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Welcome to our blog. This blog is an area where we put up our thoughts, ideas and things we like.
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The White Room launch The App School
04/02/10 -
News, Uncategorized
The White Room, Manchester’s Cornerhouse and Manchester Metropolitan University are on the look-out for young people with ‘the App Factor’.
The App School (Creative Innovation Lab) is an innovative new scheme created by The White Room and some of the city’s leading creative businesses.
The programme will take 10 budding creatives, based in the ‘Manchester City Council’ area and aged between 18 and 24, and will put them through an intensive training course where they’ll develop their ideas for cutting-edge mobile phone apps. Most importantly through the scheme they’ll receive career-enhancing support and guidance that’ll help them get a foot in the door to the creative industries.
The App School will consist of a weekend-long ‘ideas lab’, followed by a series of four one-day creative business workshops, where they will be coached by some of the city’s finest trainers and creative companies. The programme starts at the end of February 2010, and all sessions will take place at Cornerhouse, Oxford Road, Manchester City Centre.
At the end of the scheme, participants will pitch their worked-up plans – Dragons Den style – to a panel of creative companies, and if they like what they see, they’ll build the app and take it to market with its creator!
With over $3bn worth of mobile phone apps downloaded in the last 2 years, they are the latest phenomenon to sweep the digital industry – presenting budding creative entrepreneurs across the globe with a real chance of turning their ideas into reality.
And you don’t have to be a techie or a geek to make your fortune with them. Inspiration for The App School came from a bin man called Rob Shoesmith. Rob had an idea for an app called ‘Problem Halved’ and worked with an American developer to take his idea to market. His app has now sold over 3.7m copies – at a dollar a time!
To apply for The App School head over to www.appschool.co.uk.
Creative Innovation Labs is funded by Manchester City Council, delivered in partnership with Cornerhouse, MMU, Manchester Beacon for Public Engagement and is being managed by The White Room. If you have any questions about The App School, please email info@thewhiteroomcec.com or call Phil on 0161 446 2991. You can also join The App School on Facebook.
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TRANSMISSIONS 2 – Innovation online: Where next for the web?
12/11/09 -
Uncategorized
Following on from the success of the Transmissions launch event, Northwest Vision and Media, which works on behalf of the digital and creative industries in the region, has announced the second event of the series – “Innovation online: Where next for the web?”
Transmissions is a series of inspiring evening shows delivered for Northwest Vision and Media by The White Room exploring innovation in the digital industry, with an interactive format that fuses keynotes, case-studies, hypothetical discussions and hands-on tech demos.
The second event in the Transmissions series explores how innovations in web tools, technologies and approaches are shaping the web and users’ experience of it. We’ll be looking at how we can harness these developments for creative innovation online.This session will give professionals from all parts of digital industry an indepth insight of the power of these new technologies.
Box UK’s Dan Zambonini will will be scanning the horizon for how the online landscape is shifting, laying out the foundations for the future of the web. Seb Lee-Delisle (Plug-in Media), will explore 3D Flash and Augmented Reality, and Patrick Lauke (Opera) will show how HTML and CSS are set to revolutionise user interface & the web experience.
In addition, the Madlab team will be providing live interactive demos of quirky technology to trigger some digital sparks over drinks and nibbles!
All-comers from across the digital industries are welcome – company leaders, coders, creatives, managers and freelancers alike.
The event takes place on Wednesday 25th November, at Northwest Vision and Media’s brand new premises overlooking MediaCityUK at 100 Broadway, Salford.
To attend this free Transmissions event, visit: http://transmissions2.eventbrite.com
Transmissions is part of Digital Sparks, a programme that incorporates high-level events, seminars, workshops and training for leaders, managers, techies, creatives, freelancers and newbies right across the digital production sector.
For further information on Digital Sparks, go online to:
web: www.digitalsparksnw.com | twitter: @DigitalSparksNW
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More tickets just released – Transmissions launch event 09:11:09
05/11/09 -
News
To cope with demand, more tickets have just been released for the first ‘Transmissions’ event, ”Inspiration + Perspiration: A guide to managing innovation’ – taking place this Monday November 9th from 5:45 PM – 9:00 PM at the Imperial War Museum North.
To get one of these tickets whilst they’re still available follow this link - http://transmission1.eventbrite.com/
Get them before they’re gone!
Through an interactive format that fuses keynotes, case-studies, hypothetical discussions and hands-on tech demos, Transmission 1 will explore how innovation is fostered and managed in the digital industries, through the eyes of three diverse yet successful entrepreneurs:
Imran Hakim (creator of iTeddy and serial entrepreneur)
Martin Eriksson (Product Director, Huddle)
Hal Sandbach (Senior Designer at Sony Computer Entertainment)
The session will also look ahead at the opportunities and challenges in digital innovation.
