The conversation between storytellers and their audiences has changed fundamentally and in a way that will likely never be reversed.

It was maybe only a matter of time and sufficient technological advancement. Traditional one-way media had a quasi-monopoly over our eyes and ears for almost a century. Television in particular was conceived quite overtly as a means by which to influence public opinion with the “storytellers” being ambitious politicians and enterprising industrialists. Books — our most enduring delivery system for stories — had their supremacy that is mostly unchallenged when it comes to who controls the narrative. The difference is that the reader’s power was somewhat preserved within the simple economics of supply and demand.

The internet profoundly changed all of that, and perhaps re-coded the very DNA of how storytellers and their audiences interact, bringing the conversation firmly into the realm of the chicken and egg conundrum. The modern question is now “Who is controlling the narrative now?” No one can fully know, but a closer look does reveal a chaotic and ever-shifting dynamic between storytellers and their audiences, where a very cold and predetermined static give-and-take used to exist.

A New Hope was firmly George Walton Lucas Jr.’s story, albeit formulated in the traditional Hero’s Journey structure and vastly derived from themes that had proven successful with audiences in the past. The film sticks to the equation storytelling used to follow; creators observing the ebbs and flows of our interests to craft stories that would compel us to listen and watch them, while we, the audience, would gather and drink it all down in joyful sugary gulps and ask for seconds and thirds. In the case of The Fast and Furious’s- our lips became glued to the soda fountain. That said, Lucas has little sway in what happens with the story these days. Some may go as far as to say that even his direct fans and inheritors can’t keep the tsunami of audience desires at bay when planning the immortal franchise’s future.

The storyteller used to have to listen and study its audience to deliver stories that would resonate, but once the die was cast, the audience had little influence over where it would go. Today we find a much-altered landscape with TV series living and dying by the whims of the online hordes and social media influencers. Stories of cancelled shows, pulled from the brink of oblivion due to grassroots campaigning by its fans were things of curiosity in the past. Today, we see entire AAA franchises screech to a halt and jettisoned into space for the crime of miscasting a central character or for neglecting some celebrated in-game mechanic from former editions. In some fan fiction cases, the very manifestation of audience participation has managed to rival and outsell the branded story worlds they cropped out of in the first place. The blood is squarely in the water.

The audiences seem to have become supreme dictators in the most extreme cases, but also the storytelling process has become more of a symbiotic relationship akin to Eddie Brock’s affair with a certain sentient interstellar sludge. The fact is: storytellers own the story at the start because they conceive them, but once introduced to the public of social media-driven reality, stories become wild teenagers running gloriously free in a world full of transformative experiences, ever prone to mutation and self-questioning.

The conversation has changed indeed, and any storyteller that wants to make a connection these days has to learn to not only release some of their control to the audience but maintain a constant feedback loop that might ultimately grow it into a living, breathing symbiosis of its own. The question is, how much control does one give the audience versus staying true to a vision, as there are dangers to both paths.

Written by: Jason Ambrus

Storytelling in the Time of the Internet was originally published in Storyworld on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Many are familiar with Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Han Solo and the rest of the Rebel Alliance fighting against the Galactic Empire. If you aren’t familiar with these names, you’ve no doubt seen cultural ramifications of this story we call ‘Star Wars’. It’s difficult to say you haven’t, seeing as how it’s infiltrated nearly every stream of content we currently have at our disposal.

Despite the cultural phenomenon it is now, the early beginnings of Star Wars didn’t seem all that fruitful. There were a lot of obstacles and challenges to overcome, resulting in a lot of stress and lost hope. This is why on today’s #MayTheFourth, we’ve decided to pay homage to a story that may not have come to light, if it wasn’t for a force that willed it into existence. Read below for our Twitter wrap, explaining the beginning of a timeless narrative that’s shaped our culture.

Reflector Entertainment on Twitter

The Star Wars franchise has deeply resonated with audiences since its initial inception. It's believed to fill a "huge gap in our culture", via @businessinsider. #MayTheFourth https://t.co/VjQSlSVplb

Reflector Entertainment on Twitter

But the origin story of the #MayTheFourth franchise is far from a @Disney fairytale, and was close to never becoming a reality... https://t.co/gDNqsaapuQ

Reflector Entertainment on Twitter

At the time of its creation, movies like The Godfather, Chinatown, Rocky, and One Flew Over the Cuchoo's Nest were dominating the big screen- all of which were gritty dramas, something Star Wars was not. #MayTheFourth https://t.co/glqtdwgXXI

Reflector Entertainment on Twitter

Science Fiction also wasn't considered popular at the time- both Universal Studios and Disney passed on the Star Wars story, leading George Lucas to speak with 20th Century Fox. #MayTheFourth https://t.co/ayFbGJpV1q

