Creating Storyworlds: Helsinki Film Lab Launches First Transmedia Strategy Course for Film Professionals
Photo credit: Hera Choi
A full weekend of creative exchange, hands-on learning, and story expansion strategies brought together professionals from across the creative industries in Helsinki.
Last weekend, Helsinki Film Lab launched its first-ever masterclass, Creating a Transmedia Strategy for Film Professionals, led by narrative designer Kurt McClung.
Held in downtown Helsinki, the course brought together 14 participants from a wide range of creative fields, including film producers, screenwriters, game designers, animators, editors, and even literary agents. This mix of backgrounds created the ideal environment for cross-disciplinary dialogue and deep learning.
A Structured Path Into Transmedia Storytelling
McClung's intensive, three-day masterclass was structured into six modules. Participants learned the basics of narrative structures in video games, explored hands-on exercises in group settings, and gradually progressed to strategic thinking for adapting intellectual property (IP) across platforms.
The core message from McClung to participants was that transmedia storytelling is not just about distributing content on different platforms but about building a coherent storyworld that has a message strong enough to spark discussion and engage audiences across formats.
Practical Tools and Peer Collaboration
The course was hands-on, collaborative, and designed to challenge conventional thinking. Participants asked key questions:
What makes a story expandable across media?
What is the audience’s role in shaping a transmedia experience?
How do you build a sustainable transmedia IP from the ground up?
Expert Insights and Industry Connection
As part of the course, Liisa Sauri from Creative Europe Desk Finland shared concrete funding strategies for transmedia projects and how to access them through existing European funding schemes.
A Growing Community of Creative Professionals
Seeing professionals from different sectors come together to exchange perspectives, challenge each other’s thinking, and imagine new possibilities was exactly the kind of environment we aim to foster. This course was a vivid example of what happens when industries intersect, collaborate, and evolve together.
We’re deeply thankful to Kurt McClung for his generous teaching, to our participants for their energy and curiosity, and to our partners, Helsingin kaupunki, Helsingfors stad, City of Helsinki, and Digital Creative Industries and Beyond (DCIB) for their support.
And exciting news: the next edition is coming soon — and it’s online!
Wherever you're based, you can join. And thanks to our continued collaboration with City of Helsinki and Digital Creative Industries and Beyond (DCIB), we have 8 fully funded spots for production companies based in Helsinki, Espoo, and Vantaa. More information and registration here.
