Transmedia: Storytelling for the Digital Age

Chuck Wendig:  "[...] I wanted to take a look at the film for some of the storytelling lessons it offers — in this case, not negative lessons (of which you could find some, I’m sure), but rather, positive takeaways that might wet your mind whistle when it comes to thinking about your story or other stories or, I dunno, delicious enchiladas."

Alex Billington:  "Many moviegoers (myself included) have already seen the new Star Wars two or three times, with plans to catch it a few more times while it's playing in theaters. This will definitely help set a box office precedent but beyond that it's proof it's possible to make storytelling so valuable that, even if it's not the best movie of the year, people are willing to pay to re-watch up to four or five or six times. That's remarkable."

Adam Rogers:  "The shared universe represents something rare in Hollywood: a new idea. It evolved from the narrative techniques not of auteur or blockbuster films but of comic books and TV, and porting that model over isn’t easy. It needs different kinds of writers and directors and a different way of looking at the structure of storytelling itself. Marvel prototyped the process; Lucasfilm is trying to industrialize it."

Richard Edwards:  "Ever wanted to know how Star Wars keeps all of the movies, comics, books and TV shows all in line with each other? Meet the story team" ...

"Andrew Au, managing director for Imagination Southeast Asia, contemplates the onslaught of Star Wars-themed marketing."

James Whitbrook:  "When Star Wars released in 1977, the face of science fiction in popular culture was changed forever — but a year later, the movie helped transform the toy industry as well. Since then, Star Wars and the toys it inspired have been forever linked, a story that can just as easily be told through figures as it can the films."

Adrian Covert:  "Think Star Wars made most its money off the films? Think again!"

Peter Sciretta:  "Star Wars Long-Form Interconnected Storytelling could change everything. Lucasfilm are creating a completely connected world, from movies, tv, books, and games."

I would also recommend checking out Jason Hamilton's Star Wars Timeline.

Daniel Terdiman:  "Lucasfilm released Jakku Spy, which puts viewers in the role of a Resistance agent in the desert world of Jakku, last month. But the company is only now, exclusively toFast Company, opening up to talk about the process behind its first foray into an official Star Wars VR experience."

Danielle Zimmerman:  "This special may be terrible, but you should still watch it. (After all, it’s all technically canon!) Sure, the long holiday season may be finally coming to a close, but there’s no such thing as the best time to watch this holiday special. So, why not watch it now?"

The Economist:  "How one company came to master the business of storytelling" ...

Anne Zeiser:  "Just as Disney and Lucasfilm have orchestrated it, you must go see Star Wars: The Force Awakens to untangle all of its mysteries. But in the meantime, you can scour Star Wars-themed products on grocery shelves and retail stores to look for more clues."

Michael Grothaus:  '"Our responsibility is to produce meaningful and playful toys for the kids, and also to help kids take the Star Wars universe and expand it in their own play plans," says [Steve] Evans. Unsurprisingly, in order to achieve that, he and his team work closely with the creative minds behind the franchise.'

Adam Rosenberg:  "Like many of the stories coming out in the run-up to The Force Awakens, Uprising exists in a strange place. There's 20 years of history separating Return of the Jedi from the December film, which is a lot of time for any one piece of fiction to cover."

James Whitbrook:  "When a franchise is around for four decades, it can get impossibly unwieldy to try and grasp its lore — and Star Wars canon is no exception. Here's a guide to the origins of Star Wars Canon, the rise and fall of one of the most prominent Expanded Universes in fiction, and where the saga stands with Disney today."

Geek's Guide To The Galaxy:  " The Star Wars universe now comprises a vast array of products, from movies and TV shows to videogames and toys. But it all started with one movie, Star Wars (later Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope), whose modest $11 million budget was less than the average studio comedy at the time."

Joe Berkowitz:  "Agency Sincerely Truman offers four storytelling rules to JJ Abrams in the hopes that he will make his Star Wars sequel more like the original movies."