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{{short description|Use of a creative work across several different media}}
{{short description|Use of a creative work across several different media}}


A '''media franchise''', also known as a '''multimedia franchise''', is a collection of related [[Media (communication)|media]] in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a [[film]], a work of [[literature]], a [[television program]] or a [[video game]]. [[Bob Iger]], chief executive of [[the Walt Disney Company]], defined the word ''franchise'' as "something that creates value across multiple businesses and across multiple territories over a long period of time".<ref name="NYT-20221201">{{cite news |last=Keiles |first=Jamie Lauren|title='Avatar' and the Mystery of the Vanishing Blockbuster - It was the highest-grossing film in history, but for years it was remembered mainly for having been forgotten. Why? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/30/magazine/avatar-franchise.html |date=December 1, 2022 |work=[[The New York Times Magazine]] |accessdate=December 3, 2022 }}</ref>
A '''media franchise''', also known as a '''multimedia franchise''', is a collection of related [[Media (communication)|media]] in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a [[film]], a work of [[literature]], a [[television program]], or a [[video game]]. [[Bob Iger]], chief executive of the [[Walt Disney Company]], defined the word ''franchise'' as "something that creates value across multiple businesses and across multiple territories over a long period of time.<ref name="NYT-20221201">{{cite news |last=Keiles |first=Jamie Lauren|title='Avatar' and the Mystery of the Vanishing Blockbuster - It was the highest-grossing film in history, but for years it was remembered mainly for having been forgotten. Why? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/30/magazine/avatar-franchise.html |date=December 1, 2022 |work=[[The New York Times Magazine]] |accessdate=December 3, 2022 }}</ref>


== Transmedia franchise <span class="anchor" id="Metaseries"></span>==
== Transmedia franchise <span class="anchor" id="Metaseries"></span>==
A media franchise often consists of [[marketing co-operation|cross-marketing]] across more than one medium. For the owners, the goal of increasing profit through diversity can extend the commercial profitability of the franchise and create strong feelings of identity and ownership in its consumers.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://jaylemke.squarespace.com/storage/Games-Franchises-CulturalOrder-2005.pdf | title=Critical Analysis across Media: Games, Franchises, and the New Cultural Order | publisher=First International Conference on CDA | date=2004 | access-date=16 September 2013 | author=Lemke, Jay | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019172100/http://jaylemke.squarespace.com/storage/Games-Franchises-CulturalOrder-2005.pdf | archive-date=19 October 2013 | url-status=live }}</ref> Those large groups of dedicated consumers create the franchise's [[fandom]], which is the community of fans that indulge in many of its mediums and are committed to interacting with and keeping up with other consumers.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Fuschillo |first=Gregorio |date=2018-05-04 |title=Fans, fandoms, or fanaticism? |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1469540518773822 |journal=Journal of Consumer Culture |volume=20 |issue=3 |pages=347–365 |doi=10.1177/1469540518773822 |s2cid=150052589 |issn=1469-5405}}</ref> Large franchise-based fandoms have grown to be even more popular in recent years with the rise of social media platforms, as many fans seek to interact with one another for discussion, debate and even to create their own fan-made pieces of media revolving around the franchise, on websites like [[tumblr]], [[Reddit]] and [[Fandom (website)|Fandom]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wilkins |first=Kim |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/9781108551137 |title=Young Adult Fantasy Fiction |date=2019-07-11 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |doi=10.1017/9781108551137 |isbn=978-1-108-55113-7|s2cid=199244984 }}</ref> In the case of successful transmedia franchises, each different medium should expand the target demographic and fandom, build the interest of the consumers and add to the overarching story and narrative of the franchise itself.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Jenkins |first=Henry |date=December 2010 |title=Transmedia Storytelling and Entertainment: An annotated syllabus |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10304312.2010.510599 |journal=Continuum |volume=24 |issue=6 |pages=943–958 |doi=10.1080/10304312.2010.510599 |s2cid=143801652 |issn=1030-4312}}</ref> A connection between the characters, settings, and other elements of the media franchise do still exist within the different mediums, regardless of the fact that they are being presented in sometimes completely different ways,<ref>{{Cite book |last=McErlean |first=Kelly |date=2018-03-05 |title=Interactive Narratives and Transmedia Storytelling |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315637570 |doi=10.4324/9781315637570|isbn=9781315637570 }}</ref> such as the shared, interweaving storylines and elements of Spider-Man films, television shows, comics and video games. Espen Aarseth describes the financial logic of cost-recovery for expensive productions by identifying that a single medium launch is a lost opportunity, the timeliness of the production and release is more important than its integrity, the releases should raise brand awareness and the cross-ability of the work is critical for its success.<ref>{{cite journal | title=The Culture and Business of Cross-Media Productions | author=Aarseth, Espen | journal= Popular Communication| year=2006 | volume=4 | issue=3 | pages=203–211 | doi=10.1207/s15405710pc0403_4| s2cid=46602603 }}</ref>
A media franchise often consists of [[marketing co-operation|cross-marketing]] across more than one medium. For the owners, the goal of increasing profit through diversity can extend the commercial profitability of the franchise and create strong feelings of identity and ownership in its consumers.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://jaylemke.squarespace.com/storage/Games-Franchises-CulturalOrder-2005.pdf | title=Critical Analysis across Media: Games, Franchises, and the New Cultural Order | publisher=First International Conference on CDA | date=2004 | access-date=16 September 2013 | author=Lemke, Jay | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019172100/http://jaylemke.squarespace.com/storage/Games-Franchises-CulturalOrder-2005.pdf | archive-date=19 October 2013 | url-status=live }}</ref> Those large groups of dedicated consumers create the franchise's [[fandom]], which is the community of fans that indulge in many of its mediums and are committed to interacting with and keeping up with other consumers.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Fuschillo |first=Gregorio |date=2018-05-04 |title=Fans, fandoms, or fanaticism? |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1469540518773822 |journal=Journal of Consumer Culture |volume=20 |issue=3 |pages=347–365 |doi=10.1177/1469540518773822 |s2cid=150052589 |issn=1469-5405}}</ref> Large franchise-based fandoms have grown to be even more popular in recent years with the rise of social media platforms, as many fans seek to interact with one another for discussion, debate and even to create their own fan-made pieces of media revolving around the franchise, on websites like [[tumblr]], [[Reddit]] and [[Fandom (website)|Fandom]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wilkins |first=Kim |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/9781108551137 |title=Young Adult Fantasy Fiction |date=2019-07-11 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |doi=10.1017/9781108551137 |isbn=978-1-108-55113-7|s2cid=199244984 }}</ref> In the case of successful transmedia franchises, each different medium should expand the target demographic and fandom, build the interest of the consumers and add to the overarching story and narrative of the franchise itself.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Jenkins |first=Henry |date=December 2010 |title=Transmedia Storytelling and Entertainment: An annotated syllabus |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10304312.2010.510599 |journal=Continuum |volume=24 |issue=6 |pages=943–958 |doi=10.1080/10304312.2010.510599 |s2cid=143801652 |issn=1030-4312}}</ref> A connection between the characters, settings, and other elements of the media franchise do still exist within the different mediums, regardless of the fact that they are being presented in sometimes completely different ways,<ref>{{Cite book |last=McErlean |first=Kelly |date=2018-03-05 |title=Interactive Narratives and Transmedia Storytelling |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315637570 |doi=10.4324/9781315637570|isbn=9781315637570 }}</ref> such as the shared, interweaving storylines and elements of [[Spider-Man]] films, television shows, comics and video games. Espen Aarseth describes the financial logic of cost-recovery for expensive productions by identifying that a single medium launch is a lost opportunity, the timeliness of the production and release is more important than its integrity, the releases should raise brand awareness and the cross-ability of the work is critical for its success.<ref>{{cite journal | title=The Culture and Business of Cross-Media Productions | author=Aarseth, Espen | journal= Popular Communication| year=2006 | volume=4 | issue=3 | pages=203–211 | doi=10.1207/s15405710pc0403_4| s2cid=46602603 }}</ref>


