The Complexity of Transmediality in Translation: A Case Study of Lights' Skin & Earth

Abstract

This thesis discusses what makes transmedial works so complex and what factors need to be taken into consideration when translating such a work, especially with regard to its hybrid status and multimodal nature. The case study for this subject is the combination of a graphic novel and a concept album called Skin & Earth by singer-songwriter Lights. The research question answered in this thesis is as follows: What are the main problems or limitations that arise when translating the transmedial work Skin & Earth by Lights, and what solutions can be deemed most suitable? The main problems when translating such a transmedial work stem from the intermedial relations between the different modes and the way in which every mode provides information.