Multi-Platform Storytelling: From Idea to Market

MULTi-PLATFORM STorytelling
- from idea to market -
A unique opportunity to hear from world-class digital storytelling talent in a one-day public seminar

Presented by Screen Australia and StoryLabs
Tuesday 29 November 2011
State Library, Melbourne

Multi-platform Storytelling: From Idea to Market will provide case studies and practical guidance on creating multi-platform strategies for games, features, TV drama, documentary, or online projects. Attendance is strongly recommended for content creators working in any of these areas.

Speakers include renowned pioneer Lance Weiler (US) on his first trip to Australia, named by WIRED magazine as 'one of the 25 people helping to re-invent entertainment and change the face of Hollywood'.

Taking a primary project across multiple media platforms enables creative productions to connect with a wider, more involved audience and be more commercially viable. But to develop a single story idea across devices, channels and communities requires an intensive creative process, knowledge of the landscape, and complex production management.

This one-day seminar cuts through the noise to focus on the core aspects of delivering multi-platform projects, including story, business, community, technology, interaction and design, to help practitioners take their idea from page to screen.
TOPICS AND SPEAKERS

* Lance Weiler (US) will keynote the seminar with Story R&D, looking at long-term, sustainable production. Lance is the creator of some of the world’s most original cinematic transmedia projects, including Head Trauma and Pandemic, which was selected for Sundance Film Festival’s New Frontiers.

* Games, film and novel writer Matt Costello (US) has game credits including Pirates of the Caribbean 3, Doom 3 and The Italian Job. He will case study his story in the game Rage to demonstrate practical ways of developing cross media intellectual properties.

* TV and Alternate Reality Game producer David Varela (UK) will look at his successful Sony Xi, Perplex City and Lewis Hamilton: Secret Life projects on how to meld story to platforms and users.

* Creative director and producer Anthea Foyer (Canada) will present case studies of her recent projects that demonstrate how to develop user interaction and create loyalty against film and TV properties. Anthea recently directed The Conversation, an interactive companion to the feature film Take This Waltz starring Seth Rogan and Michelle Williams.

* Tony Reed (Australia), CEO of the Game Developers’ Association of Australia, will speak on the process of design, consumer testing and commercialisation of game-based services. Tony has been behind the marketing of some of the world’s biggest game franchises, including Command & Conquer and Star Trek titles.

* Laurel Papworth (Australia), CEO of Community Crew and named by Marketing magazine as Industry Head, Social Media, has set up and managed online communities including Junior Masterchef, Middle East Broadcasting and Everquest. She will case study some of her work to demonstrate how to manage, grow and monetise communities through platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.

* Game and TV writer and story executive Neil Richards (UK) will speak on writing and developing functionality on multi-stakeholder projects including Nightmare High for broadcaster Channel 4. Neil has worked with the BBC and ITV, co-wrote Starship Titanic with Douglas Adams, and has written over 20 games including Driver, Just Cause and The Da Vinci Code.

* Jennifer Wilson (Australia), director of the multi-platform media company The Project Factory, will explore the range of sustainable digital business models for your projects, drawing on her experience that includes Making Australia Happy for ABC TV and China Heart.

* Gary Hayes (Australia), founder of StoryLabs and ABC Exec Producer Multi Platform TV, will chair the event and also present aspects of his Screen Australia Transmedia Production Bible.

Multi-platform Storytelling: From Idea to Market will be held on Tuesday 29 November 2011 at the Village Roadshow Theatrette, State Library of Victoria in Melbourne.

Tickets cost $50. More info here: http://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/news_and_events/Events/2011/MultiStor…