[[American Idol]] was a transmedia franchise from its beginnings, with the first season winner [[Kelly Clarkson]] signing with [[RCA Records]] and having the release of ''[[A Moment Like This]]'' becoming a #1 hit on Billboard Hot 100.<ref name="ai">{{cite book | title=Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide | url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780814742815 | url-access=registration | publisher=NYU Press | author=Jenkins, Henry | year=2006 | page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780814742815/page/61 61]| isbn=9780814742815 }}</ref> The success resulted in a nationwide concert tour, an ''American Idol'' book that made the bestseller list and the film ''[[From Justin to Kelly]]''.<ref name="ai" /> A transmedia franchise however is often referred to by the simpler term "media franchise". The term media franchise is often used to describe the popular adaptation of a work into films, like the popular [[Twilight (novel series)|''Twilight'' book series]] that was adapted into the five films of ''[[The Twilight Saga (film series)|The Twilight Saga]]''.<ref>{{cite book | title=Bitten by Twilight: Youth Culture, Media, and the Vampire Franchise | publisher=Peter Lang Publishing | author=Click, Melissa | year=2010 | page=12 | isbn=978-1433108945}}</ref> Other neologisms exist to describe various franchise types including '''metaseries'''<!--boldface per WP:R#PLA-->, which can be used to describe works such as [[Isaac Asimov]]'s [[Foundation series|''Foundation'' series]].{{clarify|This doesn't define what a metaseries is, and readers unfamiliar with Asimov are left with even less understanding of what this is|date=February 2020}}<ref>{{cite journal |last=Palumbo |first=Donald |title=Asimov's Crusade Against Bigotry: The Persistence Of Prejudice as a Fractal Motif in the Robot/Empire Foundation Metaseries |journal=Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts |volume=10 |date=1998 |pages=43–63}}</ref>
[[American Idol]] was a transmedia franchise from its beginnings, with the first season winner [[Kelly Clarkson]] signing with [[RCA Records]] and having the release of ''[[A Moment Like This]]'' becoming a #1 hit on Billboard Hot 100.<ref name="ai">{{cite book | title=Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide | url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780814742815 | url-access=registration | publisher=NYU Press | author=Jenkins, Henry | year=2006 | page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780814742815/page/61 61]| isbn=9780814742815 }}</ref> The success resulted in a nationwide concert tour, an ''American Idol'' book that made the bestseller list and the film ''[[From Justin to Kelly]]''.<ref name="ai" /> A transmedia franchise however is often referred to by the simpler term "media franchise". The term media franchise is often used to describe the popular adaptation of a work into films, like the popular [[Twilight (novel series)|''Twilight'' book series]] that was adapted into the five films of ''[[The Twilight Saga (film series)|The Twilight Saga]]''.<ref>{{cite book | title=Bitten by Twilight: Youth Culture, Media, and the Vampire Franchise | publisher=Peter Lang Publishing | author=Click, Melissa | year=2010 | page=12 | isbn=978-1433108945}}</ref> Other neologisms exist to describe various franchise types including '''metaseries'''<!--boldface per WP:R#PLA-->, which can be used to describe works such as [[Isaac Asimov]]'s [[Foundation (book series)|''Foundation'' series]].{{clarify|This doesn't define what a metaseries is, and readers unfamiliar with Asimov are left with even less understanding of what this is|date=February 2020}}<ref>{{cite journal |last=Palumbo |first=Donald |title=Asimov's Crusade Against Bigotry: The Persistence Of Prejudice as a Fractal Motif in the Robot/Empire Foundation Metaseries |journal=Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts |volume=10 |date=1998 |pages=43–63}}</ref>


