
Project CONNECT designed by Big VOICE is a celebration of the magic that happens when creative businesses and the general public co-create an authentic, collaborative VOICE. Using a multimedia technology platform Project CONNECT is a transmedia story engaging everyone in the theme of human CONNECTion through creativity, co-creation and public participation.
See our story below:
Project CONNECT launch was a great success! Our TMNZ documentary challenge screening brought back the magic of our launch event in four wonderful films.
Have a look at your story on the Facebook wall.
Email us your thoughts CONNECT@bigvoice.tv
Big VOICE combines participation with technology to facilitate the VOICE of businesses and organisations, enabling them to share their message in a more effective way. Big VOICE believes in the collective, collaborative process of creativity and the power of authentic story telling.
Through Project CONNECT we have invited you, some of Auckland’s innovative creative professionals, and the global public (via Facebook) to actively participate in the creation of a multimedia exhibition launch event that will give VOICE to a specific themed topic. This is the VOICE of Connection.
Public participation to CONNECT - on Project CONNECT Facebook
Website: www.BigVOICE.tv
Threaded Magazine, founded by graphic designer Kyra Bradcock, it has grown in readership and status since its inception in 2004. Threaded Magazine is a visually arresting collaborative design publication that has established a unique creative platform to offer insights into best practice across the creative industries and bridge the gap between established and emerging practitioners. One of the key objectives is to produce a publication that is all about people as designers. Who they are and what drives them to do their work.
For the Project CONNECT Launch Exhibition, Threaded created an interactive sticker wall. Attendees were invited to answer the question "How does design CONNECT with you?" and place the stickers on a wall to make up the Threaded logo.
Threaded, in collaboration with Big VOICE, will create a multimedia publication, which documents and celebrates the notion of 'creative collaboration' and the journey of co-creation this project inspires.
Website: www.threaded.co.nz
Transmedia NZ aims to support the development of a transmedia production community in New Zealand, to share ideas and knowledge and create opportunities for collaboration and creation.
Transmedia NZ created an immersive QR code experience for visitors to the Project CONNECT launch (in collaboration with Virtuo), and co-creating a mobile documentary of the Project CONNECT event (in collaboration with MINA, Transmedia NZ and Big VOICE).
For more details check out the Documentary Challenge.Website: www.transmedianz.org
Virtuo is an intelligent collective of experts in serious experimental play. Multi-disciplinary and multi-talented, we generate bespoke creative solutions and specialise in new and emerging technologies.
In keeping with our collaborative and open creative philosophy, Virtuo collaborated to:
Website: www.virtuo.co.nz/en/

Stevie Starr is an avante-pop musician who has been described as "Like Sigur Rós if they hung out with Radiohead in a Horowhenua forest". His electronic tinged compositions, inspired by the Estonian composer Arvo Part, are based upon his experiences; hitch-hiking around NZ and Europe, playing gigs at the Starclub in Hamburg, meeting Maori tribal elders at Waitangi, dossing with crab farmers, and drinking with locals in the towns and cities that he visits, hoping one might offer him a refreshing beverage in exchange for a tale or two.
With towers of TV sets Starr created a virtual TV station, (Stevie Starrmart) which displays vintage images of advertising propaganda and animations. During his performance at "Project CONNECT" the audience could manipulate the backing tracks which Starr plays to using modified Wii remotes, in an attempt to bridge the gap between performer and audience.
Website: www.thesteviestarr.com
Founded by Rebecca Mills, Ministry of Green are are a sustainability strategy and innovation consultancy. They strive for holistic sustainability, creating evidence-based solutions for sustainable cities, developments and organisations.
Ministry of Green's work with 'Project CONNECT' poses questions of how we connect with and value our natural environment. 'What's the value of your footprint?' is an interactive installation which connects your own human footprint with your world.
Our changing environment is having an ever-changing impact on human life. Our current lifestyles are having an ever-changing impact on the environment.
With our growing knowledge it’s time to reimagine how we perceive the world, our place within it, and our highest priorities. The change begins with each of us, then with our families, our businesses, our cities, our country, and the world.
