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  2. Show Sold Separately: Promos, Spoilers, and Other Media Paratexts

Show Sold Separately: Promos, Spoilers, and Other Media Paratexts

Jonathan Gray
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It is virtually impossible to watch a movie or TV show without preconceived notions because of the hype that precedes them, while a host of media extensions guarantees them a life long past their air dates. An onslaught of information from print media, trailers, internet discussion, merchandising, podcasts, and guerilla marketing, we generally know something about upcoming movies and TV shows well before they are even released or aired. The extras, or “paratexts,” that surround viewing experiences are far from peripheral, shaping our understanding of them and informing our decisions about what to watch or not watch and even how to watch before we even sit down for a show.

Show Sold Separately gives critical attention to this ubiquitous but often overlooked phenomenon, examining paratexts like DVD bonus materials for The Lord of the Rings, spoilers for Lost, the opening credits of The Simpsons, Star Wars actions figures, press reviews for Friday Night Lights, the framing of Batman Begins, the videogame of The Thing, and the trailers for The Sweet Hereafter. Plucking these extra materials from the wings and giving them the spotlight they deserve, Jonathan Gray examines the world of film and television that exists before and after the show.

  • Cover
  • Title Page
  • Copyright
  • Dedication
  • Contents
  • Acknowledgments
  • Introduction: Film, Television, and Off-Screen Studies
  • 1 From Spoilers to Spinoffs: A Theory of Paratexts
  • 2 Coming Soon! Hype, Intros, and Textual Beginnings
  • 3 Bonus Materials: Digital Auras and Authors
  • 4 Under a Long Shadow: 117 Sequels, Prequels, Pre-Texts, and Intertexts
  • 5 Spoiled and Mashed Up: Viewer-Created Paratexts
  • 6 In the World, Just Off Screen: Toys and Games
  • Conclusion: “In the DNA”: Creating across Paratexts
  • Notes
  • Index
  • About the Author
Citable Link
Published: 2017
Publisher: New York University Press
ISBN(s)
  • 9780814731949 (hardcover)
  • 9780814731956 (paper)
Subject
  • Cultural Studies
  • Media Studies

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  • Introduction: Film, Television, and Off-Screen Studies5
  • Chapter 2: Coming Soon! Hype, Intros, and Textual Beginnings23
  • Chapter 3: Bonus Materials: Digital Auras and Authors6
  • Chapter 4: Under a Long Shadow: Sequels, Prequels, Pre-Texts, Intertexts1
  • Chapter 5: Spoiled and Mashed Up: Viewer-Created Paratexts7
  • Chapter 6: In the World, Just Off Screen: Toys and Games4
  • Conclusion: "In the DNA": Creating Across Paratexts2

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A satirical video from Onion News Network between newsroom anchor Michael Bannon and reporter Rorey Covey, discussing the 'controversy' around Paramount Pictures' plan to adapt the beloved Iron Man trailer into a full, feature-length motion picture.

Iron Man trailer Onion News Network Story, video

From Introduction: Film, Television, and Off-Screen Studies

A satirical video from Onion News Network about plans to adapt the Iron Man trailer into a feature-length film.

A video trailer for The Simpsons Game from 2007, parodying WWII war game trailers like those for Medal of Honor, in which various Simpsons characters fly planes, drop bombs, and shoot guns.

Medal of Homer advertisement for The Simpsons Game, video

From Introduction: Film, Television, and Off-Screen Studies

Medal of Homer, a trailer for The Simpsons Game that parodies WWII video game trailers.

A video trailer for The Simpsons Game from 2007, parodying Grand Theft Auto video game trailers, showing scenes of various Simpsons characters committing criminal acts while the song "Rock You Like a Hurricane" by Scorpions plays in the background.

Grand Theft Scratchy advertisement for The Simpsons Game, video

From Introduction: Film, Television, and Off-Screen Studies

Grand Theft Scratchy, a trailer for The Simpsons Game that parodies Grand Theft Auto video game trailers.

A video trailer for The Simpsons Game from 2007, parodying EverQuest video game trailers, depicting various Simpsons characters in a fantasy world fighting dragons and magical creatures.

