Beyond the text : producing cross- and transmedia fiction in Flanders

Abstract

In the age of convergence, the American television industry is turning to the production of media content that can be accessed through a range of platforms. In this study, we will research to which degree this is also true for the European case of Flanders, investigating the elements that are part of contemporary television texts on the one hand, and the production process of these expanded television texts on the other hand. Production analyses of four Flemish fiction series show that cross-and transmedia applications are rather limited, especially on commercial television. Most of the program extensions are situated within traditional media and are purely commercial extensions. By doing in-depth interviews with producers of each case, we found that transmedia extensions are not integrated in the production process because of budgetary restrictions and a widespread disbelief in the benefits of transmedia stories.