Introduction to Transmediality as a Strategy: Critical Skills and Technical Expertise for Today’s Media Galaxy

Abstract

Today's media galaxy is highly heterogeneous in form and substance.This is so because both centripetal and centrifugal forces are in play.Such forces constantly redefine what is (to be) included in the galaxy from a theoretical and practical point of view.Notably, the heterogeneity of the media galaxy is the consequence of three interlaced forces: (1) the (cross)convergence of media formats and apparatuses; (2) the enmeshing of (spheres of) production, reception, and recirculation of contents; (3) the emergence of innovative media practices that easily spread across the galaxy, but which rarely have the chance to get codified.By building upon points 1 and 2, the contributions collected in this issue are mainly concerned with exploring the third aspect.In fact, albeit taking different stances and coming from different fields, all contributions share a common lens, which constitutes the fil rouge of the whole issue, i.e. "transmediality".Transmediality is regarded here as both a concept describing and engaging with the first two forces mentioned above and also a strategy to tackle and innovatively act within today's media galaxy.In other words, transmediality is reconceptualised and put to practical use, that is, tested in its operability through the discussion of several case studies, so as to pave the way to future projects which are inherently conceived as transmedia and make of transmediality its paradigm by default.Over the last two decades the concept of "transmediality" has grown out to establish itself as an area of enquiry in its own right.Notably, this area is particularly interested in exploring those communicative and representational phenomena which land on different media and capitalise on the unique affordances of each medium (Ryan 2004;Jenkins 2006;Meyer,

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