Reflector Entertainment on Twitter

Fox's president at the time, Alan Ladd Jr, reportedly told George Lucas "I don't understand this, but I loved 'American Graffiti,' and whatever you do is okay with me." via: https://t.co/EN1BrNKMmn #MayTheFourth

Reflector Entertainment on Twitter

Lucas promptly got to work writing and directing Star Wars following signing a deal with Fox in 1973. But there were more challenges to overcome before Star Wars became the cultural phenomenon it is today. #MayTheFourth https://t.co/nzIaTnR88n

Reflector Entertainment on Twitter

Fox gave Lucas and his crew $8 million to create the film, which is estimated to be three to four times less than a big-budget action movie at the time. When Lucas and Kurtz asked for more, Fox shut down pre-production and forced them to create a new budget.

Reflector Entertainment on Twitter

The budget was renegotiated following weeks of recalculation, which ultimately involved several scrapped scenes, such as Han Solo's confrontation with Jabba the Hutt. #MayTheFourth https://t.co/OD27k6MtHm

Reflector Entertainment on Twitter

When they got past the budget issues, the next challenge they faced was... nature. While filming on-location in Tunisia (AKA Tatooine), they experienced sandstorms resulting in expensive equipment getting damaged... #MayTheFourth https://t.co/6j51M97fC6

Reflector Entertainment on Twitter

(A rainstorm took place on the second day of shooting, the first winter rain the area had gotten in 50 years at the time, which made filming practically impossible) https://t.co/bRhCQePFLZ

Reflector Entertainment on Twitter

This all ultimately led to a delay in production and made them fall behind schedule. #MayTheFourth https://t.co/rydxhlLKYX

Reflector Entertainment on Twitter

They were behind schedule after 5 months of shooting, which made Alan Ladd Jr (the only Star Wars champion at FOX) issue an ultimatum, for them to finish the film in a week or the plug would be pulled. #MayTheFourth https://t.co/4UpYcTn32H

Reflector Entertainment on Twitter

Thanks to George Lucas splitting the production work into three parts (between himself, Gary Kurtz, and Robert Watts) filming was completed. But that didn't prevent daily stressors and production deadlines from affecting Lucas and his health. #MayTheFourth

Reflector Entertainment on Twitter

Adding to the stress, the house he was renting in London during filming was broken into and his TV was stolen. #MayTheFourth https://t.co/07jtqTHISI

Reflector Entertainment on Twitter

And following an on-site visit from Ladd, Lucas fell ill, developing a "hacking cough and foot infection". It was so painful that he couldn't get out of bed. https://t.co/erpqjGKMTK https://t.co/kpeZuSzYtl

Reflector Entertainment on Twitter

Soon after, he started to develop chest pains. Marcia Lucas checked him into the hospital where he was diagnosed with "hypertension and exhaustion". #MayTheFourth https://t.co/b6VLFrozGR

Reflector Entertainment on Twitter

His treatment? "Cut down the stress in his life." #MayTheFourth https://t.co/8rvFiud2KJ

Reflector Entertainment on Twitter

Even after the film was completed, it still faced challenges: specifically marketing. Theatres didn't want to screen a 'kiddie' movie, and FOX didn't want to put marketing muscle behind it. Instead, they promoted The Other Side of Midnight. #MayTheFourth https://t.co/V9gTjaEiAT

Reflector Entertainment on Twitter

As a way to boost circulation, theatres that booked The Other Side of Midnight had to book Star Wars, too. Star Wars opened on 32 screens on May 25, 1977 and an extra 11 on May 26 and 27. #MayTheFourth https://t.co/1n5gdfIqR7

Reflector Entertainment on Twitter

Theatres were under the impression that the film would stop screening after two week- they couldn't be more wrong. #MayTheFourth https://t.co/K6GuwjnAeK

Reflector Entertainment on Twitter

Star Wars broke records, including theatre attendance and box office returns. By September of the same year, it was in 1,100 theatres. #MayTheFourth https://t.co/3ELbUpQEK4

Reflector Entertainment on Twitter

Star Wars is the largest fortune made from a film franchise, has had the largest simultaneous premiere (Star Wars Episode III), has had the biggest opening weekend for a re-released film (Star Wars Episode IV in 1997) and has won the most Oscars for visual effects. #MayTheFourth

Reflector Entertainment on Twitter

Just to name a few accomplishments... https://t.co/Bc3sZ15YhI

Reflector Entertainment on Twitter

Despite all the obstacles and challenges- Star Wars taught us to not let impossible odds hold us back from accomplishing greatness... #Maythefourth https://t.co/kH4nK4zf88

Reflector Entertainment on Twitter

and has ultimately created a lasting impact on our culture and society. https://t.co/RS5cfPCC9g

Reflector Entertainment on Twitter

What's the most valuable lesson Star Wars has taught you? #MayTheFourth https://t.co/PJcGnXlvoB

Accessibility, the belief that audiences have an equal right to access any available form of entertainment equally, has been thrown around as a buzzword in recent years. But it’s much more than a checkbox or a PR ploy. It’s about real-world consequences and can affect your bottom line.

