CMNS130A/B: Detective Pikachu and Transmedia Storytelling

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the film "Pokémon Detective Pikachu," focusing on its implementation of transmedia storytelling techniques. It examines how the movie, based on the popular video game franchise, leverages various media platforms to engage audiences an...Read More

Running head: A STUDY ON POKEMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU
A STUDY ON POKEMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1A STUDY ON POKEMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU
In a world full of advanced communication systems, the function of media and digital
technology has become evidently significant in order to generate the entertainment across the
globe, provided with the inclusion of moral values, beliefs and the behavioral conduct. The
process integrates the multitude on the basis of categorized interest. Following it, Transmedia
introduces the new aesthetic aspects established in response to the convergence of media
technology (Kirby, 2016). It is the trail of active participation of the communities that are
identified as knowledgeable and conveys the art of digital world creation of a fictional
dimension. The process involves the act of hunters and gatherers, penetrating down the pieces
of the story across media channels, collaborating the diverse effective inputs in order to
ensure that the viewers who invest the time will receive rich entertainment (Bainbridge,
2014). Through the inclusion of multimedia and interactive communication technology, the
Pokémon Company retained a sufficient dedicated fan base to receive the recognition of
being the highest-grossing media franchise of all time (Wagner, 2019). The essay focusses on
the deliverance of the concept of transmedia storytelling, and how the ownership structures
and the models of the companies that are involved in the film, Pokémon Detective Pikachu,
influence the concept.
Pokémon Detective Pikachu is the first video game based film that is based on the
legendary Japanese media franchise, owned by Nintendo. It is further recognized as the first
Pokémon film that has incorporated live action provided with an adaption of core themes and
inputs of mechanics in the world dominated by pocket monsters (Bainbridge, 2014). With the
release of the movie, Pokémon Detective Pikachu, having Ryan Reynolds as the starring cast,
the franchisee receives its first film based on live action (Kirby, 2016). The movie potentially
positioned itself in being the first video game film ever and successfully hits the box-office
(Shamoon, 2019). The movie also receives early hyped reactions from the die hard fans who
have been waiting for the release of this movie. The encouragement of the media mix in the

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movie facilitates the viewer with the perception of the creator of Pokémon game, Satoshi
Tajiri (Wagner, 2019). With the encouragement of the transmedia and the diversified
innovative measures, the film gains an immense outreach of viewership across the globe
(Shamoon, 2019). the ownership structure of the company grabs the highlight leads and
success factors through the reaction of the immense viewership. In the making of the movie,
the vision of the creator was encrypted with the help of the players who explore the dynamics
of the fictional region of catching, training and battling in the virtual arena (Bainbridge,
2014). The series of Pokémon has evolved an enthusiastic crave in the market. It influenced
the children, even the graphics designers and variant fan base across the globe (Kirby, 2016).
Through the generation of active participation of the players, the movie develops a
huge wave of interest by introducing the three dimensional graphics of video games in the
movie in order to retain the entire dedicated fan base of Pokémon (Wagner, 2019). The movie
by installing the editorial independence provided with a sustainable media mix in the social
platform gives rise to immense market opportunities (Bainbridge, 2014). The creation of
Pokémon reveals the magnification of the sociological order through media and the fact that
it is presented on screen both in terms of commercial strategy as well as in terms of an
appealing factor to the child market (Kirby, 2016). The movie sparked the sensation of the
dedicated players and a fan base through the addition of different forms of transmedial
dialogues (Wagner, 2019). The movie incorporates innovative ways of reframing elements of
fantasy mythology based on Pokémon and further explores its usage in order to enrich the
detective narrative and its compatibility with the paradigm of the real world (Shamoon,
2019). It is known to everyone that Pokémon is itself a centralized figure of the franchise’s
mythology. Following it, Pikachu has been an eternal character of adoration (Kirby, 2016).
Thereby, the focus was on Pikachu as a detective. The film provides a standardized visual