Let’s raise our eyes beyond the conventional horizon of a year and ask - “What kind of world would we like to have in a generation?”
Website: www.ministryofgreen.co.nz

Margaret Lewis believes it’s not just about
fashion. She lives a life surrounded by textile - in particular wool. It’s in
her room, in her car, on her desk, in her handbag...
Creating a style where craft meets couture, Margaret Lewis’s designs start from
a technique or a piece of handwork or sometimes a piece of found fabric. With
that starting point, items are then upcycled, recycled, recut or made from
scratch, using original designs. The craft work is done by hand and using
skills that could have learned with her nana.
The gift in making these kinds of works is connecting existing objects and the
brand-new, young and old, traditional and contemporary in ways that weave new
stories. Project CONNECT allowed Margaret Lewis to pull strands of different
stories together and build new connections. She took a low-tech approach and connected the other collaborators within the space using red gaffer's tape... and invite others to join.
Website: www.facebook.com/dml.where.craft.meets.couture

Unguarded Intersection is a collaborative group that specialises in exploring new and innovative ways of presenting moving image through large-scale public installations. They specialise in public projection events which examine the environment in which we live. A consistent feature of Unguarded Intersection’s work is the theme of transplanted experiences. By taking an experience out of context, the viewer is invited to reflect on the nature of experience itself. Unguarded Intersection is: Michael Brook, Kim Fogelberg, Fiona Milburn and Mark Schafer.
Smoke (2003) examined the indistinct nature of memory. It suggested that common cultural experiences, such as a New Zealand Summer spent at the beach, form a modern collective memory. Personal experience mixes with images from: film, television, home movies, news events, photographs, etc., until our individual memories reflect a collected vision of our past. With Smoke (2011), Unguarded Intersection takes this further. Today's technology connects us as never before. We now live our lives globally: our experiences are global; our influences are global. The sharing of memories has become an experience in, and of, itself. Our memories reflecting an internationally collected vision of our past.
Smoke is a physical installation, which digitally projects images onto smoke contained within an everyday casement window, thus creating a dreamy 3D effect.
Website: www.unguardedintersection.net
Paul Stothers principally works in graphic design. He utilizes typography, illustration and photography that reference and reinterpret elements of popular culture. He has also been involved in underground music culture as a DJ, producer and promoter.
For 'Project CONNECT' Paul's work represents his experiences connecting with people through music while tapping into his love of typography. By meditating on a popular lyric from the Vanilla Ice song 'Ice Ice Baby' Paul's interactive installation reveals layers of unintended meanings.
Website: www.paulstothers.tumblr.com
The Cut Collective is five like-minded individuals with varied personal histories in art making. After working
spontaneously and informally together over a number
of years the Cut Collective was formed in 2006
to add an element of permanence and recognition to
this ongoing collaboration.
Cut Collective’s practice ranges from commissioned
artworks to gallery exhibitions, public murals, commercial
design and illustration and apparel. The Cut
Collective has an inclusive philosophy, recognizing the value in
collaboration and actively promotes this through its
working relationships with other artists.
They have been involved in many different exhibitions both here in New Zealand and overseas. And have in the last three years completed significant exhibitions at The New Dowse, the Auckland Art Gallery and the Dunedin Public Art Gallery.
For 'Project CONNECT The Cut Collective visually interprets Dominique Rowe's writing in a typographic manner with an aspect of digital documentation.
Blog: http://cutcollective.tumblr.com/
Website: http://cutcollective.co.nz/
Dominique Rowe has worked in radio, print, and TV. After stepping onto the career at TIME magazine, she moved into travel, arts and culture writing, and is currently focusing full-time on her own imprint, ink*horn Creative, which works closely with clients on a range of projects ranging from branding, advertising, and advertorial, to sales and marketing collateral, to sponsorship pitches, websites, and business plans. Recent creative work has included projects for W Hotels Worldwide, NZTE, Sisley, and fashion conglomerate GRI. Her television career probably reached its zenith presenting the weather report every evening for two years, on a terrestrial Chinese English-language broadcaster to an audience of potentially hundreds, accompanied by a cameraman with chronic wind.
