Due out in September:
Thursday, July 16, 2026
CFP Between Screens: Video Games, Film, Television and Transmedia Exchange (8/7/2026)
Of potential interest:
deadline for submissions:
August 7, 2026
full name / name of organization:
Dr Michael Samuel (University of Bristol) and Dr Richard Cole (University of Bristol)
contact email:
mike.samuel@bristol.ac.uk
source: https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2026/06/25/between-screens-video-games-film-television-and-transmedia-exchange
Between Screens: Video Games, Film, Television and Transmedia Exchange
Edited by Dr Michael Samuel and Dr Richard Cole
Adaptation is a dialogic process, a creative exchange across content production and context rather than an attempt at fidelity. Recent trends in adaptation studies reflect this complexity. Videogames exist within a vast ecosystem of transmedia storytelling and experiences, yet scholarship on adaptation and video games remains limited.
This collection is a response to this gap. Our aim with Between Screens is to reframe the conversation about the relationship between videogames and other screen media, inviting approaches that emphasise the adaptive process and illuminate the formal, narratological, technological, industrial and cultural dimensions of transmedia adaptation. How do stories and characters, mechanics, aesthetics and meanings transform as they move between videogames and other media? How do adaptive practices acknowledge or resist these differences? What role do intellectual property, industrial consolidation and transmedia marketing play in shaping adaptive choices and audience experiences? What theoretical frameworks can help us move further beyond fidelity criticism? How can we better understand adaptation as a two-way process that reveals broader truths about media convergence, storytelling possibilities, and the evolving nature of entertainment industries? These are just a flavour of the questions this collection will address.
At this stage, we are prioritising submissions that address the following topics:
1. Histories of game adaptation — How have adaptation practices evolved from early arcade games and home console ports to contemporary transmedia franchises that start or end with games?
2. Narrative and mechanical translation — How do narrative structures, game mechanics, and interactive elements translate (or resist translation) across media?
3. Aesthetic and stylistic adaptation — What is the relationship between visual design, sound design, cinematic language, and ludic form?
4. Industrial and economic factors — How have studios, licensing agreements, and IP ownership shaped adaptive decisions?
5. Gender, representation, and adaptation — How does adaptation shape or reshape character representation, narrative arcs, and thematic content?
6. Transmedia franchises and worldbuilding — The role of adaptation in constructing interoperable fictional worlds across multiple platforms
7. Audiences and reception — How do fans, critics, and players interpret and engage with adapted works across media?
Please email a chapter abstract (300-500 words) and a brief author biography (100 words maximum) to Dr Michael Samuel (mike.samuel@bristol.ac.uk ) and Dr Richard Cole (Richard.Cole@bristol.ac.uk) by 7 August 2026. In your email, please indicate which topic/question from above that your proposed chapter will address. The book proposal is currently under consideration by Palgrave. We therefore anticipate that final chapters will be between 6,500 and 8000 words (including notes and references). All submissions must be original, previously unpublished work. Please use Harvard in-text referencing formatting for citations. Please include the subject line ‘Between Screens’ with your email.
If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us (email both of us).
Editor Bios
Dr Michael Samuel is Senior Lecturer in Digital Film and TV Studies and co-director of the Bristol Digital Game Lab at the University of Bristol.
Dr Richard Cole is Senior Lecturer in Digital Futures and co-director of the Bristol Digital Game Lab at the University of Bristol.
Last updated June 25, 2026
Between Screens: Video Games, Film, Television and Transmedia Exchange
deadline for submissions:
August 7, 2026
full name / name of organization:
Dr Michael Samuel (University of Bristol) and Dr Richard Cole (University of Bristol)
contact email:
mike.samuel@bristol.ac.uk
source: https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2026/06/25/between-screens-video-games-film-television-and-transmedia-exchange
Between Screens: Video Games, Film, Television and Transmedia Exchange
Edited by Dr Michael Samuel and Dr Richard Cole
Adaptation is a dialogic process, a creative exchange across content production and context rather than an attempt at fidelity. Recent trends in adaptation studies reflect this complexity. Videogames exist within a vast ecosystem of transmedia storytelling and experiences, yet scholarship on adaptation and video games remains limited.