Neverquest advertisement for The Simpsons Game, video

From Introduction: Film, Television, and Off-Screen Studies

Neverquest, a trailer for The Simpsons Game that parodies EverQuest video game trailers.

A video trailer for The Simpsons Game, parodying Pokémon and other Japanese games, depicting Homer and Lisa Simpson in a Japanese cartoon-style land, fighting various enemies.

Super Happy Fun Fun advertisement for The Simpsons Game, video

From Introduction: Film, Television, and Off-Screen Studies

Super Happy Fun Fun, a trailer for The Simpsons Game that parodies Japanese-style video game trailers.

A poster for the film, Walking Tall, depicting actor The Rock, a large, muscular man, dressed in dark clothing and holding a large piece of wood in his right hand with the tag line "One man will stand up for what's right."

Walking Tall advertisement, image

From Chapter 2: Coming Soon! Hype, Intros, and Textual Beginnings

A poster for the film Walking Tall featuring The Rock. Design by Diane Reynolds-Nash.

A film poster for the film, Baby Mama, with actress Tina Fey looking skeptically at actress Amy Poehler, who is wearing pigtails and drinking a soda, with the tag line "Would you put your eggs... in this basket?" The poster also lists other actors in the film, including Greg Kinnear, Dax Shepard, Steve Martin, and Sigourney Weaver.

Baby Mama advertisement, image

From Chapter 2: Coming Soon! Hype, Intros, and Textual Beginnings

A poster for the film Baby Mama, featuring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Design by Crew Creative Advertising. Photography by Mary Ellen Matthews.

A film poster for the 2010 remake of the film Nightmare on Elm Street, with a close-up of the ominous character Freddy Krueger, reflecting firelight with a large claw-like metal hand with knives for fingers. The numbers "2010" and the website "www.nightmareonelmstreet.com" appear in red at the bottom of the poster.

Nightmare On Elm Street advertisement, image

From Chapter 2: Coming Soon! Hype, Intros, and Textual Beginnings

A poster for the 2010 remake of the film Nightmare On Elm Street. Design by Ignition and LA. Photography by Peter Tangen.

A film poster for the film Bachelor Party, showing a group of seven men coming through a door overflowing with streamers, carrying beer and champagne, who see a woman's leg in fishnet tights, a red garter, and black heels with the tag line "Shocking. Shameless. Sinful. Wicked. And the party hasn't even started." Underneath the title of the film is the additional tag line, "A man's tradition every woman should know about."

Bachelor Party advertisement, image

From Chapter 2: Coming Soon! Hype, Intros, and Textual Beginnings

A poster for the film Bachelor Party. Design by B.D. Fox Independent.

A film poster for the film Serendipity, of a man and a woman (John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale) embracing in front of a city-scape superimposed with an image of a clock with the tag line "Destiny with a sense of humor" at the top of the poster and "Can once in a lifetime happen twice?" at the bottom.

Serendipity advertisement, image

From Chapter 2: Coming Soon! Hype, Intros, and Textual Beginnings

A poster for the film Serendipity, featuring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale.

A film poster for the film Home Alone, of a young blonde boy in a red sweater (Macaulay Culkin) holding his hands to his face, yelling, with two men in black learing over his shoulders and the tag line "But don't worry. He Cooks. He Cleans. He kicks some butt" above the movie title and the line "A family comedy without the family" underneath the movie title.

Home Alone advertisement, image

From Chapter 2: Coming Soon! Hype, Intros, and Textual Beginnings

A poster for the film Home Alone, featuring Macaulay Culkin.

A film poster for Steven Spielberg's film E.T.: The Extra-terrestrial, of a child's index finger touching a scaly alien's index finger with the starry night sky behind them and the planet earth below them with the taglines "His adventure on earth" and "He is afraid. He is totally alone. And he's 3,000,000 light years from home."

E.T. advertisement, image

From Chapter 2: Coming Soon! Hype, Intros, and Textual Beginnings

A poster for the film E.T.. Design by Intralink Film Graphic Design. Artwork by John Alvin.

A film poster for the film Jaws, with the words "JAWS" in large red letters at the top and a young woman swimming across the ocean beneath the letters. A large, great white shark, jaws open, comes up at her from below with the caption "The terrifying motion picture from the terrifying No. 1 best seller." The poster lists the actors in the film, including Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, and Richard Dreyfuss.