Both physically, and metaphysically, Dominique sees her career as a microscopic plankton, floating sometimes without direction, sometimes purposefully, through the murky depths of New Zealand’s heady media world, gigantic misshapen microscopic brain in tow. Whilst this is not exactly the future of intellectual domination and breathtakingly expensive shoes she once had in mind, she is nevertheless fulfilled in the task that she has set herself: to write merciless machine gun copy that explodes in people’s faces. She once dreamt of marrying a rakish professional ball-sports player purely for his body/ money. However, she has since found her perfect man, and thus, and now finds herself beavering away in New Zealand, making avant-garde neckpieces with Number 8 wire and drinking moonshine in her spare time.
WHYBeanie is the umbrella for the creative outcomes
from an extraordinary experience Eleni Papadopoulos had between March 2010
and March 2011. Through connecting she was invited by 52+ friends to come
and stay for a week with each. The Universe delivered project52. WHYBeanie stands
for ’Where Have You Beanie’, and is the chosen title for the inspiring
creativity born from this amazing experience.
A book is under way, sharing the diverse and interesting aspects of project52.
Other creative outcomes are being developed in collaboration with friends.
The Beanie was an integral part of her journey.
At Project CONNECT, Eleni's delivers a portrait in a setting that represents the experience of project52. She tells her story orally - the old fashioned way - sitting down with participants - she told the story or part thereof and answering many questions that arose from such a unique experience. Oh, and she made a Beanie!
Website: www.artika.co.nz
NOP.nz is a cultural project between France and New Zealand, based on «New Orchestra Practices». The concept involves gathering people from different ethnic backgrounds, musical abilities, ages and social classes to collectively play sound and visual parts in an electronic orchestra. NOP.nz’s main goal is to bring together various audiences, artistic practices and cultures.
The orchestra uses the Meta-Mallette, a device enabling multiple players to perform live sounds and images thanks to video game joysticks, all connected to one single computer. It was designed in 2005 in France by the PUCE MUSE music company.
This project is notably supported by the French Embassy in New Zealand, the French Ministry of Youth, Paris City Council, The French Alliance and the New Zealand-France Friendship Fund.
For Project CONNECT, NOP.nz hosted a one hour workshop each day. The public joined in, no particular skills were required. Under 10 years-old, kids played also, with an adult.
It was the same program for each day: we discovered « Meet Me (T)here » from Gyorgy Kurtag Jr. It is a piece for 7 joysticks based on improvisation. Each session was unique.
Workshop's goal was to bring together different kinds of people for an introduction to electronic orchestra.
Mute Off Productions brings focus to the things we know
but aren’t being heard. For Project CONNECT Mute Off, with their dance
performance, will carry and hold the value of time and place and what we can do
with it to find ourselves while falling into another. In collaboration with Big VOICE, Mute Off Productions improvised a connected dance that brought a theatrical element to the launch, connecting the visitors to the story as soon as they walked into the door. Enticing them to be mesmerized by the intimate essence of human connection.
Big VOICE designed and installed the set, which incorporated a path way to the purity of connection, projecting an animated film with personal imagery and video from the face book participants and Serena Stevenson.
Biz DOJO
The Biz Dojo provides a network of fully serviced co-working and collaboration spaces targeted at Kiwi start-ups and entrepreneurs in the creative and high-tech industries. Situated in the IRONBANK building in Karangahape road. Biz DOJO will contribute by sponsoring the physical space in Ironbank where Project CONNECT launches.
Website: www.bizdojo.com
Big VOICE Ltd combines participation with technology to facilitate the VOICE of businesses and organisations, enabling them to share their message in a more effective way. Big VOICE believes in the collective, collaborative process of creativity and the power of authentic story telling.