However, with such diverse and widespread audiences — how can we make accessibility possible? How can storytellers reach a wider audience given the myriad of limitations that audiences have? We can speak of the way the industry has addressed physical barriers (special parking ramps, wheelchair seating, restroom facilities and custom listening devices) but not all obstacles are physical. Accessibility means much, much more. So how can you approach this major challenge.

Enter transmedia storytelling.

Transmedia is a method of storytelling that makes it possible for audiences to experience entertainment in diverse ways. One of the most important qualities of transmedia storytelling is that ‘accessibility is part of its DNA. It creates a storyworld for audiences across multiple mediums, devices and platforms.

In today’s multi-media multi-device reality, transmedia has become a necessary tactic in engaging wider audiences where fragmentation is only increasing. It captures audiences at different points during a story, on a variety of platforms, and when it’s convenient for them.

So, how does transmedia storytelling increase accessibility?

#1. Transmedia allows for time-shifting.

Time used to be a major barrier to accessibility, however, the adoption of on-demand media has broken down this particular obstacle. In the days of yore, building a storyworld could be limiting to audiences. This was because not all audiences follow a TV broadcast schedule or have enough time to catch a movie in the theatre. This would result in them waiting months for it to be released on home formats. Imagine those who missed the original radio broadcast of War of the Worlds, which became one of the first pre-planned pop culture incidents of our time.

With the advent of on-demand media like video and audio streaming, as well as books and comics, things have become more approachable for those of us who want to access a storyworld on our own time.

Transmedia has made time-shifting even easier by giving audiences the convenience of watching their favourite show, listening to their favourite podcast, read their favourite audiobooks/online publications, take part in their favourite AGR’s, or consuming any other of their favourite types of content when it’s convenient for them. Through this, time has nearly been shattered as a barrier to content consumption.

#2. Transmedia makes entertainment more economically accessible.

The price of a night at the movies isn’t going to go down, and as theatres adapt to more personalized spaces with customised in-theatre services and VIP options, the costs will continue to rise. Thanks to various other platforms, fan and audiences don’t have to dig deep into their pockets to enjoy their favourite franchise or story.

Netflix is reasonably priced and possesses an ever-growing library of stories for all types of audiences. If you prefer to consume content without visual, podcasts and audiobooks are mostly free or have a lesser price point on certain platforms, too. Amazon’s Audible service offers audiobooks to consumers with various membership options, making it a leader within the audiobooks industry.

#3. Transmedia helps break through the noise.

Transmedia has the ability to break through all the information overload and grab the attention of multiple audiences while opening the doors of accessibility even further. Digital technology allows storytellers to express themselves across platforms, allowing them to reach a mass audience. Throughout human evolution, our brains always look for ‘a story’ to help make sense of gathered information. These stories assist in adopting and developing a universal language that crosses boundaries of culture, language, gender and age, while fostering emotional connections between us all.

#4. Transmedia recreates the senses.

It’s important to note additional limitations placed on certain individuals, outside of time, price and physicality. Thanks to awareness and technology, there are constant opportunities being developed to allow everyone to experience arts and entertainment where restraints existed prior. For example, some disabilities or limitations impact the senses — so how do we create opportunities for the visually impaired to enjoy some of the great masterpieces of our time, such as the physical beauty of art?

There are some organizations leading the charge. The National Gallery of Prague has launched a VR campaign called “Touching Masterpieces,” that allows the blind to experience art by touching iconic sculptures in virtual space. By using VR, The Gallery is providing accessibility to experience art forms like sculpture to an audience who would previously not had an opportunity to shape an image in their mind of some of the great masterpieces.

Transmedia and the future of accessibility

In the past, the literal price of admission to general entertainment was affected by economics, physicality and timing. Combining technology with different storytelling platforms and methods, audiences are able to enjoy more entertainment properties regardless of possible economic, physical or time limitations placed on them. Entertainment is meant for everyone to enjoy and now that’s finally possible.

We’d like to think that accessibility will lose it’s ‘buzzword’ status, and quietly disappear into the past. We’re creating boundless storyworlds that deliver the best kind of fan experience and are accessible and enjoyed by all audiences — with no limitations. This is because entertainment is for everyone — no exceptions.

Written by: Eric Thom

In entertainment, ‘accessibility’ is a right — not a buzzword. was originally published in Storyworld on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

What is your role with Reflector Entertainment and what does that entail?

I’m the Narrative Director, which means I establish and direct the high-level story and systems that will drive the game’s narrative. I basically run a type of “Writers’ Room” devoted to writing and designing as well as aligning meaning and context with the game mechanics.

