🎨 The Key to Media Mix Success: Simultaneous Development

When people hear the term “media mix,” many in Japan immediately think of Haruki Kadokawa and the golden age of Kadokawa Films. At a time when Japanese cinema struggled to produce hits, Kadokawa—coming from the publishing world—launched a series of buzzworthy films. He cleverly rebranded the covers of existing novels to match the movie posters and marketed both the book and the film simultaneously. It was a brilliant strategy.
While we indie creators may not operate on that scale, I believe we can still apply the media mix concept in a more modest, modern way—and today’s environment makes that more possible than ever.

The Democratization of Distribution

In the past, making a film meant renting a venue, lugging around reels and projectors, and hosting a screening just to share your work. Then came video, and now, with the internet and faster connections, we can host global screenings online. Uploading to YouTube instantly makes your film accessible to the world.
The same goes for writing. In the past, unless you won a literary prize or got picked up by a publisher, your novel wouldn’t see the light of day. You might print a few copies for friends or sell them at niche events. But now, with platforms like Amazon, anyone can publish and sell their novel as an eBook.
With enough initiative, we now have more reach than ever before.

Rethinking the Sequence

So here’s my proposal: let’s embrace media mix strategies like Kadokawa did—but with a twist. Don’t get stuck in the traditional order of things.
Historically, the flow was: write a novel → gain popularity → adapt into a film. But starting from a novel takes time. Kadokawa had the advantage of already having books in hand.
Instead, begin with a synopsis. It’s the core idea—the seed from which everything grows. It’s only about 1% the length of a full novel, but creating it from scratch takes real effort. This is where AI can help.
Once the synopsis is ready, launch multiple media versions simultaneously.

Parallel Creation Across Formats

Of course, you can develop a novel version. But writing a novel requires literary technique and polish, which takes time. Other formats—like audio dramas or films—don’t need that level of linguistic finesse. So don’t wait for the novel to be finished. Instead, divide the work and develop each format in parallel.
This approach speeds up the overall creative output. Some might say, “It’s just a hobby—why rush?” But time is finite. Your motivation or circumstances might change in a few years. Would you rather complete one project or ten?
Personally, I’d rather have more finished works to look back on.

Collaboration Is Key

Of course, doing everything alone is tough. Ideally, each format would have its own dedicated team.
In writing workshops, I’ve met people who want to write novels but don’t have a specific story idea. That’s totally understandable—they’re drawn to the craft of writing but need a concept to work from. If you can team up with someone like that, you can hand them a synopsis and say, “Please turn this into a novel.”
The same goes for audio dramas and films. Plenty of people want to act or direct but don’t have a story to work with.
I personally want to write and direct, but if it means producing more finished works, I’m happy to take on a producer role—guiding the team and enjoying the final result without being hands-on in every step.

A Creative Ecosystem

People interested in creative hobbies come in all forms. Some want to write, others want to act in films, and some prefer voice acting for audio dramas. There are those who want to edit video or audio, compose background music, or even draw comics.
Instead of trying to do everything yourself, collaborating with others brings huge benefits. I’ve always had a “jack-of-all-trades” mindset, but I’m learning the value of delegation.
By embracing media mix strategies, we can build a network of co-creators who share the joy of making something together.

Building a Platform for Collaboration

To support this vision, I’ve started a group called the DIY Film Club. Right now, we’re sharing our indie films, planning audio dramas, and inviting members to contribute voice performances. Eventually, I hope to expand into full media mix productions—creating and releasing stories across multiple formats.
If this resonates with you, I’d love to hear from you.

I hope this article offers some inspiration