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display of Pokémon by infusing the sophisticated digital imaging and the graphics and
continues to provide a consistent source of pleasure (Shamoon, 2019).
In the early November of 2018, the film was in the phase of post-production. To
analyze the market, a screen test was initiated with the incomplete version of the movie. It
drew the attention of multitudes with positive reactions (Bainbridge, 2014). The movie with
further progression marked the position on YouTube retaining the platform of top trending
videos along with immense number of internet memes and videos (Shamoon, 2019). The
trailer amassed views that accounted for more than 100 million across the globe through
social media platforms (Kirby, 2016). In addition, on the day of the movie release, it set a
record of accounting over 400,000 mentions (Bainbridge, 2014). On the release of the second
trailer, in which the appearance of Mewtwo was highlighted, doubled the magnitude of the
social media rush. It was recorded that the film received the support of the marketing budget
that cost around $100 million (Kirby, 2016). Detective Pikachu in the United States and
Canada grossed $144.1 million and in the other territorial regions, it grossed $288.9 million
(Shamoon, 2019). Following it, the estimate for a worldwide reached up to $433 million
against the production budget of around $150 million (Bainbridge, 2014).
With the infusion of fictional metropolis of Ryme City, Detective Pikachu is
centralized in the bustling activity of the setting that includes dark alleys, sizzling street food,
and high tech offices (Bainbridge, 2014). The setting established the point where humans and
Pokémon are viewed together as equals even though they are unable to connect through
language (de Wit, 2019). It continues further with the plot when Harry Goodman goes
missing and his son, 21 year old Tim comes forward to solve the mystery (Shamoon, 2019).
The character Tim along with the help of his partner Pikachu, join forces to solve the tangled
mystery (Kirby, 2016). The Legendary Pictures in association with a theatre production,
Distribution Company and Japanese film produced the movie (Bainbridge, 2014). Ryan

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Reynolds is the starring cast who provides the facial motion capture and voice of the
centralized character Pikachu. Other characters in other life action roles include Justice Smith
as Tim and Omar Chaparro, Kathryn Newton, Suki Waterhouse, Chris Geere, Bill Nighy and
Ken Watanabe (de Wit, 2019). With casts actors, the shooting of the film took place in the
year 2018 from January to May with elaborate and large sets of Ryme city at Warner Bros.
Studios and Shepperton Studios including the physical landscape of The City Of London and
Chatham Docks (Bainbridge, 2014). In addition to the sets of rural locations that include
Minley Woods in Hampshire and the uplands of Scotland (Kirby, 2016). The production of
the movie also encompasses the involvement of Hollywood, provided with the
cinematography which is supervised by Salvatore Totino AIC ASC on the behalf of
Mathieson (Wagner, 2019). The character of the pocket monster or Pokémon is visualized
through the photorealistic CG animation and visual effects (de Wit, 2019). These effects and
methods comprise of around 1550 shots which are overseen by the supervisor of VFX, Erik
Nordby and through these processes, the movie was delivered and supported by multiple
VFX companies that includes the lead vendor, Moving Picture Company, along with the
usage of Image Engine, Rodeo FX, Framestore and Instinctual VFX (Wagner, 2019).
It is concluded that Pokémon Detective Pikachu with the installation of media
technology provides more control in the motion pictures and quality of the live action
measures. The elite domination of the media and marginalization of dissidents results in the
exploration of the creativity’s worth and following it the operations functions on the filters
that occurs naturally through media news people who converge the diverse range of analysis
and the feeds of the utilization of the innovative installation (de Wit, 2019). The elements of
mass media reinforce the interaction that bridges the communicative skills and the fact that
transmedia is the basis of Detective Pikachu provides successive filters in the course of
innovation incorporated interpretation. In addition, the ownership structure of media with an

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outreach of large size of investments that is applicable in any film production industry. In the
course of promotional feeds regarding the new release, advertising through media
management plays a potent role in the increasing competence. The methods stemmed from
powerfully through the platforms of social media and advertisements. Mass media has drawn
out a symbiotic relationship with the productivity level of the film industry provided with
essential sources of economic information and the reciprocity of interest. Mass media is an
instrumental tool to concentrate the needful resources where important news occurs, where
scandals and rumors and leaks lie. And also resources from the regular press conferences are
facilitated. Following it, Pokémon is a merchandise and the empire of mass media that has
delved deeper into the spectrum of branches of the entertainment industry.

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