How did you get involved with the company?

I met with the CEO, Alex Amancio, and was intrigued by the IP and by the challenge of building Storyworlds with creative team members representing different entertainment media. It’s an intimidating challenge, yet an inspiring one that is all about collaboration with a lot of fun and highly creative people. I basically get to create new heroes in a unique Storyworld being built from the ground up. Felt like a no-brainer to me.

What has been one of the most rewarding experiences you’ve had in your career?

Working with Mark Hamill on Arkham Knight. He’s not only a great actor, he’s a great person with a lot of fun stories and a great respect for his fans. He’s truly one-of-a-kind.

What has been one of the most challenging experiences? How did you overcome it?

One of the most challenging experiences is trying to encourage diversity in games. It’s a constant challenge, but it definitely helps when the studio you work for believes in a more diverse approach to storytelling, which is the case at Reflector. It’s also one of the main reasons I joined.

How will AI influence and impact the work you do?

I imagine it [AI] will help with all the granular work and allow me to focus on the more creative aspects of the job.

What is one piece of advice you’d give someone new to the industry? What has been the most useful piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Work hard and know who you are. Show biz and the game biz can be highly politicized environments. Know what you’re willing to do for success but also know what you’re not willing to do. Both are important to staying true to yourself.

What do you hope to accomplish in your position with Reflector Entertainment?

I hope to inspire the next generation in the same way films, games and novels inspired me as a child and teenager.

What’s one podcast, book, game or audio book you’d recommend to everyone?

If I had to choose one it would be Emit Fox’s “The Mental Equivalent.” It says in ten pages what books like “The Secret” say in three or four hundred. If I could choose two other recommendations they would be Viktor Frankl’s “Man’s Search For Meaning” and the film “Life is Beautiful” by Roberto Benigni. These three recommendations attest to the power of the mind and its ability to alter and manifest reality regardless the situation.

What is your opinion on the latest Star Wars movie?

My children enjoyed it very much, though we all felt Chewbacca was a little guilty of overacting.

In Conversation With… is a weekly series that features a few of the people behind Reflector Entertainment. The interviews are conducted by M A R I A, a Communications Manager who enjoys creating (and hearing) a good story.

In Conversation with Jessi Thind was originally published in Storyworld on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

What is your role with Reflector Entertainment and what does that entail?

As Head of Development for Reflector Entertainment I oversee the expression of Reflector Entertainment’s original Storyworlds across multiple platforms; acquire IPs with cross-platform potential, find and attach creative talent for our various projects, and cultivate relationships within the industry.

How did you get involved with the company?

I first met Alexandre Amancio, our CEO, while I was a Creative Executive at Cirque du Soleil Media (CDSM). We had actually optioned one of his scripts.

After Cirque du Soleil was sold, Alex called me and asked if I’d like to join him at Reflector — there were only four other people working at the company at the time.

You’re part of other projects besides Reflector Entertainment. Can you explain what other projects you’re a part of (ie. Code Red Entertainment) and what inspired the development of that project?

I’ve done a lot of work under my own banner, Code Red Entertainment which I started when I was Producing the Made for TV movie, Code Brothers, for CTV. Most recently I was one of four Producers on an immersive web experience, Thornwood Heights Interactive, which was nominated for the 2018 Canadian Screen awards for best cross-platform project, fiction

What are three fundamental principles needed when creating content? What do you need to keep in mind and what advice can you offer to others hoping to become content creators?

Know your story — First and foremost you need to understand what makes a good story and the various forms a story can take. This means constantly seeking out content from around the world. Learning about the history of storytelling, how it developed and how it has, and continues to evolve.

Know your audience — These days it isn’t enough to know what your audience likes, it’s also essential to know how, when, and on what platform they are consuming their content.

Focus on the future — The Entertainment Industry is undergoing a massive shift. What works today may not work tomorrow. Staying power requires long-term vision — keeping up to date with what is happening in new technologies; videogames; streaming — and figuring out how these changes impact the audiences of tomorrow.

What has been one of your favourite projects to work on? Why? What did you take away from the experience?

Working on developing Reflector’s first Storyworld is one of the highlights of my career. I’ve worked on other cross-platform properties but never on this scale and with this much creative freedom. Getting the chance to learn about other media and platforms and having the opportunity to work with top level creatives from every branch of the industry is both exciting and inspiring.

What do you hope to accomplish in your position with Reflector Entertainment?

I’d love to show the industry that a collaborative, cross-platform approach can surpass the current competitive model. To remind people that content is king and prove that content cross-promotion works just as well, maybe even better, than over-inflated marketing campaigns.

What’s one podcast, book, game or audio book you’d recommend to everyone?

I read a wide variety of books. Currently I’m reading Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari — an exploration into the innovations that will shape life in the twenty-first century.

