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Table of Contents

What is Transmedia?............................................................................ 3

Why Do We Want to Create a Center for Transmedia 6

Innovation?.............................................................................................

Who Are We?.......................................................................................... 7

Digital Media is a Success Story....................................................... 8

Where We Are........................................................................................ 7 How would you like to be part of the start-up of a one-of-a-kind
educational endeavor using the media technology of the future?
Educating, Producing, and Showcasing.......................................... 1

If so, consider helping us fund the College of Technology

What’s In It for You?............................................................................. 1
Transmedia Initiative.

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What is Transmedia?
Transmedia is the process of telling a story through multiple delivery channels or media along with extensive
audience participation. The purpose is to create a unified and coordinated experience in which each medium Transmedia can be depicted as a “flower,” as shown in the previous page. The entire flower is the message,
makes its own unique contribution to the unfolding of the message. It is not multimedia, in which each channel while each petal of the flower represents a medium in which a portion of the message is disseminated. A
delivers the same message. small sampling of the media that can constitute a Transmedia delivery include:
• Printed ads, either static- or variable data
• Streaming videos
• Websites
• Social Media
• Live events
• Photographs
• Wikis
• Live locations
• Product placement
• Game techniques (video games and gamification)
• Mobile apps
• Product packaging

A pictorial representation of Transmedia. The entire “flower” is the message while each petal represents a portion of
the message sent through a discrete channel. More examples of Transmedia mediums that are popular in today’s day and age.

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A very extensive infograph about the Star Wars universe done through multiple Transmedia channels.
By way of example, consider the archetype of Transmedia, Star Wars. The illustration above depicts the galaxy
of the Star Wars story. Fans cannot possibly get to know the entire story unless they participate in multiple
media: films, TV programs, live events, action figures, trading cards, games, graphic novels...the list is nearly
endless.
Speaking of fans, the whole purposes of Transmedia is develop “fanatics” who buy items, participate in online
activities, read social media posts, attend events, spread the word, and perpetuate the brand. What product
would not benefit from fans?
Transmedia really works! For example, when a campaign mixes gamification and video, retention rate by
viewers raises as high as 90%. Simply adding a video to a marketing campaign raises retention 56%. We in the
University of Houston’s Digital Media program believe that Transmedia is the future of communications. Help
us make it a reality.
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Why Do We Want to Create a Center for Transmedia
Innovation?
Transmedia is the technique of telling a single story or story experience across multiple platforms and formats using
current digital technologies.
The largest cities in the United States all have some “claim to fame” regarding media. New York, the nation’s
largest city, is famous for Madison Avenue and the advertisers headquartered there. The second-largest city,
Los Angeles, is the hub for filmmaking and televised entertainment. Houston, soon to be the nation’s third-
largest city (with a far larger metropolitan area that is among the fastest-growing in the country) has no media
distinction. We wish to rectify this by pursuing not the old way of creating and disseminating media, but with
the way of the future, Transmedia.
Our goal is for the Sugar Land Texas area to become the world-wide hub for Transmedia. We will do this
through educating, producing, and showcasing.
Who Are We? Digital Media is a Success Story
We are the faculty and staff of the University of Houston’s Digital Media program. Among us are five full-
time professors, eight half-time lecturers and three staff members. We provide our students with a total of
28 program-specific courses. More about the Digital Media program can be found at www.uh.edu/tech/
digitalmedia.

Of specific importance to the College of Technology Transmedia Initiative are:

Karen Snyder, MFA

Karen is a Transmedia producer, based in Sugar Land, Texas, and is the
driving force behind the Center. Currently a lecturer in the Digital Media
program, she not only teaches our course in Transmedia, but also produces
her own Transmedia “galaxy” (www.theelementsclub.com). When the Center
is funded, we plan to employ Karen to be its Program Director.

Phil Snyder, MFA

Phil Snyder, MFA. Phil is an Instructional Professor of Digital Media
and regularly teaches our video production and animation classes. His
background includes voice acting for Disney and played Jiminy Cricket for
several years.

Examples of various Digital Media producuts from students.

Monika Alters, MS
Monika, a nationally-recognized Woman of Distinction in the Graphic
Communications Industry, is a graphic designer and is certified in
ePublishing. She teaches our eMedia classes as well as our Social Media and
Computer Graphics classes.
Our Digital Media program is flourishing. In fact, it is one of the fastest-growing programs in the UH College
of Technology, the third-largest college in the university. Beginning in 2009 with only six students, nearly 700
students are now declared Digital Media majors.
Not only is the program popular among students, but it is also highly regarded by professionals, both in the
industry and in academia. In particular, Digital Media is one of only 13 programs nationwide to earn full
accreditation by the Accrediting Council of Collegiate Graphic Communications. And, the program is advised
by a broad range of industry professionals who devote countless hours to our students and their academic
preparation.

