The current disclosure of the invention relates to a system, processes, and methods for teaching cinematic storytelling, more particularly, as related to a movie or series of movies, a TV show, or a commercial and the impact thereof upon an audience or community, through the use of prompts that direct end-users to create characters and audio-visual stories set within the narratives of larger media products.
The invention is a result of inventor Jan Lucanus Childress' upbringing and lifelong career in the entertainment industry, specifically the comic book, film & television, music, and gaming industries. Jan observed that each industry was suffering from the same challenge: getting their respective audiences to engage with a particular product. Concurrently, Jan observed that members of the audience, now equipped with tools such as social media, were more empowered than ever to tell their own stories, which are more prominent in their lives than any product's narrative.
His solution: apply the directorial process of filmmaking to the audience members, as a director would an actor in a scene. This solution required a brand or product-owner in a particular industry would need a system to house a story or product-narrative, centralize its target audience, distribute directions to the audience, and receive, log, store, and display the audience activity within that narrative. Concurrently, for the audience to be centralized within the system, there must be a value proposition that augments their individual narratives.
The invention includes, but is not limited to, a system of processes that allow the narrative of a product to dynamically integrate with the narrative of its intended audience. The product owner and the audience members are then all positioned as storytellers, with the product's storyteller guiding a product-narrative composed of, but not limited to, product-related stories created by audience members using prompts generated by the invention. Products utilized by our system can include, but are not limited to, a movie, a television series, an album, a game, or even a story happening in real-time, including, but not limited to, that of a political campaign.
Prior Art includes diagrams, videos, and public discussions given by Jan Lucanus Childress on the subjects of “Transmedia Trifecta”, “Open Collaborative Narrative Universe (OCNU)”, and other general discussions. However, the Prior Art only contains generalizations of the challenges and solutions that the invention addresses. Additionally, since 2018, inventor Jan Lucanus Childress has used the invention, without publicly disclosing trade secret methods of ideation, organization, and execution afforded by the invention, to produce a show called Justice For Hire (JFH) that allows for anyone with a camera phone to join the cast and produce cinematic stories to expand the story world of the show. This provisional patent application marks the first time the specifics of the invention's system, including, but not limited to, its processes, interface, and output, are being articulated for public disclosure
The invention provides a brand with a means to conduct its audience through filmmaking. The invention intentionally frames the brand's content to motivate the audience to create original content. The invention can be constructed and utilized in a format, including, but not limited to paper, cards, video, a website, app, or online digital platform that allows the audience to unite in producing, displaying, and sharing thematically connected, story-driven audio/visual content, including but not limited to movies and short videos, that are directed by story prompts drawn from the invention's processes and rules that align with the brand.
What does the Invention Do?
Managing an audience can be challenging for brands with products that have a strong fanbase. If the fans are displeased by how the brand handles the product, the brand could lose money and brand affinity. Concurrently, many fans desire to participate in the product's narrative, but brands, notably film studios and television networks, often struggle with the process of meaningful collaborations with fan communities. The invention allows fans and brands to collaborate on thematic content creation.
The invention is a system (embodiment
To deepen the impact of an end-user's experience within the product-narrative, an embodiment of the invention can include, but is not limited to, allowing the end-user to choose a role (i.e. create a character, persona, or alter ego) that is thematically aligned with the product-narrative (embodiment
Additionally, an embodiment of the invention allows end-users to communicate with each other in a variety of sections of the app & online digital platform, including but not limited to a Chat Function (
The invention allows for audience conduction (serving the brand) and audience participation (serving the fans of a brand's product) by means of a cohesive narrative experience expressed through guided audio/visual content creation and community collaboration. A novel application for the invention includes, but is not limited to, a film or television show expanding its narrative by collaborating with its audience to create new characters and stories, in which the audience acts within short videos that are produced with direction via prompts within the app & online digital platform.
Figures are briefly described in this section, and later described in greater detail in the Detailed Description section beneath it.
In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments described herein. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art and business, that certain embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. However, the invention's unique combination of processes and the simplification and reframing of them allows for filmmaking and storytelling to be utilized in a manner inclusive to audience creativity in a manner unachievable prior to the invention. Any and all titles used throughout are for ease of explanation only and are not for any limiting use.
An initial step in the use of the invention can include, but is not limited to, the invention's owner confirming a client's (for example, a brand) specific product-narrative and intended audience, and once confirmed, the invention's owner applying the product-narrative's unique message into the invention's system as per the following embodiments.
For purposes of clarifying a use case for the invention's system as applied to a product-narrative, the owners of the invention will at times be referencing within the application an example of a product-narrative in the form of the inventor-owned brand, Justice For Hire (“JFH”). The JFH logo and graphics will be present on some of the figures to showcase the invention's systems in practice (
Thus, the invention can be customized in a variety of formats, including, but not limited to paper, cards, video, a website, app, or online digital platform to represent any brand or product and their respective audiences.
A1 depicts the journey of a “first time user” during initial use of the app and/or online digital platform. In one of many variations of the invention's system, a product-narrative may require approval of end-users before they are granted access to the full app and/or online platform. In the event of that scenario, the embodiment refers to this “first time user” process as the (“Pre Approval” flow (in JFH), while otherwise referred to as the Onboarding flow in the invention's system. The flow here is comprised of Directorial Guidelines as per the processes and style of the invention's system, and includes prompts for the end-user to produce their first audio/visual piece of content using the system (optional to the user in the JFH embodiment
B1 depicts the Tutorial flow (“Post Approval” flow in JFH), which is utilized in this variation of the invention's system prior to the end-user gaining access to the invention's system in the form of the app & online digital platform with permissions to utilize all consumer facing functionalities. In the event that the product-narrative does not require a Post Approval flow, the information hierarchy can be repurposed as a Tutorial accessible to an end-user after Login.