In addition, the Madlab team will be providing live interactive demos of quirky technology to trigger some digital sparks over drinks and nibbles!
All-comers from across the digital industries are welcome – company leaders, coders, creatives, managers and freelancers alike.
Look out for future Transmissions, running in November, January, February & March
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Transmissions is part of Digital Sparks, a programme of training and development produced by Northwest Vision and Media to support businesses and individuals working right across the digital production sector in the North West.
For further information on Digital Sparks, go online to: web:www.digitalsparksnw.com | twitter: @DigitalSparksNW
This activity is funded by the Digital and Media Skills Programme, delivered by Northwest Vision and Media in partnership with Skillset, and supported by the North West Development Agency.
The events are being delivered by The White Room
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The White Room launch digital support scheme for Northwest Vision and Media
21/10/09 -
News
The White Room have been commissioned by Northwest Vision and Media to lead their support programme for the NW digital sector, Digital Sparks.
The programme incorporates a number of high-level events, seminars, workshops and training programmes for leaders, managers, techies, creatives, freelancers and newbies right across the digital production sector.
Headlining the programme will be Transmissions – a series of inspiring evening shows exploring innovation in the digital industry, with an interactive format that fuses keynotes, case-studies, hypothetical discussions and hands-on tech demos.
The first session – “Inspiration + Perspiration: A guide to managing innovation” takes place on Monday 9th November, with talks from Imran Hakim, creator of the iTeddy, Andy McLoughlin, co-founder of Huddle and Hal Sandbach, Senior Designer at Sony Computer Entertainment. You can register for the event by following this link http://transmission1.eventbrite.com/
The Technique residential training camp is for web developers of all codes, connecting together with visionaries from the global development community. While other events focus on thinking and talking, Technique is all about action – it will be intensive, practical and hands-on. Confirmed trainers include legends of code such as Peter-Paul Koch (Quirksmode) and Luis Lavena (Area 1
i.studio+ is an intensive training programme developed to fast-track new employees within digital companies, equipping them with essential business skills that will enhance their existing roles and prepare them for greater responsibility in the future. The focal point of the programme is a 5-day course including modules on business and market awareness, team-working, communications, creative thinking and project deliver
Finally, DMEX (Digital Media Exchange) aims to connect digital media companies with TV Professionals through flexible paid placements: providing a unique opportunity for businesses to work with, and learn from, established professionals from the television industries, sharing skills and knowledge between bot
Enda Carey, Head of Games and Digital at Northwest Vision and Media said: “The digital industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in the country, and here in the North West we’re determined to help our digital production companies to thrive. “Digital services and interactive content is a core area of activity at Northwest Vision and Media, so we’ve put together the Digital Sparks programme to ensure that we’re supporting the sector as it expands. The range of schemes on offer means that there’s something for everyone across the digital sector, from brand new talent through to leaders.”
This activity is funded by the Digital and Media Skills Programme, delivered by Northwest Vision and Media in partnership with Skillset, and supported by the North West Development Agency. The programme will be delivered through The White Room.
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Paid Digital Opportunities for TV Professionals
02/09/09 -
News
Northwest Vision and Media are working with The White Room on an innovative cross-platform project that paysTV professionals to work with some of the region’s leading Digital Media companies.
Digital Media Exchange (DMeX) links the experience and skills of traditional media freelancers and employees with the new markets and innovation of the region’s best Digital Media companies.
Successful placements will be paid £100 per day for a flexible 20-day project and benefit from specialist master-classes, a dedicated mentor, on and off-line support networks. It offers a unique opportunity for TV professionals to explore the digital media sector – expanding their skills and potential for new work in this fast-growing sector.
Recent opportunities have included a scriptwriter for a viral campaign, a drama writer and producer for a multi-platform drama, a director for a machinima film, and a scriptwriter for a social networking project.
To develop your digital skills and commercial opportunities, express your interest online via this link:
Places are limited, so register your interest now!
Please note – to be eligible, you must have at least 3 years experience and be based in the Northwest of England.
This activity is funded by the Digital and Media Skills Programme, delivered by Northwest Vision and Media in partnership with Skillset, and supported by the North West Development Agency.
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The White Room launch Technique
17/07/09 -
News
The White Room are working with 01zero-one to produce ‘Technique’ – an innovative training and development project for the region’s digital sector.
‘Technique’, supported by Northwest Vision and Media, will provide an innovative and challenging programme of events for interactive developers working within the digital sector in the Northwest.The focal point of the programme is a developer camp – an intensive residential retreat that will bring delegates from digital agencies across the north west together with leading developers from the global digital community. The event will promote collaboration and skills-exchange, explore emerging techniques and technologies and provide interactive, user-led training.