Multimedia franchises usually develop through a character or fictional world becoming popular in one medium, and then expanding to others through [[licensing agreement]]s, with respect to [[intellectual property]] in the franchise's characters and settings. As one author explains, "For the studios, a home-run is a film from which a multimedia 'franchise' can be generated; the colossally expensive creation of cross-media conglomerates predicated on synergistic rewards provides an obvious imperative to develop such products."<ref>Barry Langford, ''Post-classical Hollywood: Film Industry, Style and Ideology Since 1945'', p. 207, {{ISBN|074863858X}}.</ref> The trend later developed wherein franchises would be launched in multiple forms of media simultaneously; for instance, the film ''[[The Matrix Reloaded]]'' and the video game ''[[Enter the Matrix]]'' were produced at the same time, using the same actors on the same sets, and released on the same day.
Multimedia franchises usually develop through a character or fictional world becoming popular in one medium, and then expanding to others through [[licensing agreement]]s, with respect to [[intellectual property]] in the franchise's characters and settings. As one author explains, "For the studios, a home-run is a film from which a multimedia 'franchise' can be generated; the colossally expensive creation of cross-media conglomerates predicated on synergistic rewards provides an obvious imperative to develop such products."<ref>Barry Langford, ''Post-classical Hollywood: Film Industry, Style and Ideology Since 1945'', p. 207, {{ISBN|074863858X}}.</ref> The trend later developed wherein franchises would be launched in multiple forms of media simultaneously; for instance, the film ''[[The Matrix Reloaded]]'' and the video game ''[[Enter the Matrix]]'' were produced at the same time, using the same actors on the same sets, and released on the same day.


=== Canon content ===
=== Canon content ===
Transmedia franchises occasionally release content through certain mediums that is not canon to the main or greater story that the franchise is built around, meaning that the elements of said content do not truly exist in the main timeline of the franchise.<ref name=":0">{{Citation |last=Harvey |first=Colin B. |title=Transmedia Memory |date=2015 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137306043_9 |work=Fantastic Transmedia |pages=182–202 |place=London |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan UK |doi=10.1057/9781137306043_9 |isbn=978-1-349-45500-3 |access-date=2022-11-23}}</ref> Canon content often times breaks continuity, leading fans to speculate or seek to confirm which mediums are canon and which are not, which can get confusing if the franchise does not provide an answer themselves since entire mediums can be non-canon to the greater story, with a popular example occurring. <ref name=":0" /> On the other hand, specific episodes, volumes or parts of a series can be canon while others in the same medium are not, such as the fact that only some of the ''[[Battlestar Galactica]]'' comics are canon, with a large amount of them breaking the continuity of the main story.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bourdaa |first=Mélanie |date=2018-03-14 |title=From One Medium to the Next: How Comic Books Create Richer Storylines |journal=M/C Journal |volume=21 |issue=1 |doi=10.5204/mcj.1355 |issn=1441-2616|doi-access=free }}</ref>
Transmedia franchises occasionally release content through certain mediums that is not canon to the main or greater story that the franchise is built around, meaning that the elements of said content do not truly exist in the main timeline of the franchise.<ref name=":0">{{Citation |last=Harvey |first=Colin B. |title=Transmedia Memory |date=2015 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137306043_9 |work=Fantastic Transmedia |pages=182–202 |place=London |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan UK |doi=10.1057/9781137306043_9 |isbn=978-1-349-45500-3 |access-date=2022-11-23}}</ref> Canon content often times breaks continuity, leading fans to speculate or seek to confirm which mediums are canon and which are not, which can get confusing if the franchise does not provide an answer themselves since entire mediums can be non-canon to the greater story, with a popular example occurring.<ref name=":0" /> On the other hand, specific episodes, volumes or parts of a series can be canon while others in the same medium are not, such as the fact that only some of the ''[[Battlestar Galactica]]'' comics are canon, with a large amount of them breaking the continuity of the main story.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bourdaa |first=Mélanie |date=2018-03-14 |title=From One Medium to the Next: How Comic Books Create Richer Storylines |journal=M/C Journal |volume=21 |issue=1 |doi=10.5204/mcj.1355 |issn=1441-2616|doi-access=free }}</ref>


===Japan===
===Japan===
In [[Japanese culture]] and entertainment, '''media mix''' ([[wasei-eigo]]: {{lang|ja|メディアミックス}}, ''mediamikkusu'') is a strategy to disperse content across multiple representations: different [[broadcast media]], gaming technologies, cell phones, toys, [[amusement park]]s, and other methods.<ref name=jen>[[Henry Jenkins]], ''Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide'', [https://books.google.com/books?id=RlRVNikT06YC&pg=PA110 p. 110]</ref> It is the Japanese term for a transmedia franchise.<ref name="Steinberg">Steinberg</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Denison|first=Rayna|url=https://www.academia.edu/3693690|title=Manga Movies Project Report 1 - Transmedia Japanese Franchising|journal=Academia.edu|access-date=2015-07-31}}</ref>
In [[Japanese culture]] and entertainment, '''media mix''' ([[wasei-eigo]]: {{lang|ja|メディアミックス}}, ''mediamikkusu'') is a strategy to disperse content across multiple representations: different [[broadcast media]], gaming technologies, cell phones, toys, [[amusement park]]s, and other methods.<ref name=jen>[[Henry Jenkins]], ''Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide'', [https://books.google.com/books?id=RlRVNikT06YC&pg=PA110 p. 110]</ref> It is the Japanese term for a transmedia franchise.<ref name="Steinberg">Steinberg</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Denison|first=Rayna|url=https://www.academia.edu/3693690|title=Manga Movies Project Report 1 - Transmedia Japanese Franchising|journal=Academia.edu|access-date=2015-07-31}}</ref>


