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Here's the latest news from The White Room
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DMEX: Producing for the Internet
Are you a TV, Radio or Journalism professional?
Are you looking to know more about how you can produce engaging content for the internet?
Do you want to know about how you can exploit new online opportunities?
If so, this session is for you.
This half-day training session offers a snapshot of producing content for internet platforms, adapting traditional methods to new media, and where and how opportunities are evolving.
With programming expected to now have creative online back-up and traditional programming opportunities fracturing into the world of webisodes, videocasts and content that can be adapted for online and mobile screening, this is an exciting and challenging time.
There are many changes that are minor and some that require an adaptation to traditional programme making principles.
This training session, lead by Ric Michael, will be a lively and informative romp through the emerging world to help the development of confidence, understanding and knowing which skills need to be adapted.
Ric was Head of Development at Baby Cow Manchester and an editor for groundbreaking Channel 4 website 4Laughs. He has worked on a range of new media content projects and is an experienced Development Producer and media trainer.
Agenda
9:15am – Arrivals
9:30am – Training session begins
12:30pm – Training session closesCLICK HERE TO YOUR PLACE BOOK NOW
DMEX is funded by the Digital and Media Skills Programme, delivered by Vision+Media in partnership with Skillset, and supported by the Northwest Development Agency. As such, the cost of this half day training session is just £20 (plus booking fee), a small percentage of the typical cost of training of this type.
The events are being delivered by The White Room.
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- Posted 14/02/11
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Influence wins new social media friends
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We’re working with Real Fresh TV on a new training scheme that equips marketeers with the skills and knowledge they need to become effective Social Media Managers, creating and managing online communities and growing influence for a business or organisation online. We’ve added two new industry trainers to the line-up for the event, Rick Guttridge (Smoking Gun PR) and Steve Downes (Juice Digital).
Rick Gutteridge
Rick previously enjoyed spells in full-service agencies, was MD at major consumer specialist PR outfit and has led accounts on many major international brands.
He is Managing Director and Co-owner at Smoking Gun PR and has managed social media marketing campaigns for brands as varied as Manchester United, Panda Liquorice and the Welsh Assembly Government.
His all time favourite story is Lord Of The Rings which he feels remains as captivating for him now as it was when he was a child.
Steve Downes
Steve is responsible for social media strategies for clients. He is also a guest speaker at social media conferences and digital marketing advisor to major brands.
He’s been in marketing communications for over 25 years and worked on major brands like Nikon, Siemens and even Big D and Planters Peanuts!
Steve’s proudest professional moment was meeting Yoko Ono to unveil a new name and brand for Liverpool John Lennon Airport. She said “Thank you. John would have loved it”.
You can find out about Influence: Social Media Manager Pro or book your place by clicking here.
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- Posted 13/02/11
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DMEX helps Matt with a digital switchover
Having newly arrived to the region after a career working for the BBC, Technicolor and Hasbro Matt Knott joined the DMEX (Digital Media Exchange Scheme) in September 2009. The programme, funded through Vision+Media, aims to help TV professionals to break into the digital sector, through training, mentoring and placements. The White Room secured a placement for Matt with digital agency SKV, where he worked as an editor during his 20 day placement.
“Matt was great to work with. Very creative and full of ideas. Just what we needed in fact.”
Daniel Kennedy, Creative Director SKV
The placement itself went so well that Matt worked with SKV a number of times subsequently. During his placement Matt was mentored by Krishna Stott, MD of interactive entertainment company Bellyfeel, and the relationship they struck up resulted in Matt securing a permanent job as a Director at the company.
“As a newcomer from London, the DMEX scheme was invaluable in introducing me to the regions Media industry. Working at SKV and being mentored by Krishna Stott at Bellyfeel, was terrifically rewarding, and it allowed me the opportunity to demonstrate all of my skills. As a result of the DMEX scheme I am now part of Bellyfeel’s senior management and production team, working alongside my DMEX mentor on some of the coolest projects I’ve ever worked on.”
The White Room are currently running the scheme for the fourth time. Among current placements we have a filmmaker placed with Venn Digital making promotional films for distribution online and a TV producer placed with Lets Go Global making a short film about how schools and local communities are adapting to the new planned Academies that are to be built in Oldham.
If you are a digital agency based in the North West and would like to take one of the few remaining placements available please contact ezra@TheWhiteRoomcec.com
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- Posted 13/02/11
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Technique Retreat Update
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As the Technique Retreat 2011 bandwagon gathers pace, we thought we’d keep you up to date with some of the latest developments, fresh from The White Room HQ. The Technique Retreat blog includes profiles of all the expert trainers with details of their master-classes and some tasty tips from the trainers to follow.
For further information visit the Technique Retreat web site
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- Posted 13/02/11
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Broadcaster gets mobile with The White Room
The White Room have been commissioned by the BBC to deliver training in Android – Google’s mobile operating system.
The trainees are part of the Future Media and Technology department, tasked with ensuring that BBC content can be delivered to audiences through an increasingly diverse range of media, including web, mobile phones and TV platforms such as red button and YouView.
