{"id":21626,"date":"2021-06-09T15:27:54","date_gmt":"2021-06-09T15:27:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/?p=21626&post_type=story"},"modified":"2023-11-20T20:20:16","modified_gmt":"2023-11-20T20:20:16","slug":"generating-a-buzz","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/generating-a-buzz\/","title":{"rendered":"Generating a Buzz"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summer 2021\u00a0<\/em>|\u00a0By Nicole Dudenhoefer \u201917<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

From franchises such as HBO\u2019s\u00a0True Blood<\/em> and Game of\u00a0Thrones<\/em> to Hulu\u2019s The Handmaid\u2019s\u00a0Tale<\/em>, chances are Mike Monello \u201992<\/strong>\u00a0has played a role in promoting \u2014 or\u00a0rather, expanding the experience of \u2014\u00a0one of your favorite TV shows.<\/p>\n

As the founder and creative\u00a0director of transmedia marketing\u00a0firm Campfire, Monello has created\u00a0dozens of innovative campaigns over\u00a0the years. But the film grad\u2019s interest\u00a0in marketing was actually driven by\u00a0the success of one of his first movies,\u00a0The Blair Witch Project<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In the mid-\u201990s, Monello worked\u00a0with five other UCF film<\/a> alums \u2014\u00a0Robin Cowie \u201993<\/strong>, Gregg Hale \u201995<\/strong>,\u00a0Dan Myrick \u201993<\/strong>, Eduardo S\u00e1nchez\u00a0\u201994<\/strong> and Ben Rock \u201995<\/strong> \u2014 to help create\u00a0the movie. By launching a website\u00a0with a backstory for the film, many\u00a0thought the movie was a documentary\u00a0rather than part of the promotion,\u00a0causing Blair Witch to go viral before\u00a0doing so was really a thing. Building on\u00a0that buzz, the team was able to drum\u00a0up a strong fan base before the horror\u00a0flick even had a final cut.<\/p>\n

And while Blair Witch<\/em> remains\u00a0the fifth highest-earning independent\u00a0film of all time, having grossed around\u00a0$250 million worldwide, Monello\u00a0says Hollywood wasn\u2019t ready to invest\u00a0in projects that spent money online.\u00a0However, marketing firms across the\u00a0nation recognized the success and\u00a0wanted to replicate it. So many\u00a0reached out for other projects\u00a0that eventually Monello and Hale\u00a0co-founded Campfire in 2005.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarketers weren\u2019t looking for\u00a0a business model, they just wanted\u00a0attention, and we were getting\u00a0budgets to basically tell stories\u00a0online,\u201d says Monello, who accessed\u00a0the internet for the first time at\u00a0UCF. \u201cThat was so much fun and\u00a0fascinating because it felt \u2014 and still\u00a0feels \u2014 like basically every time we\u00a0did something it was the first time.\u201d<\/p>\n

While no two projects are alike,\u00a0Monello has learned some basic principles that help get people\u2019s\u00a0attention.<\/p>\n

Blur the Lines Between Fact\u00a0and Fiction<\/h2>\n

Just like with Blair Witch, Monello\u2019s\u00a0work often leaves people wondering\u00a0if what they\u2019re experiencing is\u00a0actually reality. This includes a\u00a0fictional pirate radio station for\u00a0Amazon\u2019s The Man in the High Castle<\/em>,\u00a0which takes place in an alternate\u00a0post-WWII universe where the Axis\u00a0powers won. \u201cIn 2017, we created a\u00a0pirate radio station that broadcast\u00a0from a neutral zone in the middle of\u00a0the states and included original music\u00a0and characters talking about the\u00a0resistance,\u201d Monello says. \u201cIt really\u00a0resonated at the time because a lot\u00a0of people felt America was taking a\u00a0wrong turn, and some even thought\u00a0it was a real, modern-day station.\u201d<\/p>\n

[photo id=”21886″ title=”HighCastle” alt=”” width=”100%”] For Amazon’s\u00a0The Man in the High Castle<\/em>, Campfire created a fictional pirate radio station<\/a> that may have existed in the show’s neutral zone in America.[\/photo]<\/p>\n

[divider][\/divider]<\/p>\n

Let Viewers Participate<\/h3>\n

Monello says there is a recurring\u00a0theme that has proven to be\u00a0successful for every project \u2014\u00a0the importance of leveraging\u00a0participatory storytelling. Across\u00a0multiple seasons of Game of Thrones<\/em>,\u00a0Campfire created opportunities for\u00a0fans to be a part of the story. \u201cFor\u00a0the show\u2019s first season, we created\u00a0a campaign around the senses,\u00a0including pop-up food trucks in New\u00a0York with a Game of Thrones-themed\u00a0menu,\u201d he says. \u201cFor the DVD release\u00a0of season two, we created a site where\u00a0fans could take a communal pledge of\u00a0service to the Night\u2019s Watch.\u201d<\/p>\n