The term ''media mix'' gained its circulation in late 1980s {{clarify|text=and is first used to describe adaptations of [[Sakyo Komatsu]]'s ''[[Japan Sinks]]'',|date=December 2019}} but the origins of the strategy can be traced back to the 1960s with the proliferation of [[anime]], with its interconnection of media and commodity goods.<ref name=amm>Steinberg, [https://books.google.com/books?id=rzGqyHaUGYkC&q=%22media+mix%22 p. vi]</ref> Some of the earlier popular Japanese franchises such as ''[[Vampire Hunter D]]'' in the 1980s and ''[[Pokémon]]'' in the late 1990s, acted as benchmarks in the country's transmedia dominance.<ref>{{Citation |last=SAITO |first=SATOMI |title=Beyond the Horizon of the Possible Worlds |date=2015-12-20 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.5749/j.ctv1rdv223.14 |work=Mechademia 10 |pages=143–161 |publisher=University of Minnesota Press |doi=10.5749/j.ctv1rdv223.14 |isbn=9781452949833 |access-date=2022-11-23}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Bainbridge |first=Jason |date=2013-10-25 |title='It is a Pokémon world': The <i>Pokémon</i> franchise and the environment |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1367877913501240 |journal=International Journal of Cultural Studies |volume=17 |issue=4 |pages=399–414 |doi=10.1177/1367877913501240 |s2cid=144360372 |issn=1367-8779}}</ref> The latter in particular began as a video game available on [[Nintendo]]'s [[Game Boy]], and crossed through the mediums of television, film, news, and other non-media related realms, such trading cards, merchandise, and more.<ref name=":1" /> A number of Japanese media franchises have gained considerable global popularity, and are among the world's [[List of highest-grossing media franchises|highest-grossing media franchises]]. For example, ''[[Pokémon]]''<nowiki/>'s penetration into the American market of the franchise along with others of Japanese origin, such as ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]'',<ref name="jen" /> gave rise to the recognition of what is variously called [[transmedia storytelling]], crossmedia, [[transmediation]], media synergy, etc.<ref name="amm" />
The term ''media mix'' gained its circulation in late 1980s {{clarify|text=and is first used to describe adaptations of [[Sakyo Komatsu]]'s ''[[Japan Sinks]]'',|date=December 2019}} but the origins of the strategy can be traced back to the 1960s with the proliferation of [[anime]], with its interconnection of media and commodity goods.<ref name=amm>Steinberg, [https://books.google.com/books?id=rzGqyHaUGYkC&q=%22media+mix%22 p. vi]</ref> Some of the earlier popular Japanese franchises such as ''[[Vampire Hunter D]]'' in the 1980s and ''[[Pokémon]]'' in the late 1990s, acted as benchmarks in the country's transmedia dominance.<ref>{{Citation |last=SAITO |first=SATOMI |title=Beyond the Horizon of the Possible Worlds |date=2015-12-20 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.5749/j.ctv1rdv223.14 |work=Mechademia 10 |pages=143–161 |publisher=University of Minnesota Press |doi=10.5749/j.ctv1rdv223.14 |isbn=9781452949833 |access-date=2022-11-23}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Bainbridge |first=Jason |date=2013-10-25 |title='It is a Pokémon world': The ''Pokémon'' franchise and the environment |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1367877913501240 |journal=International Journal of Cultural Studies |volume=17 |issue=4 |pages=399–414 |doi=10.1177/1367877913501240 |s2cid=144360372 |issn=1367-8779}}</ref> The latter in particular began as a video game available on [[Nintendo]]'s [[Game Boy]], and crossed through the mediums of television, film, news, and other non-media related realms, such trading cards, merchandise, and more.<ref name=":1" /> A number of Japanese media franchises have gained considerable global popularity, and are among the world's [[List of highest-grossing media franchises|highest-grossing media franchises]]. For example, ''[[Pokémon]]''<nowiki/>'s penetration into the American market of the franchise along with others of Japanese origin, such as ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]'',<ref name="jen" /> gave rise to the recognition of what is variously called [[transmedia storytelling]], crossmedia, [[transmediation]], media synergy, etc.<ref name="amm" />


Researchers argue that the 1963 ''[[Astro Boy|Tetsuwan Atomu]]'' marked a shift in Japanese marketing from the focus on the content of the commodity to "overlapping the commodity image with the character image".<ref name="Steinberg"/>
Researchers argue that the 1963 ''[[Astro Boy|Tetsuwan Atomu]]'' marked a shift in Japanese marketing from the focus on the content of the commodity to "overlapping the commodity image with the character image".<ref name="Steinberg"/>
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==Development to other forms==
==Development to other forms==
===Fiction===
===Fiction===
Long-running franchises were common in the early studio era, when Hollywood studios had actors and directors under long-term contract. In such cases, even lead actors are often replaced as they age, lose interest, or their characters are killed. Spin-offs and adaptations of popular pieces of media within a franchise can even be created, which ultimately leads to the creation of brand worlds.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Marazi |first=Katerina |date=2014-12-01 |title=Brand Identity, Adaptation, and Media Franchise Culture |url=https://sciendo.com/article/10.1515/ausfm-2015-0012 |journal=Acta Universitatis Sapientiae, Film and Media Studies |language=en |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=229–242 |doi=10.1515/ausfm-2015-0012|s2cid=56267324 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
Long-running franchises were common in the early studio era, when Hollywood studios had actors and directors under long-term contract. In such cases, even lead actors are often replaced as they age, lose interest, or their characters are killed. Spin-offs and adaptations of popular pieces of media within a franchise can even be created, which ultimately leads to the creation of brand worlds.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Marazi |first=Katerina |date=2014-12-01 |title=Brand Identity, Adaptation, and Media Franchise Culture |journal=Acta Universitatis Sapientiae, Film and Media Studies |language=en |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=229–242 |doi=10.1515/ausfm-2015-0012|s2cid=56267324 |doi-access=free }}</ref>