The White Room, specialists in digital strategy and training, have assembled a team of leading Android developers to develop a bespoke course which combines hands-on, technical training with best-practice lessons from leading mobile app creators.
Says Paul Collins, Head of Training at The White Room: “The number of mobile devices out there running Android has eclipsed the likes of iPhone and Blackberry, which means there are millions of people out there with the potential to access content from the BBC.
“We’ve worked closely with the Future Media and Technology team to establish exactly what they need to get from the training and out a great team together to make sure the Future Media & Technology team achieve that, and quickly”.
Paul Collins, Programme Development Manager
Paul@TheWhiteRoomcec.com- Read more
- Posted 13/02/11
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FREQUENCY a free event by Creative Times
All you need to know about the music industry.
Creative Times have teamed up with John Robb for a brand new series of events for people breaking into the music business, FREQUENCY.
The events are FREE TO ATTEND and if you’re working in any part of the music industry they’re for you. We’ll be looking at how to build your audience, new ways of making money, and how not to get ripped off, too….believe us, it happens far too often…
You’ll hear from promoters, labels and bands that have ‘been there and done it’, learning from their experiences (good and bad) of running their own music ventures.
With guests lined up from some of the North West’s best music businesses, including Sentric Music, Manchester Scene Wipe, The Source and Red Deer Club, it’ll be insightful, informative and a lot of fun, too…
The first event takes place on Tuesday 22nd February at Cornerhouse in Manchester, and is called “It’s a shit business: How to lose money in the music industry”:
The are few industries where you can guarantee losing money quicker than you can in the music industry. Our guests Martyn Walsh [Inspiral Carpets] and Dom Sotgiu [Blood and Fire], will share some of their least best decisions in the music industry, whilst renowned music lawyer Andy Booth [Turner Parkinson] will be on-hand to tell them what they really should have done at the time…
To book your tickets for the events go online now to www.creativetimes.co.uk/frequency
Frequency is managed by Creative Times, The White Room and Cornerhouse, and funded by Manchester City Council and Vision+Media, in partnership with The Blue Orchid and The Unsigned Guide.
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- Posted 01/02/11
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Influence: Social Media Manager Pro
February 21-22, 2011 at 9:00AM – 5:00 PM
Peter House
Oxford Street
M1 5AN Manchester
United KingdomIs your company moving at the speed of the Internet and interacting with new customers using all the digital channels available to you?
Social media is turbo-charging customer conversations and e-commerce. Smart companies know it.
Over an intensive 2 day of hands on training Influence – Social Media Manager Pro equips marketeers with the skills and knowledge they need to become effective Social Media Managers, creating and managing online communities and growing influence for a business or organisation online.
In addition, attendees are asked to respond to a live industry brief giving them an opportunity to test their new skills.
So if you want to know how to:
* create compelling digital marketing copy that delivers tangible PR and brand building results
* build working relationships with external stakeholders online
* translate social media strategies to web metrics that are easily tracked
* identify actionable insights from online conversations
* perform Social Media Optimisation (SMO)
* learn how social media impacts on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) objectives
* combine social media with traditional marketing and PR strategies
* monitor social media marketing campaigns and convert engagement on Facebook, Twitter and blogs to quality leadsInfluence – Social Media Manager Pro is for you.
Visit the booking page for more information.
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- Posted 31/01/11
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Technique Retreat 2011 -Manchester
Two days of design and code for digital designers and developers returns in March.
Technique, The White Room’s innovative digital skills programme for web and mobile creators, returns to Manchester in March with an intensive 2-day training camp.
If you’re a coder, a designer, an IA, UX (or a bit of everything), then Technique is your chance to work with some of the most respected and experienced web and mobile creators.
The intensive, small-group format offers the chance to get practical, hands-on training and coaching from renowned international experts in a way that web conferences and traditional training courses just don’t allow, giving you techniques and approaches to take away and immediately put into practice.
As always, we’re bringing in some of the best designers and developers in the business for a series of hands-on workshops which will give you a unique chance to hone your skills, pick up new ones and take away fresh nuggets to put straight into practice in the studio.
With workshops from Seb Lee Delisle, Dan Rubin, Remy Sharp, James Downes and Jerome & Antony Ribot already in the can (and more to follow), it’s shaping up to be an unmissable weekend.
We’re fortunate to be supported by Vision + Media, so that instead of £1100, we can offer you a full weekend early bird ticket for just £500+VAT. Standard price after 18th February will be £600+VAT. If you need accommodation, we have preferential rates at a nearby hotel, so just ask when you book.
So, would you like to reserve your place at Technique? Book Now!
Find out more information at the Technique Retreat Home Page
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- Posted 26/01/11
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App School featured on BBC’s North West Tonight
The App School, Manchester’s groundbreaking scheme aimed at helping young people get into the creative and digital industries, was featured on the BBC’s North West Tonight news programme on 13th May 2010.
App School featured on BBC’s North West Tonight from The White Room on Vimeo.
