More speakers for MGEITF 2012 plus scoop some cash

The 37th annual MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival has some additional sessions and industry names on the bill between Thursday 23rd and Saturday 25th August, as well as the indies getting in with a chance of scooping a lucrative investment from Pinewood Studios.

As the rivalry and commercial tension increases between the UK’s two biggest channels, it’s been an explosive year in peak time entertainment, from the on-going dominance of The X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing to the much-hyped arrival of nervous newcomers The Voice and Superstar. Star Wars! The Battle For Saturday Night will explore the hard fought battle to win the most coveted slot in our TV schedules and discover how to deliver a ratings busting, smash-hit. Elaine Bedell (Director of Comedy and Entertainment, ITV), Mark Linsey (Controller, Entertainment Commissioning) and Siobhan Green (Incoming Director of Entertainment, ITV Studios) join the discussion with chair Richard Bacon. There will also be a special performance from a mystery guest.

Former BBC One Controller Lorraine Heggessey, who recently launched production company Boom Pictures, will join the panel for the BBC DG 2.0 session, alongside Greg Dyke, openDemocracy Chairman David Elstein and Chief Executive of Left Bank Pictures Andy Harries. The session will consider the challenges and obstacles facing incoming Director- General George Entwistle, whose appointment marks the start of a critical new era for the BBC.

One of five indies is set to scoop a sought after £30k investment from Pinewood Studios in the culmination of the Pinewood Pitching competition; those in the running are today confirmed as RDF’s Neale Simpson, presenting Unbeatable, markthree media’s Adam Hunt, presenting Story:Time, STV’s Amy Maher, presenting The Lie which was written with colleague Gary Chippington, Pirate Productions’ Jenny Williams and Avalon’s Toby Stevens, co-presenting Bid for Brains, and Zebra Crossing’s Nev Pitty-Rose, presenting Table 10.

Each of the indies will one by one present their TV format idea in front of an audience and panel of experienced commissioning figures. The panel comprises Elaine Bedell, Zai Bennett
(Controller, BBC Three), Emma Tennant (Controller, UKTV) and Phil Edgar-Jones (Head of Entertainment, Sky). The prize package will include studio time, crew and post-production towards a pilot.

Meanwhile, help will be at hand for aspiring or struggling Indies as the Festival plays host to The Indie Surgery, a Q and A with some of the biggest and most influential figures in independent TV production. Eileen Gallagher (CEO, Shed Productions), Magnus Temple (Founder, The Garden), Tom Manwaring (Managing Director, Mediatique) and Andy Harries (Chief Executive, Left Bank Pictures) will answer all of prevalent questions on buying, launching, sustaining success and selling, as well as addressing topics such as setting up in the USA and how crucial having an agent really is in long term expansion…

In other news, The Inbetweeners favourite Simon Bird and his Friday Night Dinner co-star Tom Rosenthal will also be taking questions from fans and delegates alike in a first screening of the Channel 4 comedy’s second series at the Filmhouse.

Registration for the 2012 MGEITF is now open. Visit the MGEITF website for further information.

Useful links
MGEITF website
Follow the Festival on Twitter

Brighton Rock preview

I went to the special staff preview screening of BBC Films’ Brighton Rock at Vue Westfield.

The movie features Sam Riley (Control) as the psychopathic Pinkie Brown. He stars alongside John Hurt (Harry Potter), screen legend Helen Mirren (The Queen), Andrea Riseborough (Made in Dagenham), Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings) and distinguished actor Pete Postlethwaite, who recently passed away.

Brighton Rock is based on Graham Greene’s 1938 novel of the same name and it is a remake of a 1947 film directed by John Boulting under the same title. Both novel and film are set in the 1930s, but this Rowan Joffe film has been moved to 1964 during the Mods and Rockers era. Here’s the trailer:

The film’s UK release is 4th of February.

48-Hour Film Challenge

Filmmakers: are you up for a challenge? Here’s a message from my friends at The Producers’ Forum:

SATURDAY 19th FEBRUARY 2011

In partnership with The Producers’ Forum, Stoke Your Fires will be launching its first ever 48 Hour Film Challenge.

Stretch your creativity, test your filmmaking skills, and get your work seen by some of the region’s top filmmaking talent on the big screen during the festival.

There will be 2 categories

- Under 18

- Over 18

A trophy will be awarded to the best film in each category and the winning films will be screened as part of the festival. Also the winners of Under 18 category will each receive a £10 HMV voucher, and the winners of the Over 18 category will each win 6 months Associate Membership to The Producers’ Forum.

