A story can grow big. It can be a book. It can be a movie too. It can even be a game. You can see the same characters in many ways. Do you have a favorite story?
A story can grow very big. It might start as a book. Then it can become a movie. It can even be a video game.
Characters and places stay the same. You might see a hero in a show. Then you see them in a game. This helps more people learn the story.
Many people love these stories. They join groups to talk about them. They can even make their own art. This is called a fandom.
Some stories go to theme parks. You can walk in a real world from a movie. This makes the story feel very real. It is fun to visit these places.
A media franchise is a group of related stories. It starts with one main work. This could be a book, a film, or a game. Then, new works are made from that first idea. For example, the Twilight books became five movies. This helps a story reach many people.
These stories often use the same characters and places. Spider-Man appears in movies, shows, comics, and games. This is called transmedia. It means the story grows across different ways of watching or playing. Sometimes, new stories are not part of the main timeline. We call the main, official story the canon.
Fans who love these stories form a group called a fandom. They talk about the stories on websites. They might even make their own art. In Japan, this is called a media mix. Pokémon is a big media mix. It started as a video game. Then it became a show, a movie, and even trading cards.
Some franchises even build theme parks. You can visit places like Star Wars lands. This lets fans feel like they are in the story.
A media franchise is a collection of related stories. It starts with one original work of fiction. This might be a film, a book, or a video game. New works are then made from that first idea. Bob Iger from the Walt Disney Company says a franchise creates value across many businesses. This helps a story stay popular for a long time.
These stories work by moving across different types of media. This is often called transmedia. One way it works is by using the same characters or settings. For example, Spider-Man appears in movies, TV shows, comics, and games. Each new version can add more to the main story. This helps reach many different kinds of people.
Sometimes, stories are not part of the main timeline. We call the official story the canon. If a story breaks the main timeline, it is non-canon. This can be confusing for fans. Some series, like Battlestar Galactica, have comics that are not canon. Fans often debate which parts are the true story.
In Japan, this idea is called a media mix. This strategy spreads content across many things. It includes toys, games, and even amusement parks. Pokémon is a famous example of this. It started as a video game on the Nintendo Game Boy. Later, it became a TV show, a movie, and trading cards.
Franchises can even become real places you can visit. Theme parks like Disneyland bring stories to life. You can visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter or Galaxy's Edge. These places let fans feel like they are inside the story. Some franchises even include non-fiction. The Planet Earth series is a franchise that works as both a film and a TV show.
A media franchise, also called a multimedia franchise, is a group of related works. These works are created from one original piece of fiction. That original work might be a film, a book, a television program, or a video game. Bob Iger, the chief executive of the Walt Disney Company, describes a franchise as something that creates value. This value happens across many different businesses and territories over a long time. By using many different media, owners can increase their profits. This process also helps create a strong sense of identity among the people who consume the media.
When people become very dedicated to a franchise, they form a fandom. A fandom is a community of fans who enjoy many parts of the franchise. These fans interact with each other and keep up with new releases. In recent years, social media platforms like Reddit, Tumblr, and Fandom have helped these groups grow. Fans use these sites to discuss stories, debate ideas, or even create their own fan-made media. These digital spaces allow the community to stay connected to the overarching narrative.
Successful franchises often use a method called transmedia storytelling. In a transmedia franchise, each different medium should expand the audience. This helps build interest and adds new details to the main story. Even when the medium changes, the characters and settings remain connected. For example, Spider-Man exists across films, television shows, comics, and video games. These different versions weave together to create a shared world. This approach allows a single idea to reach many different types of people.
There are different ways to categorize these works. Some people use the term "metaseries" to describe certain types of works, such as Isaac Asimov's Foundation series. Other franchises develop through licensing agreements. This is when a company uses its intellectual property, like specific characters, to create new products. Sometimes, companies launch multiple media forms at the exact same time. For instance, the film The Matrix Reloaded and the video game Enter the Matrix were both released on the same day. They even used the same actors and sets to ensure consistency.
One important concept in a franchise is the idea of canon. Canon refers to the content that is part of the official, main timeline of the story. However, some media released within a franchise are not canon. This means those stories do not truly exist in the main timeline. This can sometimes cause confusion for fans who want to know the true story. For example, some comics in the Battlestar Galactica series are canon, while many others are not. When content breaks the continuity of the main story, it is considered non-canon.
In Japan, this strategy is known as the "media mix." This term describes the practice of spreading content across many different representations. These can include broadcast media, gaming, cell phones, toys, and amusement parks. The origins of this strategy go back to the 1960s with the rise of anime. A major shift occurred in 1963 with Tetsuwan Atomu. This marked a move toward overlapping a character's image with a commodity's image. Pokémon is a famous example of a successful media mix. It began as a video game for the Nintendo Game Boy and expanded into television, film, and trading cards.
Franchises can also move from fiction into the physical world. Since the creation of Disneyland in 1955, theme parks have become a popular way to bring stories to life. These parks allow fans to immerse themselves in real-life versions of fictional worlds. Notable examples include The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios and Galaxy's Edge at Disney parks. Even Marvel's Avengers Campus is a franchise-based theme park. These locations turn a fictional narrative into a physical space that people can visit.
Finally, it is important to note that franchises are not limited to fiction. Non-fiction franchises also exist in the media landscape. For example, the Planet Earth series works as both a film and a television transmedia franchise. There are also literary franchises for non-fiction, such as the "For Dummies" reference books. Even reality television, like The Amazing Race, can be seen as a form of franchise. Whether through stories or facts, a franchise uses a single brand to reach many different areas of life.
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