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- Posted 21/07/10
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The White Room help to re-launch www.CreativeTimes.co.uk
The award-winning Creative Times website (www.creativetimes.co.uk) re-launches on Thursday 27th May 2010, managed through a brand-new company formed by Cornerhouse, Fudge and The White Room.
The partnership has a shared vision to re-position the site: to showcase the best in creative talent through quality editorial, and provide an online community for the creative sector. The partnership brings ongoing technical expertise, a new editorial and business focus, and a physical venue for Creative Times events.
Leading the site’s editorial is Chris Sharratt (formerly executive arts editor at Metro and editor of Manchester’s City Life magazine) who will be developing video and text-based features with a team of respected and up-and-coming industry contributors. Launch articles include video interviews with Doves, Future Everything and the producers of the feature film ‘A Boy Called Dad’.
The site has been radically re-branded and re-built ‘from the ground up’, allowing companies and individuals to post their own content directly onto the site, and share news and articles through Facebook and Twitter.
The White Room’s Project Director, Phil Birchenall led the development of Creative Times in its’ previous print incarnation at the Creative Industries Development Service (CIDS). He explains, “Having been so close to Creative Times during my time at CIDS, it was a real blow to see it disappear – especially given the work that had been done to take the publication online in 2008. We’re very excited that this partnership has come together.”
Cornerhouse CEO Dave Moutrey said “Talent is the bedrock of the world’s creative industries, and the new Creative Times site will put a spotlight on that talent. Cornerhouse is proud to be a part of the new team running it.”
Fudge MD David Eccles adds “We’ve got a long-standing relationship with Creative Times and we were honoured to have the chance to become permanent technical partners in the new company. We’ll be ensuring that the new site stays ahead of the curve – now the new site is live we’re already turning our attention to the next phase of development for CT.”
The new website can be found online at www.creativetimes.co.uk. Twitter users can follow Creative Times via ‘@Creative_Times’, and the editor can be contacted via editor@creativetimes.co.uk. A launch event will be held at Cornerhouse on 27th May, book your place now.
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- Posted 19/05/10
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The winner of The White Room’s unique ‘App School’ is announced
Classically-trained musician goes digital with ‘Hurdy Gurdy’ iPhone app
The App School, Manchester’s groundbreaking scheme aimed at helping young people get into the creative and digital industries, has been won by Didsbury-based musician.
A panel of industry experts judged ideas from ‘App School’ participants on Thursday 13th May, and chose a musical iPhone application (‘app’) by Abigail Sanders as the winning concept. When launched, the app allow iPhone users to re-create the sounds of the Hurdy Gurdy – a long-forgotten medieval instrument.
To gather support for her pitch Abigail, who studied at the Royal Northern College of Music, attended the annual ‘Hurdy Gurdy Festival’ in early May. At the festival she approached some of the UK’s leading Hurdy Gurdy players, who gave their full backing her proposal – one player liked the concept so much he travelled to Manchester to perform at the pitch event.
On the judging panel were representatives from Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), alongside Manchester-based app development companies. In addition the panel were joined by Rob Shoesmith – renowned in the digital industry as the Coventry binman who has launched a number of successful iPhone apps with MEDL Mobile, a major US software company. The panel applauded Abigail on the work she had done in developing the unique and marketable concept, concluding that the app had all it took to ‘go viral’.
Recently featured on BBC North West Tonight, The App School was designed to help young creatives increase their chances of getting a career in the fast-growing creative and digital industries. It was funded through Manchester City Council and developed by The White Room, in partnership with MMU and Cornerhouse. Alongside developing their app ideas, the participants have received training throughout the course on essential skills such as Project Management, Financial Planning, Team-working and Pitching, with sessions co-designed by leading lights in the industry.
The White Room’s Project Director, Phil Birchenall led the design of the App School course. He says, “We are delighted with how the course has helped the participants. I’ve noticed a complete transformation in their approach, and I can confidently say we’ve helped shaped some of tomorrow’s creative stars through this project.”
A prototype of the app will now be built by a team of staff and students at MMU, who will be working with Abigail as Project Manager. She will be supported through its development by staff at The White Room and the companies represented on the pitch panel. Other App School participants have been offered internships by companies involved in the scheme.
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- Posted 14/05/10
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The White Room launch The App School
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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- Posted 04/02/10
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More tickets just released – Transmissions launch event 09:11:09
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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- Posted 05/11/09
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The White Room launch digital support scheme for Northwest Vision and Media
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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- Posted 21/10/09
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Paid Digital Opportunities for TV Professionals
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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- Posted 02/09/09
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The White Room launch Technique
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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- Posted 17/07/09
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Transported: Public art on Greater Manchester’s public transport network
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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- Posted 16/07/09
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DMEX Viral Marketing event
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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- Posted 23/06/09
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Join us for the premiere of Education for Leisure – a DMEX Labs short film
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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- Posted 22/06/09
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When television, computer games and poetry converge: creating opportunity from the downturn
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.
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- Posted 22/06/09