Through Project CONNECT we have invited, some of Auckland’s innovative creative professionals, and the global public (via Facebook) to actively participate in the creation of a multimedia exhibition launch event and story that will give VOICE to a specific themed topic. This is the VOICE of Human CONNECTion.
Terms and ConditionsI hereby consent to the use (in full or in part) of any material provided by myself on videotape, film, audio tape, digital medium, paper, or other medium for Project CONNECT, its agents, servants or employees.
I authorise usage of this information in any way deemed appropriate by the project and its agents and further agree that you may use my name, likeness and biography for the purpose of promoting Project CONNECT.
I also acknowledge that I have no claim now or in the future on any moneys, royalties or compensations arising from or related to Project CONNECT, nor do I have now or in the future any input into editing or production creation; or any bearing on which media outlets the project may choose to use.
I have read this release and acknowledge that I have been invited to ask and satisfy any questions in regard to Project CONNECT prior to submitting my materials.
I agree that not doing so will be taken as a free and acknowledgeable acceptance of the terms for participation in this project.
Terms & Conditions
1 Terms of Use
1.1
Application of Terms of Use
These terms of use ("Terms of Use") govern how any participant or
user ("you") may access and use Project CONNECT (the
"Project") and the photos, text, objects, video clips, audio clips
and music clips (collectively the "Material") you provide or upload
or download from the Project CONNECT website and other Project CONNECT
platforms. These terms may vary from time to time.
1.2
About Us
This Project and its Platforms are owned by Big VOICE Limited ("us"
or "we"). We are the production company of Project CONNECT.
2. The purpose of Project CONNECT
The purpose of Project CONNECT is to allow you a unique way to participate in the Project by contributing Material that will be used and profiled across a variety of multimedia, interactive platforms developed and managed by Big VOICE. These platforms will constitute the vehicle and framework for presenting the Material as the multimedia artworks and installations that are Project CONNECT. Through participation in Project CONNECT you are invited to create and share your artwork through the Project and with your acquaintances in accordance with these Terms of Use.
3. What you can do
In participating in this Project, creating your Work and using the Material, you agree to be bound by the restrictions outlined in this clause.
You
may:
(a) download Material from or upload Material to the Project website for the
purposes outlined in these Terms of Use;
(b) copy, reproduce, adapt, translate, alter, rearrange, edit, cut, delete
from, dub or subtitle in any language, the Material for the sole purposes of
creating your own artwork (‘Your Work’) to be included in a body of work known
collectively as Project CONNECT.;
(c) distribute Your Work to people you know via email or make Your Work
available to the public by uploading to your own personal website or posting
Your Work or a link to Your Work, on web sites such as YouTube, Facebook,
Twitter or MySpace.
4. What you Cannot Do
In participating in this project, creating Your Work and using the Material, you agree to be bound by the restrictions outlined in this clause.
You
may not:
(a) use any of the Material in any way whatsoever other than to promote Your
Work as defined by the Project;
(b) sub-licence or assign any rights granted to you under these Terms of Use to
any other third party e.g. you may not forward Material you have downloaded for
others to use;
(c) infringe any law;
(d) infringe the rights (including any intellectual property rights) of any
third party;
(e) do any act which would bring us, Big VOICE, or any contributor to the
Project or any party related in any way to the Project into disrepute, or do
anything which would be defamatory to any of the parties referred to in this
clause or cause us to have any liability to any third party;
(f) charge others for viewing your Work in any way whatsoever;
(g) directly or indirectly suggest any endorsement by us or any party
associated with the Project in any way whatsoever in the distribution of your
Work; or
(h) distribute any viruses or other harmful programs or spam, stalk, harrass,
cause distress or inconvenience recipients of your Work, or invade anyone's
privacy, in connection with this Project.
5. Intellectual Property Rights
All the Material made available to this Project is owned or licenced by Big VOICE.
