Village Gamer

Interactive Ontario has announced the launch of X-Summit, a new cross-media conference and partnering forum, taking place October 24-26th at The Carlu in Toronto. X-Summit is the evolution of IN: The Interactive Exchange, IO’s highly successful, multi-platform conference which celebrated its fifth anniversary last fall. X-Summit is co-produced by the Computer Animation Studios of Ontario (CASO), with the Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA) as Lead Industry Partner.

X-Summit marks the first time three screen-based member associations from the interactive, animation, and film and television production industries have collaborated on a cross-media business conference. IO is also pleased to announce the Canada Media Fund has signed on as X-Summit’s Presenting Partner. This partnership will also include the next iteration of the Canadian Interactive Showcase, presented by CMF, where submissions from interactive projects across Canada will be considered for a showcase to be held during X-Summit.

X-Summit will explore rich and emerging opportunities where media platforms converge, offering attendees the insights, tools and partnerships to better tell and sell their stories seamlessly across multiple channels.

“Canada is a powerhouse in the interactive entertainment industry,” said Ian Kelso, President and CEO of Interactive Ontario. “Our ability to collaborate and develop across all platforms gives us an amazing competitive advantage to create leading-edge products and services. X-Summit will be an international destination for developers and producers to gather critical intelligence and forge new relationships.”

“Canadian content creators who traditionally use television and film as a primary output source for their talent and art are developing valuable partnerships with interactive industries to give a greater experience to audiences around the world,” said Wes Lui, President, CASO. “ X-Summit is a place where creators and technologists from all industries can meet, offering more to distributors, buyers and aggregators. CASO feels privileged to be a part of an alliance that brings higher value of all our member associations on a global stage.”

“Now more than ever there is tremendous value in having a forum to discuss partnerships among film, TV and interactive content producers. The Canada Media Fund is helping to drive innovation and opportunities are opening up in the international marketplace for Canadian producers,” says Norm Bolen, President and CEO of the CMPA. “We’re pleased to be the lead industry partner for X-Summit and are confident this conference will provide valuable insights into the rapidly evolving world of cross-media.”

X-Summit explores the future of cross-media content through active learning, hands-on workshops, round-table discussions, one-on-one meetings, dynamic panel discussions, cutting-edge demonstrations and networking opportunities. Registration is now open and more details will be available soon on the conference web site.

Anne Sado, President of George Brown College, has announced that the college will be increasing its commitment to the digital media sector with its gaming development and design programs in a new learning environment at 333 King St. E.

The facility will also feature an industry incubator to bring together video gaming and digital media startups in Toronto with George Brown College students. Scheduled to open in September 2011, the incubator will provide 10 offices, between 100 and 150 square feet, for startups and small companies looking for a platform to grow their business in the heart of the city. By including industry innovators alongside students, the college hopes to create an environment that helps its learners experience real-world engagement to better prepare them for future employment and help emerging companies leverage the student resources to help them grow.

“The research we conducted on the feasibility of a video gaming incubator reveals a real need for more applied research and innovation – something our students and faculty have clearly been able to provide in other industries,” said Sado. “With the growth rate in the gaming sector in Ontario predicted to reach 31 per cent over the next three years, according to the Entertainment Software Association of Canada, George Brown College is an a perfect position to provide a leadership role in nurturing the talent in this industry.”

As part of George Brown College’s effort to contribute to the expansion of the digital media industry in the city, the George Brown College School of Design will take on the leadership of Digifest, a Toronto-based international festival celebrating innovation and digital creativity that was previously managed by the Design Exchange. The festival will run from October 26 to 30 and will be held in central locations throughout the city.

Today’s announcements are based on a feasibility study conducted by George Brown and funded by the Ontario Media Development Corporation and the City of Toronto. The research conducted by the college and its partners uncovered a need for a video gaming incubator, which would provide:

• Improved access to video gaming technology for small businesses and start-ups
• ffice space in the downtown core, helping to create a gaming community within the city
• nd applied research and field placement opportunities for George Brown College video game design and development students

“An innovative economy requires planning and support that builds on four strategic pillars – infrastructure, a well trained workforce, knowledge and expertise, and strong partnerships,” said Councillor Shelley Carroll, City of Toronto (Ward 33 Don Valley East), and Vice Chair, Economic Development Committee. “The new video game incubator at George Brown College will support these pillars and accelerate the growth and development of the digital media cluster in the City of Toronto.”

