TRANSMEDIA STORYTELLING IN AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS: A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY OF MUANG THAI YAI U-DOM AND KASET KAO KLAI PROGRAMS WITH SOR VOR KOR PROGRAM

Abstract

This article, Transmedia Storytelling in Agricultural Programs: A Comparative Case Study of Muang Thai Yai U-Dom and Kaset Kao Klai Programs with Sor Vor Kor Program, is a part of two research studies, i.e. The Designing of Audience Touching Point of Muang Thai Yai U-dom Program, and The Media Exposure and Public Opinion towards Kaset Kao Klai Program and Sor Vor Kor Program. The questionnaires, in-depth interviews or focus group discussion were used to collect research data concerning the concepts, formats, story-telling techniques, satisfaction and expectation of the viewers on the agricultural programs in order to study the agricultural program models from the pre-production, production and post-production steps of the programs responsive to the needs of the audience. This article presents only the results in which the “7 Principles for Transmedia Storytelling by Henry Jenkins” was used as an analysis tool. The study points out that the agricultural television programs nowadays, which are under the trend of earning lesser air-time, need to bring in different story-telling techniques. According to the study, it is found that both programs used both linear and non-linear storytelling techniques depending on the nature of contents. The linear technique was used to tell easy-to-understand stories, while the non-linear technique in the shifting format was used for long or complicated or high impact contents in order to make the stories more interesting and easier to understand. As for the 7 principles of storytelling by Henry Jenkins, it is found the both programs applied 6 following principles: (1) spread ability and drill ability; (2) continuity and multiplicity; (3) immersion and extractability; (4) fantasy world creation; (5) subjectivity or storytelling from the perspective of each person in the drama; and (6) performance or the audience participating in creating the common world. Both the Kaset Kao Klai and Sor Vor Kor programs have similarity with the Mueang Thai Yai U-dom program in storytelling in that they told each story from the beginning to the end of each part with the use of ether the linear technique or the non-linear technique. They did not plan for storytelling in series. This is because the nature of agricultural content is highly specific and difficult to understand if not being explained to the completion of the full process. Thus no principle of storytelling in series was employed. As for the use of online media, it is found that both programs provided online channels to spread information, in-depth content telling, multi-style storytelling, as well as to create community, participation, interaction both among community members and between senders and receivers. Moreover, the online platforms can be used as reflection tools for further story and program evaluation.