Jaws advertisement, image

From Chapter 2: Coming Soon! Hype, Intros, and Textual Beginnings

A poster for the film Jaws, featuring the classic illustration of the great white shark. Artwork by Roger Kastel.

A film poster for the film The Blair Witch Project, of a woman's scared, watery eyes in front of a black forest with the words in white "In October 1994 three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland while shooting a documentary...A year later their footage was found." On the bottom of the poster in white letters below the woman's face are the words "The Blair Witch Project."

The Blair Witch Project advertisement, image

From Chapter 2: Coming Soon! Hype, Intros, and Textual Beginnings

A poster for the film The Blair Witch Project.

A photo of an advertisement on a New York City subway train that says in capital purple letters "You and the woman in red have a shared secret." Beneath those words is the website "u-r-connected.com." Another ad on the subway features the tag line "Everyone is Connected. From JJ Abrams, Producer of Lost" with a graphic of 6 degrees beneath that includes images of 6 actors. Below are the words "Six Degrees. Premieres Thursday September 21 10PM. ABC 7."

Six Degrees advertisement 1, image

From Chapter 2: Coming Soon! Hype, Intros, and Textual Beginnings

An advertisement for the television show, Six Degrees on the New York City subway.

A photo of an advertisement on a New York City subway train that says in capital purple letters "The man by the door will someday be your boss." Beneath those words is the website "u-r-connected.com."

Six Degrees advertisement 2, image

From Chapter 2: Coming Soon! Hype, Intros, and Textual Beginnings

An advertisement for the television show Six Degrees on the New York City subway.

A screen grab from the Six Degrees website with the words "The guy at the coffee shop will soon be your good friend" written in white letters on top of a blurry, purple image of various people hurrying along a city street.

Six Degrees teaser 1, image

From Chapter 2: Coming Soon! Hype, Intros, and Textual Beginnings

Screen grab from the Six Degrees teaser website.

A screen grab from the Six Degrees website with the words "Tell us a little bit about yourself and discover a new connection" written in white letters on top of a blurry, purple image of various people hurrying along a city street.

Six Degrees teaser 2, image

From Chapter 2: Coming Soon! Hype, Intros, and Textual Beginnings

Screen grab from the Six Degrees teaser website.

A screen grab from the Six Degrees website with the words "Question one Who are you? I am my Work. I am the sum of my experience. I am my future. I am my contribution" written in white letters on top of a blurry, purple image of various people in downtown New York City on the corner of Fifth Avenue.

Six Degrees teaser 3, image

From Chapter 2: Coming Soon! Hype, Intros, and Textual Beginnings

Screen grab from the Six Degrees teaser website.

A screen grab from the Six Degrees website that shows a small screen with a partially played "character video" next to an image of a woman dressed in business clothes, arms crossed, with a brown pontyail, looking into the camera. The Six Degrees logo is at the top of the image, following by the tagline "Everyone is connected." At the bottom of the image there are 5 other actors, two women and three men, and the words "Make another connection."

Six Degrees teaser 4, image

From Chapter 2: Coming Soon! Hype, Intros, and Textual Beginnings

Screen grab from the Six Degrees teaser website.

A mock movie trailer that uses scenes from Stanley Kubrick's classic horror film The Shining starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, and Danny Lloyd and reframes it as being a feel-good, father-son bonding movie called Shining instead of The Shining. The voiceover introduces Jack Torrance as "a writer looking for inspiration" and Danny as "a kid looking for a dad," all while Peter Gabriel's upbeat song "Solsbury Hill" plays in the background. Shots show a woman kissing a man, Jack Nicholson's character playing with a tennis ball, the family driving together in a car, and other such family-oriented scenes.

Mock trailer for Shining, video

From Chapter 2: Coming Soon! Hype, Intros, and Textual Beginnings

A mock trailer for the 'feel-good comedy,' Shining, reframing the classic horror film.

A mock movie trailer that takes scenes from Jerome Robbins' and Robert Wise's classic musical West Side Story and reframes it as being a zombie thriller using quick shots of dancers jumping, running, and crying to look like zombie attacks.