“As a long-time supporter of the digital, interactive media industry in Ontario, OMDC has had a keen interest in the video game programs George Brown College has been delivering and the strong relationships the college has with its industry partners,” added Karen Thorne-Stone, President and CEO of OMDC. “We felt it was important to fund this research that added to our understanding of the needs of the video gaming community. We are excited that George Brown College has taken a leadership role in addressing the study’s recommendations. This will enhance the vibrancy of the video gaming cluster in Ontario.”

The introduction of the gaming incubator coincides with the addition of approximately 310 students in the video game design and development programs at George Brown College over the last three years. Once renovations are complete this summer, the video game design students and the businesses using the incubator will have access to industry leading facilities, including development kits for major video game consoles, hand-held devices and other peripherals and a three-dimensional scanner and printer. This technology will be introduced to the incubator a short while after its launch.

SFU’s Beedie School of Business invite you to participate in an open house event for start-up companies and small to medium sized enterprises (under 100 employees) seeking to connect with talented MBA and BBA students. Whether you are seeking a part-time bookkeeper, market research support or a high level strategic planning consultant, you are invited to participate in this low-cost event. As an added value, students from the School or Engineering, School of Computer Science and Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology will also be in attendance.

Entrepreneurs In Action 2.0 takes place on the evening of July 20th, with tickets available now for $25.00 per company. Space for this session is limited and pre-registration is required. This event will be held at 500 Granville Street, Vancouver.

A major report released today by Canada’s Science, Technology and Innovation Council (STIC) says that harnessing an excellent talent pool is the key to lifting Canada into the top tier of innovation leaders.

State of the Nation 2010: Imagination to Innovation – the second public report from STIC – charts progress from a baseline set in 2008 and compares Canadian performance to global science, technology and innovation leaders. The report also proposes a core list of 20 indicators for future monitoring. The list covers talent, science and technology and other innovation indicators.

The report shows that Canada’s strengths are a strong talent pool and a robust public research capacity. Its two main challenges are to increase private sector investment in innovation and to improve Canada’s capacity to transfer knowledge into the marketplace. State of the Nation 2010: Imagination to Innovation shows that Canada is settling in as a mid-level player despite having an excellent talent pool.

Canadian talent and Canada’s funding for R&D and higher education research continues to rank near the top; young Canadians excel in science, math and reading; Canada is attracting international talent, and innovative excellence can be found in virtually every region and economic sector.

Our challenges include reversing the trend of Canadian industry investing less in R&D than our key global competitors.  Despite some real Canadian success stories, low levels of collaboration among companies and between companies and researchers in universities, colleges and government laboratories continue to limit our business potential.

A less innovative economy results in fewer ideas transferred into the marketplace, lower productivity rates and less economic and social benefits for Canadians.

Canada has strong public research capacity

• Canada ranks # 1 in the G7 in terms of research and development performed by the higher education sector (HERD), as a percentage of GDP.
• Canada has a strong international reputation and is attracting new talent.

Canada’s talent pool is holding its own

• Our young people continue to outperform most countries in reading, math and science.
• Among economically advanced countries, Canada has had one of the highest growth rates in university graduates in science and engineering, especially at the doctoral level.
• Canadian universities rank well in lists of the world’s top institutions.

Canada must increase investment in innovation

• Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (GERD), as a percentage of GDP lags behind the G7 and other leading innovators. It declined from 2006-08.
• 8 out of 16 Canadian industry sectors had lower R&D intensity (BERD) than the OECD average.
• Over the 2000-07 period, machinery and equipment investment was less than 75% of US levels and ICT investment was less than half US levels.
• Although Canada is a global leader in indirect support for industry R&D (through tax credits), it ranks low in terms of direct support for business R&D.

Canada must strengthen knowledge transfer

• Business financing of R&D performed by universities has grown substantially but knowledge transfer indicators such as contract research, licence applications and spin-off companies could be better measured to benchmark future performance.
• In 2009, venture capital to support small companies was the lowest since 1996 ranking 7^th in OECD with lower rates of return than US.
• Canada must measure collaboration between private and public sector.
• Fostering research collaboration between the public and private sectors will help ensure that Canada’s world-class public research can be successfully translated into benefits for Canadians.

STIC members span business, academia and government.  Members said the following about the State of the Nation 2010 report:

“Canada’s biggest opportunity lies in our excellent talent pool. We score very highly in a number of education related indicators. The challenge is how companies and government can deploy and empower our people so we can win in the knowledge economy.” – Dr. Howard Alper, Chair of STIC. Read the rest of this entry »

A $302,525 federal investment will support Simon Fraser University (SFU) in delivering the BC-India Innovation, Exchange and Mobility Initiative. The project will facilitate partnerships between the two regions that will lead to collaborative research, trade and investment activities.

