In class we talked about The Matrix film franchise and how it is a good example of convergence culture in the media, which is defined by author Henry Jenkins as the "flow of content spread across many media platforms." After the success of the first Matrix film, two sequels were released, a comic book was launched, video games were made, and animated short films were produced. The success of the first Matrix film made it possible to expand The Matrix universe because of the popularity of the product.
Another film franchise that comes to mind when I think of convergence culture in our media is George Lucas' Star Wars. Released in 1977, this was released twenty-two years before The Matrix came out onto the scene. Out of Star Wars success came five more feature length films, comic books, books, animated TV series The Clone Wars, video games, computer games, and toys. These all comprise what is known as the Star Wars universe.
These different mediums of entertainment expand upon what was shown in the Star Wars films. They continue where the films left off and show the events that occurred before the films began. They expand the story over thousands of years.
The Star Wars franchise is valued at around $30 Billion. We can see that media convergence is good for making money. I think that Star Wars is one of the better examples of convergence in the media today.
OOOOOOH YEEEEAH
ReplyDelete