Mock trailer for West Side Story, video

From Chapter 2: Coming Soon! Hype, Intros, and Textual Beginnings

A mock trailer for a zombie-fied version of the classic musical, West Side Story.

The American trailer for the film The Sweet Hereafter in which images from the film flash past (snowy mountains, small town, various characters, etc.) while a voiceover states: "In a town where no one is a stranger, in a place where everyone feels like family, something has happened that will change their lives forever. Now, one man must find the truth. But who can you trust when everyone has a secret? Who can you blame when no one is innocent?"

The Sweet Hereafter, trailer 1, video

From Chapter 2: Coming Soon! Hype, Intros, and Textual Beginnings

The American version of the trailer for the film The Sweet Hereafter.

The Canadian trailer for the film The Sweet Hereafter in which images from the film flash past, this time including shots of a school bus filled with children and then shots of the same school bus empty and destroyed. Rather than a voiceover, this trailer uses title cards that read "Sometimes the past can't be forgotten. Sometimes justice can't be found. And sometimes the truth is just the beginning."

The Sweet Hereafter, trailer 2, video

From Chapter 2: Coming Soon! Hype, Intros, and Textual Beginnings

The Canadian version of the trailer for the film The Sweet Hereafter.

The opening credit sequence to the animated show The Simpsons. First, the show's title appears through an opening in the clouds. Then the shot settles in the fictional town, Springfield, zooming in through the window of a school where Bart Simpson is writing lines on a blackboard (this time the lines read "I will not pledge allegiance to Bart") until a bell rings and he leaves the classroom, zooming out of the front door of the school on his skateboard. The shot cuts to the inside of a Nuclear Power Plant where Homer Simpson is wearing a suit and using tongs to handle a stick of plutonium, which, after a bell rings, he drops and it falls into the back pocket of his suit as he leaves the room. Next we see Marge Simpson reading a magazine in the checkout line at a supermarket where her baby, Maggie, is traveling down the conveyer belt at which point the supermarket checkout worker accidently "rings her up," puts her in a shopping bag, and puts the bag in the cart. Maggie pops her head out of the shopping bag and Marge looks relieved. In the next shot we see Lisa Simpson playing saxophone at a band rehearsal, but as her conductor calls for the students to stop playing Lisa instead plays a solo and slowly dancing backwards out of the classroom door. Next we see Homer driving home in his car, reaching down the back of his shirt, removing the stick of plutonium and throwing it out the window, at which point Bart zooms by on his skateboard, rushes past people, and illegally skates through a crosswalk as a policeman yells at him. A car then drives erratically through that same intersection and we see a closeup of baby Maggie at a steering wheel. As the shot zooms out, however, we see that Maggie is only pretending to drive, whereas Marge is, in fact, driving the car. They both honk the horns on their respective steering wheels. Homer now pulls up in the driveway of a house, opens the garage door remotely, Bart rides his skateboard over the roof of Homer's car, Homer gets out and slams his car door, Lisa zooms by on her bicycle, almost hitting Homer, and then Marge's car pulls into the driveway as Homer runs out of the way, screaming, trying to avoid being hit. They all run into the living room to go sit on the couch, but, in this particular opening sequence, the couch is gone and they all look around confused. The shot then moves to an animated television screen which reads "Created by Matt Groening," and then "Developed by James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, Sam Simon."

The Simpsons opening credits, video

From Chapter 2: Coming Soon! Hype, Intros, and Textual Beginnings

One of many opening credit sequences to The Simpsons, in this case, the twist being that the couch is missing from the very end.

