This is a presentation aimed at 3rd year Media students at the University of Brighton. It uses Breaking Bad as a case study to demonstrate the power of transmedia and freeconomics to market and distribute product. There are a lot of links in this presentation that you'll miss... find them on t'internet or through the Pinterest board listed in the presentation. Twitter: LanceDann

1. CASE STUDY
AMC BREAKING BAD
DIGITAL MEDIA
CONTENT
Dr Lance Dann, University of Brighton
1

2. What is
Breaking Bad?
 Grown into biggest
Television Phenomenom
since Sopranos
 Rated by Metacritic as the
best TV series of all time.
 A barrel load of Emmy’s
 5 seasons.
 End last week.
 Globally trended on Twitter
for most of the week.
DIGITAL MEDIA
CONTENT
Dr Lance Dann
2

3. So what’s the story?
…a drug dealing school teacher
with caner becomes a criminal
mastermind…

4. Why did I story about meth
addicts become so popular?
 Phenomenal writing
 Great acting
 Great direction.
 Smart marketing.
 Genius online
distribution and
content.

5. How to outsmart the pirates
 Owned by SONY
pictures.
 Screened in US by AMC.
 Relegated to Channel 5
in UK.
 Loosing viewers and
eyeballs to torrents.
 Awareness of product
huge because of
downloads.

6. What they didn’t do was this…
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/game_of_thrones

7. “
Of all the people in the world who didn’t
read my book yesterday… far more didn’t
read it because they didn’t know about it
than didn’t read it because they somehow
got a free copy.
”
Cory Doctrow (2013)

8. They were also open to fan
works and adaptations…
Lego Breaking Bad Game

9. Not all theft is bad…
 Showrunners of Heroes
and Game of Thrones
both pleased their
shows are most
torrented.
 It is all a question of
drawing in audience
and attention.
 The skill is then
monetizing that
attention

10. Breaking Bad Series 5
Broadcast on AMC on
Sunday Evening in US.
HD download to iTunes
overnight.
Next day available as a
stream from Netflix.
Blue-Ray box set
released at end of series.

11. Breaking Bad goes viral…
 Audience and attention
went past the tipping point
in Season 5.
 Live audience increased 5
times in final weeks.
 All a question of playing
long game.
 Audiences can always
catch up and don’t have to
follow from the beginning.

12. Part of this was due to
Transmedia Marketing
AMC have always been
very ahead of the curve
with their media
positioning.
Started with a personal
video message
Save Walter White
campaign
Better Call Saul website
DIGITAL MEDIA
CONTENT
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13. Criminal Aptitude
Test
Character Blogs
Interactive Graphic
Novels
Evidence Board
Insider Podcast
DIGITAL MEDIA
CONTENT
13

14. Story Sync – Season 5
DIGITAL MEDIA
CONTENT
14

15. something immersive
 Creation of a storyworld.
 An experience that follows
you off screen.
 A marketing tool.
 A money making tool.
 A way of challenging
audiences and form.

16. Henry Jenkins saw this coming…
… but is his beard as good as
mine?
Developed the term in 2006
when he looked at
programmes like Survivor and
the Matrix franchise.
Story does not lie in just one
space.
Simultaneous existence across
forms as part of a story world.

17. Links to articles for this week
Student Central has links to articles to read in preparation for
next week.
Pinterest board for this session
Digital Media Pin Board
Recommended reading: Frank Rose and Henry Jenkins

18. Or… a project that is just as
relevant
TOMY’S TRADE SECRETS
 Online video channel
 Shop
 Forum and advice
September 26, 2013
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