What is your opinion on the latest Star Wars movie?

To be honest I find that as epic, complex and immersive as the Star Wars universe is, the later films tend to be pretty repetitive. I’d love to see a little more evolution in the revolution.

In Conversation With… is a weekly series that features a few of the people behind Reflector Entertainment. The interviews are conducted by M A R I A, a Communications Manager who enjoys creating (and hearing) a good story.

In conversation with Rosana Roth was originally published in Storyworld on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

What is your role with Reflector Entertainment and what does that entail?

My role with Reflector entertainment is “Level Design Director”. It mostly consists of working with the Creative Director as well as the Game Director to

build a game experience that delivers a flow that our players will enjoy. I’ll be supervising a team of level designers that will build one or more basic versions of the world (we call them “grey blocks” — — because they are mostly made of “grey blocks”). I’ll also ensure that these “grey blocks” support the intended flow and story narrative, as well as staying in line with the art direction. In addition to this, I have to ensure that all these elements technically work within the defined constraints. Finally, I supervise the same team that will build the missions, deliver the narrative experience of the game, while creating the right level of difficulty at specific moments.

How did you get involved with the company?

I was at a point in my career where I wanted a new challenge, I was too comfortable and wanted some kind of electroshock. I was lucky enough to have worked on a lot of projects with very talented people and various creators. One of them was Alexandre Amancio, our CEO and co-founder of Reflector Entertainment. He shared his vision with me and what he wanted to achieve with Reflector, which is to create new worlds that we call Storyworlds. He wants to expose these worlds through various media, pushing the notion of interactive media a step further, having the ability to work with talent from other media industries, working with a smaller experienced team, etc. It is challenging, it is ambitious, it is super interesting and it is super fun. It’s a great adventure that is just beginning. I can’t wait to see what we achieve and mostly how players and fans will react.

You first stepped your foot into the gaming industry in the 90s. How has the field evolved in this time, and what ways have you had to adapt to it?

I joined the industry in the late 90s, December of 1999 to be precise. There’s been a lot of evolution- from the way we work, to the constraints we have due to the constant evolution of hardware and technology.

At the first company I started with, there were no level designers, per se. Layouts were drawn by game designers and dressed by artists, and I was part of a team that was building the mission directly into those layouts. Throughout the years I had to learn some basics in architecture, photography, 3D tools and various game engines, along with learning to place the player in the center of our thoughts. Learning to adapt to different types of games (Adventure game, Fight game, Tactical games, Platforming games, Shooters or Stealth games from first person, third person, fixed camera, top view, side scroller, to name a few) was one way to evolve along with the industry. Through the years, projects have gotten bigger, team sizes have increased, and level designer tasks have been specialized to increase efficiency. Making a video game is a world of constant evolution, but the necessary quality has not changed. You need to be passionate and flexible enough to quickly adapt. You need to be eager to always learn, to be open to trying & failing, and finally you need to be a good communicator.

The user experience is crucial when developing games. In your previous roles, and your current one, how do you keep their potential thoughts, actions and emotions in mind when developing an experience for them? Do you draw inspiration from other games or mediums? Which ones?

We now always place the player in the center of our thoughts. This means that based on the game we have decided to make, we have an idea of the type of players we aim to attract, a kind of “persona”. So for every decision and every question we have, the answer is not about what I like or what the team likes, but what our players like. Of course, a few of the decisions are personal to the team. What it is that we want the player to live, experience, feel? What is it that we want to tell?

But in any case, at some point in the process of making the game, playtests with real players are organized. The team collects their feedback, and we validate our decisions, or we go back on what we decided and try to fix what they do not like, until the next playtest validates those intended fixes.

Being passionate about what we do, helps in making those decisions. We try to stay close to our player: their expectations, what we think they like and what we believe they don’t.

To do so, we read comments online, watch some streams on Twitch.tv, but we also experience being a player by playing a lot of games ourselves. These games range from independent to big studio names.

When I seek for inspirations, I evaluate the project I’m working on and our intention. We all read books, comics, watch TV Shows and movies. It could even involve a visit to a museum, or watching a documentary. Inspiration is everywhere around us, we just need to keep our eyes and mind open.

What has been one of your favourite projects to work on? Which one was the most challenging, but most rewarding to finish? What did you take away from the experience?

I enjoyed working on all my projects, even the ones that got cancelled ( yes it happens, and it happens a lot more than players realize). Each project comes with its own set of challenges and for each, you need to be creative to find the right solutions (some players may not see your solution as the right one). Even on the projects that I worked on and then got cancelled, you always learn something. I could even add that you learn more on a project that got cancelled, than on one that shipped- especially if you are honest and objective with yourself. Finishing a game, any game no matter the scope and size, is rewarding. Even if the game receives a lot of negative critics (which could hurt … a lot).

