This is partly inspired by the blog post The Burdens of Transmedia found at https://www.stage32.com/blog/the-burdens-of-transmedia-4340
I'm probably going to ruffle some feathers with this take, but when it comes to big franchises that keep going, that same longevity is often a curse more than a blessing. Of course you don't want an experience that's over too soon with its full potential unrealised, but you also don't want a world so expansive that you turn your project into a zombie that should have ended ages ago.
Like the article said, the intention of transmedia was to reward the consumer for diving deeper; there was never any expectation that they would stick around no matter what. When a consumer is invited to stay in the world as long as they'd like, chances are they will and they'll love every second of it. They feel like they matter and their picking up your work is meaningful. Even serendipity.
It's easy to lose sight of this the longer a franchise continues, and how much bigger a world or story gets. Why else do you hear the word "soulless" being used to describe a lot of what comes out today for iconic franchises? Why else, also, do you often hear consumers clamouring for new material altogether, or even "oh my God, just let the series end, already!"?
This is why especially with transmedia, I feel it's important to know the natural boundaries of your world as best you can. Play with them and see where they go during development, sure, but if the burden gets heavy and it's about the details and the work and not the love and enjoyment and everyone is tired, chances are you missed the natural end.
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I think a lot of us would like to turn the page but the problem is finding the new/best big hits/trends ect.
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You're right, Banafsheh Esmailzadeh. And great advice. Knowing when to stop helps when outlining scripts and writing scenes too.
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Thank ypu for saying things I couldn't say.