Once you’ve made your film you can also enter it into other festivals and competitions (information of suggested festivals and competitions will be emailed to participants).

RULES

Films can be shot in any location across the globe but must be based on our specific theme and include a selected prop, details of which will be released at the start of the competition at 10:00 on Saturday 19th February.

Films can be shot in any format and with any kit (from HD cameras to your mobile phone). All completed films must be between 1-3 minutes in length and uploaded to YouTube by the end of the 48 hours to be included in the competition.

Teams are limited to a maximum of 5 members only (the oldest member of the group’s age will dictate the group category).

Entry fee: under 18 – £10; over 18- £15.

You must register for your place in the competition and have paid your entry fee before Friday 18th February.

For full competition details or to register please contact The Producers’ Forum

Email: info@producersforum.org.uk or call 0121 265 7145.

Visit the website to find out more about Stoke Your Fires, The Festival of Moving Image 2011

Happy filming!

Red Bull Break 5 Surf Competition

Back in the day, surf competitions were not so much about winning stacks of cash, but more about a group of people getting together and sharing their love for the sport – and not forgetting the amazing parties too.  On a quest to put a combination of light-hearted fun and a bit of healthy competition back into the sport, Red Bull invites surfers from all over the UK to rock up and battle it out – where the vibe is just as important as the trophy (well, almost!)…

Also, Red Bull is on the lookout for a talented filmmaker to capture all of the magic of this event. If you think that you’ve got the skills to create something spectacular, then what are you waiting for? Submit your best piece of work and tag it with ‘Red Bull Break 5’ for the chance to report from this incredible event, which will take place mid-September (location is still to be announced).

TMFA 2010 Day 1

After two good keynotes, the morning carried on with the keynote panel chaired by Channel 4′s Acting Head of Cross Platform Matt Locke. The panel consisted of: Sally Potter, Director, Adventure Pictures; Paula le Dieu, Digital Director, BFI; Duncan Bird, Consultant; Eren Ozagir, Founder, The Founding Twenty and Hasan Bakshi, Research Director, NESTA.

They covered the following questions:

• How can the public cultural sector collaborate and partner with the digital media industry to unlock its cultural assets?
• How can maximum value be achieved in the age of ‘free’?
• How do you make choices about public access to publicly-funded data, and entrepreneurial commercial exploitation?

Then it was time for Jeremy Hunt (Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport). His session aimed to probe the thinking behind the Government’s strategy on its calls for a new age of philanthropy and major cuts to public funding of the arts.

The afternoon was divided into three parts or streams:

Stream 1

Old Money New Commissioning

Even in an age of austerity there is still some money available to make arts, film and cultural content. This session gathered some of the broadcasting arts commissioners who shared their commissioning strategies. It was good to hear about how to fund cross-platform arts content for broadcast and distribution as well.

The panel featured: Tabitha Jackson, Arts Commissioner, Channel 4; James Hunt, Head of Programming, Sky Arts; Mark Bell, Commissioning Editor, BBC Arts; Laurence Billiet, General Manager, UK Film Council; Gareth Evans, Producer; Tanya Seghatchian, Head of the Film Fund, UK Film Council. This was chaired by: Roy Ackerman, Managing Director, Fresh One Productions.

We cannot afford another bubble: how to make a sustainable digital culture?

Some would argue that the digital culture has burst its banks. Digital impacts everywhere – organisations, communities and sectors, and this is opening doors for digital creatives. Speakers shared their vision of the future of art and innovation emerging from digital culture, where artists and creative organisations are working in a more robust and entrepreneurial way across culture, RND, business and other sectors.

They also aimed to answer the following questions:

• How can arts and film organisations create flexible, sustainable businesses?
• How do cultural organisations become more entrepreneurial?
• What new funding models are available?
• Who and where are the new cultural philanthropists?

This panel was chaired by: Andrew Missingham and was joined by Toby Barnes, Founder, Mudlark; Drew Hemment, Founder, Future Everything; Amanda McDonald Crowley, Director, Eyebeam; and Marleen Stikker, Founder, Waag Society.

Archive session 1: What if?

If, tomorrow morning, the public were able to access their moving image heritage online, for free and in its totality (for any non-commercial use), what might happen? This session featured a collection of influential thinkers and sector representatives that imagined the impact, drawing on their own experiences/expertise. Chaired by Roly Keating, Head of Archive, BBC; JP Rangaswami, Founder, Confused of Calcutta; Paul Gerhardt, Director, Archives for Creativity; Matthew Postgate, Controller BBC Research & Development, BBC; and Chris Wild, aka The Retronaut.

