of the parts: euphoria of collecting and connecting the pieces

Movie Game Book Media Franchise

Whole is less than the sum of the parts: dissatisfying conclusion to consuming all media

objectives

• Possible to consume each media independently of any other

• Enhanced satisfaction with each additional media consumption

• Micro-budget

• Freemium distribution model

• Creative Commons licensing to allow audience collaboration

• Simple, commercial, transmedia story (not experimental)

Distribution

• Free online

– BitTorrent, Website, YouTube

• With paid options (Kindle, Book, DVD, Mobile)

• Paid workshops

Finding opportunities in source material

Online “active graphic” crime scene hides clue that creates suspense (reader will know more than character)

Ar marker at end of chapter reveals clue that creates suspense

Adding a layer of activism

Transmedia activism

• A framework that creates social impact by using storytelling by a number of decentralized authors who share assets and create content distributed across multiple forms of media to raise awareness and influence action.

Transmedia to create impact

Issue Engagement Action Change

Actionable Content

Story Universe

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Lina Srivastava at info@linasrivastava.comhttp://transmedia-activism.com/

World without oil

Traces of hope

Conspiracy for good

TmA: Campaign goals

• A. Social Change- what are you trying to change?

– Address and correct common misunderstanding

– Greater empathy with plight of homeless by showing as real people who can be helped

– Change of the law?

• B. Storytelling- what is the narrative thread?

– Can we tell fact from fiction? Do we recognize ourselves (when we ignore people in need)?

• OTHER GOALS

– Build mailing list/ Raise money/ Raise awareness

Driving traffic to Cohsf website

Lowlifes Book/Video/Blog

Holy Joe Website

CoHSFWebsite

Street Sheet

LowLifesARG Shop flyers/

Posters

CoHsf website, today

Common misunderstandings?

• It will never happen to me

• We deserve what we get

• Drugs & booze come before fall

• There is support for those who need it

• Other misunderstandings?

Narrative theme: Fact or fiction?

Joseph “Holy joe” rawlings videos

• Real people telling personal accounts of their homeless experiences on the street… in the context of the fictional world of Holy Joe’s

• Link to real personal history pages at CoHSF: “I am not an actor. This is not a movie set. This is my life.”

Homeless connections...

• Interview families: see accommodation/places they live (integrate UFO & ghost stories); how they got evicted or lost their homes

• Personal stories: how they fell on hard times (and how they work for Joe); photos of better times

• Candid improv on the streets outside important places (shelters, kitchens etc.)

• Other issues?

CoH Alternate Reality game: “Victim of fate”

• Can you help Hayes informant?– Four week game to save a family from homelessness

– Goal: Highlight the obstacles and how easy it is to fall victim of fate

– Engagement: twitter, puzzles, email story installments

• Legislative twitter stream throws up plot twists (other dark forces?)

• Character-based twitter stream of thoughts and feelings based on real life experience (daily diary?)

Publicity campaign

• Homeless Facts & Fiction Month

– Lowlifes ARG: Victim of Fate

– Online quiz:fact or fiction? Startling facts about homeless situations/legal issues etc. – Engage people with issues

• Street Sheet

– Unique content to solve puzzles/enter competition

– Serialize Lowlifes for rest of year: drive more people to donate

• Social media

– Blogs

• Local business

– Flyers & posters for downloadable content

• Mainstream press

– Serialize LowLifes (SF Chronicle)

– PR on unique storytelling for change

Next steps

• Interest?

• Resources?

• Timescales?