FAN COMMUNITY AND ACTIVISM TROUGH TRANSMEDIA STORYTELLING. CASE STUDY OF MYLO XYLOTO AND YEAR ZERO

Abstract

New transmedia storytelling are making cultural and collaborative participation possible within the digital public sphere. The opportunities generated by these different transmedia elements, especially at fictional storytelling, contribute to the participation of fan and user communities in general, by emphasizing the user generated content as an added value to the own narrative which helps to extend and transform the content. This research is based on the qualitative case study analysis methodology of two transmedia projects - Mylo Xyloto (2011) from the music band Coldplay, and Year Zero (2007) from the American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails - gathered in two conceptual albums of the same name, which stood out for utilising different transmedia elements such as an Alternate Reality Game (ARG), comics, websites and different social media platforms. There was a clear consciousness objective for the action and an important politic and social background which promoted the collaborative participation of the fan community as new activist ways.