5.1
Our licence to you
Subject to clause 4 (What You Cannot Do), we grant you a worldwide,
non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to copy, reproduce, adapt, translate,
alter, rearrange, edit, cut, dub, delete from the Material (including without
limitation the right to extract audio only or picture only content from the
Material) or subtitle in any language, Your Work for the sole purpose of
promoting Your Work as a part of the wider Project throughout the world; by
distributing your Work via email to people you know or making Your Work
available to the public by uploading to your own personal website; or posting
Your Work or a link to Your Work, on web sites such as YouTube, Facebook,
Twitter or MySpace.
5.2
Your licence to us
To the extent that you create any intellectual property rights in Your Work
(which you retain ownership of), you grant Us a worldwide, non-exclusive,
irrevocable, royalty-free licence to communicate your Work, or any part
thereof, to the public via the Project and its platforms, or in any media
formats, artworks or installations; and through any media channels in order to
advertise, promote, publicise, broadcast, exhibit, distribute and use Your Work
in any way whatsoever, throughout the world in perpetuity in all media and by
any and all means now known or devised in future.
5.3
Moral rights
To the fullest extent permitted by law, you irrevocably waive the benefits of
and agree not to assert or exercise and waive and release Us, Big VOICE, or any
contributor to the making of the Project, or any party related in any way to
the Project, from any and all claims that you may now or hereafter have in any
jurisdiction based on any provision of law known as "moral rights" or
"droit moral" or any similar rights or unfair competition with
respect to our exploitation of Your Work (if any) without further notification
or compensation to you of any kind, and you agree not to instigate, support,
maintain, or authorise any action, claim, or lawsuit against Us, Big VOICE, or
any contributor to the making of the Project, or any party related in any way
to the Project, or any other person in connection with Your Work or the
Project, on the grounds that any use of Your Work or any derivative works
thereof, infringe or violate any rights of you and/or any participant therein.
6. Privacy
(a) For the purposes of the Data Protection Act 1998 ("DPA") and any
related legislation, and any analogous legislation applicable in any other
jurisdiction, you agree and give your consent to the holding and processing of
personal data, including sensitive personal data as such terms are defined in
the DPA, relating to you by us and any companies in the same group as us or
under common control or ownership with us and, where relevant our and their
respective employees, agents and advisers, solely for purposes connected with
these Terms of Use (including without limitation the enforcement of the same),
the Project, and to ensure compliance with our legal and regulatory
obligations.
(b) You acknowledge that the processing of personal data pursuant to sub-clause
(a) above may involve the disclosure of such personal data to third parties,
including without limitation legal and regulatory bodies, distributors and
licensees of the Project, sponsors and advertisers and other persons connected
with the Project.
(c) The disclosure and processing of your personal data pursuant to clauses (a)
and (b) above may involve the transfer of such personal data outside New
Zealand and other jurisdictions where data protection regulations may not offer
the same protection as those applicable within New Zealand. You consent to such
transfers.
(d) You have the right to require personal data held by us relating to you or
such person (as applicable) to be removed from all records held by us by
sending an email to the following email address: CONNECT@bigvoice.tv
7. The Competition
7.1 Your entry
By uploading your original artwork to Facebook or submitting Material of and for the launch exhibition you enter the Project competitions for:
- best overall artwork representing the theme of connectivity
(each an individual competition entry under these Terms of Use).
The deadline for Face Book entries is November 12th 2011
The deadline for Documentary Challenge entries is Monday 29th August 12pm
By entering
into a Competition, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use, in particular
the conditions in this clause.
9.2 Judging for Project CONNECT on Face Book
The Competitions will be judged by Big VOICE Limited (“the Judges”) according
to the following criteria:
- originality
- visual style
- impact
- ability to communicate to potential viewers the theme CONNECT
The judging period will conclude December 12th 2011
The Judges’ decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into in
relation to the awarding of prizes.
9.3 The Prizes
The winner(s) of each of the Competitions will receive:
- Big VOICE 2012 Award
- 1x iPhone 4
- 1x iPhone
filmmaking workshop
We will notify the winning entrant(s) via email and advise how to collect the
Prizes. If you do not respond within 2 days, the Prize will be deemed to have
been forfeited and we reserve the right to offer the Prize to another entrant.
