sustainable back stories
TRANSCRIPT
ABOUT BACKSTORIESbuilding sustainable story franchises
Marcus John Henry Brown
www.marcusjohnhenrybrown.com
5 Reasons for a backstoryThere are five main reasons for creating a backstory for characters and stories. Although these reasons are business driven they ensure that the overall story remains interesting for audiences.
Increase revenues
Money
Increase breadth of story
scalability
Increase audience engagement
Engagement
Increase length of audience engagementduration
Make it easier to plan and adapt the storyplanning
Why a backstory mattersThe very first Star Wars film featured a character called Darth Vader. He was the villain of the story and at the end of the film is defeated by the good guys.
$775,398,007Worldwide box office revenues
Had George Lucas not written extensive backstories for all of the Star Wars characters the story would have stopped at the first film. Darth Vader would have had no where to go.
Source: Forbes, Lucasfilms - Research Date: 1.1.2014
Star Wars Episode IV:A New Hope
thebackstory
Why a backstory mattersDriving additional revenues by extending the story
$775,398,007
Star Wars Episode IV:A New Hope
$538,375,067
Star Wars Episode v:The Empire Strikes back
$475,106,177
Star Wars Episode v1:return of the jedi
Additional Box Office revenues created by extending the Star Wars Story.
Source: Forbes, Lucasfilms - Research Date: 1.1.2014
George Lucas had written an extensive backstory though. Between 1977 and 1983 used it to create three amazing films.
Why a backstory mattersDriving additional revenues by revealing the backstory
$775,398,007
Star Wars Episode IV:A New Hope
$538,375,067
Star Wars Episode v:The Empire Strikes back
$475,106,177
Star Wars Episode v1:return of the jedi
Additional Box-Office revenues created by filming the backstory.
$924,317,558
Star Wars Episode 1:The Phantom Menance
$649,398,328
Star Wars Episode II:Attack of the clones
$848,754,768
Star Wars Episode III:revenge of the sith
Source: Forbes, Lucasfilms - Research Date: 1.1.2014
So extensive was the Star Wars story universe that, between 1999 and 2005, Lucas Film went on to create an additional set of three films that focused completely on the backstory - answering questions such as: who was Darth Vader, where did he come from and how to he become evil? They weren’t as amazing as the first three films.
Why a backstory mattersDriving additional revenues by creating brand extensions
Star Wars Episode II:Attack of the clones
Star Wars Episode III:revenge of the sith
STAR WARSTHE CLONE WARS
The backstory made it possible to extend the Star Wars brand into other areas, such as animated films for television and computer games.
BrandExtensions
2002 20052008
$68,282,844
Why a backstory matters
An audience always wants to know why things happen and why certain characters do certain things. When Star Wars was released in 1977 nobody knew how important Darth Vader was to the story and finding out why he was so important, was a key factor in the franchise’s success – that and LIGHTSABERS.
$4,277,000,000OVERALL Worldwide box office revenues
The backstory feeds audience curiosity
Source: Forbes, Lucasfilms - Research Date: 1.1.2014
Why a backstory mattersBox Office $4,277,000,000
DVD: $3,775,000,000
Video game: $2,900,000,000BOOKs: $1,820,000,000other: $1,304,000,000TOYS: $12,000,000,000$27,000,000,000
Total Star wars franchise revenues
Source: Forbes, Lucasfilms - Research Date: 1.1.2014
The backstory becomes a story franchise
The success of Star Wars lies in its rich backstory with hundreds of interconnected characters, all of which have their own story to tell which then, in turn, become part of the story franchise.
Story franchise
Brands with backstories
172 MillionTotal Pokémon Units sold*
Nintendo’s Pokémon Franchise has a total of 719 characters, each with their own set of characteristics, skills and backstories.
719 Characters
*August 2013
Backstories with meaning
A complex & emotional charged backstory
mythology
The Poppy as a symbol of blood, loss and resurrectionSymbol
sympathy bonds
application
A final emotional discharge. Church.
climax
How the poppy appeal works
Every autumn, the commonwealth states remember their fallen soldiers. Small paper poppies are sold, without a fixed price, and the money collected goes to support charities that look after elderly, disabled or injured servicemen and women.
Backstories with meaning
In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.
Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae1915
In Flanders Fields
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/hennasabel/4761642512
Remembrance day & the poppy appeal – The mythology
Backstories with meaningRemembrance day & the poppy appeal – The mythology
16 Million deaths20 million casualties
1914 – 1918 – 1st world war
11th November at 11:00 hrs.
11.11.11Armistice Day
15th May 1915
The funeral of Alexis Helmer
Backstories with meaningRemembrance day & the poppy appeal – The Symbol
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/flintfamilyphotos/14299477616
Backstories with meaningRemembrance day & the poppy appeal – The Symbol
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullikespics/3019811681
Backstories with meaning
Source: Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.
350.000 volunteers
40 million poppies made
100.000 wreaths
750.000 Crosses
Remembrance day & the poppy appeal – The application
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/howardlake/5123632604
Backstories with meaning
Source: Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.
Remembrance day & the poppy appeal – The application
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tadekk/2228754127
Backstories with meaning
Image source: poppyscotland.org.uk
£34,000,000Total collected 2013
Source: Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.
Remembrance day & the poppy appeal – The application
Backstories with meaningRemembrance day & the poppy appeal – The application
You see them everywhere. The queen wears one, the princes, the prime minister, pop stars, weather presenters, your teachers and your neighbour.
Poppy pressure
Pressure campaign
Backstories with meaning
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/defenceimages/8315146504
11.11.11They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.At the going down of the sun and in the morning,We will remember them.Ode to the fallen - Laurence Binyon
Remembrance day & the poppy appeal – CLIMAX
One minute of complete silence – throughout the country
Backstories with meaning
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/defenceimages/5198189316
Remembrance day & the poppy appeal – CLIMAX
Marcus john henry brownManaging director – creative director
The backstory made it possible to extend the Star Wars brand into other areas, such as animated films for television and computer games.
Contact detailsMarcus John Henry Brown UG (haftungsbeschränkt)Jahnstrasse 34c80469 München
Email: [email protected]
Telephone:+49 (0)89 2351 3330
Skype:Marcus.J.H.Brown
Twitter:@MarcusJHBrownwww.marcusjohnhenrybrown.com