13/10/2010

"Transmedia", meaning projects that can play on multiple platforms including film, television, internet, video, gaming and social networks, was the buzzword at Power To The Pixel (October 12-15), the annual Cross Media Forum held in association with the Times BFI London Film Festival (October 13-28).

Keynote speaker Michel Reilhac, Executive Director of ARTE France Cinéma, talked about the growing influence that gaming has on lives. At a panel discussion at the end of the day he said that there was in fact no new money for non-traditional means of content delivery and that old money will have to fund new delivery systems once they buy into the thought process.

The other Keynote speaker, Mike Monello, co-producer of The Blair Witch Project, revealed novel ways of reaching the consumer, while Jean-Paul Edwards of Manning Gottlieb OMD discussed the opportunities and challenges created by digital convergence from an advertiser’s perspective.

Wendy Bernfeld of Rights Stuff, gave tips on alternative distribution models and partners, while writer Maureen McHugh discussed writing for Transmedia. Nuno Bernardo, from Portugal’s beActive, presented a case study on multi-platform project Final Punishment.

Dutch company Submarine’s Collapsus, by Waking Life and A Scanner Darkly producer Tommy Pallotta, was another case study of an ambitious multi-platform project.

Documentary was also covered with ARTE’s Joel Ronez discussing Prison Valley and the Canadian National Film Board’s Rob McLaughlin presenting Waterlife – both projects being cross media.