The opening credit sequence to the show Dexter. The screen starts black with white letters that read "Showtime presents," at which point the shot changes to the image of a mosquito crawling along a hairy arm. A hand slaps and kills the mosquito and a man's face appears in the background, grinning maliciously. The word "Dexter" then appears in red letters on a cream background, with drops of what appear to be blood spreading across the page. The shot changes to a blurred image of a man in front of a mirror as actors' names begin to appear on screen. We then see the man's oily finger move down his stubbled face, after which he begins to shave, nicking himself, a line of blood falling down his cheek and landing in the white sink. The man then uses a piece of paper to dab at his cut face and the blood soaks into the paper. The shot changes to a close-up of a knife cutting through meet (what turns out to be bacon, but it is unclear at first). The meet is cut, lifted, and dropped into a frying pan to be cooked. The shot changes to a close-up of a man's mouth chewing the bacon. We then see an egg being broken and cooked in a pan and then the egg being cut up on a plate and some sort of red sauce dripping onto the plate. The shot then changes to a close-up of coffee beans being ground. The man then uses a french press to brew his coffee. The shot then changes to a close-up of a blood orange being cut in front of a red background. The blood orange is then squeezed, looking very meaty and bloody. We then see dental floss being tightly wrapped around the man's fingers and the man flossing his teeth. The man then ties his shoes in a violent, creepy manner and then puts a white shirt tightly over his face. Finally, we see the man's entire face as he looks into the camera. He then locks his door, walks out of his house wearing a polo shirt and khaki pants.

Dexter opening credits, video

From Chapter 2: Coming Soon! Hype, Intros, and Textual Beginnings

Opening credits for the television crime drama, Dexter.

The opening credit sequence to the show The Sopranos in which a car is driving through a tunnel and out into the sunlight, shot from the perspective of someone within the car. We then see a city skyline across a river. Shots of a sign for the New Jersey Turnpike, the twin towers, the car driving through a toll booth, the driver of the car smoking a cigar, lighting a cigar, semi-trucks on the other side of the road, construction zones, bridges, planes taking off, the Statue of Liberty, a train yard, industrial buidlings with smokestacks, the driver's face in the rearview mirror, a cathedral, a graveyard, storefronts, brownstone homes, and finally a nice suburban neighborhood flash by as the actors, producers, and other executives' names appear on the screen. The man pulls his car up in front of a fancy house and gets out of the car as The Sopranos logo appears on screen, the "r" in the shape of a pistol.

The Sopranos opening credits, video

From Chapter 2: Coming Soon! Hype, Intros, and Textual Beginnings

Opening credits for the television drama, The Sopranos.

A compilation video of the opening credit sequences of 7 seasons of the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In each opening credit sequence the main actors/characters in the show are seen first in a close-up of their faces and then fighting various evil characters as the actors', producers', creators', and other workers' names flash across the screen. Notable is the way in which new characters' from other seasons are added into the original opening credit sequence seamlessly and how newer shots of the characters are used as the seasons progress.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer opening credits, video

From Chapter 2: Coming Soon! Hype, Intros, and Textual Beginnings

A compilation of seven seasons worth of Buffy the Vampire Slayer opening credits.

A crowded webpage offering the following options/sections: a "Free Profile" section which states "Enter information below to get started and get a free diet profile," a "The Biggest Loser Club" section which states "Be part of the NBC Phenomenon" and shows various other club members (both show contestants and others) advertising how much weight they lost and thanking The Biggest Loser for their success, a "What you get" section that lists the benefits of becoming a club member (including daily meal plans, personal progress journal, newsletter, and more), and an "Exclusive Video" section with a video ready to play titled "Say 'Basta' to Pasta!" The main colors used are The Biggest Loser brand blue and yellow.

The Biggest Loser's website, image

From Chapter 3: Bonus Materials: Digital Auras and Authors

A page from The Biggest Loser's website.

A DVD box set made to look like two framed pictures, one of three cloaked travelers walking through a wooded glen towards a figure shrouded in mist and the other of a hand-drawn map featuring mountain ranges and many circuitous roads and dashed lines.

The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers box set, image

From Chapter 3: Bonus Materials: Digital Auras and Authors

The box set for The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers Platinum Series Special Extended Edition DVD box set

A short clip from the documentary "J.R.R. Tolkien: Origins of Middle Earth" that cuts between various old photographs of Tolkien and his friends/contemporaries and the Eagle and Child Pub in Oxford, England and the talking-head style interviews of Rayner Unwin, Tolkien's publisher, and another scholar.

J.R.R. Tolkien: Origins of Middle Earth, clip 1, video

From Chapter 3: Bonus Materials: Digital Auras and Authors

Musical cues in the J. R. R. Tolkien: Origins of Middle Earth documentary draw from the film's score to elide Tolkien's and the Fellowship's respective journeys.