Since the creation of [[Disneyland]] in 1955, bringing fictional media franchises to life through the theme parks slowly became increasingly popular as the way to perfectly blend tourism and real-life involvement with media itself.<ref>{{Cite book |date=2020-07-07 |editor-last=Månsson |editor-first=Maria |editor2-last=Buchmann |editor2-first=Annæ |editor3-last=Cassinger |editor3-first=Cecilia |editor4-last=Eskilsson |editor4-first=Lena |title=The Routledge Companion to Media and Tourism |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780429430398 |doi=10.4324/9780429430398|isbn=9780429430398 |s2cid=213642766 }}</ref> Similar to transmedia, the concept of bringing fictional media into a non-fictional space where fans can immerse themselves in real-life versions of elements from the fictional worlds they love, adds to the overall narrative the franchise creates through its other mediums.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mayer |first=Hervé |date=2020-03-20 |title=Disney's Star Wars: Forces of Production, Promotion, and Reception. William Proctor and Richard McCulloch (eds.). Iowa City: University of I |journal=Caliban |issue=63 |doi=10.4000/caliban.8195 |s2cid=251029975 |issn=2425-6250|doi-access=free }}</ref> Marvel's [[Avengers Campus|Avenger's Campus]] park is one of the many franchise-based theme parks created in recent times, following the creation of [[The Wizarding World of Harry Potter]] at [[Universal's Islands of Adventure|Universal Studio's Islands of Adventure]] and Star Wars' [[Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge|Galaxy's Edge]] at Disneyland and [[Walt Disney World|Disney World]].
Since the creation of [[Disneyland]] in 1955, bringing fictional media franchises to life through the theme parks slowly became increasingly popular as the way to perfectly blend tourism and real-life involvement with media itself.<ref>{{Cite book |date=2020-07-07 |editor-last=Månsson |editor-first=Maria |editor2-last=Buchmann |editor2-first=Annæ |editor3-last=Cassinger |editor3-first=Cecilia |editor4-last=Eskilsson |editor4-first=Lena |title=The Routledge Companion to Media and Tourism |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780429430398 |doi=10.4324/9780429430398|isbn=9780429430398 |s2cid=213642766 }}</ref> Similar to transmedia, the concept of bringing fictional media into a non-fictional space where fans can immerse themselves in real-life versions of elements from the fictional worlds they love, adds to the overall narrative the franchise creates through its other mediums.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mayer |first=Hervé |date=2020-03-20 |title=Disney's Star Wars: Forces of Production, Promotion, and Reception. William Proctor and Richard McCulloch (eds.). Iowa City: University of I |journal=Caliban |issue=63 |doi=10.4000/caliban.8195 |s2cid=251029975 |issn=2425-6250|doi-access=free }}</ref> Marvel's [[Avengers Campus|Avenger's Campus]] park is one of the many franchise-based theme parks created in recent times, following the creation of [[The Wizarding World of Harry Potter]] at [[Universal's Islands of Adventure|Universal Studio's Islands of Adventure]] and Star Wars' [[Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge|Galaxy's Edge]] at Disneyland and [[Walt Disney World|Disney World]].
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Non-fiction media franchises also exist in the television and film mediums, with [[Reality television|reality TV]] being one of the most well-known examples; ranging from competition shows like ''[[The Amazing Race]]'' to the day-in-the-life episodes of the many different ''[[The Real Housewives|Real Housewives]]'' series.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |date=2018-06-22 |editor-last=Kackman |editor-first=Michael |editor2-last=Kearney |editor2-first=Mary Celeste |title=The Craft of Criticism |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315879970 |doi=10.4324/9781315879970|isbn=9781315879970 }}</ref> [[Documentary film|Documentaries]] and [[Television documentary|docuseries]] are other highlights of the non-fiction branch of media franchises,<ref name=":2" /> such as the popular ''[[Planet Earth (franchise)|Planet Earth]]'' series, which serves as both a film and television transmedia franchise.
Non-fiction media franchises also exist in the television and film mediums, with [[Reality television|reality TV]] being one of the most well-known examples; ranging from competition shows like ''[[The Amazing Race]]'' to the day-in-the-life episodes of the many different ''[[The Real Housewives|Real Housewives]]'' series.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |date=2018-06-22 |editor-last=Kackman |editor-first=Michael |editor2-last=Kearney |editor2-first=Mary Celeste |title=The Craft of Criticism |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315879970 |doi=10.4324/9781315879970|isbn=9781315879970 }}</ref> [[Documentary film|Documentaries]] and [[Television documentary|docuseries]] are other highlights of the non-fiction branch of media franchises,<ref name=":2" /> such as the popular ''[[Planet Earth (franchise)|Planet Earth]]'' series, which serves as both a film and television transmedia franchise.