“Investments like this are crucial to strengthening Canada’s international linkages, promoting our educational institutions, and helping maintain British Columbia as the ideal place to invest,” said the Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification (WD). “Today is an important step toward creating economic opportunities, while increasing Western Canada’s international visibility and reputation.”

Over two years, SFU students will be placed within Indian organizations, Indian professionals will visit B.C. and sector-focused workshops will be hosted in both B.C. and India. The clean energy, health and life sciences, and new media/film sectors will be targeted.

“Undergraduate and graduate students benefit tremendously from work terms in India. This program will elevate SFU’s efforts to connect companies and organizations in India and Canada by means of exchanges as well as Indian visitors and workshops,” said SFU president Andrew Petter. “Through this funding support and that of our India Advisory Council, SFU is well-placed to play a major role in India’s declared Decade of Innovation.”

India is one of the world’s fastest growing economies and is projected to be the world’s third largest economy by 2050. WD and SFU see this as a fitting time to undertake activities that capitalize on the emerging opportunities India presents.

With eight faculties across three campuses in Burnaby, Vancouver and Surrey, Simon Fraser University currently has more than 30,000 students, 110,000 alumni, and over 900 full-time faculty members. Student-centered, research-driven, and community engaged, SFU is Canada’s leading comprehensive university. In 2006, SFU was the first Canadian university to launch an India Strategy which has its secretariat at SFU Surrey and is guided by an India Advisory Council comprised of leading community and business leaders.

WD works with the provinces, industry associations and communities to promote the development and diversification of the western economy, coordinates federal economic activities in the West and advances the interests of western Canadians in national decision making.

A Toronto local of the Teamsters Union is asking the Ontario Labour Relations Board to declare that the Teamsters not be barred from organizing crew members who provide location and transportation services for the movie industry in Ontario.

In an issue going back to 2002, Teamster Local 847 is scheduled to present its case at the OLRB on Wednesday, June 29, 2011, at 505 University Avenue, beginning at 9:30 a.m.

In 2002, the Teamster local signed up the employees of two companies providing location and transportation services for seven movies being shot in Toronto at the time and asked the producers to accept the certification.

The companies were Cheyenne Support Service Inc. and Bogeyman Locations but only Cheyenne, owned by Bob Watson and Ron Marki, is pursuing the case before the OLRB.

The Directors Guild of Canada, Directors Guild of Ontario (DGCO) and the Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA) opposed the Teamster involvement and after the Teamster certification at the two companies the DGCO required the crew members to sign a Guild “deal memo” if they wanted to perform work on a film set.

The employees of the two companies refused and, as a result, were fired from the set – in one case being escorted off by an armed Toronto Police Service officer. Prior to the Teamster move, the security employees were not asked to sign such a memo.

Neither of the two companies have been employed by producers since. Bob Watson and Ron Marki, the owners of Cheyenne, who also provided labour for the film shoots have also not worked in the industry since.

The Teamsters filing with the OLRB also alleges unfair labour practices by the Directors Guild and the producers’ association. The lawyers for Teamster local 847 and Cheyenne argue that employees should have a right to choose the union of their choice.

The employees had no voice in selecting the DGCO as their union. The production company allegedly voluntarily recognized the DGCO prior to contracting with Cheyenne, the security company, and then required its employees to sign up with the DGCO. Thus the employees had no say in whether they wanted to be represented by the DGCO or the Teamsters as their union.

Under their non-union status the guards were paid $11 to $13 an hour and were scheduled as needed without any limitations on hours or turnaround time.

Since the cased started, there have been numerous personnel changes at the OLRB and a number of preliminary motions by both sides.

Merging Media Productions has added three new 2011 Advisory Committee Members who will be assisting with advice and support for the upcoming October 2011 Conference+ Masterclass:

• Katie Jeffs Director Membership Development and Outreach, CMPA (National)
• Jonathan Carringan, President & Co-Founder, MOBCOM Consulting Inc.
• Lynda Brown, CEO/Founder of ZuluMe

Merging Media also extends its gratitude to its 2010 Advisors Betsy Chaly, Ravi Singh, Fiona McAuley and Ted Nugent for their generous support during their 2010 event.

