Fans as Creators

Fan art, fan fiction, fan appreciation is nothing new; afterall, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.  The interesting thing, however, is that what these fans are doing goes lightyears beyond imitation.  Instead of trying to simply recreate scenes, they are running with ideas, with characters, with dangling plot threads, with afterwards.  They are expanding worlds that had maybe reached their max within the minds of the original creators and creating wholly new content.  One mind, such as the mind of an author or film director, can only extend so far.  Even if we average in the fact that other minds may be involved in the process, the creativity reaches a max.  So, when we add in the hundreds upon hundreds of fans of series such as Star Wars or Harry Potter, we find the imaginary worlds exploding.

                In these two sections of his book, Jenkins focuses primarily on video fandom and fan fiction, two forms of fan involvement which breech very specific problems—for both the fans and the producers/authors/publishers.  Despite the fact that people have often commemorated their favorite films or books, it has just been since the advent of the world wide web that these expressions of fandom have moved from basement screens and stapled zines.  Now, with nearly everything only, readers and viewers are spreading their love of a particular franchise extensively.  We are no longer just able to interact with the media, but we are becoming increasingly able to participate with it.

Star Wars

                Star Wars is a major film, book, and game franchise.  It has continued to develop over the years and it would be possible to say that Lucas fans are possibly some of the most active on the web and in culture.  These fan videos, many of them pretty impressive, have stepped on the toes of Lucasfilm (ironically, Jenkins points out that Lucas was an amateur at one point just like these fans), and they have struggled to clamp down on this rampant display of Star Wars interest by trying to predetermine what can and cannot be done.  Lucasfilms tries, in essence, to treat its fans like animals in a fabricated safari.  There is enough room so that the animals can pretend they are in a real savannah/desert/etc, but in reality they are reined in.  These amateur film creators, these individuals who want to take their favorite franchise in a more adult direction, or expand upon the story are not allowed to legally.

Harry Potter and Fanfiction        

This problem of legality, however, seems to be a bigger problem in the world of fanfiction.  Cease and desist notices have been sent to many who operate fan fiction boards relating to popular book and movie series such as Harry Potter, and more recently, Twilight.  Like amateur films, these communities of people writing stories about characters and pre created worlds are not new.  They have just come out of hiding.

                One of the most popular fanfiction websites, FanFiction.net, has been thriving since the early 2000s.  It caters only to those who write fanfiction, and pretty much any novel or movie that you could think of has numerous pieces of fiction surrounding it.  The Harry Potter franchise has well over 500,000 stories, similar to Twilight.  Some books have only one or two stories, and others (such as the Unicorns of Balinor) have a handful.  The member who write are, as Jenkins mentions, of all ages, and they exist within a space where creativity is fostered, technical skill flourishes, and children and adults learn how to navigate semiotic domains and spaces where they have lessened consequences and wonderful rewards.  The extensive beta testing services on sites like these (as well as the ones which Jenkins mentions) help cultivate new, more talented writers.  But, along with working on writing ability, these writers learn how to critique, how to look at work (both theirs, their peers, and the already published/released content) in a way which is befitting of well educated individuals.

                Sites that are more specific to particular franchises, such as the Harry Potter ones (The Daily Prophet) face the wrath of publishers and authors, though this seems absurd.  While there is proprietary nonsense to be aware of, these books and movies need their fans.  Without them, they would have nothing.  These fans carry on a series through their creative outpouring which allows for others to delve further into a book or movie than they had been able to previously.

                In the spirit of convergence, these fans are on the right track, however, the corporations holding the rights to movies and books need to jump on the bus.  Instead of punishing fans, which may just alienate them and help sped the series/franchise to its demise, these companies should encourage their fans to their fullest extent, even going so far as to help promote outside events that do not limit the creativity.

Questions:

1) Have you been involved in any fan culture?  If so, what kind?

2) What are some ways in which studios/publishers/authors alter the way they do business in order to create a much more inviting atmosphere for their fans?

3) Is there a line where fan fiction/videos/etc become “too much?”  Or should we not stifle the creativity of amateur creators?