==Television franchise timeline==
{{#tag:timeline|
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ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1991

Colors =
id:law value:red legend:L&O
id:csi value:orange legend:CSI
id:ncis value:yellow legend:NCIS
id:chicago value:green legend:Chicago
id:fbi value:blue legend:FBI
id:911 value:purple legend:9-1-1
id:blacklist value:magenta legend:Blacklist
id:rookie value:black legend:Rookie
id:bars value:gray(0.95)

BackgroundColors = bars:bars

BarData =
bar:Law text:Law & Order
bar:SVU text:Law & Order Special Victims Unit
bar:CSI text:CSI Crime Scene Investigation
bar:Criminal text:Law & Order Criminal Intent
bar:Miami text:CSI Miami
bar:NCIS text:NCIS
bar:NY text:CSI New York
bar:Jury text:Law & Order Trial By Jury
bar:NCISLA text:NCIS Los Angeles
bar:LOLA text:Law & Order Los Angeles
bar:Fire text:Chicago Fire
bar:Blacklist text:The Blacklist
bar:PD text:Chicago P.D.
bar:Orleans text:NCIS New Orleans
bar:Cyber text:CSI Cyber
bar:Med text:Chicago Med
bar:Redemption text:The Blacklist Redemption
bar:Justice text:Chicago Justice
bar:Crime text:Law & Order True Crime
bar:911 text:9-1-1
bar:FBI text:FBI
bar:Rookie text:The Rookie
bar:Wanted text:FBI Most Wanted
bar:LoneStar text:9-1-1 Lone Star
bar:Organized text:Law & Order Organized Crime
bar:Hawaii text:NCIS Hawaii
bar:International text:FBI International
bar:Vegas text:CSI Vegas
bar:Feds text:The Rookie Feds

PlotData =
width:11
bar:Law from:09/13/1990 till:05/24/2010 color:law
bar:Law from:02/24/2022 till:end color:law
bar:SVU from:09/20/1999 till:end color:law
bar:CSI from:10/06/2000 till:09/27/2015 color:csi
bar:Criminal from:09/30/2001 till:06/26/2011 color:law
bar:Miami from:09/23/2002 till:04/08/2012 color:csi
bar:NCIS from:09/23/2003 till:end color:ncis
bar:NY from:09/22/2004 till:02/22/2013 color:csi
bar:Jury from:03/03/2005 till:01/21/2006 color:law
bar:NCISLA from:09/22/2009 till:05/21/2023 color:ncis
bar:LOLA from:09/29/2010 till:07/11/2011 color:law
bar:Fire from:10/10/2012 till:end color:chicago
bar:Blacklist from:09/23/2013 till:07/13/2023 color:blacklist
bar:PD from:01/08/2014 till:end color:chicago
bar:Orleans from:09/23/2014 till:05/23/2021 color:ncis
bar:Cyber from:03/04/2015 till:03/13/2016 color:csi
bar:Med from:11/17/2015 till:end color:chicago
bar:Redemption from:02/23/2017 till:04/13/2017 color:blacklist
bar:Justice from:03/01/2017 till:05/14/2017 color:chicago
bar:Crime from:09/26/2017 till:11/14/2017 color:law
bar:911 from:01/03/2018 till:end color:911
bar:FBI from:09/25/2018 till:end color:fbi
bar:Rookie from:10/16/2018 till:end color:rookie
bar:Wanted from:01/07/2020 till:end color:fbi
bar:LoneStar from:01/19/2020 till:end color:911
bar:Organized from:04/01/2021 till:end color:law
bar:Hawaii from:09/20/2021 till:end color:ncis
bar:International from:09/21/2021 till:end color:fbi
bar:Vegas from:10/06/2021 till:end color:csi
bar:Feds from:09/27/2022 till:end color:rookie
}}


==See also==
==See also==
Line 160: Line 70:
*[[List of space science fiction franchises]]
*[[List of space science fiction franchises]]
{{div col end}}
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}


==Bibliography==
==Bibliography==
Line 169: Line 82:
**[http://www.itofisher.com/mito/ito.imagination.pdf "Mobilizing the Imagination in Everyday Play: The Case of Japanese Media Mixes"]
**[http://www.itofisher.com/mito/ito.imagination.pdf "Mobilizing the Imagination in Everyday Play: The Case of Japanese Media Mixes"]
**[http://www.itofisher.com/mito/archives/technoimagination.pdf "Technologies of the Childhood Imagination: Yugioh, Media Mixes, and Everyday Cultural Production"]
**[http://www.itofisher.com/mito/archives/technoimagination.pdf "Technologies of the Childhood Imagination: Yugioh, Media Mixes, and Everyday Cultural Production"]

==References==
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{commons cat}}
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/the_hollywood_economist/2005/05/the_midas_formula.html ''Slate'': "The Midas Formula (How to create a billion-dollar movie franchise)"]
* [http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/the_hollywood_economist/2005/05/the_midas_formula.html ''Slate'': "The Midas Formula (How to create a billion-dollar movie franchise)"]
* [http://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/ ''Box Office Mojo'': Film franchise earning comparison]
* [http://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/ ''Box Office Mojo'': Film franchise earning comparison]

Latest revision as of 22:08, 30 September 2024

A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program, or a video game. Bob Iger, chief executive of the Walt Disney Company, defined the word franchise as "something that creates value across multiple businesses and across multiple territories over a long period of time.”[1]

Transmedia franchise

[edit]

A media franchise often consists of cross-marketing across more than one medium. For the owners, the goal of increasing profit through diversity can extend the commercial profitability of the franchise and create strong feelings of identity and ownership in its consumers.[2] Those large groups of dedicated consumers create the franchise's fandom, which is the community of fans that indulge in many of its mediums and are committed to interacting with and keeping up with other consumers.[3] Large franchise-based fandoms have grown to be even more popular in recent years with the rise of social media platforms, as many fans seek to interact with one another for discussion, debate and even to create their own fan-made pieces of media revolving around the franchise, on websites like tumblr, Reddit and Fandom.[4] In the case of successful transmedia franchises, each different medium should expand the target demographic and fandom, build the interest of the consumers and add to the overarching story and narrative of the franchise itself.[5] A connection between the characters, settings, and other elements of the media franchise do still exist within the different mediums, regardless of the fact that they are being presented in sometimes completely different ways,[6] such as the shared, interweaving storylines and elements of Spider-Man films, television shows, comics and video games. Espen Aarseth describes the financial logic of cost-recovery for expensive productions by identifying that a single medium launch is a lost opportunity, the timeliness of the production and release is more important than its integrity, the releases should raise brand awareness and the cross-ability of the work is critical for its success.[7]