Merging Media Productions Inc. in partnership with the Canadian Media Production Association BC is proud to be a part of SIGGRAPH 2011 this August 7-11 in Vancouver. Merging Media and CMPA will be facilitating the International B2B Matchmaking Program that is being organized by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT) and the Government of British Columbia. If you’d like to meet visiting International Media professionals during the event, here are the full details:

• B2B Matchmaking Program – August 8 – 11

The Business to Business Matchmaking Program will help facilitate meetings between Canadian domestic companies and international/ US companies attending SIGGRAPH. The B2B online platform will allow you to profile your company, view the profiles of other companies and request meetings with international/ US companies of interest. Meeting requests will be coordinated through the Canadian Media Production Association and booked into meeting rooms reserved onsite (unless otherwise specified).

• SIGGRAPH Welcome Reception – Sunday, August 7

Supported by BC Film, DFAIT will be hosting an International Delegate Welcome Reception from 6-8pm on Sunday, August 7th. The welcome reception will offer an opportunity to meet some of the US & International business delegates at SIGGRAPH 2011 as well as local industry and support organizations. This event is invite only with limited capacity, so please indicate your interest to Marc Coderre if you would like to be added to the invite list.

• Transmedia Vancouver Meetup – June 29

The Transmedia Vancouver Meetup Group will be having its first Guest Speaker event featuring Merging Media’s Advisory Board Member Matt Toner of Zeroes to Heroes on Wednesday June 29th, 5pm at CMPA-BC. This is a not to be missed event for those keen on meeting like-minded folk involved in Transmedia.

For nearly forty years SIGGRAPH has inspired, educated and influenced the direction of research, production and artistic communities. At SIGGRAPH 2011 in Vancouver this August 7th through 11th, the conference is introducing the SIGGRAPH Symposium: The Business Think Tank. This one-day event on August 7th will bring together leaders to address the past, present and future of the global computer graphics industry.

The Business Think Tank introduces an opportunity for industry leaders and visionaries to discuss issues related to finance, strategy, culture, and creativity in a conversational environment. This full-day event features discussion groups and two enlightening featured speakers intended to spark frank and honest interaction about the industry in the 21st century.

“The intimate, interactive nature of this inaugural Business Think Tank is the ideal forum in which to inspire idea-sharing and problem-solving among some of the visionaries within the global computer graphics community,” says Jill Smolin, SIGGRAPH 2011 Director from 3ality Digital. “This highly interactive day will feature conversations and presentations of industry-specific issues and challenges within our local and global community.”

Planned participants include:

Featured Speakers:

• Gail Currey, Head of Studio, PDI/DreamWorks
• Andy Hendrickson, Chief Technology Officer, Walt Disney Animation Studios

Business Session:

• Victoria Alonso: EVP, VFX and Post Production, Marvel Entertainment, LLC
• Rory Armes: CEO, Gener8 Digital Media Corp.
• Dan Glass: EVP, Senior VFX Supervisor, Method Studios
• Namit Malhotra: CEO, Prime Focus
• Don McGowan: General Counsel, The Pokémon Company International
• Marc Weigert: Executive Producer, VFX Supervisor, CEO, Uncharted Territory, LLC

Culture Session:

• Steve Bocska: CEO, Pug Pharm Productions Inc.
• Kim Davidson: Co-Founder, CEO, President, Side Effects Software Inc.
• Warren Franklin: CEO, Rainmaker Entertainment Inc.
• Jenny Fulle: Founder, Visual Effects Producer, The Creative Cartel
• Shannon Gans: CEO, Co-Founder, New Deal Studios, Inc.

This Symposium is a new initiative for SIGGRAPH, and is intended to accommodate approximately 200 people who are on the business side of the industry. They might be artists who are now company leaders or leaders who work with artists. They are the people who look to each other and other leaders to define and run the industry.

Registration for the SIGGRAPH Symposium: The Business Think Tank is now available – space for this event is very limited, so register soon if you plan on attending.

I only have a few minutes left before I have to head off for work, so here is a quick rundown of event news:

* If you haven’t yet registered for SIGGRAPH 2011, you should do so now, because ticket prices go up at midnight on June 18th.  Having the conference in Vancouver this year is a huge opportunity for our many-faceted digital media industry, and I hope that you all take advantage of it. We’ll be at the show, and we really hope to see you there, too.

* The Full Indie Game Jam that is happening this weekend at the Centre for Digital Media is sold out, but there is a waiting list. Registration is also now open for the June 23rd Full Indie meetup event, and with limited space available, I suggest signing up now. Games from the jam will be featured at the meetup.

* SIGGRAPH Vancouver Chapter presents The Art of Lighting and Rendering Rio next week at District 319. Jim Gettinger, Lighting Supervisor, will discuss lighting and lighting design as it pertains to the overall aesthetic of Blue Sky Studios’ latest animated hit, RIO. This talk will explore the developmental work pursued by Jim and his team taking the listener through many stages of the production process at Blue Sky. Lighting and lighting techniques will be presented from concept art, through pre-visualization, master lighting, and compositing.

