StoryLabs, an international organization that will seek to support the evolution of storytelling that is made possible by new interactive and multiplatform technologies, announced its formation last week. The organization--which describes itself as being composed of "international multiplatform and transmedia creators dedicated to the education and mentoring of storytellers"--says that it will operate a worldwide mentor network that will include digital producers, games creators, TV and film writers and producers, social media experts and transmedia content creators (note: for an example of a recent transmedia storytelling experiment, see the article on "Heroes" creator Tim Kring's Conspiracy for Good that was published on itvt.com, June 25th). "Technology has created both new tools and new ways to reach connected audiences," Gary Hayes, a former BBC senior development producer who is StoryLabs' Australian founder, said in a prepared statement. "Mastering these new storytelling tools in the changing media landscape is the mission of StoryLabs. StoryLabs experts are the actual pioneers and commercial leaders in their fields pushing the frontiers of storytelling across many different platforms. StoryLabs is dedicated to the evolution of storytelling through its incubator labs and a persistent mentor community."
According to its founders, StoryLabs will offer a project mentoring cycle that will extend from incubation to production and distribution and that will provide an education in writing and design and best production practices. The organization's development tracks are slated to include an Ad Lab, focused on cross-media advertising; a Community Lab focused on the relationship between social media and storytelling; an Innovation Lab focused on stories around new services and products; a Mobile Media Lab; a Games Lab; and a Transmedia Lab that will focus on the development of new storytelling forms. StoryLabs says that its mentors have "extensive experience in other lab environments" and will provide a hands-on opportunity for brands and media properties to advance new story formats and to "shape a fully integrated story-based transmedia solution."
The organization--which claims that its line-up of mentors includes "24 renowned global story and experience creators," four of whom hail from Canada, nine from Australia and seven from the US and the UK--says that it will hold incubator labs during the first quarter of 2011, and will also host an "online network that will allow experienced incubator labs mentors and participants to continue to engage in the creation of new form storytelling." Its mentors include high-profile US interactive TV industry figure, Brian Seth Hurst, whose cross-media strategy firm, The Opportunity Management Company, has been closely involved in Tim Kring's Conspiracy for Good project. "I am seeing a tremendous shift in the foundations of the film and TV industry as storytelling becomes dramatically more experiential," Hurst said in a prepared statement. "Working with some of the top TV and film creators, I am deeply aware of their desire to understand and develop new ways of reaching and including the audience and building vibrant communities. In the early days of TV, new production processes were developed that became standard. I see StoryLabs serving that function relative to new forms of storytelling. I am truly honored and excited to be part of this initiative and I know participants will greatly benefit from the polled expertise."
StoryLabs is inviting TV and film writers, games developers, advertising writers and others who are interested in evolving their projects under its auspices to submit expressions of interest at StoryLabs.us/submit.