Channel 4 pitching competition

Shortlisted delegates were given 5 minutes and 9 pictures to bag themselves a couple of grand of Channel 4 development money for a state of the art digital project. This was hosted by Stuart Cosgrove, Director of Nations and Regions, Channel 4 and was joined by Adam Gee, Cross-Platform Commissioner, Channel 4.

Stream 2

Know your audience: Presentations of media data analytics

Richard Ellis, Co-Founder, MTM London; Hasan Bakhshi, Research Director, NESTA; Martin Talks, Big Fish, Blue Barracuda.com and chair Jane Finnis, Director, Culture 24 covered the following questions:

• What are audiences doing online? What do we know about arts and film consumers and how can we capitalise on our insights?
• How do audiences engage, communicate and – crucially – transact online?

Doing business with the new gatekeepers – featuring digital giants Microsoft, You Tube and O2

This provided a unique insight into the evolving world of digital and where it is headed. It highlighted digital’s increasing relevance for engaging arts and entertainment audiences. It was interesting to hear how you can source partners that can enhance and extend your own content as well as managing audience relationships plus, how to interact effectively with digital audiences. Quite positive to hear of the digital opportunities for arts and entertainment in 2010 and beyond.

The panel were: Alex Woodford, Head of Digital; Jon Oliver, International Branded Entertainment Director, MSN; Ariane van de Ven, Future & Trend Insights, O2; and Donagh O’Malley, Head of Content Partnerships, YouTube UK and Tom Ollerton, Internet Advertising Bureau.

The open data debate

This session aimed to answer the following questions:

• What happens when the public are given access to data?
• How do you plan for the unpredictable? How have organisations that allow unfettered access to data managed the outcomes and what have the benefits – and drawbacks – been?

Chaired by: Matt Locke, Acting Head of Cross Platform, Channel 4 and he was joined by Matthew Somerville, Web Developer, Dracos; Chris Thorpe, Technologist, Jaggeree; and Paula le Dieu, Digital Director, BFI.

Architecture of collaboration 1: New media partnerships between arts and industry

Panellists discussed:

• What are the principles of successful collaboration?
• How do arts and media organisations marry public service requirements with private sector commercial pressures?

These warts and all case studies covered the successes – and failures – of cross platform new media partnerships, from the creative to the practical to the commercial. Chaired by Arts Consultant Sally Luton. Speakers were:

Toby Barnes, Founder, Mudlark for ‘Such Tweet Sorrow’ (RSC+ 4IP+Mudlark)

Clare Reddington, Director, iShed for ‘Theatre Sandbox’ (iShed+Bristol Old Vic+Microsoft).

Stream 3 had more practical elements featuring Bill Thompson and Simon Terrington on Cultural Engagement in an Online World; Crowd Funding Workshop with Salette Gressett; Mint Digital; The Newspaper Club with Ben Terret and HackData Worskshop with Matthew Somerville.

It has been a packed but very inspiring Day 1… roll on Day 2.

TMFA 2010 is go

I’m here at the Media Festival Arts in London and it’s all about making digital collaboration happen across arts, film and media. The Festival aims to bring these industries together to discuss potential for commercial and creative collaboration in the digital sphere. This evening, delegates from different disciplines across film, arts and media, heard from Festival Director Louise Benson and Festival Chairman Peter Bazalgette.

The opening night panel entitled Cuts, closures, reorganisation… what does it mean for the Arts? invited the audience to question the panel on how arts and commercial organisations might need to adapt in order to overcome the current environment of massive change and uncertainty, and what part digital will play.

The panel consisted of BBC Arts Correspondent Will Gompertz, who was chair; Sir Nicholas Kenyon (MD, Barbican Centre); Iwana Blazwick (Director, Whitechapel Gallery); Paddy Earnshaw (CRM Director, Travelex Global Business Payments); and Marcus Davey (Chief Executive, The Roundhouse).

Don’t forget there is the FutureEverything Online Forum. You can propose and debate questions here, and vote to decide which questions are presented to the panelists. The FutureEverything Online Forum will also host discussion and debate on the themes of the conference led by speakers and key figures from the digital scene.

Follow the Tweets via @melkins or @EmapMedia.

Dig your dream trails!