We try to stay close to our player: their expectations, what we think they like and what we believe they don’t.

But truth is, for a game creator, the game is never finished! You ship the game because you’ve done enough, or any other reasons, but there is always a new idea you would have love to try, something you would have loved to change- so you keep those ideas in your mind, and you move on to a next project. For myself, I always hope to do better, and analyze the feedback I receive.

If there was a different industry you would want to explore, which one would it be and why?

Mmm… interesting question. I never thought of doing something else than creating video games since I was 5 and received my first computer for Christmas (it was an Amstrad CPC from the 80s, if anyone is wondering).

I suppose I was always attracted to the movie industry. Why cinema? To create universes, to play with the camera, work with the actors, the special effects, tell stories and create emotions for the viewers.

What do you hope to accomplish in your position with Reflector Entertainment?

I hope to deliver an experience that players will love and enjoy so much that they will explore every piece of our game, along with all the other media we’ll be creating in our Storyworlds.

What is your opinion on the latest Star Wars movie?

Ouf, tough question … first I have to say that I am a fan of the Star Wars universe, even if I watched Star Wars the last Jedi twice in theaters… I’m divided.

Without going into any spoilers, I can say that there is a piece of the movie that I absolutely love, but also part of it that I don’t “buy”. I believe these parts are too easy, too convenient. Finally, there is some portion that I’m undecided about as I feel that I need to watch the last movie of this trilogy to settle my opinion.

Some characters are a bit disappointing to me, like Captain Phasma, Maz, DJ … I would have also appreciated to revisit some of the planets already seen in previous movies (Dagobah, Hoth, Naboo, Tatooine, The moon of Endor, etc…) which would have grounded all the movies in a same “location / universe”. I don’t feel there is a need for a narrative to always expand to new planets or new creatures with each movie, but they make choices that suit them. I enjoyed the experience overall.

Regardless, I can’t wait to see the Solo movie as well as Episode 9 to conclude this trilogy.

In Conversation With… is a weekly series that features a few of the people behind Reflector Entertainment. The interviews are conducted by M A R I A, a Communications Manager who enjoys creating (and hearing) a good story.

In Conversation with Christophe Rossignol was originally published in Storyworld on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

What is your role with Reflector Entertainment and what does that entail?

Mainly, I manage the global planning of project. I make sure we have clear deliverables, provide visibility on the overall advancement of the project, and find ways to ensure proper communications take place.

How did you get involved with the company?

I got involved with Reflector through former colleagues who are currently part of the company. I was really interested by the cross-platform approach and having the opportunity to develop a game that was part of a bigger concept. I really felt there was a great creative energy at Reflector.

Communication and transparency has a real impact in creating the right atmosphere and team spirit.

You studied International Business and International Political Economy. How did you transition from that background to gaming? Do you feel like this background has benefited you in your current line of work?

My transition into gaming was actually a case of right time, right place. I was surprised to find out how much of a fascinating industry it is. I’m not sure my background had specific application but on a macro level, I think it helped me to develop critical thinking, manage multiple priorities, and a general thirst for learning.

Could you tell us about one of the most memorable projects you’ve worked on? What were your key takeaways?

I spent a few years on AAA brand at one of Montreal’s major development studio. The whole experience was amazing, I learnt so much about game creation and teamwork. I think team cohesion and spirit is key in creating a high quality product. I have also learned that communication and transparency has a real impact in creating the right atmosphere and team spirit.

What has been one of the biggest challenges you’ve overcome? What common challenges do you think many encounter at some point in this industry?

Most managers in the game industry are former developers (designers, artists, programmers). Having no background in game development, I had to catch up quickly. Having to learn the different production pipelines and risks associated with them while also doing my job as a manager was a huge challenge. I’m still learning everyday, but it gets easier after a while.

What would be one piece of advice you wish you could have given yourself 10 years ago?

Don’t be afraid to take some risks and venture into new things.

What do you hope to accomplish in your position with Reflector Entertainment?

The potential to be part of such an exciting and promising IP is extremely motivating. I hope to have an impact on that IP by helping to deliver an amazing game that will shape the future of Reflector.

What’s one podcast, book, game or audio book you’d recommend to everyone?

There are so many good books out there, but I recently finished Sapiens, which I found fascinating. I highly recommend it to those interested in human evolution and history.

What is your opinion on the latest Star Wars movie?

I actually did not get a chance to see it. Looking forward to it. No spoilers please!

In Conversation With… is a weekly series that features a few of the people behind Reflector Entertainment. The interviews are conducted by M A R I A, a Communications Manager who enjoys creating (and hearing) a good story.

In Conversation with Noémie L’Ecuyer was originally published in Storyworld on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

What is your role with Reflector Entertainment and what does it entail?

