In this presentation I have a little look at the importance of creating back stories. A lot of people are running around selling "storytelling" in a business environment but rarely understand the concept nor importance of writing and having a back story. Hope you enjoy like it.

1. Marcus John Henry Brown
ABOUT
building sustainable story
franchises
BACKSTORIES
www.marcusjohnhenrybrown.com

2. 5 Reasons for a backstory
There are five main reasons for creating a backstory for characters and stories. Although
these reasons are business driven they ensure that the overall story remains interesting
for audiences.
Increase
revenues
Money
Increase
breadth of story
scalability
Increase
audience
engagement
Engagement
Increase length
of audience
engagement
duration
Make it easier to
plan and adapt
the story
planning

3. Why a backstory matters
The very first Star Wars film featured a character called
Darth Vader. He was the villain of the story and at the end
of the film is defeated by the good guys.
Worldwide box office revenues
$775,398,007
Source: Forbes, Lucasfilms - Research Date: 1.1.2014
Had George Lucas not written extensive backstories for
all of the Star Wars characters the story would have
stopped at the first film. Darth Vader would have had no
where to go.
Star Wars Episode IV:
A New Hope

4. Why a backstory matters
Driving additional revenues by extending the story
the
backstory
Star Wars Episode IV:
A New Hope
$775,398,007
Star Wars Episode v:
The Empire Strikes back
$538,375,067
Star Wars Episode v1:
return of the jedi
$475,106,177
Additional Box Office revenues created by
extending the Star Wars Story.
Source: Forbes, Lucasfilms - Research Date: 1.1.2014
George Lucas had written an
extensive backstory though.
Between 1977 and 1983 used it
to create three amazing films.

5. Why a backstory matters
Driving additional revenues by revealing the backstory
Star Wars Episode IV:
A New Hope
$775,398,007
Star Wars Episode v:
The Empire Strikes back
$538,375,067
Star Wars Episode v1:
return of the jedi
$475,106,177
Star Wars Episode 1:
The Phantom Menance
$924,317,558
Star Wars Episode II:
Attack of the clones
$649,398,328
Star Wars Episode III:
revenge of the sith
$848,754,768
Additional Box-Office revenues created by filming
the backstory.
Source: Forbes, Lucasfilms - Research Date: 1.1.2014
So extensive was the Star Wars story universe that, between 1999 and 2005, Lucas Film went on to create an
additional set of three films that focused completely on the backstory - answering questions such as: who was
Darth Vader, where did he come from and how to he become evil? They weren’t as amazing as the first three
films.

6. Why a backstory matters
Driving additional revenues by creating brand extensions
Star Wars Episode II:
Attack of the clones
Star Wars Episode III:
revenge of the sith
STAR WARS
THE CLONE WARS
Brand
Extensions
The backstory
made it possible to
extend the Star
Wars brand into
other areas, such
as animated films
for television and
computer games.
2002 2005
2008
$68,282,844

7. Why a backstory matters
The backstory feeds audience curiosity
An audience always wants to know why things happen
and why certain characters do certain things. When Star
Wars was released in 1977 nobody knew how important
Darth Vader was to the story and finding out why he was
so important, was a key factor in the franchise’s success
– that and LIGHTSABERS.
OVERALL Worldwide box office revenues
$4,277,000,000
Source: Forbes, Lucasfilms - Research Date: 1.1.2014

8. Why a backstory matters
The backstory becomes a story franchise
Box Office
$4,277,000,000
DVD: $3,775,000,000
Video game:
$2,900,000,000
BOOKs: $1,820,000,000
other: $1,304,000,000
Story franchise
The success of Star Wars lies in
its rich backstory with hundreds
of interconnected characters, all
of which have their own story to
tell which then, in turn, become
part of the story franchise.
Total Star wars franchise revenues
TOYS: $12,000,000,000 $27,000,000,000
Source: Forbes, Lucasfilms - Research Date: 1.1.2014

9. Brands with backstories
Total Pokémon Units sold*
172 Million
719 Characters
Nintendo’s Pokémon
Franchise has a total of 719
characters, each with their
own set of characteristics,
skills and backstories.
*August 2013

10. Backstories with meaning
How the poppy appeal works
Every autumn, the commonwealth states remember their fallen soldiers. Small
paper poppies are sold, without a fixed price, and the money collected goes to
support charities that look after elderly, disabled or injured servicemen and
women.
A complex &
emotional
charged
backstory
mythology
The Poppy as a
symbol of blood,
loss and
resurrection
Symbol
sympathy bonds
application
A final emotional
discharge.
Church.
climax

11. Backstories with meaning
Remembrance day & the poppy appeal – The mythology
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row, That
mark our place; and in the sky The
larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce
heard amid the guns below.
Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae
1915
Image source:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/hennasabel/4761642512

12. Backstories with meaning
Remembrance day & the poppy appeal – The mythology
16 Million deaths
20 million casualties
1914 – 1918 – 1st world war
Armistice Day
11th November at 11:00 hrs.
11.11.11
The funeral of Alexis Helmer
15th May 1915

13. Backstories with meaning
Remembrance day & the poppy appeal – The Symbol
Image source:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/flintfamilyphotos/14299477616

14. Backstories with meaning
Remembrance day & the poppy appeal – The Symbol
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullikespics/3019811681

15. Backstories with meaning
350.000 volunteers
40 million poppies made
100.000 wreaths
750.000 Crosses
Source: Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.
Remembrance day & the poppy appeal – The application
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/howardlake/5123632604

16. Backstories with meaning
Source: Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.
Remembrance day & the poppy appeal – The application
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tadekk/2228754127

17. Backstories with meaning
Remembrance day & the poppy appeal – The application
Total collected 2013
£34,000,000
Source: Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.
Image source: poppyscotland.org.uk

18. Backstories with meaning
Remembrance day & the poppy appeal – The application
Poppy pressure
You see them everywhere. The
queen wears one, the princes, the
prime minister, pop stars, weather
presenters, your teachers and
your neighbour.
Pressure campaign

19. Backstories with meaning
Remembrance day & the poppy appeal – CLIMAX
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.
Ode to the fallen - Laurence Binyon
11.11.11
One minute of complete silence – throughout the country
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/defenceimages/8315146504

20. Backstories with meaning
Remembrance day & the poppy appeal – CLIMAX
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/defenceimages/5198189316

21. Marcus john henry brown
Managing director – creative director
Contact details
Marcus John Henry Brown UG
(haftungsbeschränkt)
Jahnstrasse 34c
80469 München
The backstory
made it possible to
extend the Star
Wars brand into
other areas, such
as animated films
for television and
computer games.
Email:
mail@marcusjohnhenrybrown.com
Telephone:
+49 (0)89 2351 3330
Skype:
Marcus.J.H.Brown
Twitter:
@MarcusJHBrown
www.marcusjohnhenrybrown.com