A short clip of a talking-head style interview from the documentary "J.R.R. Tolkien: Origins of Middle Earth."

J.R.R. Tolkien: Origins of Middle Earth, clip 2, video

From Chapter 3: Bonus Materials: Digital Auras and Authors

Musical cues in the J. R. R. Tolkien: Origins of Middle Earth documentary draw from the film's score to elide Tolkien's and the Fellowship's respective journeys.

A menu screen elision overlaid on top of a hand-drawn map showing where in New Zealand certain aspects of the fictional "Middle Earth" were filmed. The menu allows the watcher to choose "Play all," or to pick from the following options: Emyn Muil, The Dead Marshes, Rohan, Edoras, Ithilien Fangorn Forest, Helm's Deep, or Main Menu.

A Two Towers DVD, image

From Chapter 3: Bonus Materials: Digital Auras and Authors

A Two Towers DVD elision of New Zealand and Middle Earth showing where in New Zealand certain aspects of the fictional "Middle Earth" were filmed.

A split-screen image, the top of which features actor Andy Serkis crouching in front of a rocky background wearing a white body suit with his face exposed in a Gollum-esque expression. The bottom image shows the CGI-created Gollum character who looks remarkably like Andy Serkis.

Lord of the Rings Split-Screen DVD Feature, image

From Chapter 3: Bonus Materials: Digital Auras and Authors

A split-screen feature shows how Andy Serkis's performance determined the CGI Gollum's performance, further suggesting that special effects following human ability, not vice versa.

In this film clip from the movie Batman Begins Bruce Wayne (played by actor Christian Bale) and Ducard (played by actor Liam Neeson) are fighting on an iced-over lake in the mountains using swords. Ducard knocks Bruce Wayne down multiple times as Bruce Wayne fails to adequately defend himself until finally he succeeds in knocking Ducard down and Ducard is pleased.

Clip from Batman Begins, video

From Chapter 4: Under a Long Shadow: Sequels, Prequels, Pre-Texts, Intertexts

Bruce Wayne is laid low and punished by Ducard in Batman Begins, paying for the crimes of Batman and Robin while earning his right to be Batman.

This video edits together footage from the Lord of the Rings trilogy of a beautiful blonde-haired character, "Éowyn," and her uncle, an older long-haired character, "Théoden." The video shows many tender moments as she tends to her uncle, leaning over his dying body, stroking his old, wrinkled hand, bringing him drink, etc. The video also shows her mourning her dead brother and various scenes in which she is alone and upset. We also see her preparing to battle, unsheathing a sword, riding into battle, and killing another character by thrusting the sword into his helmet. The video ends with a shot of a falling white flower.

Winter, video

From Chapter 5: Spoiled and Mashed Up: Viewer-Created Paratexts

Winter by Wolfling and Magpie.

This video edits together footage from the Star Wars films that involve Obi-Wan Kenobi's relationship with both Luke and Anakin Skywalker. Such clips involve both a young Obi-Wan and the older version of him talking and fighting with Anakin (later Darth Vader), Luke, and other villains. There is also a compilation of death scenes from several of the films.

Sick Cycle Carousel, video

From Chapter 5: Spoiled and Mashed Up: Viewer-Created Paratexts

Sick Cycle Carousel by Wolfling.

This video combines many clips from the end of the first season of the television show Dexter. Important clips include a man in a hazmat suit entering a hotel room that is covered in blood, he then falls down and splashes into a pool of blood on the floor, multiple people being murdered, Dexter solving criminal cases, various disembodied Barbie-doll body parts found in random places (a drawer attached to a set of keys, in a fridge, etc.), someone's chopped off fingers, a child covered in blood screaming and crying, male friendship, and blood falling as rain.

Blood Fugue, video

From Chapter 5: Spoiled and Mashed Up: Viewer-Created Paratexts

Blood Fugue by Luminosity.

This video combines moving-sketch animation and film clips from famous movies and television shows to play with movement, colors, and video. The clips come from movies and shows such as The Matrix, Startrek, Pirates of the Caribbean, Batman, Lord of the Rings, V for Vendetta, and others.

Us, video

From Chapter 5: Spoiled and Mashed Up: Viewer-Created Paratexts

Us by Lim.

