My pal Bonnie Burton interviewed me for Star Wars.Com. We talked about Transmedia Storytelling, Heroic Narrative, and my love of Star Wars: New Hope. Here’s a clip:
BONNIE: Lucasfilm seems to have embraced the concept of “transmedia” early on with the concept of the Expanded Universe of video games, card games, role-playing games, comics, and novels in addition to the movies.
JESSE: There was little information out there at the time, and obviously we didn’t have the Web yet, so trying to learn more about this world, this universe and this movie — to immerse ourselves in it — was very challenging in those early days. The feeling of wanting to be part of a mythology is something that has shaped the way I approach the work that I do — creating and fleshing out these media properties that I’ve been involved with to make sure that the fans can have an authentic, organic and immersive experience that allows them to enjoy shows like “Heroes” and “Lost” however and whenever they want to experience it.
JESSE: At that time I don’t think people really understood that type of approach, but Lucas did, as did the people that he had working with him at Lucasfilm. They got how to build a property that fans could enjoy in so many ways. It seemed like there was a real vision in how that was going to happen in those early days. What Lucas, and everyone else at Lucasfilm, has done in terms of transmedia exploitation of properties has set the benchmark for everyone who’s trying to do well in that space.
For the full interview click HERE.
You’re the best, Jesse! Thanks for giving me such a kick ass interview. It was a pleasure talking Heroes and Star Wars with you.