My role at Reflector Entertainment is Game Director. I transition our creative visions into game rules, gameplay mechanics, and working systems for our audience. Some may perceive programming and this type of work as boring, but it’s not! Each idea, concept or vision must be translated into gameplay for the player. You need to think of which buttons do what and what kind of abilities you need to perform such as jump, slide, etc. I also have to determine important factors such as: Can the player die? What type of freedom do they have? Can they roam the entire map or only certain locations at certain times? These are only a few questions you need to think about when developing a game.

How did you get involved with the company?

Alex Amancio, the Co-Founder and CEO of Reflector Entertainment and I worked together at Ubisoft. It was easy for me to trust Alex and believe in the goal of creating new StoryWorlds. The great thing about him is that he knows exactly where he wants to go, and which experts he needs to accomplish his vision. I guess that’s why I’m part of the new adventure.

How do you imagine the storyworlds you create will impact culture?

I think each IP (intellectual property) will have its own message. We want people to dig a little bit, read the small typography on screen. We want to get people past the first layer and to discover something that will enrich their minds or enhance their perspective.

What’s one podcast, book, game or audiobook you’d recommend? Why?

I would recommend the book Band of Brothers:

A sentence from this book is:

“From this day to the ending of the World,

…we in it shall be remembered

…we band of brothers.”

This book tells the story of young men becoming soldiers from D-Day until the German armistice. You follow their story as they experience doubt and fear, embracing their bravery, the madness of war, and their sacrifices — not for honor but for their band of brothers.

Do you have a favourite experience you’ve worked on in the past (one you can talk about)?

My favourite experience would be working with incredible teams. In my career, I was lucky enough to meet and work with some brilliant people. I will try to recreate the same chemistry for others that was created for me.

Where do you see the future of entertainment (particularly, gaming) heading? This can be in relation to how we consume content, the type of content and/or how it’s being created.

Gamers are currently divided into two groups: The hardcore and the casual. Neither of these groups are necessarily high-skilled gamers; it’s more about the time investment associated for each. We must develop new systems that provide both groups with content, but restructure the current distribution methods. Will they be on-demand, seasonal, time, rental, etc.? We must also integrate the gamification on every system to create loyalty and motivation between us and our audience.

What are three rules you live by when undertaking a new project?

1. Supporting the Pillars (company, IP).

2. Have one breakthrough or one unique insight.

3. Put the right people in the right places.

What is your opinion on the latest Star Wars movie?

To be honest 4, 5, 6 are the best for me, probably because I saw those movies with youthful eyes. Number 1, 2 and 3 are interesting, but some moments are just too long. And 7 and 8 are just a copy-paste of 4 and 5… I don’t think it’s easy to keep the same audience for 30 and 40 years while trying to bring in new ones. Regardless, there is a Han Solo movie this summer! And he’s my favorite character!

In Conversation With… is a weekly series that features a few of the people behind Reflector Entertainment. The interviews are conducted by M A R I A, a Communications Manager who enjoys creating (and hearing) a good story.

In Conversation With Fabien Govini was originally published in Storyworld on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

What is your role with Reflector Entertainment and what does that entail?

I’m the technical director. My role is to make sure that anything that is tech-related runs smoothly. That means building up the tech team, defining processes and organization, making choices on technologies, managing relations with third parties, but also being part of strategic orientations for the studio, along with the other directors.

How did you get involved with the company?

I heard that Reflector was building a team and they soon started hiring people. It was in the very early stages. Everything was being built up from scratch and I wanted to take on that challenge.

You worked in gaming, then transitioned into the medical imaging industry for eight years. What made you transition back into gaming and entertainment? Do you feel you offer a different skill-set than others in the industry because of your diverse experience?

When I first worked in the gaming industry, it was between 1999 and 2004. When I decided to leave the gaming industry in 2004, I was at a point in my life where I was trying to improve my work-life balance. I was living in the south of France and at that time, the gaming industry was in crisis, but I didn’t want to move abroad. This is when I decided to turn to another industry. After a few years though, I started missing the “creative” atmosphere a lot. Around the same time, I started teaching courses part-time at a university. I was leading a ‘game-engines’ course. That’s when I ultimately realized how much I

missed the gaming industry. I decided to move to Montreal in 2014 and get back into game development. This experience is definitely a bonus compared to people who have only worked in the gaming industry. I bring knowledge from my medical imaging experience, which gives me a broader understanding of technical solutions.

What is one piece of advice you would have given yourself 10 years ago?

One piece of advice that I would give myself 10 years about would be: “Be patient, opportunities will show up.”

How has the industry changed since you first entered it? Did you overcome any big challenges along the way?

