September 2007 Archives

Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz are best know for their feature films like 'Blood Diamond' and 'The Last Samuri' but now they are behind a new series that is only available online through MySpace.   Read more about it at THE NEW YORK TIMES or watch the trailer.

NEWS.COM AU is reporting that Prime Minister John Howard will launch ABC 3, a dedicated digital children's channel during the forthcoming election campaign.   It is suggested that the channel will geature 50% Australian content and provide an additional screening venue for the many Australian childrens programs that have been created.

This would be great news, but it sounds like the channel may only have a limit budget, allowing it to re-play existing content, rather than create all new programs.    It's not that long ago that ABC had a digital childrens channel in FLY TV.

My friend and former FTI staffer Paula Lane recently joined the Facebook phenomenon and I teased her about only having two friends, she retorted that it's not about collecting friends, but isn't that what all social networking is exactly about?

This morning over a breakfast meeting AIDC Director Joost Den Hartog said he thought that 160 was the tipping point, anyone who moves over that point may just be clamouring for attention - so I was alarmed to come back to my offiuce and discover my Facebook friend count had tipped over to 163.

Anyhow a report at MEDIA LIFE highlights that the friends we accumulate through MySpace, Facebook, Bebo and the rest are not really friends but just aquaintances.   

Malcolm Galdwell's book 'The Tipping Point' is a great examples of how social networks can spread something, he uses two great examples - Paul Revere's ride that started the American revolution and the spread of a STI in Boston in the early 1990's.   He also outlines where the phrase 'Six Degrees of Separation' originated.   It's a great book, if you haven't read it get it out your local library.

I've been amazed though using Facebook how many of my 'acquaintances' actually new each other, Sure you expect everyone making short films in Perth to know each other but I was amazed to find that some of my perripheral friends knew some of my filmmaker friends.    For example, Fimmaker Sunny Brown went to school with actress and singer Zoe Ventoura, Paula Lane went to University with Lee Battersby, Khrob Edmonds is friends with Ricci-Jane Adams, becasue she was his agent.   I know Lee from Sci Fi Conventions and Zoe from Contempory Dance Centre and Ricci as my brothers girlfriend in the mid 90's.    So it's a small world after all.

So what does all this mean to filmmakers and digital artists?   Well if the trend is to see more content distributed online, and more promotion through workld of mouth, harnessing these networks could be a valuable skill.   Yet, it's not simple, it's easy to tell all your friends about you new film but how do you get them to come and see it in the real world, how to you encourage them to vote for it in the competions?   How to you get your friends or acquaintances to act?

 

 
    

This was noticed a few weeks ago, but in case you missed it.   It has been discovered that there is a secret simulator in Google Earth.   Press the right combination of keys and you'll be able to fly a plane around.   All the details are here.

This got me thinking about Easter Eggs,  which are becoming common on DVD's, in computer games and their cousin the hidden track on music compact discs.    

Then I thought about 'Blink' recent episode of the BBC series 'Dr Who' where a girl is recieving messages from the Doctor, who is trapped in the past, she gets some of the messages through 'Easter Eggs' in DVD's.   It's a brilliantly written episode, penned by Stephen Moffat.    If the BBC are smart when they release the DVD they will include the footage from the stories 'Easter Egg' as an actual 'Easter Egg' on their own release.

We seeing more stories being told over multiple platforms, through viral marketing and secret websites.   The techniques used by Nine Inch Nails 'Year Zero', and the series 'Heroes' and 'Lost' are becoming more common.

It strikes me that to date 'Easter Eggs' secret hiding spaces build into hardware or software have not been utilised directly in a storytelling methodology.   Sure - we've found cool things in 'Easter Eggs' but I can't think of an example where the story has been woven directly through.    I think the hidden story will become a growing feature in the future and in a niche orientated market - something that is secret is going to be way cooler than something that is mass consumed.   I'm not thinking of something that is added on to a TV series or rockband, I'm thinking of a story that is secret enitrely.     (At least in it's begining until everyone finds it, through some clues and prompting?

We posted a few weeks ago about how fast Facebook was becoming popular in Australia.

Now the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD has an article outlining the massive cost this may be having to businesses. There have been quite a few responses to the article.

Here at FTI we acknowledge our Facebook addiction, especially the Scrabulicous game, if your addicted like us, this may be helpful.

The NEW YORK TIMES reports on Google's launch of a new product, Google Sky. It's like Google Earth but facing the other direction. Yes, it's for astronomy.

Perth based Founder and CEO of Video Sharing site SCOUTA, Richard Giles has been interviewed on the Rule the Web podcast.

Another example of how the times are a changing. MTV will spend as much on developing games as it does on programming for television. Another report shows that online gaming is still bigger than online video or social networking.

The BBC reports on how the virtual world of 'World of Warcraft' has been used to test how we would react to a pandemic outbreak.

Christy Dena takes a look at the new short film and social media game 'The Nines'.

This new piece of technology allows parents to track their children's mobile telephone location though interactive television application. Perfect for the Big Brother Coach Potato type.

University researchers at the University of Bath have developed the technology which will allow you to work out which Facebook users you bump into in your travels.

After our recent seminar 'What care all these things my teenager does?" a few people asked if we could post the links from the WA Police presentation 'Keepiong Safe on the Internet'. Here they are,

Cybersmart Kids
Net Alert Limited
Stay Safe
Think U Know
Virtual Global Task Force