This collection is a response to this gap. Our aim with Between Screens is to reframe the conversation about the relationship between videogames and other screen media, inviting approaches that emphasise the adaptive process and illuminate the formal, narratological, technological, industrial and cultural dimensions of transmedia adaptation. How do stories and characters, mechanics, aesthetics and meanings transform as they move between videogames and other media? How do adaptive practices acknowledge or resist these differences? What role do intellectual property, industrial consolidation and transmedia marketing play in shaping adaptive choices and audience experiences? What theoretical frameworks can help us move further beyond fidelity criticism? How can we better understand adaptation as a two-way process that reveals broader truths about media convergence, storytelling possibilities, and the evolving nature of entertainment industries? These are just a flavour of the questions this collection will address.
At this stage, we are prioritising submissions that address the following topics:
1. Histories of game adaptation — How have adaptation practices evolved from early arcade games and home console ports to contemporary transmedia franchises that start or end with games?
2. Narrative and mechanical translation — How do narrative structures, game mechanics, and interactive elements translate (or resist translation) across media?
3. Aesthetic and stylistic adaptation — What is the relationship between visual design, sound design, cinematic language, and ludic form?
4. Industrial and economic factors — How have studios, licensing agreements, and IP ownership shaped adaptive decisions?
5. Gender, representation, and adaptation — How does adaptation shape or reshape character representation, narrative arcs, and thematic content?
6. Transmedia franchises and worldbuilding — The role of adaptation in constructing interoperable fictional worlds across multiple platforms
7. Audiences and reception — How do fans, critics, and players interpret and engage with adapted works across media?
Please email a chapter abstract (300-500 words) and a brief author biography (100 words maximum) to Dr Michael Samuel (mike.samuel@bristol.ac.uk ) and Dr Richard Cole (Richard.Cole@bristol.ac.uk) by 7 August 2026. In your email, please indicate which topic/question from above that your proposed chapter will address. The book proposal is currently under consideration by Palgrave. We therefore anticipate that final chapters will be between 6,500 and 8000 words (including notes and references). All submissions must be original, previously unpublished work. Please use Harvard in-text referencing formatting for citations. Please include the subject line ‘Between Screens’ with your email.
If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us (email both of us).
Editor Bios
Dr Michael Samuel is Senior Lecturer in Digital Film and TV Studies and co-director of the Bristol Digital Game Lab at the University of Bristol.
Dr Richard Cole is Senior Lecturer in Digital Futures and co-director of the Bristol Digital Game Lab at the University of Bristol.
Last updated June 25, 2026
Saturday, February 7, 2026
Now Streaming on MGM+ - Robin Hood
A new series based on the Matter of the Greenwood. Streaming on MGM+ -
Now in Theaters - Luc Besson's Dracula
In theaters 6 February 2026, the latest take on Bram Stoker's Dracula:
Tuesday, January 6, 2026
Coming Soon - The Death of Robin Hood
Coming soon from A24, a new revisionist take on the Matter of the Greenwood.
Out Now - The Music of the How to Train Your Dragon Trilogy
The Music of the How to Train Your Dragon Trilogy: A Guide to the Scores of John Powell
Erik Heine
Full details and ordering information at https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-music-of-the-how-to-train-your-dragon-trilogy/.
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 208
Bibliographic Info: 101 photos, appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2024
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9367-5
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5232-0
Imprint: McFarland
About the Book
One of the many reasons why children and adults love the How to Train Your Dragon films is the music. John Powell composed the music for all three films, maintaining thematic consistency while writing new themes for each film. This book serves as a score guide for the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy. Every note has been examined to thoroughly discuss the music for Hiccup, Toothless and the other dragons, Vikings, and the enemies and friends that they encounter. It features interviews with the composer and nearly 100 musical excerpts.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments viii
Foreword by Tim Greiving 1
Preface 3
Introduction 5
1. Musical Influences on the HTTYD Music 15
2. Pitch Collections 24
3. The Themes of the HTTYD Trilogy 30
4. How to Train Your Dragon Cue Analysis 58
5. How to Train Your Dragon 2 Cue Analysis 96
6. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World Cue Analysis 134
7. Themes Across the Trilogy 174
Conclusion 185
Appendix 189
Chapter Notes 195
Bibliography 197
Index 199
About the Author(s)
Erik Heine is a professor of music theory at Oklahoma City University. He is the author of one book and several articles and book chapters concerning film music analysis.
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