Transmedia in Harry Potter

           Using multiple platforms to tell a story has become necessary to reach the maximum amount of viewers and readers.  Multimedia is the use of multiple types of media to create a story.  For example, makeup tutorials on Youtube use video, voice recordings, and text all within the one video.  Within a piece of multimedia are various forms of media but all within one medium.  Contrary to that would be transmedia.  Transmedia is the use of multiple forms of media separately to convey a message or tell a story. 

            “A transmedia story unfolds across multiple media platforms, with each new text making a distinctive and valuable contribution to the whole” explains Henry Jenkins in his book Convergence Culture.   

            Harry Potter has made its mark on multiple platforms.  What started as a book series went on to become a film series, which went on to become an interactive world at Universal Studios and in-between became a fan fiction phenomenon.  Some even want J.K. Rowling to open up writing to fans, according to a gizmodo article by Lauren Davis. 

            “Earlier this month, Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling released a short piece of prose that offered a quick look at Harry Potter and his Hogwarts classmates as adults. The response indicated that fans are still hungry for stories of the wizarding world—and perhaps it's time for someone other than Rowling to give it to them” wrote Davis. 

            J.K. Rowling is keeping the story of Harry Potter alive with all of these new mediums.  You don’t need to have read the books or see the movies to enjoy Harry Potter World at Universal Studios.  The rides and attractions put you inside the magical world of Harry Potter.  You can ride a Hippogriff and purchase your very own wand. 

            Fans can also create their own spin offs using forums and blogs or discuss the story in chat rooms. 

            There are also Harry Potter video games on almost all popular gaming devices like Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, and the Wii.  Gamers can also download Harry Potter games onto their phones and MacBook.

            This gives every type of fan a chance to engage in the Harry Potter world in his/her own way.  The enthusiast gets a different perspective of the magical world from each medium.  Some super fans may even collect all of the mediums (books, movies, games, etc.).  

            Henry Jenkins explains that in order for viewers and fans to keep participating in a media phenomenon they need to have access to multiple experiences within that world. 

            “And the cult film need not be coherent: the more different directions it pushes, the more different communities it can sustain, and the more different experiences it can provide, the better”.  Jenkins says. 

            With the use of transmedia, each and every person can be involved in the “cult”, as Jenkins calls it, in his or her own way.  No one is excluded because if one person likes to read, he or she can read the books.  If the next person is entertained by visuals, he or she can watch the movies and play the games.  It’s an all-inclusive “cult” which is what makes it so successful.  


Works Cited
Jenkins, Henry. Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: New York UP, 2006. Print.

Davis, Lauren. "Why JK Rowling Should Open Harry Potter Up To Other Writers." Io9. N.p., 18 July 2014. Web. 15 Nov.                     2016. <http://io9.gizmodo.com/its-time-for-jk-rowling-to-open-harry-potter-up-to-othe-1607339790>