Course focus: The democratization of the tools to create has enabled anyone to become their own media company. Disruption has ripped through the entertainment industry, challenging how things are made, distributed and consumed. But what does it take to build engaging stories in a fragmented digital landscape? What new models will emerge and how can one take advantage of new opportunities? New Media Producing examines the art, craft and business of storytelling in the 21st Century. The course takes a deep dive into theory, process and design as it combines practical experience with insight into emerging trends. A mixture of lectures, collaborative design exercises and guest speakers, New Media Producing provides a detailed overview of what it takes to produce projects that combine story and tech.

1. The following is subject to change.
NEW MEDIA PRODUCING:
“Building StoryWorlds: the art, craft and biz of storytelling in 21c”
A course with Lance Weiler
Official tumblr for the class – http://www.buildingstoryworlds.tumblr.com
Assignments will be posted into a class tumblr. Students have the option to post
using their name or anonymously. Posts will range from 250 to 500 words.
RECOMMENDED EXPERIENCE TO DO AT SOME POINT DURING THE
SEMESTER “Sleep No More” http://www.sleepnomore.com
CLASS #1 - Welcome and Introductions
Welcome to the course
An overview of what we will do over the semester.
Lecture
A historical look at immersive storytelling and phenomenal work
Guest conversation
With Frank Rose (The Art of Immersion) and Brian Clark (experience designer
and founder of GMD Studios)
Assignment
Device usage and media consumption review – instructions will be given in class
CLASS #2 – Emerging trends and opportunities
Open Share discussion around previous week’s assignment
Lecture by Weiler
An overview of emerging trends, which are impacting film, TV, gaming &
publishing
Showcase
A look at interesting immersive storytelling projects from around the world.

2. Assignment
Pick two projects from the showcased work and write a short review of your
experience. What worked, what did not and why? Consider how you would
improve the experience. Each review should be between 250 and 500 words and
please include a screen grab from your play.
CLASS #3 – A look inside a top immersive storytelling
shop
Open Share discussion around previous week’s assignment
SPECIAL CLASS:
Tour of Fake Love one of the top immersive design shops in NYC.
http://www.fakelove.tv
We’ll sit down with the creative and production team at Fake Love to hear how
they design, build and manage innovative storytelling projects.
Assignment
TBD
CLASS #4 - Scripting for Multiple Platforms & Immersive
Experiences
Open Share discussion around previous week’s assignment
Lecture by Weiler
Scripting for a Pandemic - a look at the story design behind Pandemic 1.0
Conversation with Chuck Wendig (novelist, screenwriter, game writer), Andrea
Phillips (transmedia writer, game designer and novelist) and Atley Loughridge
(children’s author and transmedia writer)
Group work session
Story Sprint – group collaborative session
Assignment- Take an idea from the group session and expand upon it. Build a
user narrative around it.

3. CLASS #5 – Project Meetings – develop and pitch a
transmedia project
Open Share discussion around previous week’s assignment
Overview of final pitches
An RFP is provided to frame what is required for the final project pitches. The
class splits up into groups.
Group work session
Teams start to work on their transmedia pitches.
Assignment - Each team will determine assignments based on what they feel
needs to be accomplished.
CLASS #6 – Story and Code
Open Share discussion around previous week’s assignment
Lecture by Weiler
Finding a balance between storytelling and code
Conversation with Creative Technologists
Mike Knowlton (Murmur Co, StoryCode), Mark Harris (Murmur Co, The Lost
Children) and Heidi Hysell (DE DE) join for a conversation about using code
creatively to build entertaining and emotionally charged experiences.
Group work session
Experience testing – the class will experiment with an interaction that has been
designed by our guests
Assignment - Write a post about a game from your childhood. What was it about
the game that you enjoyed and why? 250 words or less and include an image of
the game.
CLASS #7 - Experience Design & Creating Empathy with
Technology
Open Share discussion around previous week’s assignment

