Paratext analysis

Choose an official extension of a transmedia franchise, such as a film, TV season, comic, game, or novel and analyze its paratexts (Gray), using concepts discussed throughout the class.Your analysis can focus on EITHER official marketing/promotional paratext (trailers, posters, web marketing, publicity, packaging and bonus features, etc.) OR official merchandising paratexts (clothing, toys, product tie-ins, etc.) for your chosen object. For example, you could analyze the promotional campaign for 50 Shades Freed, or the toys released to promote Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi. You should look at as much material as you can as you prepare to write, but in the actual paper choose a few specific examples to examine in depth to illustrate your observations. Consider these kinds of questions as you develop your thesis: What narrative, economic, and cultural functions do these paratextual materials serve? How do they frame the main text, and shape audience expectations or interpretations? How do they situate themselves in relation to the wider transmedia franchise? What aspects of the main text do they highlight, and what do they leave out? What, if anything, do they contribute to the main text and the wider franchise? How is authorship articulated (or not) in these paratexts? To support your analysis, you should incorporate additional academic work on transmedia paratexts (keep in mind that your sources don’t have to deal with the same franchise to be useful). Cite your sources properly and include a Works Cited page. Submit as a PDF (double-spaced, 12pt Times New Roman, 2.54cm margins)