Screen Australia’s multi-platform clinic to focus on extensions to feature films
The second Digital Ignition Multi-platform Clinic held by Screen Australia will focus on multi-platform extentions to feature films. The clinic will look beyond websites, webisodes and social media to create a ‘multi-platform production bible’.
The announcement:
Screen Australia has announced that its second Digital Ignition Multi-platform Clinic will focus on multi-platform extensions to feature film. Recent high-profile examples include extensions to The Dark Knight, District 9, Prometheus, Salt and Tron: Legacy but these strategies can be equally applicable and advantageous to lower-budget productions.
The five-day intensive workshop in late November 2012 will support up to seven teams to develop a multi-platform strategy for a feature film. The aim is to go beyond brochure-style websites and basic narrative extensions such as webisodes, Facebook and Twitter updates to focus on the deeper potential of multi-platform storytelling as a rich creative experience in its own right. Participants will develop a full strategy encapsulated in a first draft ‘multi-platform production bible’ enabling them to build their feature project across relevant platforms with meaningful and sustained interactions for users.
Screen Australia has once again engaged the StoryLabs collective to direct the workshop, under the guidance of its key founder Gary Hayes. An award-winning multi-platform producer, author, educator and director, Gary has designed and led multi-platform /transmedia training internationally and in Australia with AFTRS and Metro Screen. He was the director of AFTRS’s LAMP program for five years, Senior Interactive Development Producer at the BBC for eight years, and a Social TV Producer in the US. He is now Executive Producer of Product Development at ABC Multi-platform, and runs MUVEDesign as well as the influential media and marketing site PersonalizeMedia. Gary will be supported by up to eight high-calibre international and domestic experts.
“Multi-platform extensions to feature film are a dynamic new arena for innovation and creativity that could have profound and cost-effective benefits for Australian films,” said Screen Australia Investment Manager Mike Cowap. “The potential to build awareness and an engaged community around a project should be explored by any team serious about reaching an audience, and the clinic will offer a great opportunity to do this with the expert guidance of Gary and his StoryLabs network.”
Founder of StoryLabs Gary Hayes said, “We want to make this as rich and practical a workshop as possible. The program will focus on critically important topics including multi-platform storytelling, user experience, community building, social media campaigns, design, technical, business and marketing. Our mentors will bring tried and tested case studies to hone participants’ processes, and ensure they leave with a tangible ‘bible’ and clear list of next steps for their project to help it actually get off the ground.”
Applications are now open for producers with feature films that have interest from a domestic distributor, an LOI from Screen Australia, or are fully financed. Teams must include at least one member with demonstrable understanding of the technical or digital marketing aspects of multi-platform storytelling. Distributors are strongly encouraged to send a representative as part of the team. Screen Australia will favour those projects where the feature film has a strong likelihood of going into full production.
The Digital Ignition Multi-platform Clinic will run from Monday 26 November to Friday 30 November in rural NSW within 1.5 hours’ drive of Sydney.
Source: Screen Australia press release