[photo id=”21889″ title=”Thrones” alt=”” width=”100%”]For HBO’s\u00a0Game of Thrones<\/em>, Campfire has created games and other online engagement activities<\/a> to appeal to fans of a deeper interest.[\/photo]<\/p>\n

[divider][\/divider]<\/p>\n

Consider All Types of Fandom<\/h4>\n

Campfire\u2019s work centers on thinking\u00a0about their audience in three\u00a0segments: skimmers, people who\u00a0pay attention to something only\u00a0when it appears in their day-today\u00a0life; dippers, those who enjoy\u00a0some aspects of something, but\u00a0their fandom is dependent on\u00a0social rewards; and divers, hardcore\u00a0fans whose interest is deep and\u00a0self-motivated. \u201cWhen we first\u00a0launched True Blood<\/em> with HBO, we\u00a0incorporated aspects of gameplay,\u00a0a fake documentary, websites, and\u00a0print and billboard ads to create a\u00a0campaign that was multifaceted and\u00a0appealed to people with various levels\u00a0of attention,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

[photo id=”22165″ title=”TruBlood-2″ alt=”” position=”center” width=”100%”] For HBO’s True Blood<\/em>, Campfire used a variety of promotional tactics<\/a>, from a fake documentary to billboard ads to create buzz around the TV show’s premiere.[ [\/photo]<\/p>\n

[divider][\/divider]<\/p>\n

Expand Storytelling\u00a0Opportunities<\/h4>\n

As binge-watching and streaming at\u00a0home have become more popular,\u00a0Monello says series creators and\u00a0producers are realizing they need\u00a0to create content that keeps the\u00a0fans engaged between releases, such\u00a0as his work for the new children\u2019s\u00a0series Ghostwriter<\/em> on Apple TV+.\u00a0\u201cDuring the pandemic, we filmed a\u00a0socially distant bonus vlog with one\u00a0of the characters to teach children\u00a0about storytelling and worked with\u00a0five state library systems to develop\u00a0programming,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

[photo id=”21884″ title=”Ghostwriter” alt=”” width=”100%”]For Apple TV’s new show Ghostwriter<\/em>, Campfire wrote and filmed a physically distant vlog<\/a> with one of the characters. [\/photo]<\/p>\n

[divider][\/divider]<\/p>\n

Prioritize Physical Experiences<\/h4>\n

As we\u2019re coming out of the pandemic\u00a0and people are looking to get out\u00a0more, Monello says he sees the return\u00a0of physical marketing experiences,\u00a0such as the one Campfire worked on\u00a0for Amazon\u2019s Hunters<\/em>. \u201cHunters<\/em> has\u00a0this \u201970s grindhouse movie vibe and\u00a0takes place in New York,\u201d Monello\u00a0says. \u201cFor six days, we took over two\u00a0blocks in Los Angeles, with actors in\u00a0clothes, music and cars from the time,\u00a0and altered 16 stores, a bowling alley\u00a0and movie theater to look like they\u00a0were from \u201970s New York. It was a\u00a0new way for people to explore a block\u00a0they were familiar with and a fun way\u00a0to experience the vibe of the show.\u201d<\/p>\n

[photo id=”21903″ title=”Hunters 2″ alt=”” position=”center” width=”100%”]In February 2020, Campfire transformed two blocks in Highland Park, Los Angeles<\/a> to replicate the look and feel of Amazon\u2019s 1970s grindhouse-movie-style show Hunters<\/em>.[\/photo]<\/p>\n

[divider][\/divider]<\/p>\n

Have Your Own Sandbox<\/h4>\n

While Monello\u2019s career has heavily\u00a0revolved around other creators\u2019\u00a0stories, he\u2019s recently been working\u00a0with a team to create his own\u00a0narrative with the horror podcast\u00a0Video Palace. After a successful first\u00a0season, he\u2019s worked with several\u00a0authors to publish Video Palace: In\u00a0Search of the Eyeless Man<\/em>, a collection\u00a0of short stories that expands on the\u00a0podcast. \u201cWe had been world building\u00a0for so many stories we didn\u2019t develop\u00a0and wanted to take what we learned to\u00a0create our own myths and stories that\u00a0linger with people longer,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

