Ozdox, the The Australian Documentary Forum and The Australian Director’s Guild in association with AFTRS supported by Metroscreen and Sydney Film School presents:

The Documentary Distribution Dilemma

What online video can and cannot deliver, and why filmmakers need to understand it NOW!

• Date: THURS 9 April 2009 – 6.30pm for 7pm
• Venue: AFTRS Theatre 130 Bent St The Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park
• $5 at the door (no reservations)
• The Ozdox website is www.ozdox.org – register to be notified of seminars by email.

This special OzDox session, produced by Sensory Image, will explore new technologies and online video festival and multi-channel distribution sites (e.g.  raindance.tv). It will gaze into the crystal ball for documentary filmmakers, in the new climate of ABC and SBS online streaming. It will bring together experts and filmmakers to examine the impact of VOD upon our work, our pocketbooks and our futures.

Video online has been developing for a number of years and has now gained a large following and a big press. From You Tube to the ABC,  increasing numbers of people are uploading and downloading increasing amounts of material, and filmmakers have an imperative need to understand the rapidly evolving online environment.

At this point, Video-on-Demand is relatively underused but Hollywood and TV networks alike are looking toward VOD as a complementary distribution platform, and it is about to take off. As the educational market is also moving towards VOD, documentary DVD sales will also affected — perhaps even replaced. Significantly, VOD revenues are currently around $1.5 billion and are predicted to reach $5 billion in two years — and it’s only the beginning…

Special Guests:

• Moderator: Sandra Davey – General Manager – Digital, Unwired Australia
• Judith Bowtell – Director, Policy and Communications, NSW Film and Television Office
• Chris Gilbey OAM – www.perceptric.com and www.vquence.com.au
• Robert Hutchinson – Head of New Media & Digital Services Interface stream, ABC – www.abc.net.au

With Overseas Guests (via video):

• Elliot Grove and Zara Ballantyne Grove – www.raindance.tv
• Nick Ware – Managing Director – Joining The Docs in UK

Among the issues we will be addressing are…

• What is the actual state of online development today?
• What do filmmakers need to know about online – technically, creatively and in terms of marketing and delivery to audiences?
• What do we need to change in the way we plan and make our films?
• Is online delivery a viable alternative to DVD distribution?
• Where can filmmakers go to make a return on investment in the online forum?
• There will also be time for those attending the seminar to ask questions of the panel.

Guests bios:

Robert Hutchinson – Head of New Media & Digital Services Interface stream, ABC

As Head of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s New Media & Digital Services Interface stream, Robert is responsible for the visual presentation and ease of use of digital content and services on the website, broadband service and other digital platforms. Robert is also Creative Director of ABC2, the ABC’s new digital TV channel. His current role includes developing broadband and digital television strategies and initiatives for the corporation. Robert has been working in the multi-media and Internet industries since 1995 in a variety of roles including new media arts practitioner, web designer and business analyst. He has been responsible for establishing Internet ventures for major advertising and media companies including Saatchi & Saatchi
(Wellington) and The Radio Network (NZ). Robert also works as an independent film producer and director.

Chris Gilbey OAM – www.perceptric.com and www.vquence.com.au

One of the leading visionaries in Australian Media and Technology, Chris consults on business strategy with particular regard to the impact of P2P technologies on media through Perceptric Pty Limited. As CEO of Lake Technology (ASX) he successfully led the company to a sale to Dolby Laboratories (NYSE), and subsequently consulted to Dolby’s Consumer Division on global consumer strategy. With 20 years in the Australian Music Industry, Chris led the development of the first transactional web site for CDs at BMG, as well as the development of the enhanced CD. Founding chairman of the Australian Music Industry‚Äôs charity, the Golden Stave Foundation, and founding chairman of Export Music Australia, Chris received the Order of Australia for his contribution to the music industry and charity.

Elliot Grove – Raindance

Founder of Raindance Film Festival in 1993, the British Independent Film Awards in 1998, and Raindance.TV in 2007, Elliot has produced over 150 short films and 5 feature films.  He teaches writers and producers in the UK, Europe, Japan and America. He has written three books which have become industry standards: BEGINNERS GUIDE TO MAKING IT IN FILM (Barrons 2009), RAINDANCE WRITERS LAB 2nd Edition (Focal Press 2008) and RAINDANCE PRODUCERS LAB (2004).

Zara Ballantyne-Grove – Raindance.tv

Zara managed the 2006 Nokia Shorts competition as well as the creation of mobile assets for the popular CSI franchise. She currently manages the licensing of content for Raindance.tv and supervises the scheduling and delivery of films to over 10 distribution partners. London-based Raindance.tv streams off-beat shorts, features and documentaries worldwide over 10 media platforms. In the last five months, over 300,000 people have already watched raindance.tv.

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Project description: Ever wanted to really know what it is to be a nun inside an Abbey? This media space allows you to engage with ABC TV’s The Abbey series and enables the audience to experience the Abbey through their own personal journey.