We will post the results of the Competitions on the Project website or other
platforms on or before January 12th 2012
9.4 Parameters of your entry
If your entry features anything we consider inappropriate given the nature of
the Project and the intention behind the Project, your entry will be declared
invalid and we may consider that you have breached these Terms of Use.
9.5 Other Competitions
Please note that we are not administering any other competitions, only the
Competitions, which are on the Project website.
10. What we are not responsible for
10.1
Inaccuracies and technical problems
To the extent permitted by applicable law, neither us nor any of our respective
parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, legal
and financial advisors, any and all companies associated with the Project
(including without limitation Big VOICE Limited) and each of their respective
officers, directors, shareholders, agents, licensees, licensors and employees,
nor any Internet access providers (collectively "Released Parties")
are responsible for incorrect or inaccurate entry of information, human error,
technical malfunction, lost/delayed data transmission, omission, interruption,
deletion, defect, line failure of any telephone, computer or other network,
computer equipment, software or any combination thereof, inability to access
the Project website, for problems downloading any Material from the Project
Website whatsoever.
10.2
Our breach
In the event of any breach by us of these Terms of Use, your sole remedy shall
be for damages (if any) actually suffered by you and you shall not in any
circumstances be entitled to rescind your agreement to these Terms of Use or to
any injunctive or other equitable relief or to enjoin or restrain the
production, broadcast, distribution, exhibition, advertising, publicity,
exploitation or communication to the public of the Project.
10.3
Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permissible by applicable law, we shall not be liable for
any economic losses, loss of goodwill or reputation or special, indirect or
consequential losses (whether or not such losses were within the contemplation
of you and us at the date of your uploading or downloading any Material) suffered
or incurred by you arising out of or in connection with these Terms of Use.
Nothing in these Terms of Use shall be construed so as to limit or exclude either you or us from liability for fraudulent misrepresentation, personal injury or death.
10.4
Loss
You agree that the Released Parties shall not be responsible for (and you
hereby irrevocably release them from liability for) any claims, losses,
liability and damages of any kind (including reasonable lawyers' fees and
expenses) asserted against any of them, incurred, sustained or arising in
connection with the use or misuse use of any Material (including Your Work)
including without limitation, any injury, damage, death, loss or accident to
person or property, or from your breach of any of these Terms of Use.
In the case that you attempt to deliberately damage the Project or any of its
platforms, or undermine the legitimate operation of the distribution of
Material to promote the Project including on the Project website, we reserve
the right to seek damages or other remedies from you or third parties involved
in such activities, to the fullest extent permitted by law.
11. Your responsibilities
11.1
Your Work
You bear sole liability for Your Work, and agree to indemnify the Released
Parties for any damages and/or costs incurred as a result of your breach of
these Terms of Use.
11.2
Your equipment
You are solely responsible for all your equipment and software used and any
related costs associated with participating in the Project and downloading or
accessing any Material.
12. Termination
If
you breach any of these Terms of Use, or we believe you may have breached these
Terms of Use, in particular any of the activities listed in the section
"What you Cannot Do", we will immediately terminate the licence granted
to you under these Terms of Use and, terminate your account, barring you from
accessing the Project website or nay other Project platforms.
If we terminate your account, you agree to delete everything you have
downloaded from the Project website and to immediately cease whatever actions
have infringed these Terms of Use.
We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Project (or any
part or content thereof) at any time.
We will not be liable to you or to any third party for so doing.
13. Miscellaneous
13.1
General
If you do not agree to these Terms of Use, your entry in the Competition is
invalid.
13.2
Your Age
If you are under 18, you will need a parent or legal guardian to email CONNECT@bigvoice.tv granting their
permission for you to agree to these Terms of Use and to participate in any
Competition. An email from your parent or legal guardian must confirm:
- who you are;
- who they are in relation to you (including their name and whether they are
your parent or legal guardian);
- that they have read the Terms of Use; and
- that the parent/legal guardian gives you permission to be involved with the
Project and the promotion of the Project,
These agreements will constitute their permission and agreement that your
participation and involvement with the Project is for your benefit and they
agree on your behalf to these Terms of Use.
