Enhancing transmedia component through world building; the case of Ejen Ali franchise

ABSTRACT

This study examines the functional utilities of world building through the analysis of Ejen Ali as a case study of transmedia narrative. It recognises world building as a creative process that strategically portrays a fictional storyworld across multiple works that exist in varying media format. By employing qualitative case study research, the analysis of this study will illustrate that world building serves to enhance individual instalments beyond its narrative aspect. Additionally, world building is also capable of facilitating immersion for an instalment within the boundary of its mode and affordances as well as incorporating cultural reference to potentially relate to its audience. From this, world building will solidify the value and relevance of individual components as a subset of a larger transmedia work. This study aims to demonstrate how world building acts as a foundational element, enhancing the value proposition of diverse components within the Ejen Ali franchise.

KEYWORDS:

• Immersion
• transmedia narrative
• world building
• Malaysia
• animation industry
• Ejen Ali

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).