Team Members
Varcha Sidwell – Producer/Writer/Director, C S P B
Justy Phillips – Designer
Margaret Woodward – Designer

Guardian mentor/s: Catherine Gleeson
LAMP Lab: October 2006
Target media: Mobile, Broadband, TV
C S P B Pty Ltd © 2006

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indigi-nous
Tagline: “Learn about Aboriginal Australia through interactive experience”
LAMP Lab: July 2006
Target platforms: Broadband PC, cards, DVD and mobile
Project description: Designed as a cross media and cross platform experience for primary school aged children, ‘Totemon’ is an interactive locative and online game, a dvd game, and has a trading card, quest element. Informed by Aboriginal culture, it is an immerse learning environment, the user finding stuff about Australia’s unique and special places, people, plants and animals, totems and tucker.

Team Members (indigi-nous)
Geoff Ferguson – Producer
Catherine Vogan – Designer
Joe Hurst
Jason Ramp

Guardian mentor: Keren Flavell and Sherilee Saul
indigi-nous © 2006

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The Digital Distribution Business Model © Peter Giles 2006.

Recorded live and unedited during the LAMP lab in Perth in May 2006 in front of the seven teams developing emerging media projects.

“If you can get traffic, interest in your property, create a community and measure it…that is a really compelling argument to get funding…the advertisers want to reach people who are interested in a specific subject/product”. Peter covers a large part of the brand, business models and distribution ‘new revenue’ landscapes in this talk and begins by referring to the simple things such as getting your ‘name’ right in the global mix, so that you are able to effectively take part in the long tail phenomenom, “Mass audience to global niche audiences”. He plays a short excerpt of Chris Anderson explaining the long tail concept and shows other examples of recent successful models such Artic Monkeys, Michael Moore web 2.0 applications, MySpace, JibJab, Lego cross-branding and Rocketboom.

Peter says today’s model is primarily getting audience share as cheaply and effectively as possible – by understanding and using social networks and the blogosphere but also by being unique and viral. Once these audiences are in place then it is far easier to monetize and bring in advertising interest. Another important area of digital distribution is being heard in the noise. Peter talks eloquently about the findability and consistency of branding at each point of entry that the user makes into your service. He then talks about the easy ways to increase your exposure and chances of being found by highlighting the key web 2.0 (user publishing, collaboration & democratized distribution) services such as blogs, podcasting, RSS and many more. He continues by talking about the four ‘m’s’ (citing Ken Rutkowski) as a way to think about the business development of your digital property. Move people, Manage them, Monetize them and most crucially Measure them – really understanding how the audience have used your service/s is critical now. He finishes by pointing out that it is critical to adopt a combination of methods (web 2.0 and others such as search optimisation) and use the cross-media paradigms that permeate peoples lives now – much of the new ways to get your digital property into the marketplace are relatively cheap or even free and should not be overlooked.

PODCAST SUBSCRIPTION
All LAMP podcasts are also published through the iTunes store.

PETER GILES – Head of Digital Media, AFTRS

Peter has worked as the Head of the Digital Media Department since 1998 and has established Australia’s leading postgraduate and professional programs in Visual Effects, Interactive Media, Broadcast Design and Computer Animation. The Department has produced short films that have won both Australian and international awards for artistic and technical excellence.Prior to joining the AFTRS Peter worked as Digital Media Manager for Metro Screen where he initiated programs to develop the skills of new and emerging filmmakers. He managed a wide range of innovative production workshops in partnership with organisations including the Loud Youth Festival, IBM, the Australian Film Commission, the NSW Film and Television Office, ABC Online, SBS TV, the Performance Space, the Australian Centre for Photography and the Australian Network for Art and Technology.

Peter has developed digital media curriculum and taught workshops at the University of Sydney, the University of Technology, Sydney, Griffith University and the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane.

Over the past 15 years Peter has produced projects for radio, television, film and interactive media. His video artwork has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney and the Institute of Contemporary Art in London.

Peter is a well known commentator on digital media and is currently the Chair of the Sydney Chapter of ACM SIGGRAPH, the leading computer graphics industry body.

Perth 12 May 2006
Click to listen

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READ WITH ME! PLAY WITH ME!
A pre-school parental led reading and simple games service
Tagline: “Words and games for pre-literate children with their parents”
Company: Ariel Productions
Target platforms: TV, Broadband and interactive TV/Interactive TV, online, mobile screens, DVD
LAMP Lab: October 2005
Project description: Read with me, play with me is an electronic picture-book series based on the adventures of Poppy, Matilda and Mu-Mu the cat. Written for pre-literate children from 2 to 5 years old, the stories are interactive, engaging and developed for learning through play. The TV series is designed so that parents can sit with their children and navigate a simple interactive TV application. There are a range of wall-papers and simple videos that can be delivered to mobile phones so parents can share elements of the stories with their children, whilst on the move.

Team: Christine Sweeney, Troy Bellchambers, David Phillips
Guardian mentor: Peter Giles

© Ariel Productions 2005

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HIT IT!
A cross-platform, participatory musical drama for teenagers
Tagline: “Satisfy the creative spirit”
Company:mememe
Target platforms: TV, interactive TV, online, mobile, DVD, merchandise
LAMP Lab: October 2005
Project description: HitIt is led by a 26part, 24 minute TV show. Viewers can use the broadband online site to use musical tools and create their own music, take part in song-writing competitions and vote for who they think are making the best ‘sounds’. The series ends with a live interactive TV special where the online community come together and show the TV world their creations.

Team: Cate McQuillen, Jake Carroll, Karl Williams
Guardian mentor/s: Catherine Gleeson

© Cate McQuillen and Hewey Eustace 2005

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