American Idol was a transmedia franchise from its beginnings, with the first season winner Kelly Clarkson signing with RCA Records and having the release of A Moment Like This becoming a #1 hit on Billboard Hot 100.[8] The success resulted in a nationwide concert tour, an American Idol book that made the bestseller list and the film From Justin to Kelly.[8] A transmedia franchise however is often referred to by the simpler term "media franchise". The term media franchise is often used to describe the popular adaptation of a work into films, like the popular Twilight book series that was adapted into the five films of The Twilight Saga.[9] Other neologisms exist to describe various franchise types including metaseries, which can be used to describe works such as Isaac Asimov's Foundation series.[clarification needed][10]

Multimedia franchises usually develop through a character or fictional world becoming popular in one medium, and then expanding to others through licensing agreements, with respect to intellectual property in the franchise's characters and settings. As one author explains, "For the studios, a home-run is a film from which a multimedia 'franchise' can be generated; the colossally expensive creation of cross-media conglomerates predicated on synergistic rewards provides an obvious imperative to develop such products."[11] The trend later developed wherein franchises would be launched in multiple forms of media simultaneously; for instance, the film The Matrix Reloaded and the video game Enter the Matrix were produced at the same time, using the same actors on the same sets, and released on the same day.

Canon content

[edit]

Transmedia franchises occasionally release content through certain mediums that is not canon to the main or greater story that the franchise is built around, meaning that the elements of said content do not truly exist in the main timeline of the franchise.[12] Canon content often times breaks continuity, leading fans to speculate or seek to confirm which mediums are canon and which are not, which can get confusing if the franchise does not provide an answer themselves since entire mediums can be non-canon to the greater story, with a popular example occurring.[12] On the other hand, specific episodes, volumes or parts of a series can be canon while others in the same medium are not, such as the fact that only some of the Battlestar Galactica comics are canon, with a large amount of them breaking the continuity of the main story.[13]

Japan

[edit]

In Japanese culture and entertainment, media mix (wasei-eigo: メディアミックス, mediamikkusu) is a strategy to disperse content across multiple representations: different broadcast media, gaming technologies, cell phones, toys, amusement parks, and other methods.[14] It is the Japanese term for a transmedia franchise.[15][16]

The term media mix gained its circulation in late 1980s and is first used to describe adaptations of Sakyo Komatsu's Japan Sinks,[clarification needed] but the origins of the strategy can be traced back to the 1960s with the proliferation of anime, with its interconnection of media and commodity goods.[17] Some of the earlier popular Japanese franchises such as Vampire Hunter D in the 1980s and Pokémon in the late 1990s, acted as benchmarks in the country's transmedia dominance.[18][19] The latter in particular began as a video game available on Nintendo's Game Boy, and crossed through the mediums of television, film, news, and other non-media related realms, such trading cards, merchandise, and more.[19] A number of Japanese media franchises have gained considerable global popularity, and are among the world's highest-grossing media franchises. For example, Pokémon's penetration into the American market of the franchise along with others of Japanese origin, such as Yu-Gi-Oh!,[14] gave rise to the recognition of what is variously called transmedia storytelling, crossmedia, transmediation, media synergy, etc.[17]

Researchers argue that the 1963 Tetsuwan Atomu marked a shift in Japanese marketing from the focus on the content of the commodity to "overlapping the commodity image with the character image".[15]

The book Anime's Media Mix: Franchising Toys and Characters in Japan, by Marc Steinberg, details the evolution of the media mix in Japan.

Japanese terminology

[edit]
  • anime-ka (アニメ化), recast as anime
  • dorama-ka (ドラマ化), recast as drama
  • gēmu-ka (ゲーム化), recast as computer game
  • noberaizu (ノベライズ, "novelize"), recast as novel
  • komikaraizu (コミカライズ, "comicalize") or manga-ka (漫画化), recast as manga
  • eiga-ka (映画化), recast as movie

Development to other forms

[edit]

Fiction

[edit]

Long-running franchises were common in the early studio era, when Hollywood studios had actors and directors under long-term contract. In such cases, even lead actors are often replaced as they age, lose interest, or their characters are killed. Spin-offs and adaptations of popular pieces of media within a franchise can even be created, which ultimately leads to the creation of brand worlds.[20]

Since the creation of Disneyland in 1955, bringing fictional media franchises to life through the theme parks slowly became increasingly popular as the way to perfectly blend tourism and real-life involvement with media itself.[21] Similar to transmedia, the concept of bringing fictional media into a non-fictional space where fans can immerse themselves in real-life versions of elements from the fictional worlds they love, adds to the overall narrative the franchise creates through its other mediums.[22] Marvel's Avenger's Campus park is one of the many franchise-based theme parks created in recent times, following the creation of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studio's Islands of Adventure and Star Wars' Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland and Disney World.

Media franchises tend to cross over from their original media to other forms. Literary franchises are often transported to film, such as Nancy Drew, Miss Marple, and other popular detectives, as well as popular comic book superheroes. Television and film franchises are often expanded upon in novels, particularly those in the fantasy and science fiction genres. Similarly, fantasy, science fiction films and television shows are frequently adapted into animated television series, video games, or both.