Filmmaker wanted for 25 September 2010, Mote Park, Maidstone

For the first time ever, Red Bull Backyard Digger has touched down on British soil on a quest to bring the best dirt trails imaginable to the UK. I’m talking the best BMX dirt trails, built for the best, by the best and you can be part of it!

Red Bull has teamed up with their very own Kye Forte to create the Red Bull Backyard Digger competition where they’ve been on the hunt for the best location to build these dream trails.  BMX enthusiasts from all over the country entered the competition and now Red Bull Backyard Digger will be heading to Mote Park in Maidstone. Alex Tenters, James Walton and Alex Brown submitted this BMX hotspot where the team are now preparing to get designing and digging for the start of the build in September.

Red Bull is on the lookout for an inspired filmmaker to head to Mote Park to dish the dirt and dig out all of the information on the build. If you think that you’ve got what it takes then make sure you submit your best piece of work and tag it with ‘Red Bull Backyard Digger’ to be in with a chance of reporting from this unique project.

Funding, networking and learning

Here’s the overview of The Media Festival Arts:

The Media Festival Arts in partnership with Arts Council England and the UK Film Council will offer cutting edge content fusing the digital agendas of the arts, film, media and technology. The festival was conceived to provide an environment in which media and arts professionals can meet, share and discuss new opportunities created a rapidly evolving digital media landscape.

The festival content will reflect the relationship between creative innovation, digital revenue streams and adding value to existing core activities. It will demonstrate how digital innovation can lead to mutually beneficial cross industry partnerships and new creative and commercial opportunities.

This festival aims to work towards a new settlement for public access to culture, to build a new public digital cultural space for the UK. The arts and the media industries need to talk and learn about shared possibilities, shared standards, shared technical solutions, and shared visions for what public service media can look like in the digital age.

Attending this three-day event (September 8-10, Roundhouse, London) means that you have the opportunity to network with hundreds of arts, media and technology bosses. The delegate list already has some of the big names in the industry. Also, this is your chance to find out how arts can collaborate with the media and broadcast industries to deliver 360-degree public service content as well as hearing about what available funding and investment opportunities are available for creative research and development.

I really cannot wait. I will be blogging during the conference, but I strongly encourage you to be part of the conversation especially if you are passionate about the arts, film and media. So if you can make it there, why not? Martian Landing readers get a 25% VIP discount. Just quote MARS25 when you register and hopefully see you there.

TMFA 2010

I’m so excited to be going to The Media Arts Festival this 8-10 September at The Roundhouse in London. And you lucky Martian Landing readers can get a 25% VIP discount by quoting MARS25 when you register.

This is your chance to be part of ongoing conversations on making digital collaboration happen in the arts, media and film. TMFA 2010 is the only event bringing together the arts and media sectors to outline the potential for collaboration, skills exchange and partnership.

Peter Bazalgette, Deputy Chairman, English National Opera & Media Festival Arts Chair said:  “At the Media Festival Arts you’ll hear from some of the most imaginative pioneers in the online world.”

The Media Festival Arts promises to address the critical questions facing arts, film and media businesses at a time of widespread change.  As the new government beds in, and announces cuts, restructuring and economising of public funding mechanisms, and disruptive technologies continue to radically alter the way in which audiences consume, engage with and share content, the festival will bring together stakeholders from across the industries to discuss and debate the pressing issues faced by all, and find practical solutions to the challenges that lie ahead.

Key themes that will be discussed at the Festival:

• Monetising digital content
• Creative applications of digital content
• Creating compelling online brand experiences
• Social gaming
• Developing interactive arts engagement
• Apps and the arts
• Meet TV and multiplatform arts commissioners
• Public service arts content
• Digital content sponsorship
• Digital rights negotiation and management
• Project Canvas
• Transforming digital audiences into live audiences
• Driving innovation through technology
• Getting to grips with Search Engine Optimisation, CRM and e-tailing

For more information, have a look at TMFA2010. Remember to take advantage of your VIP Martian Landing discount! Hope to see you there.

The naked truth

So, today we were away from unit base, which is the Hare and Hounds, and shot scenes from the Turbulence characters’ flats. It was a day of crash mats, tight jeans, scantily clad young women and naked Tai Chi… yes, you read it right, naked Tai Chi. I Twitpic’d this photo before actor David Alwyn, who plays the role of Christian in the film, showed off his birthday suit. Sorry ladies, this was how far I was allowed to show.

David was such a good sport and did ever so well today having had to do his nude scene in front of a big group of people. We chatted over a packet of crisps and here’s what he had to say:

Listen!