Mark Hargrove, BFA, MS
Mark Hargrove, BFA, M.S. is a graphic designer and principal of Hargrove
Design, an award-winning graphic design firm, based in Katy, Texas.
As a lecturer in the Digital Media Program, Mark teaches Information
Technology, Database Mining, and Web Design.
Most importantly, employers love Digital Media graduates. Dan Briscoe, VP of Marketing at HCSS in Sugar
Land, Texas wrote: “I wish I could get every college in America­­­—and especially every marketing program—to
understand how valuable the curriculum is that you’ve put together for students.” Similarly, Chad Devine,
Operations Manager at 3D Print Texas, wrote: “The Digital Media program at the University of Houston gives
its students a vast number of skills that range from technical and creative abilities to a great understanding of
the logistical and business aspects at the workplace. We love our interns! They are always eager to learn new
things and never afraid to take on new challenges.”

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Where We Are

The master plan for the University of Houston Sugar Land satellite campus.
Entrance to the University of Houston Sugar Land campus from University Drive.

Physically, Digital Media is headquartered on the University of Houston satellite campus in Sugar Land, Texas,
one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. After quickly outgrowing our facilities on the university’s
main campus in downtown Houston, we began moving our classes and laboratories to five dedicated labs on
the Sugar Land campus in 2012. These labs contain the majority of the equipment and facilities needed to
launch the College of Technology Transmedia Initiative.

Sugar Land, a dynamic city of approximately 90,000 located southwest of Houston (and part of the greater
Houston metropolis), is the perfect place to house the College of Technology Transmedia Initiative. Whereas
most suburbs of major cities are “bedroom communities,” Sugar Land “thinks big” and has its own airport,
performing arts city, baseball team, and university! It is also home to major engineering and technology firms
including Fluor, Texas Instruments, and Schlumberger. Perhaps most important, Sugar Land is served by the
prestigious Fort Bend Independent School District and even has a dedicated high-school level Digital Media
Academy. Demographically, the city boasts a rich mix of ethnicities. This ethnic diversity is reflected in the
Digital Media faculty. The Albert and Mamie George Building at University of Houston’s Sugar Land location.

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Educating, Producing, and Showcasing
The College of Technology Transmedia Initiative will accomplish its goals in three
phases:

PHASE 01: LEARNING

We will develop a first-of-its-kind online certification program for Transmedia Production and Transmedia
Marketing. Eventually, this program will become a Master’s Degree.

PHASE 02: PRODUCING

We will develop a Transmedia Accelerator to allow creatives to produce mobile-centered education and
entertainment centered properties.

PHASE 03: SHOWCASING

We will develop and host a Transmedia Festival and Conference that will showcase projects, attract
professionals from around the world, and bring the University of Houston and the City of Sugar Land
international renown.

The College of Technology Transmedia Initiative will be the only Transmedia hub in the world. We will
educate, produce, and showcase transmedia for global audiences who seek stimulating, technologically
advanced, and artistically exquisite marketing, education, or entertainment story worlds that can be enjoyed on
any media device at any time.
The College of Technology Transmedia Initiative will blend new technology, measurable outcomes, and
compelling stories. We will focus on creating Transmedia story worlds that include full-motion video games,
broadcast offerings, print application, and mobile apps. More importantly, we will focus on the producer side
and emphasize the management of Transmedia.

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What We Need From You What’s In It for You?

Of course, being on the ground floor of an exciting endeavor is always its own reward. But, you and company
can benefit from your financial support in the following ways:

To get started, we need an Program Director for two years and the office equipment that individual will need.
The Program Director will be responsible for soliciting and obtaining continuing funding as well as developing A team of students working with our Program Director will review your company’s brand and develop a
the Center, its outreach, and its impact. The requested budget is: Transmedia strategy to complement your marketing efforts.

Program Director (2 years).........................................................................................................................................$122,000 Our faculty and students will act as an extended R&D Center for your marketing and promotion efforts
Indirect Costs (20.5%)....................................................................................................................................................$25,010 for both B2B and B2C.
Equipment.........................................................................................................................................................................$15,000
Our students can become your future employees.
Publicity and Marketing................................................................................................................................................$10,000
Total..................................................................................................................................................................................$172,010

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For more information, please call Dr. Jerry Waite at 713-743-4089 or email him at jwaite@uh.edu.