0 depicts the Login Page that all end-users will utilize to access the invention's system in the form of the app & online digital platform. A first-time user, or an approved end-user if Pre Approval and Post Approvals flows are utilized, will enter their username and password here along with date of birth while a returning user will enter their pre-established login credentials.
1 depicts the Wurld Page is where user-generated content produced from both Product-Narrative Prompts and Audience-Narrative Prompts are displayed together (a variation of the Wurld Page differentiates content-type by color and/or naming convention). Additionally, a variation of the Wurld Page can contain community updates including, but not limited to events. Visualized in
2 depicts the Watch Page, in which the brand content is thematically positioned as a driving force for the product narrative in which the end-user is participating. It is the consumer-facing language utilized within the invention's system that strategically positions this page as a key representation of the product-narrative. Variations will include, but are not limited to, user-generated content highlighted by the brand, as well as any product-narrative themed content deemed special by the brand. Visualized in
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b-1 depicts the Universe function in which the end-user can identify and interact with characters from each episode or piece of audio-visual content, see any Challenges/Missions connected to the episode or piece of audio-visual content, and see individual pieces of content that were used in the episode.
3 depicts the Product-Narrative Prompts flow (named “Missions” in JFH), which is focused on delivering brand-narrative prompts to the end-user. Here, the end-user can participate in content creation that canonically influences the product-narrative. In one of many variations of this page, the end-user can also receive brand-approved prompts from third parties, or other end-users, to produce content that impacts the product-narrative and/or the real world.
In one of many variations of this page, end-users can choose to create a Story Prompt for distribution to other users, or to receive a Story Prompt which directs them to produce content. All prompts delivered on the Product Narrative Prompts Page are crafted in audio/visual form as per the guidelines of the invention's systems' interpretation of the product-narrative.
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a-b depicts the end-user's Prompt Options Page (“Hero/Client Options” Page in JFH. For a graphical representation, reference
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a-1 depicts the Directorial Guidelines for an end-user to create a Story Prompt for other end-users (For a graphical representation, reference
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a-3 depicts the Review/Submit Page where the end-user reviews the content created via the camera function or uploaded and chooses a thumbnail (preview) image for display in the Delivery Module of the Story Prompt (For a graphical representation, reference
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b-1 depicts the Product-Narrative Prompt Selection Page for an end-user to choose a Product-Narrative Prompt or a Story Prompt generated by a brand-approved third party or other end-users. The Delivery Module for each prompt is populated with a brief description of the content.
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b-2 depicts the Directorial Guidelines for an end-user to produce content for a Product-Narrative Prompt or a Story Prompt. Here, the guidelines are thematic to the product-narrative that the end-user will utilize in producing audio/visual, text, and video content creation. The Record button on this screen (named the “Action” button in JFH) opens the camera function on an end-user's phone, tablet, or computer 3b-3, and, alternatively, the end-user has the option to upload original content created independently from the invention's system via the Upload button as long as the original content follows the product-narrative Universe Rules 5a-1.
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b-4 depicts the Review/Submit Page where the end-user reviews the content created via the camera function or uploaded and chooses a thumbnail (preview) image for display in the Delivery Module. Upon pressing the Deliver button, the content is delivered for distribution on, but not limited to the app & online digital platform via the Delivery Module.
4 depicts the Audience-Narrative Prompts Page (“Challenges” flow in JFH, with a graphical representation found in
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a depicts Journey Challenges, which, by design of the invention's system, truncate a Hero's Journey storytelling model into short Audience-Narrative-Prompts that allow the end-user to produce scenes that are viewable independently within, but not limited to, the app & online digital platform distribution system, and when watched in sequence, equate to their own movie. Each Journey Challenge has unique Directorial Guidelines designed by the system's processes and displayed within a prompt to the end-user. In the referenced variation of this function in
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b depicts Training Challenges that allow the end-user to take on tasks that develop aspects of their chosen role including but not limited to emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual attributes associated with their character, alter ego and/or themselves. The tasks are delivered via prompts the end user accepts, followed by Directorial Guidelines delivered via additional prompts (a graphical representation of the prompt found in
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c depicts Development Challenges that afford the end-user creative tasks including, but not limited to, traditional Hollywood story development processes simplified to allow the end-user to build an in-depth narrative about their character. The tasks are delivered via prompts the end user accepts, followed by Directorial Guidelines delivered via additional prompts (a graphical representation of the prompt found in
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a-c-1 depicts Directorial Guidelines for an end-user to produce content for a Audience-Narrative Prompt or a Story Prompt. The Record button on this screen (named the “Action” button in JFH) opens the camera function on an end-user's phone, tablet, or computer 4a-c-2, and, alternatively, the end-user has the option to upload original content created independently from the invention's system via the Upload button as long as the original content follows the product-narrative Universe Rules 5a-1.
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a-c-3 depicts the Review/Submit Page (graphical representation found in
5 depicts the Profile Page (visualized in
This page is viewable to the first-party end-user and a third-party end-user. A first-party end-user will see all consumer facing information, as well as have the opportunity to edit multiple fields of text and audio/visual content, including but not limited to the Allies/Rivals function.
A field for team affiliation is also available for the end-user to associate themselves with other groups of end-users via a chosen team name that may or may not be established by other content or functionalities within the system.
The Allies/Rivals function is a means of organizing the character relationships between end-users that have chosen to associate with each other on the platform, by way of, but not limited to, selecting a role for the peer-to-peer relationship.
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a depicts the Hamburger Menu, which contains both general information and unique information such as the Universe Rules, Cast (5a-1 and defined in
6 depicts the Chat Function (visualized in