People don't care as much as we think they do about great stories. They want to be entertained. That's it in a nutshell. Shakespeare is dead. I saw one of the great films of the last while, Rust and Bone, recently, and the cinema had three people in it. It was a Thursday night. A decent night to watch a film. But nobody was there. Here's the thing, more people are watching movies and TV shows now than ever before. Consumption is up. But attendance is down. Look, we all know piracy has its role in this. Everyone's a pirate, but nobody's a pirate. You know how it goes. Until people actually begin to realize they are breaking the law, and the damage being done, it won't stop. But that's for another time.
People want to be entertained. Nobody cares for a great story. Maybe it's because life is too serious. Turn on any news channel and this argument will be backed up. Whatever the reason, it's entertainment people are after. Take them on a journey, one where they don't have to think, but makes them feel great afterwards: the ultimate pay-off. I'm not telling you anything new yet, I know. Hang in there with me for a second.
Here's where I see storytelling is headed. Blurred lines between what's real and what's not. The storytellers that are successfully able to blur lines between what's real and what's not, will do some pretty special things. You can see glimpses of this taking place right now, but we are still far off from where this concept is headed. Thanks to the many platforms on which to tell your story these days, you are able to create exceptionally immersive experiences and if you master the art of blurring those reality lines, anything is possible. Just ask Banksy.
The potential of storytelling in the digital age to change the world is incredible. The ability to make people believe anything is at our fingertips. Make them believe the right thing, pull them into the experience, get enough of an audience, and you can do exceptional things. The world needs changing. On this we can all agree. I see a new breed of storyteller emerging, one that isn't afraid to blur those lines, and do something good with it.
Sophia Coppola is an absolute genius. Somewhere was a breathtaking piece of work. She's an artist. One of the few left in film. Even she is starting to understand this idea of blurring lines, as seen in her latest work, The Bling Ring. Even if it is ever so slightly. Same as Seth Rogan. Watch This is the End to understand what I I mean. But again, ever so slightly. This is the very very beginning of the future of storytelling. Banksy did something brilliant with Exit Through the Gift Shop. Most people I know that saw that film, are still uncertain as to what was real and what wasn't. In terms of Banksy, all I can say is, I'm glad he is on our side. In a sense.
We all know by now the exciting field of transmedia storytelling is an approach being adopted by more and more marketing and ad agencies around the globe. I said it a long time ago, people want an immersive experience, and they want to be entertained. And creating a multi-platform approach is becoming the only approach. Blurring the lines between what's real and what's not will create an even more immersive experience. It will create dialogue. And if you are really good at blurring the lines, you can change the world.
I hope this makes sense. It does in my head. But its all still very new, so I'm not sure I am putting this across right.
We are developing stories back at the lab around this idea. I think you will like what we do. When I understand this concept more, I will write about it.
This is, however, the future of storytelling. Blurred lines.