The retreat will take place in the stunning Midland Hotel in Morecambe, a 1930’s Art-Deco hotel recently refurbished to incorporate the latest digital and wireless technologies.
The project team are currently working alongside Northwest Vision & Media, Skillset and a team of leading agencies including Fudge Studios, CodeComputerLove, Idaho and We Make Media to develop the program, which has already attracted support from Adobe, Microsoft and a number of high profile developers from Europe, the US and South America.
Says Paul Collins, Project Manager: “The North West’s rich mix of thriving digital industries provide strong foundations for the exponential growth in the sector. Technique is designed to provide a innovative, credible and relevant program that will capture the imagination of developers and employers in the North West.
“The program is designed to complement the existing conferences, open-space events and meet-ups that play a crucial role in the vitality of the sector. What will make it unique is that Technique will be precisely tailored to the region, and will provide an intensive, ‘hothouse’ environment in which developers can get very hands on to challenge and progress their existing skill-sets.”
The project team are currently inviting input from employers and developers alike, so that the programme content is truly reflective of the requirements of the sector in the North West.
The program website www.techniqueretreat.com is live now, and you can follow techniqueNW on twitter, or email technique@visionandmedia.co.uk.
This activity is funded by the Digital and Media Skills Programme, delivered by Northwest Vision and Media in partnership with Skillset, and supported by the North West Development Agency.
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Transported: Public art on Greater Manchester’s public transport network
16/07/09 -
News
The White Room are working with GMPTE to explore how art can be used on Greater Manchester’s public transport network. From the work, we’re looking to develop an ambitious new Arts Strategy that could create the world’s biggest mass-participation art project.
We held a consultation workshop on Tuesday 14th July, with an audience of 50 high profiles guests, with artists, creatives, and representatives from key organisations in the sub-region. During the event we unveiled our concept, which captured the imagination of the audience and solicited inspired responses. Full information on the strategy will be presented via our ‘Public Art: Transported’ website in due course – in the meantime, here’s a video of artist Simon Grennan summing up the day…
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DMEX Viral Marketing event
23/06/09 -
News
Digital Media Exchange (DMEX) links the experience and skills of traditional media freelancers and employees with the new markets and innovation of the region’s best Digital Media companies. It offers unique opportunity for Digital Media businesses to work with, and learn from, established professionals from the television industries, sharing skills and knowledge between both sectors.
As part of the programme, The White Room (working with Northwest Vision and Media) are running a series of training events exploring some of the new & emerging digital media platforms and their potential uses in content creation.
This event has been developed in response to demand from DMEX participants & will focus on viral marketing. There have been some really fantastic viral campaigns in recent years, and as the format continues to grow and mature it’s becoming THE way for advertisers to engage audiences online. Great virals do just that, they go viral. As users pass on links to other users, the audience for the product grows like wildfire. In this session we’ll explore just what makes for a great viral ad and how TV professionals can use their skills in producing them.
We’ve worked hard, as ever, to secure some really top-notch guest speakers for this session and this DMEX session should be our most entertaining & educational yet!
First up will be Anthony Hartley-Denton, MD of Manchester-based Visual Effects & Animation company AHD. Last Christmas, Anthony and his team broke the steely hearts of the North-West media industry with their sad tale of an out-of-work CGI robot (AHD-1168). A masterwork of self-promotional content, the recession-themed animation caused a huge buzz, and has notched-up over 55,000 views on YouTube.
Following Anthony, we have Matt Smith from New York & London-based digital marketing agency The Viral Factory. Matt is a true pioneer of viral production, and it’s quite a coup for DMEX to be able to secure him! Their work has included the award-winning ‘Sex Olympics’ for Trojan condoms, whilst one of their most recent projects, Extreme Sheep Art for Samsung has had over 8 MILLION (!) views on YouTube.
Event Agenda
6:00pm – 6:15pm : Arrivals & registrations
6:15pm – 6:45pm : Anthony Hartley-Denton (MD, AHD) on their self-promotional viral AHD-1168
6:45pm – 6:50pm : Q&A
6:50pm – 7:00pm : Break
7:00pm – 7:45pm : Matt Smith (The Viral Factory) on ‘What makes a killer viral?’
7:45pm – 8:00pm : Q&A
8:00pm Close
The event will be free, but numbers will be limited so book now by following this link!
This activity is funded by the Digital and Media Skills Programme, delivered by Northwest Vision and Media in partnership with Skillset, and supported by the North West Development Agency.