A media franchise does not have to include the same characters or theme, as the brand identity can be the franchise, like Square Enix's Final Fantasy or the National Lampoon series, and can suffer from critical failures even if the media fictional material is unrelated.[23]

Non-fiction

[edit]

Non-fiction literary franchises include the ...For Dummies and The Complete Idiot's Guide to... reference books. An enduring and comprehensive example of a media franchise is Playboy Enterprises, which began expanding well beyond its successful magazine, Playboy, within a few years after its first publication, into such enterprises as a modeling agency, several television shows (Playboy's Penthouse, in 1959), and even its own television channel. Twenty-five years later, Playboy released private clubs and restaurants, movie theaters, a radio show, direct to video films, music and book publishing (including original works in addition to its anthologies of cartoons, photographs, recipes, advice, articles or fiction that had originally appeared in the magazine), footwear, clothing of every kind, jewelry, housewares (lamps, clocks, bedding, glassware), guitars and gambling, playing cards, pinball machines and pet accessories, billiard balls, bedroom appurtenances, enhancements, plus countless other items of merchandise.

Non-fiction media franchises also exist in the television and film mediums, with reality TV being one of the most well-known examples; ranging from competition shows like The Amazing Race to the day-in-the-life episodes of the many different Real Housewives series.[24] Documentaries and docuseries are other highlights of the non-fiction branch of media franchises,[24] such as the popular Planet Earth series, which serves as both a film and television transmedia franchise.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Keiles, Jamie Lauren (December 1, 2022). "'Avatar' and the Mystery of the Vanishing Blockbuster - It was the highest-grossing film in history, but for years it was remembered mainly for having been forgotten. Why?". The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  2. ^ Lemke, Jay (2004). "Critical Analysis across Media: Games, Franchises, and the New Cultural Order" (PDF). First International Conference on CDA. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  3. ^ Fuschillo, Gregorio (2018-05-04). "Fans, fandoms, or fanaticism?". Journal of Consumer Culture. 20 (3): 347–365. doi:10.1177/1469540518773822. ISSN 1469-5405. S2CID 150052589.
  4. ^ Wilkins, Kim (2019-07-11). Young Adult Fantasy Fiction. Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781108551137. ISBN 978-1-108-55113-7. S2CID 199244984.
  5. ^ Jenkins, Henry (December 2010). "Transmedia Storytelling and Entertainment: An annotated syllabus". Continuum. 24 (6): 943–958. doi:10.1080/10304312.2010.510599. ISSN 1030-4312. S2CID 143801652.
  6. ^ McErlean, Kelly (2018-03-05). Interactive Narratives and Transmedia Storytelling. doi:10.4324/9781315637570. ISBN 9781315637570.
  7. ^ Aarseth, Espen (2006). "The Culture and Business of Cross-Media Productions". Popular Communication. 4 (3): 203–211. doi:10.1207/s15405710pc0403_4. S2CID 46602603.
  8. ^ a b Jenkins, Henry (2006). Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. NYU Press. p. 61. ISBN 9780814742815.
  9. ^ Click, Melissa (2010). Bitten by Twilight: Youth Culture, Media, and the Vampire Franchise. Peter Lang Publishing. p. 12. ISBN 978-1433108945.
  10. ^ Palumbo, Donald (1998). "Asimov's Crusade Against Bigotry: The Persistence Of Prejudice as a Fractal Motif in the Robot/Empire Foundation Metaseries". Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts. 10: 43–63.
  11. ^ Barry Langford, Post-classical Hollywood: Film Industry, Style and Ideology Since 1945, p. 207, ISBN 074863858X.
  12. ^ a b Harvey, Colin B. (2015), "Transmedia Memory", Fantastic Transmedia, London: Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 182–202, doi:10.1057/9781137306043_9, ISBN 978-1-349-45500-3, retrieved 2022-11-23
  13. ^ Bourdaa, Mélanie (2018-03-14). "From One Medium to the Next: How Comic Books Create Richer Storylines". M/C Journal. 21 (1). doi:10.5204/mcj.1355. ISSN 1441-2616.
  14. ^ a b Henry Jenkins, Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide, p. 110
  15. ^ a b Steinberg
  16. ^ Denison, Rayna. "Manga Movies Project Report 1 - Transmedia Japanese Franchising". Academia.edu. Retrieved 2015-07-31.
  17. ^ a b Steinberg, p. vi
  18. ^ SAITO, SATOMI (2015-12-20), "Beyond the Horizon of the Possible Worlds", Mechademia 10, University of Minnesota Press, pp. 143–161, doi:10.5749/j.ctv1rdv223.14, ISBN 9781452949833, retrieved 2022-11-23
  19. ^ a b Bainbridge, Jason (2013-10-25). "'It is a Pokémon world': The Pokémon franchise and the environment". International Journal of Cultural Studies. 17 (4): 399–414. doi:10.1177/1367877913501240. ISSN 1367-8779. S2CID 144360372.
  20. ^ Marazi, Katerina (2014-12-01). "Brand Identity, Adaptation, and Media Franchise Culture". Acta Universitatis Sapientiae, Film and Media Studies. 9 (1): 229–242. doi:10.1515/ausfm-2015-0012. S2CID 56267324.
  21. ^ Månsson, Maria; Buchmann, Annæ; Cassinger, Cecilia; Eskilsson, Lena, eds. (2020-07-07). The Routledge Companion to Media and Tourism. doi:10.4324/9780429430398. ISBN 9780429430398. S2CID 213642766.
  22. ^ Mayer, Hervé (2020-03-20). "Disney's Star Wars: Forces of Production, Promotion, and Reception. William Proctor and Richard McCulloch (eds.). Iowa City: University of I". Caliban (63). doi:10.4000/caliban.8195. ISSN 2425-6250. S2CID 251029975.
  23. ^ Bernstein, Joseph (12 August 2013). "How To Kill A Major Media Franchise In A Decade". Buzzfeed. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  24. ^ a b Kackman, Michael; Kearney, Mary Celeste, eds. (2018-06-22). The Craft of Criticism. doi:10.4324/9781315879970. ISBN 9781315879970.

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Marc Steinberg, Anime's Media Mix: Franchising Toys and Characters in Japan.

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]