Nuno Bernardo: A Transmedia Expert

If you are a media producer looking for growth, there's one man you need to follow on social media:  Nuno Bernardo. 

Other than having a cool name, Mr. Bernardo has a unique perspective about the current direction of digital media. In his new book, "Transmedia 2.0," the media guru encourages fellow producers to keep their audiences connected to content through engagement. 

Recently, Mr. Bernardo defined "Transmedia" for Zack's TV  and shared what producers can do better to generate the great results.

What is your background? (Birthplace, Family, Education)

I was born in Porto, in the north of Portugal. I studied journalism but never worked in a newsroom. Although, I wrote more than one thousand articles about new technologies that were published in national and international publications and have had more than 25 books published in both fiction and non-fiction. I worked in Marketing and Advertising between 2005 and 2011, then in an Interactive TV project for two years. Before that, I set up my company, beActive Entertainment in 2003.

How many years have you been involved in media?
 
I set up the original beActive in 2003 to explore the opportunities brought by the new digital medias that were emerging in the early 2000's, like mobile phones, social media and Internet video. beActive was always a storytelling company and we try to use technology as a way to improve the stories we tell and to engage audiences.

How has media changed over the past 10 years?

The social media networks and the new communication habits, based on the access and share of content using these new daily tools, have changed the way we consume information and Entertainment. YouTube, Facebook and Twitter are responsible for this revolution. 

Audiences expectations changed, behaviors changed and the speed of how the information is spread is faster than ever. The window system and the territories barriers are in decline, challenging the established business models. 

Audiences want content available now, for a reduced price or in “all-you-can-eat” packages (see the popularity of Netflix and Spotify) and available on all devices.

What makes "Transmedia" different from other projects in the market?

At beActive we see Transmedia as a journey where we (the creators) bring audiences in a more engaging adventure, offering them a deeper interactive experience. Not only can they get more story and content, they can know more about the characters, can interact with them, help them (whether it's a documentary or a scripted project) and be part of a fan-based community. Transmedia also offers that feeling of belonging, the ability to be part of a creative process (whether giving feedback to creators or generating Fan Fiction or user generated content). For us, Transmedia is the way to tell stories and to engage audiences in this day and age.

What is the greatest mistake that media producers make?

There are two big mistakes that producers are still making. One is to think storytelling is for one platform only. Whether you plan it or not, stories and content will spread and get a life of their own in this new social media era. Stories, whether planned solely as a Book or a Film, will then be commented on, shared, generate fan fiction and will be mashed with other pieces of content. If that doesn’t happen it's because audiences really don’t care about that new book or TV show or Film. The second is thinking that a multi-platform or Transmedia approach only serves as a marketing purpose and only planning a multi-device strategy a few weeks before the release. An effective Transmedia strategy needs to start, from a storytelling point of view, from day one. 

Why should people purchase "Transmedia 2.0" book?

The "Transmedia 2.0" book analyzes how multi-platform storytelling and distribution can help producers to establish true entertainment brands and intellectual property. 

It also features a series of real and successful case studies discussing ideas and concepts of how Transmedia can be key to promoting and engaging with audiences around a traditional TV show, feature film, game or consumer brand. 

Based on my own experience, I present a step-by-step approach to building long-running multi-platform entertainment brands and loyal viewing communities. Now I’m sharing this knowledge with filmmakers, content producers for television, gaming and web, marketeers, brand managers, and audiovisual and media students.

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Check out Mr. Bernardo's Twitter and Facebook pages for more info. 

If you still don't understand "transmedia" after reading this article, here are a few links that can help you: 

Transmedia Storyteller Info Page 

http://www.tstoryteller.com/transmedia-storytelling

"Seven Myths About Transmedia Stortyelling Debunked" by Henry Jenkins

http://www.fastcompany.com/1745746/seven-myths-about-transmedia-storytelling-debunked