4. Lecture by Weiler
Experience Design & Creating Empathy with Technology
Group design session @ campus MakerSpace – brainstorming session with
technologists and makers
Assignment - Write a 250 to 500-word post that identifies an emerging trend and
how to apply it to storytelling. Could be a new technology, service and / or
cultural trend.
CLASS #8 – The Art of Play
Open Share discussion around previous week’s assignment
Special Collaborative Session: An introduction to game design
Nicholas Fortugno (Playmatics, Come Out & Play Festival) & Gregory Trefry
(Gigantic Mechanic, Come Out & Play Festival)
Group work session
Design, Paper Test and Prototype a game
Assignment - Play a game that was mentioned during class and write a short
review about the experience. Produce a 250 words or more post with images.
CLASS #9 – Creative Producing – the changing roles of
the producer
Open Share discussion around previous week’s assignment
Round Table Discussion Pulling back the curtain on what it takes to produce an
immersive experience
Conversation with Caitlin Burns (Starlight Runner), Julia Pontecorvo (Radical
Media) and Anna Serrano (CFC Media Lab)
Group work session
Teams work on their group pitches
Assignment - Each team will determine assignments based on what they feel
needs to be accomplished.

5. CLASS #10 – Disruptive Business Models in
Entertainment
Open Share discussion around previous week’s assignment
Lecture by Weiler
An overview of emerging and traditional business models for entertainment
properties.
Conversation about disruptive business models with Brian Newman (SubGenre, Crowd Play).
Group work session
Teams work on their group pitches
Assignment - Each team will determine assignments based on what they feel
needs to be accomplished.
CLASS #11 – Data driven storytelling
Open Share discussion around previous week’s assignment
Lecture by Weiler
A look at how data can be used within storytelling. From creating narratives to
measuring success data is playing an interesting role in 21st Century storytelling.
Conversation with the Harmony Institute, NYTs R&D Lab and Google Creative
Lab
Group work session
Teams work on their group pitches
Assignment - Each team will determine assignments based on what they feel
needs to be accomplished.

6. CLASS #12 – Breaking down the Pitch
Open Share discussion around previous week’s assignment
Special presentation on pitching
Nick Braccia (creative director Campfire) will share his process for pitching. He’s
successfully pitched studios, game publishers and major brands.
Nick will spend time with each team to help them hone their pitches.
Group work session
Teams work on their group pitches
Assignment - Each team will determine assignments based on what they feel
needs to be accomplished.
CLASS #13 – Final Pitches
Final team preparation for pitching
Teams pitch to a panel of high level industry experts.
Final session a Q&A with our industry experts
Stepping into a Disruptive World - what can one expect in a changing digital
landscape?
May 5th
Make up Class if needed

7. Course Requirements
CLASS TUMBLR
ALL STUDENTS are to participate in a tumblr blog.
http://buildingstorytworlds.tumblr.com The tumblr will become a collection
of interesting links, projects and technology that could be applied to
storytelling. Each student is responsible to make posts as writing
assignments. Posts should be 250 to 500 words and include photos, video
or audio if needed.
TRANSMEDIA PITCHES
The class will split into groups. Together the group will collaborate on a
presentation deck that will be used within a presentation to a panel of
experts and their fellow classmates. The pitches are to be no longer than
10 minutes in length. Each group has 10 minutes to present and this will be
followed by a 10 minute open discussion that is intended to identify ways to
strengthen the projects.
GRADES
Grades will be Pass or Fail for Arts students and letter grades for those
from other schools. Incompletes and CPs will not be given except under
dire circumstances.

8. REQUIRED READING
"The Art of Immersion - how the digital generation is remaking Hollywood,
Madison Avenue, and the way we tell stories"
Author FRANK ROSE
Publisher NORTON
"Little Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge from Small Discoveries"
Author PETER SIMS
Publisher SIMON & SCHUSTER
"The Ten Faces of Innovation"
Author THOMAS KELLY & JONATHAN LITTMAN
Publisher CROWN PUBLISHING GROUP
"Casual Game Design: Designing Play for the Gamer in ALL of Us"
Author GREGORY TREFRY
Publisher IGDA
"Spreadable Media: Creating Value and Meaning in a Networked Culutre"
Author HENRY JENKINS, SAM FORD, JOSHUA GREEN
Publisher POSTMILLENNIAL POP
"A Creator’s Guide to Transmedia Storytelling: How to Captivate and
Engage Audiences across Multiple Platforms”
Author ANDREA PHILLIPS
Publisher McGraw-Hill