This video combines scenes from the Lord of the Rings movies that depict various characters' obsessions with the ring, mainly Gollum, and the lengths they will go to obtain the ring, including diving into volcanoes, killing others, attacking others, etc.

Hopeless, video

From Chapter 5: Spoiled and Mashed Up: Viewer-Created Paratexts

Hopeless by Luminosity.

A page from the Wikiality website dedicated to Fox News. The page includes a lot of satirical, fictitious information about Fox News, including describing Fox News as "Our Leader's Glorious Official Republican Government News Network," stating that it was founded "one day after Rupert Murdoch became a US citizen," and that the CEO is "the holy ghost." The Wikiality logo also features a circle made out of puzzle pieces that form Stephen Colbert's face.

Wikiality website, image

From Chapter 5: Spoiled and Mashed Up: Viewer-Created Paratexts

A page from the Wikiality website featuring Fox News.

An advertisement for the television show Friday Night Lights displayed in three panels, top to bottom. In the top panel a a young, dark haired woman (on the left) is about to kiss a young man (on the right) wearing a blue and white letterman jacket. Both have their eyes closed and their mouths slightly open. In the second panel a black young man in a blue and white football uniform and helmet looks into the camera. His jersey has the number 20 on the shoulder pads. In the third panel four men wearing football uniforms and holding football helmets appear to be walking out of a dark, tiled tunnel and onto a football field. They face away from the camera and 3 of them have visible numbers on their jerseys: 20, 6, and 7. In between the second and third panels the title "Friday Night Lights" is written in yellow letters on a black background.

Friday Night Lights advertisement, image

From Chapter 5: Spoiled and Mashed Up: Viewer-Created Paratexts

An ad for the television show Friday Night Lights.

A photograph showing a set of 12 action figures, still in their plastic packaging, from the Star Wars franchise. Each action figure is included on the bottom left-hand side of the packaging with a large photograph of the actor or character taking up the majority of the package. Each package also includes the words "Star Wars" written in silver letters at the top center of the package accompanied by the gold starwars logo and the characters' name in a colored box beneath. Each package is also branded with the manufacturer name: "Kenner." The top row includes 4 action figures: Luke Skywalker wearing a white tunic, brown pants, and a black belt (with a black and orange color scheme), Princess Leia Organa wearing a white dress (with a black and blue color scheme), Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi wearing a brown robe (with a black and yellow color scheme), and Han Solo wearing a white shirt, black pants, and a black vest (with a black and green color scheme) from left to right. The middle row also includes 4 action figures: See-Threepio (C-3PO), a gold-encased robot (with a black and blue color scheme), Artoo-Detoo (R2-D2), a white, silver, and blue robot (with a black and blue color scheme), Darth Vader wearing a black cloak and black helmet (with a black and yellow color scheme), and a Stormtrooper in a white, plastic full body suit with a helmet (with a black and red color scheme) from left to right. The bottom row also includes 4 action figures: Chewbacca, a brown, hairy creature with a machine gun slung over his shoulder (with a black and yellow color scheme), Jawa, a small creature with a brown cloak (with a black and yellow color scheme), one of the Sand People wearing brown robes and a green-ish face mask (with a black and green color scheme), and a Death Squad Commander wearing a gray suit, black gloves, and a black helmet (with a black and blue color scheme).

1978 Star Wars 12-Backs, image

From Chapter 6: In the World, Just Off Screen: Toys and Games

Complete set of 1978 Star Wars 12-Backs, the first twelve figures released. From the collection of Gary Wines. Photograph by Gary Wines.

A video trailer for the video game based on the film The Golden Compass that mixes scenes from the movie and animated images from the game. The trailer first shows the main character, a young red-headed girl named Lyra, receiving the golden compass, then flying in a mechanical blimp-like device above a city, then fighting wolves and other creates in a snowy mountain region, then on a ship, then in a castle-like building, then riding a polar bear, and fighting other various dark creatures, including what look to be hunters, witches, etc. While these shots quickly move from one to the next these words flash across the scene in yellow: "A dangerous mission--to the edge of another world--a new hero emerges--explore--forbidden lands--uncover--a mysterious prophecy--defeat--brutal enemies--The Golden Compass."

