ADMA6009 - Assessment 2

Summary of Project Aims

The purpose of my project, Beacon: Adventure Without Limits, was to celebrate and highlight the people and organisations enabling accessibility in adventurous activities. By creating multiple media types—including printed and digital photography displays, a youtube expository style video, a 360 video, and a soundscape—showcased across varied platforms, I aimed to employ a transmedia storytelling strategy rooted in Jenkins’ (2006) concepts of Convergence Culture. Specifically, the principles of spreadability and drillability guided the project. Jenkins (2006, p. 3) asserts that “spreadable media invites diverse audiences to actively participate, reshaping the narrative to suit their contexts.”

Spreadability enabled the narrative to reach a wide audience through accessible media, drillability aimed to encourage deeper engagement with the challenges and triumphs of accessible adventure.

The ultimate goal was to raise awareness and potentially generate funds for these organisations, with feedback from attendees of the immersive event, such as Siân Aggersberg, affirming the campaign’s relevance. Her insights highlighted a critical gap in awareness among social service workers, suggesting that increased visibility could lead to more referrals to organisations like Ski 4 All. Ross Head further reinforced this, noting that the project had the potential to “raise awareness effectively and reach both individuals and local businesses who could support Cerebra.”

Feedback from the trial immersive event indicated success in fostering empathy, with 100% of attendees agreeing that the project helped them better understand accessible adventure. However, reflecting critically, Jenkins’ concept of drillability assumes audiences have the time, resources and willingness to engage deeply with content. This proved a challenge, particularly in the context of 2024/2025’s media landscape, where audience attention spans have declined, and short-form content dominates platforms such as TikTok and Instagram Reels (Pew Research Center, 2020).

While Jenkins’ framework remains valuable for understanding audience engagement, it was conceived in an era prior to the widespread rise of highly fragmented, rapid-consumption media. Balancing the ambition of creating detailed, drillable content with the practicalities of catering to modern media habits highlights the need for transmedia strategies to adapt to evolving audience behaviours.

Specification

The project evolved significantly from its initial concept to ensure feasibility while maintaining its core focus on accessibility and engagement. An early idea to create an interactive escape room was replaced by a simpler immersive experience. While the escape room concept offered strong potential for interactivity, it posed challenges in catering to the diverse physical, sensory, and cognitive needs of participants. 

Hooper-Greenhill’s (1994) principles of exhibition design, which emphasise the importance of narrative flow, would have been helpful in designing such a complex experience but required more time and resources than the project allowed. Opting for a more straightforward immersive experience ensured inclusivity while keeping the campaign achievable.

The soundscape and 360 video were scaled back due to practical constraints. I lacked the expertise in audio editing to create the layered soundscape envisioned, while the 360 video required additional time in post-production. Despite these limitations, both elements functioned as effective proof-of-concept pieces, validated by feedback from the trial immersive event. Monaco (2009, p. 215) emphasises that “a well-balanced integration of auditory and visual elements can significantly amplify emotional resonance.” This highlights the missed opportunity for these components to deepen the emotional engagement of the audience.

Further audience feedback suggested that with more time, or a collaborative effort involving skilled contributors, these elements could have been expanded to create a richer, more impactful experience, strengthening the project’s overall narrative.

Research Summary

Research into accessibility and storytelling provided a foundational framework for Beacon: Adventure Without Limits. Jenkins’ (2006) principles of Convergence Culture, particularly his emphasis on community and engagement, shaped the campaign’s transmedia strategy. By incorporating accessibility features—such as captions, tactile designs, and braille—the project not only broadened its reach but also aligned with Jenkins’ vision of transmedia as a tool for amplifying voices and driving social impact. Jenkins (2006, p. 96) notes that transmedia can “extend narratives into meaningful cultural conversations, amplifying voices often unheard,” reinforcing the project’s aim to promote inclusivity.

Hooper-Greenhill’s (1994) work on exhibition narrative flow influenced the design of the immersive room, particularly the inclusion of explanatory text alongside visual media to guide the audience. However, her focus on static exhibitions required adaptation for the dynamic and multi-platform nature of this campaign. Decisions were also shaped by my professional experience, where captions were a standard accessibility requirement when working with clients.
These influences provided valuable theoretical and practical grounding, though they highlighted gaps in research on the intersection of accessibility and transmedia. Future campaigns would benefit from studies addressing these challenges, enabling more seamless integration of accessibility across media types.

Upon reflecting on my research, it would have been valuable to explore how an organisation like the Paralympics leverages transmedia in its branding and marketing strategies.

Technical Review

Contributor release forms ensured ethical compliance and participant consent throughout the project, and a risk assessment was conducted to ensure safety during all shoots. 

While the 360 video camera provided adequate results, a higher-quality model would have improved the visual resolution, enhancing audience immersion. Feedback from Brett Aggersberg highlighted the soundscape’s strong audio quality, which played a key role in creating an engaging atmosphere. Chion (1994) argues that sound is integral to shaping the emotional and cognitive engagement of an audience, reinforcing the significance of the soundscape in achieving the project’s aims. These technical choices balanced resource constraints with the goal of impactful storytelling while providing insight into areas for future improvement.