13.3
Links to other websites
The Project website contains hyperlinks to other websites owned by third
parties, which are governed by their own terms of use. We do not accept any
responsibility or liability for your use of any third party websites or third
party Project information.
13.4
Assignment or Sub-licence
We shall be entitled to assign, license, charge or deal in any other manner
with these Terms of Use or our rights and benefits under these Terms of Use (in
whole or part) to any third party.
13.5
Severability
If any provision of these Terms of Use is invalid, void or unenforceable under
the law, such provisions shall in no way affect any other provision of these
Terms of Use.
13.6
Governing Law
New Zealand law shall apply to these Terms of Use and you and we irrevocably
submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the New Zealand courts in respect of
any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with these Terms of Use.
13.7 Update
We may update and amend these Terms of Use (including rules relating to the
Competition) from time to time.
Transmedia storytelling uses multiple media platforms to tell a single,
coherent story or narrative that unfolds across time. Each media
piece-whether it's a website, novel, video games, mobile apps, or a
film-provides different points of access and can engage different
demographics. Each media components add to the story while functioning
as a standalone experience. Each component invites some level of
participation. The story can be experienced and appreciated at any
stage, but the cumulative effect of all the pieces makes a larger,
richer and more engaging message experience.
THE POWER OF TRANSMEDIA STORYTELLING
With the rise of a generation that intuitively harnesses an array of media technologies, the entertainment industry is facing seismic challenges. Our movies depict rich worlds, iconic characters, epic storylines and histories that lend themselves to an array of lucrative media extensions, but we are often blocked from reaping the creative and financial rewards of lavish videogames, toys, novels, mobile content and the Web. How can we strengthen our control over the storyworld franchises we are struggling to build? How can we harness the multi-platform experience to maximize the potential of even our most artful and independent works? The answer is, we must evolve! In this keynote, one of the world’s most renowned producers of blockbuster transmedia franchises discusses the paradigm shift from linear narratives to vast “storyworlds” and how new development and packaging models allow for greater creative and financial empowerment for the creator.
3 key areas where the digital industry will evolve in the coming years
1. Industries will be forced to undergo the painful paradigm shift from packaging and distribution of content to the commerce of digital content in and of itself. A generation of young people are rising to embrace digital and no longer care about the substance of printed paper, CD’s, DVD’s and other packaging materials. Our computers and handheld devices bring us all of these things faster, more cheaply and in customizable formats. Imagine a world where we no longer need the package! This means a diminished need for printers, pressers, trucking, storage and warehouses, newsstands, brick and mortar stores. It also means greater perceived value for digital content, including such digital objects as swords and magic potions in online games. All this is happening now, and the totality of the shift will happen sooner than we think!
2. Transmedia storytelling will come into prominence. It will no longer be an afterthought tacked onto tent pole movie promotions, or the purview of niche audience alternate-reality games. Entertainment properties will be designed from scratch to leverage the power of an array of media platforms, engaging audience members in immersive narrative that invites dialog and self-expression as much as it unfolds like television or film. A new breed of visionaries (writers, game designers, showrunners, musicians, producers) will create transmedia narratives in strikingly artful ways, inviting a new kind of appreciation and criticism. And transmedia storytelling will leave the arena of entertainment and advertising, impacting society itself in the form of education initiatives, political campaigns, and international outreach.
3. “App convergence” will allow for remarkable interactive experiences to be designed for handheld and console devices. These include intense outdoor adventures with fully immersive alternate reality games, leveraging top flight graphics, geocaching and multi-person telecommunication. Our devices will superimpose highly cerebral and intimate interpersonal expressions over live events such as concerts, rallies or shopping excursions. The rich interlacing of software applications will in essence add additional layers of reality upon the one that we are perceiving, enriching and deepening our experience of the world. JEFF GOMEZ 2011