Depok-Media Production study program, Vocational Education Program, Universitas Indonesia (UI), held an exhibition of Transmedia Storytelling project work on December 8, 2023. Located in the UI Vocational VC Building, the exhibition was attended by fourteen groups of Media Production students class of 2022 as part of the Final Semester Examination assessment. The exhibition carries various themes which are classified into three broad categories, namely transmedia storytelling for brands, transmedia storytelling for social change, and fiction transmedia storytelling.On this occasion, Deni Danial Kesa, MBA., Ph.D, UI Vocational Deputy Director for Education, Research and Student Affairs; Alexander Tendo Argi Pratama, Creative Technology Tedstud; Dyah Paramita Saraswati, Music Editor Spotify; Ngurah Rangga Wiwesa, M.I.Kom., Head of the Media Production Study Program; and Nailul Mona, M.Si., lecturer in the Transmedia Storytelling course.
At the end of the Transmedia Storytelling course, students in groups are asked to build a story that is told through various media and experiences. The students utilized this opportunity as best as possible to display their best work by utilizing a wide variety of media and exhibited in their respective booths. Starting from conventional media such as posters, stickers, comics, books, t-shirts; also digital media such as games, films, quizzes, podcasts, music, social media, and others. Visitors who attend can see and get information from student work. They can also play games, try augmented reality (AR), try simulators, take photos with cosplayers, play quizzes, and so on.
(Photo: One of the booths at the Transmedia Exhibition entitled “Dolanan Nostalgia”)
One of the stories displayed at the exhibition is “Dolanan Nostalgia”. The stories told are nostalgia for childhood toys that are now increasingly rarely played with, such as congklak, bekel, inflatable rubber balloons, marbles, toy ships, and others. Visitors who attend can try the game and at the same time taste the children’s snacks provided. Another group, “Meet the Myth”, highlights Indonesian folk stories conveyed through various contemporary media, such as podcasts and maps equipped with QR codes. Meanwhile, the group “The Legend of Horror UI” specifically discusses horror stories on the UI campus. The group displays stories on several media such as video interviews with campus security guards, videos of courage tests, horror events, stickers and key chains. Apart from that, the exhibition booth is also equipped with spooky thematic decorations and a game with “blood” prizes. Interestingly, several students cosplayed as ghosts to attract visitors’ attention.
(Photo: “The Legend of Horror UI” booth at Transmedia Exhibition)
Not only about fiction, there are also groups who choose story about “Skena” culture or the acronym for “Sua, cengKErama, kelaNA” (meet, chat, and travel) which is currently being widely discussed by young people. The aim to be achieved is to show that the skena which often has a negative stigma in society, is in fact not like that. Because, the skena only has uniqueness and freedom of expression that is embraced by young people, especially generation Z. The group displays items worn by skena people such as clothes, shoes and jackets while also inviting visitors to wear clothes in the style of skena people in a mixed and match the skena clothing. Apart from that, the group also made a music video and podcast entitled “South Jakarta vs EVERYBODY” which talks about the cultural life of South Jakarta.
No less interesting, there are also groups that raise social issues regarding menstruation with the aim of increasing awareness about menstruation among men, as well as clearing up the myths that arise regarding menstruation. The exhibition booth is equipped with painting art installations, menstrual myth comics, posters, stickers, short film screenings, and what most attracts visitors’ attention is a menstrual engineering simulator. This tool is considered capable of producing pain equivalent to the pain felt by women during menstruation.
(Photo: One of the visitors to the Transmedia Exhibition tries out a menstrual engineering simulator)
Rangga said that there were still many stories and media displayed by Media Production students throughout the exhibition. “The exhibition is a place to show off students’ abilities to create their best works through various media. From this exhibition, I hope they learn to present a topic effectively and interestingly,” said Rangga.