Following feedback from Nathan Chaplin, I adjusted the 360 video to ensure its effectiveness across different display devices, as it would have been less impactful on a VR headset due to 180 degrees of the frame being occupied by the ski instructor’s chest. This consideration of how media is displayed across various platforms could also apply to the logo, as adapting it for optimal display on the immersive room screens could have made a stronger visual impact.

Outcome

The transmedia campaign for Beacon: Adventure Without Limits demonstrated strengths in promoting inclusivity and raising awareness for accessible adventure. By employing multiple media types, the strategy successfully implemented Jenkins’ (2006) principle of spreadability, creating accessible entry points for diverse audiences. I feel my strategy also effectively mirrored Jenkins’ (2006) 3 Cs of transmedia, fostering community, character, and convenience across its varied media types to ensure the campaign’s broad reach and impact. As Ryan (2015, p. 21) notes, “narratives distributed across platforms create richer engagement when they maintain coherence yet adapt to the affordances of each medium.” This coherence was evident in feedback from Mia Martin-Evans of Ski 4 All, who praised the seamless linking of media types and platforms, across various organistations, to convey a unified story.

However, the campaign also highlighted tensions between breadth and depth, particularly in balancing spreadability with the immersive qualities often desired in transmedia storytelling. The simplified soundscape and 360 video shows the difficulty of achieving drillability within the constraints of time and resources. Jenkins’ (2006) framework assumes audiences’ willingness to deeply engage with content, which is not always feasible given modern viewing habits. This challenge is echoed by Dena (2009, p. 58), who argues that “the success of transmedia lies not only in its reach but in its ability to provide substantive, meaningful interaction.”

Feedback from Brett Aggersberg highlighted the absence of additional physical media—such as a collectable ticket—which could have enhanced the campaign’s tangibility. A physical prototype would have provided a personalised and interactive element, aligning with Monaco’s (2009) emphasis on blending sensory and contextual elements to create lasting impact. Ultimately, while the campaign achieved its goal of fostering empathy and awareness, it highlighted areas for improvement in integrating richer, more interactive content. Future campaigns could address these challenges by exploring gamified or more personalised media to better balance the demands of spreadability and immersive depth.

Feedback from Jonathan Pugh highlighted that none of my media directly linked to the stakeholders’ websites or included relevant contact information. To address this, I could have better utilised the QR code, providing an easy way for the audience to access stakeholders’ websites and contact details. Additionally, incorporating more options for engagement, such as direct links to volunteer opportunities or donation pages, would have strengthened the campaign’s ability to drive meaningful action and further connect the audience to the organisations involved.

Conclusion

Beacon: Adventure Without Limits was a transformative project that deepened my understanding of transmedia storytelling, accessibility, and their potential to create social impact. While the complexity of the project and its many considerations were overwhelming at times, the challenge ultimately pushed me beyond my comfort zone, encouraging growth on both a technical and creative level.

Through this experience, I gained a broader appreciation for the range of accessibility options available in media, from captions, tactile designs, explanatory text to British Sign Language (BSL) integration. These features supported Jenkins’ assertion that transmedia should “encourage active engagement from diverse communities” (Jenkins, 2006, p. 131), reinforcing the importance of inclusivity as a core principle in media creation.

The project also highlighted the value of collaboration. Stakeholder feedback demonstrated how working with experts could enhance the quality and depth of media, particularly in areas like audio design and 360 video production.

Finally, I learned that impactful storytelling prioritises emotional connection over technical perfection. The positive audience response to the 360 video and soundscape, despite their limitations, underscored that “the meaning of media lies in its capacity to move its audience” (Chion, 1994, p. 5). This insight will guide my future work, ensuring it remains inclusive, adaptable, and meaningful.

Appendices

Feedback Providers:

1. Siân Aggersberg – Carer for a participant in accessible activities.

2. Ross Head – Head of Design at Cerebra Innovation Center, key character and stakeholder.

3. Mia Martin-Evans – Chartered Physiotherapist and Organiser of Ski 4 All.

4. Dr. Brett Aggersberg – Senior Lecturer: BA Adventure Filmmaking and BA Digital Media at University of Wales, Trinity St. David (UWTSD).

5. Jonathan Pugh – Assistant Academic Director: Quality, Design and Performing Industries.

6. Nathan Chaplin – VR Technology Specialist: Digital Creativity and Learning at UWTSD.

Reference List:

Chion, M. (1994) Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen. New York: Columbia University Press.

Dena, C. (2009) Transmedia Practice: Theorising the Practice of Expressing a Fictional World Across Distinct Media and Environments. Sydney: University of Sydney.

Hooper-Greenhill, E. (1994) Museums and the Shaping of Knowledge. London: Routledge.

Jenkins, H. (2006) Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: NYU Press.

Monaco, J. (2009) How to Read a Film: Movies, Media, and Beyond. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Pew Research Center (2020) Social Media Use in 2020. Available at: https://www.pewresearch.org (Accessed: 14 January 2025).

Ryan, M.-L. (2015) Narrative as Virtual Reality 2: Revisiting Immersion and Interactivity in Literature and Electronic Media. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

WebAIM (n.d.) WebAIM Contrast Checker. Available at: https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/ (Accessed: 14 January 2025).