Serious Play: Multiplatform Narratives & Game Strategy in Visual Documentary Storytelling – Collaborations for Cause 2012

Game play is not limited to pimply faced teens. And stories are not limited to just one screen. From adolescence to old age, from game consoles to iPhone apps, for both male and females, economic, technological and cultural convergence are forces driving new approaches to storytelling not just in Hollywood fiction, but in non-fiction storytelling as well. As makers of “serious” stories, what is the role of game play in visual documentaries? How can a story be unfolded successfully across multiple platforms? What, in fact, is the connection between multi-platform storytelling and game strategy? Experts in developing both multi-platform narratives and game strategy will share their insight as it applies to non-fiction storytelling.

Russell is a co-founder of Fusionspark Media, Inc., a communications firm established in 1999. He holds an undergraduate degree in Political Science from Northeastern University, in Boston, and has worked most of his professional life as a photographer and visual communications expert.

Collaborations for Cause, hosted May 4th & 5th 2012 by the Blue Earth Alliance, was a retreat for communications professionals who want and need to use emerging new media outlets to build strong, lasting bridges among creative multimedia storytellers, non-profits, socially responsible corporations and supporting communities.

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