06.-08.06.2025

Creating a Transmedia Strategy for Film Professionals

06.-08.06.2025 - 3 DAYS - ON-SITE - DOWNTOWN HELSINKI

Designed to equip filmmakers with the knowledge of the gaming industry’s structure, technologies, and storytelling techniques to enhance cross-media collaboration and content creation.

EARLY BIRD DEADLINE 14.4.2025

Key Learning Outcomes

Develop a transmedia strategy – Learn how to expand stories across multiple platforms

Shape a creative vision with long-term potential – From script to interactive worlds
Understand the business of IP adaptation – How gaming, film, and digital media connect

Build sustainable audience engagement strategies – Leveraging community-driven storytelling

Who Should Attend?

Film & TV producers looking to expand their IPs into new media

  • Writers & scriptwriters interested in multi-platform storytelling

  • Game developers & creative teams working with story-driven content

  • Marketing & business professionals seeking innovative audience engagement strategies

Fees & Application dates

Early Bird (until 14.04.) 790 EUR

Regular (until 20.04.) 840 EUR

Late Bird (until 28.04) 960 EUR

Application period 07.-28.04.2025.

Selected participants informed 05.05.2025.

*inc. lunches for all three days and a networking event

The Course

Day 1 - Your Creation’s Signature

In day 1 of this master class workshop, participants will learn to distill an idea down to its central “creative signature”. The Creative Signature is defined as a combination of its Narrative Voice, its World Focus. This “technique” is universal and is used by authors, creative directors and content producers as federating and alignment tools to bring together all stakeholders on project around a central vision. This vision then translates easily to both the community development and transmedia strategy and deployment.

Module 1: Narrative Voice

Module 2: World Focus

Day 2 - Your Creation as a Game

In day 2 of this master class workshop, participants will transform their original movie or tv series concept into a video game, leveraging the Creative Alignment tools they developed in day 1. This day allows them to begin to envision their project as a question that will generate community involvement and serve as a basis to select eventual other media in a transmedia deployment that would act synergistically with their creation. Mapping a benchmark journey as a game, ideas for the TV series and Movie also gain new perspective and can help develop the original project with a more focused perspective.

Module 3: Character Loops

Module 4: Journey Blueprint & Narrative Layers

Day 3 - Your Transmedia Strategy

On day 3 of the workshop participants will brainstorm ideas for other media that leverages the core signature. If the original launch medium is a TV Series or Movie, taking a brave look at what the core vision would look like as a board game, audio podcast, visual novel, a comic book or merchandise, helps connect content creators with the public that they are targeting to assure that there is coherency throughout the community development and transmedia deployment.

Module 5: Synergetic Content Forms

Module 6: Community Development Strategy

Before Applying / Requirements

Course language English

Group work Yes

Technical prerequisites None

What to bring Laptop and note taking items

Who can apply?

Even if our courses are designed with a specific target audience in mind, all film, TV, gaming, literary and creative industry professionals are welcome to apply. We believe this is what enhances the cross-industry experience and takes us all further.

Meet Kurt McClung

Kurt McClung is a narrative game designer, screenwriter, and transmedia strategist with over two decades of experience shaping immersive, player-driven stories across games, film, television, and interactive media.

With a career spanning 100+ IPs for 50+ studios, Kurt has worked with industry giants such as Ubisoft, Microsoft, Focus Entertainment, Bandai Namco, Nacon, Hachette, and Humanoids. His credits include Might & Magic, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon, Skull & Bones, Greedfall, Ravenswatch, Tiger Blade, Curse of the Dead Gods, and the upcoming Cthulhu with Big Bad Wolf. Beyond game development, he has created original IPs across video games, VR, table-top games, comics, press, and cinema, cementing his reputation as a pioneer in transmedia storytelling.

A precursor in transmedia storytelling and strategy, Kurt developed the 360 Narrative Design and Creative Alignment methodology, empowering creatives across all major media to build cohesive, multi-platform experiences. His expertise has led him to teach courses globally, from Singapore and the U.S. to top French universities, including Georges Méliès, ISART, and Pixel Academia.

In 2001, Kurt founded and later sold Yeti Entertainment, a children's IP design studio, to Humanoids Group. He also co-founded Taliespin, Goldilocks, and Hawkswell, where he currently serves as a creative content director and writer.

Specialties:
Game Narrative Design – Crafting compelling, interactive storylines for players
Transmedia Strategy – Expanding IPs across games, film, books, and digital media
World-Building & Screenwriting – Creating immersive universes with rich lore and deep character arcs
Creative Direction & IP Development – Guiding projects from concept to execution

With a deep passion for storytelling innovation, Kurt McClung continues to shape the future of interactive and transmedia narratives, helping creators build sustainable, audience-driven IPs in a rapidly evolving creative landscape.

Kurt will lead two courses at Helsinki Film Lab:

Creating a Transmedia Strategy for Film Professionals
Narrative Game Design for Film Scriptwriters

Where? Gilda, Kulttuurikasarmi, Helsinki

 

Application process

  • We look forward to you sending your application! Please note the different dates for Early Bird, Regular and Late Bird prices.

  • Your application will be carefully evaluated by the HFL team together with the Masterclass holder. We take great care in creating a group of participants from different backgrounds and experience levels that suite the course in the best way possible.

  • Selected participants will be informed, and the invoice for the course fee will be sent. Please note that the fee needs to reach us within 7 working days unless stated otherwise. After this, the spot might be offered to a participant in the waitlist.

  • It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

✺ Frequently asked questions ✺

  • If a project is needed with your application, it will be clearly indicated on the course page. 

  • The number of participants depends greatly on the course. In general, the more group work there is, the fewer participants are accepted. We pride ourselves with giving the best possible learning experience to all attendees and hire teaching assistants for larger course groups if needed.

  • Courses at Helsinki Film Lab must be applied to, after which we select participants together with the masterclass holder. Courses are either online or onsite in Helsinki or an international destination. This will be clearly indicated in the course information.

  • Helsinki Film Lab courses are held either online or on-site in Helsinki or at different international locations. The course information will include the location, and upon being selected for a course, you will receive detailed information.

  • Helsinki Film Lab courses are always in English unless stated otherwise in the course programme.

  • Helsinki Film Lab does give a 10% discount to participants from the following organisations: EAVE (European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs), Sunklo (Finnish Writers’ Guild) and AVATE Audiovisual Authors and Performers Finland. If your organisation is not listed here, please let us know: moi@helsinkifilmlab.fi We are always looking for ways to be more accessible to creative industry professionals. 

  • Being on the Waitlist for a course means that your application has been successful, but we might not have space. Spots on the course become available if someone does not accept their place or cancels.

  • To apply to a Helsinki Film Lab course, you need to fill in the application form here. If the course you want to apply for is not indicated in the application form, the course does not have dates yet. In this case, please register your interest on the specific course page. We will inform you as soon as the dates have been secured.

  • The different fee rates depend on the date we receive your application.

  • We look forward to hearing from you! Please email us at moi@helsinkifilmlab.fi.

  • Our selection process is very streamlined, and we aim to respond within 14 days.

  • Helsinki Film Lab does not organise accommodation or flights at the moment, but we do offer special rates with our Official Hotel Partner, Hobo Hotel Helsinki. All selected participants will receive a special code they can use.