The industry has become more mature and structured. There’s a lot more competition as well (either on mobile platforms or AAA gaming). This competition has made it difficult to stand out from the rest of the crowd. The biggest challenge for me was catching up on 10 years of advancements after my time out of the industry. The processes, technologies and ways of making games has evolved a lot. I spent a lot of time getting familiar with new techniques and ways of getting things done.

What do you hope to accomplish in your position with Reflector Entertainment?

I hope I’m able to set-up a successful team from the ground up, and help the studio become a renowned competitor in the industry.

What’s one podcast, book, game or audio book you’d recommend to everyone?

If I were to recommend one game, that would be “Shadow of the colossus”. It’s poetic, epic and dramatic. I definitely consider it a masterpiece, and it’s proof that video games can be more than violence and explosions.

What is your opinion on the latest Star Wars movie?

I enjoyed it. It has a few flaws, but some nice epic scenes as well.

In Conversation With… is a weekly series that features a few of the people behind Reflector Entertainment. The interviews are conducted by M A R I A, a Communications Manager who enjoys creating (and hearing) a good story.

In Conversation With Marc Moulis was originally published in Storyworld on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Such online messages are about to become commonplace in the near future. On December 14, 2017, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission decided to do away with net neutrality.

The decision drew flak from all quarters of America and the rest of the world. After all, net neutrality is the cornerstone that keeps the internet free and fair while protecting people’s rights to access information online.

Net neutrality has been aptly described by Barbara van Schewick, a professor at Stanford Law School and an expert on the subject, as “the secret sauce that has made the internet awesome.” Now, the repeal of the net neutrality principles threatens to take this awesomeness away.

ISP Hegemony Ahead

In a world that is increasingly dependent on the internet, net neutrality protects users by ensuring that internet service providers (aka ISPs) such as Verizon, AT&T and Comcast, do not misuse their immense powers by interfering with the free flow of information (and memes) on the web.

For those unfamiliar with the term, net neutrality obliges ISPs to treat all traffic irrespective of its source — whether it is an email, a blog, a website, a podcast, an apps’ or a video — equally. This means that online content isn’t given preferential treatment.

In dismantling its own Obama-era decision to uphold net neutrality, the FCC has let the proverbial genie out of the bottle. American ISPs — many of which own media and entertainment subsidiaries — now have the freedom to promote content from favoured organizations, while creating a hostile environment for the competition. Practices like throttling, prioritizing, and blocking, can breed monopolistic situations that can inflict serious damage on content producers and consumers alike.

Imagine a scenario where an ISP assigns faster speeds and cheaper transmission rates to a favoured news channel, while making it slower and costlier for a rival organization — or even blocking it altogether. In addition to negatively impacting the disfavoured news channel, the ISP has effectively robbed the public of the freedom to access content of their choice.

The setting aside of net neutrality rules is also bad news for creativity in the entertainment sector. While larger media organizations may be able to cough up higher ISP fees, the same cannot be said for newer or smaller models operating on shoestring budgets. Many of these smaller initiatives may belong to young artists who have brilliant stories to tell, but whose enterprise may not survive the harsh dictates of ISPs. The economic and cultural losses caused by the premature demise of such startups may be hard to measure.

Citing the example of Portugal where the absence of net neutrality has egged the country’s ISPs down a hegemonic path to the detriment of others, Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California tweeted: “With no net neutrality, internet providers (in Portugal) are starting to split the net into packages. A huge advantage for entrenched companies, but it totally iced out startups trying to get in front of people which stifles innovation. This is what’s at stake, and that’s why we have to save net neutrality.”

Don’t throw your DVDs away — yet

The universe of the Internet of Things is expanding rapidly, driving our dependency on the internet to record levels. Advancing technology keeps calling for humongous amounts of data streaming at breakneck speeds. While we previously had physical movie libraries at home, it is now fashionable to rely on cloud technology to store and play our movies and music files on demand. Thanks to the luxury of unlimited broadband at home, we rarely think twice before streaming gigabytes of movie data from entertainment platforms like Netflix.

This insatiable appetite for data plays nicely into the hands of ISPs. For consumers, however, the party may soon be over as ISPs flex their muscles to raise broadband prices. In this scenario, we may either have to ration our domestic gigabyte consumption, or upgrade to costlier subscriptions. The divide between the digital haves and the have-nots will grow wider, leading to the possible comeback of older, offline technologies — such as DVD (welcome back, Blockbuster).

The public is waking up to the multifaceted ramifications of the FCC decision and the vulnerabilities that come with it. As per a December 2017 survey conducted by the Washington Post, more than 80% of Americans polled said that they favoured keeping net neutrality. This sentiment may grow powerfully and vocally if citizens feel their right to access entertainment in a reasonable manner is being violated by irrational ISP behaviour.

How far the ISPs will go to establish a monopolistic hold over the internet is anyone’s guess. Only time will reveal the true answer.

Net Neutrality and Entertainment was originally published in Storyworld on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.