FMST 034. Transmedia Worldbuilding and Storytelling

The invention and exploration of elaborate fictional worlds span millennia of human cultural practice, from the islands of Homer’s Odyssey to the Middle Earth of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and the blockbuster universes of Star Wars, Marvel and DC. This class explores the mechanical and aesthetic principles of crafting detailed imaginary worlds and using them to tell stories that interconnect across diverse media, ranging from film, television, theater, and comics to digital and tabletop gaming, LARPs, virtual reality, and other emerging platforms. In a workshop environment devoted to developing our own world concepts, we will engage forms of paratextual production such as costume and set design; model building and prop fabrication; the drafting of maps, blueprints, encyclopedias, and other reference materials; and the coining of conlangs (constructed languages). Through our creative work we will explore the history of and critical theory surrounding subcreation, transmedia storytelling, and convergence culture, touching on key works in literary and adaptation theory, global/locative studies, fandom studies, production culture, genre theory, narratology, performance, gaming, animation, and spectacle/special effects.
Prerequisite: Any FMST course. FMST 001, FMST 025, FMST 036, FMST 041, or any production course strongly recommended.
Humanities.
Spring 2026. Rehak.
Catalog chapter: Film and Media Studies
Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/film-media-studies

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