The Golden Compass game, video

From Chapter 6: In the World, Just Off Screen: Toys and Games

A trailer for The Golden Compass video game based on the film.

A video trailer for the video game The Simpsons Hit and Run, in which there are various scenes from the video game depicting the members of the Simpson Family driving cars, crashing into things, running away from things, and causing general mayhem.

A trailer for The Simpsons Hit and Run game, video

From Chapter 6: In the World, Just Off Screen: Toys and Games

A trailer for The Simpsons Hit and Run video game.

A screengrab from the webpage titled "What Happened in Piedmont?" On the main part of the page (dominating the left 3/4ths) there is a blog-like post titled "Dr. Jeremy Stone." Beneath this title there is a line of text that reads "May 21st, 2008 10:33pm by Andrew / 8 comments / Trackback." There is then an image showing a picture of the fictional Dr. Jeremy Stone, several lines of official-looking text, a set of fingerprints, and a signature. Beneath this image are several lines of text that read: "Found another new access code for the Wildfire intranet... and this one unlocks the file on Dr. Stone himself: Jest or Enemy. Most of this information was already available on the website, but it's interesting all the same. It's also interesting that the government knew all about the ill will between Stone and Keene, though I'm not sure why they'd make a specific note of that in the Wildfire files. Unless, of course, Keene is also involved in this somehow. Based on this access code, it also seems clear that the personnel files, at least, are protected with anagrams... so the next thing is to figure out possible access codes for the file on Tsi Chou, the only remaining scientist on the team. Suggestions? Tags: wildfire, access codes, stone." The final 1/4th of the screen includes links to pages "Home, About Me, Access Codes," a section that reads " What's Going On? The government quarantined the town of Piedmont, UT in order to contain a deadly aliened virus codenamed Andromeda. The virus was stopped, but not before claiming a lot of lives. To read the short version of what happened, start here," an "email me" button, and links to various facebook accounts.

What Happened in Piedmont? blog, image

From Chapter 6: In the World, Just Off Screen: Toys and Games

A page from the What Happened in Piedmont? blog.

This screen grab from the website for the show Heroes offers many options to travel to different areas of the site. The main section of the screen grab is dedicated to a section titled "Evolutions," which includes an image of 4 characters in a luminous bubble and the text "Go beyond your television screen and take the next leap foward with Heroes Evolutions. Dive into the Heroes universe with interactive mysteries, games, puzzles, character websites, and new stories you will only discover in the world of Heroes Evolutions. Online, offline, and on your phone, Heroes Evolutions brings the adventure into every corner of your world." Other links seen in this screen grab include "Heroes: Istory Interactive Series!" "Full Episodes," "Heroes Wiki," "Graphic Novels," "Heroes Rewind," and "Evolutions Official Sites."

Heroes "Evolutions" website, image

From Conclusion: "In the DNA": Creating Across Paratexts

The Heroes "Evolutions" website offers a portal into some of the show's many transmedia platforms.

This 5 panel, top to bottom, image shows, in the first panel, a woman's hand on top of a series of black and beige maps and graphs with two text blocks, which read, in order, "Once Bennet sent me the specs on the satellite, I heard it--faintly whispering. It was encrypted. It was lousy with security, passwords and firewalls." In the second panel we see a woman's face from a window on a train. She has long brown hair and a thin, glowing face. Two texts blocks read, in order, "I had to go where I could talk to it. Where I could bypass the security." In the third panel we see a city street with various neon signs covered in what seem to be Chinese characters and a woman with short, dark hair and a leather jacket carrying a backpack. The text box reads "Like the arctic tundra, there are places where communications are easier." In the fourth panel another dark-haired woman is sitting on a small boat floating on a lake with a mountain and pasture behind her. The text box reads "And I had to make sure that this satellite heard my orders loud and clear." In the fifth panel we see a close-up of a woman's face, her hair pulled back in a ponytail, against a red, cloudy background. The text box reads "And for that, I'd travel as far as I would need to go..."

Heroes graphic novel, image

From Conclusion: "In the DNA": Creating Across Paratexts

A page from the Heroes graphic novel following the adventures of the transmediated hero Hana Gitelman.

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