[divider][\/divider]<\/p>\n

[photo id=”22164″ title=”Handmaids-2″ alt=”” position=”center” width=”100%”]For Hulu’s The\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0Handmaid’s Tale<\/em>, Campfire placed teaser promotional items in women’s restrooms<\/a> during New York Comic Con to ignite conversations around the show ahead of its premiere.[\/photo]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[photo id=”21888″ title=”SharkWeek” alt=”” width=”100%”] For\u00a0Discovery Channel’s Shark Week<\/em>, Campfire created a transmedia experience<\/a> that used influencer outreach, Facebook Connect and a website to bring the visceral terror of a shark attack directly to its audience.[\/photo]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":21758,"template":"","categories":[999],"tags":[1542,285,1452],"class_list":["post-21626","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumknights","tag-film","tag-school-of-visual-arts-and-design","tag-ucf-alumni","issues-1541","issues-summer-2021"],"yoast_head":"\nGenerating a Buzz: Mike Monello on the Evolution of Transmedia Storytelling<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How one of the minds behind the \u201990s viral sensation "The Blair Witch Project" continues to evolve transmedia storytelling.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/generating-a-buzz\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Generating a Buzz\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How one of the minds behind the \u201990s viral sensation "The Blair Witch Project" continues to evolve transmedia storytelling.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/generating-a-buzz\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Pegasus Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UCF\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-11-20T20:20:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2021\/06\/YoastImage_Monello_1200x630.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2021\/06\/Mike_Monello-Yoast-1024x512.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@UCF\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/generating-a-buzz\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/generating-a-buzz\/\",\"name\":\"Generating a Buzz: Mike Monello on the Evolution of Transmedia Storytelling\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/generating-a-buzz\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/generating-a-buzz\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2021\/06\/StorySquare-Thumbnail_Monello-220x230.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-06-09T15:27:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-11-20T20:20:16+00:00\",\"description\":\"How one of the minds behind the \u201990s viral sensation \\\"The Blair Witch Project\\\" continues to evolve transmedia storytelling.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/generating-a-buzz\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/generating-a-buzz\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/generating-a-buzz\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2021\/06\/StorySquare-Thumbnail_Monello-220x230.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2021\/06\/StorySquare-Thumbnail_Monello-220x230.jpg\",\"width\":220,\"height\":230,\"caption\":\"Mike Monello with a collage of objects, such as a raven, trees and a radio, reflecting his work\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/generating-a-buzz\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Generating a Buzz\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/\",\"name\":\"Pegasus Magazine\",\"description\":\"The Magazine of University of Central Florida\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/generating-a-buzz\/#local-main-organization-logo\",\"url\":\"\",\"contentUrl\":\"\",\"caption\":\"University of Central Florida\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Generating a Buzz: Mike Monello on the Evolution of Transmedia Storytelling","description":"How one of the minds behind the \u201990s viral sensation \"The Blair Witch Project\" continues to evolve transmedia storytelling.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/generating-a-buzz\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Generating a Buzz","og_description":"How one of the minds behind the \u201990s viral sensation \"The Blair Witch Project\" continues to evolve transmedia storytelling.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/generating-a-buzz\/","og_site_name":"Pegasus Magazine","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UCF","article_modified_time":"2023-11-20T20:20:16+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":630,"url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2021\/06\/YoastImage_Monello_1200x630.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_image":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2021\/06\/Mike_Monello-Yoast-1024x512.jpg","twitter_site":"@UCF","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/generating-a-buzz\/","url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/generating-a-buzz\/","name":"Generating a Buzz: Mike Monello on the Evolution of Transmedia Storytelling","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/generating-a-buzz\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/generating-a-buzz\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2021\/06\/StorySquare-Thumbnail_Monello-220x230.jpg","datePublished":"2021-06-09T15:27:54+00:00","dateModified":"2023-11-20T20:20:16+00:00","description":"How one of the minds behind the \u201990s viral sensation \"The Blair Witch Project\" continues to evolve transmedia storytelling.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/generating-a-buzz\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/generating-a-buzz\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/generating-a-buzz\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2021\/06\/StorySquare-Thumbnail_Monello-220x230.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2021\/06\/StorySquare-Thumbnail_Monello-220x230.jpg","width":220,"height":230,"caption":"Mike Monello with a collage of objects, such as a raven, trees and a radio, reflecting his work"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/generating-a-buzz\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Generating a Buzz"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/","name":"Pegasus Magazine","description":"The Magazine of University of Central Florida","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/generating-a-buzz\/#local-main-organization-logo","url":"","contentUrl":"","caption":"University of Central Florida"}]}},"acf":[],"story_subtitle":"How one of the minds behind the \u201990s viral sensation The Blair Witch Project continues to evolve transmedia storytelling.","story_description":"How one of the minds behind the \u201990s viral sensation <em>The Blair Witch Project<\/em> continues to evolve transmedia storytelling.","story_thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2021\/06\/SmallStory-Thumbnail_Monello-263x175.jpg","width":263,"height":175},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/21626","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/story"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/21626\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24588,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/21626\/revisions\/24588"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21758"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}