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Join us for the premiere of Education for Leisure – a DMEX Labs short film
22/06/09 -
News
Cornerhouse Manchester | Thursday 2nd July, 6pm – 8pm
Join The White Room at the premiere of an innovative short film based on the recently-appointed Poet Laureate Carol-Ann Duffy’s controversial poem, ‘Education For Leisure’. It has been created by NW-based TV and Film professionals using machinima – a cutting-edge film-making practice that fuses computer games graphics engines with narrative storytelling.
Digital Media Exchange (DMEX) links the experience and skills of traditional media freelancers and employees with the new markets and innovation of the region’s best Digital Media companies. It offers a unique opportunity for Digital Media businesses to work with, and learn from, established professionals from the television industries, sharing skills and knowledge between both sectors.
As part of the DMEX programme, a team of film and television professionals have joined forces to create a short film using cutting-edge animation technology. “Education for Leisure” is an animation interpretation of a poem by the recently appointed Poet Laureate, Carol-Ann Duffy. The film is produced using Moviestorm, a new software still in early release, which enables film-makers to use computer games technology to make animated films. The film debuted online at the end of May, receiving fantastic reviews almost instantaneously.
To celebrate the achievements of the film-makers involved in the project, Northwest Vision and Media & The White Room are hosting an offline premiere of the short at Manchester’s Cornerhouse cinema.
Book online for this event here.
Schedule
6.00pm - Drinks & arrivals
6:30pm - Lynn Kelly / Lynne McCadden (Northwest Vision and Media)
Introducing the Digital Media Skills Project and the DMEX scheme
6:50pm - David Eccles (Fudge, a DMEX host company)
How DMEX has helped Fudge
7:00pm - Susi oNeill (The White Room) and a member of the Education For Leisure production team
Introducing ‘Education for Leisure’
7:10pm - Premiere, ‘Education for Leisure’
7:20pm - Q&A – Education For Leisure production team
7:30pm - Drinks and networking – Cornerhouse Cafe Bar
As one recent DMEX host company said: “The DMEX scheme has provided us with the opportunity for real cross platform collaboration.”
Northwest Vision and Media
Northwest Vision and Media works on behalf of the digital and creative industries in the Northwest to grow a world-class digital and creative economy within the region. We provide strategic leadership, help to build businesses, develop skills and talent, encourage and invest in production and inspire audiences. Find out more at www.visionandmedia.co.uk
This activity is funded by the Digital and Media Skills Programme, delivered by Northwest Vision and Media in partnership with Skillset, and supported by the North West Development Agency.
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When television, computer games and poetry converge: creating opportunity from the downturn
22/06/09 -
News
The White Room was commissioned by Northwest Vision and Media at the end of 2008 to develop a unique skills exchange programme, DMEX (the Digital Media Exchange), which connects senior talent from the North West’s television sector into the fast-growing digital media industry. Through the scheme we facilitate placement opportunities for TV professionals, embedding them into digital businesses to share skills, knowledge and expertise.
Running alongside the placements, we’ve established ‘DMEX Labs’ – a collaborative production model, setting live digital project briefs to teams of volunteers from the pool of TV talent involved in the scheme.
The most recent DMEX Labs production is a wonderful example of collaboration and convergence – bringing a diverse team together on a project that collides television, computer games and poetry. We established quite an unusual brief to make a machinima film based on Carol-Ann Duffy’s ‘Education for Leisure’ poem – a piece set during the Eighties recession. Machinima is a growing genre that combines the graphic engines used in computer games with narrative storytelling.
A team of six set to work on the film, including scriptwriters, editors, and directors – most with high-level careers in the industry. We then brought in an executive producer (the originator of the Machinima term, no less!) to guide the team. None of the team had worked together before, nor did they have any experience in working on solely digital productions. The majority of the work was done remotely with the team using collaborative tools such as Huddle and Skype to communicate, which again was a completely new working practice for them.
The film debuted online at the end of May and received fantastic reviews from the international Machinima community.
We think the end results are great and you can really see the film-making expertise of the team in the final cut. However, it’s the process as much the product that is of real value here. Collaborative partnerships were formed; new skills and workflows developed; mindsets were challenged.
Under more peaceful economic conditions perhaps such an innovative piece of creative content might not be made. Certainly, getting individuals to commit to a time-intensive and non-commercial project like this wouldn’t be possible if they had their pre-downturn workload. If you’re familiar with the poem you’ll appreciate this poignant nuance.
We are undoubtedly in difficult times, and the creative sector is by no means immune to the impacts of the global economic downturn. But the opportunity, especially for a sector defined by innovation, is in using the time to challenge, to change, and be really creative.
The DMEX project is funded by the Digital and Media Skills Programme, delivered by Northwest Vision and Media in partnership with Skillset, and supported by the North West Development Agency.