* The next Women In Games Vancouver Martini Night is June 23rd at Guilt & Company. Ladies, come out for a relaxing evening of socializing with other women from the interactive media industry. RSVP on the event’s Facebook page.

* Annex Pro is hosting three (and free) software events in Vancouver; please click the event links for more information and to register. The first is happening tomorrow – Test-Drive Native Performance with new Avid Pro Tools|HD Native will be held at Annex Pro. Don’t Just Edit. Finish. Autodesk Smoke for Mac OS X takes place at Vancouver Film School on June 22. On June 28th, you can spend An Evening with The Foundry: Nuke 6.3, NukeX 6.3, Mari at Rainmaker Entertainment.

* New Media Manitoba presents iPad User Interface Design on June 21st. Chris, Olga, and Lee of Velocity Branding will guide you through their methodology for project management and designing for Tablets. This is a free event, and will take place at the NMM offices from 5-7pm.

* Interactive Ontario presents Interact Networking Mixer: Special Documentary Edition on June 29th at The Annex Live from 6 – 8pm. This event is free for DOC & IO Members or $10.00 for Non-Members. You are invited to come out and mingle with professionals in the interactive and documentary media industries, with the opportunity to uncover new possibilities for creative and business partnerships. This event is co-presented by docSHIFT (an initiative of the DOC Toronto) and Interactive Ontario.

* Tech Cocktail is coming to Vancouver on July 9th. The event will be very much focused on the future as we partner with Futurists:BetaLaunch as part of the World Future Conference by the World Future Society, a 45-year old non-profit organization dedicated to advancing ideas of the future. We’re also looking to engage with the local Vancouver tech community, inviting them to participate in this exciting event.

* Amazon invites you to come out and meet the Amazon Vancouver team, where you can learn about all the job opportunities at one of Amazon’s newest Software Development Centers in Canada. Meet and mingle with all the different teams that are growing and hiring at the new office. This will be a great opportunity to meet our engineers, learn about our culture, and find out about the exciting opportunities Amazon Vancouver has to offer. Have a drink and appetizers on us, but don’t forget to bring your resume. RSVP through LinkedIn required.

* The nationwide DEMO Innovation tour is back – it will be in Vancouver on June 23rd, Toronto on June 26th, and Montreal on July 15th.  Matt Marshall, DEMO Executive Producer and the DEMO team will travel around the country to connect with the DEMO community in search of the best innovation to showcase at DEMO Fall 2011, and they invite you to submit an application for a 30 minute private meeting with the DEMO team and leading Venture capitals in a city near you. There are ten spots available per tour stop. Each company selected will also have the opportunity to address a larger audience at the DEMO Tour party in the evening open to the entire DEMO community of VCs, investors, media and PR professionals.

Remember this is just a very small sampling of upcoming events – visit our Events Page for more listings.

The 26^th edition of the Vancouver International Film Festival’s Film & TV Forum runs from September 27th through 30th, and New Filmmakers’ Day is on October 1st. The 2011 Forum is proud to stimulate the development, co-financing and co-production of the creative documentary by creating Storyville Vancouver, an opportunity for filmmakers based in British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest to pitch their projects to an international forum of commissioning editors. Please Download the entry form and regulations (Excel .xls 151kb) from the Storyville page for complete information.

Storyville Vancouver, in partnership with BC public broadcaster Knowledge Network Corporation is scheduled for presentation during The Forum.  The Forum and Knowledge Network are delighted to have attracted some of the world’s leading broadcasters to Vancouver to help our filmmakers develop long-term strategic relationships and enhance project development. This initiative is inspired in part by the Amsterdam Forum organized by IDFA and with a nod to Nick Fraser’s BBC strand.

Pre-selected creative, feature length (minimum TV hour) documentary projects, at various levels of development, from BC and the Pacific Northwest will be publicly pitched to international commissioning editors with accredited Forum observers in attendance.

Not sure what The Forum is looking for? According to the Storyville page, “the creative documentary is the crown jewel of the non-fiction world – passionate, cutting edge, filmmaker-driven, in-depth, up close and personal…These are projects that take the writer’s/director’s point of view on a real-life subject in a ‘creative’ manner and require significant writing and research before filming begins.

The format for a creative documentary is therefore relatively free form and open to the creative team’s interpretation of the subject at hand. The style and approach used in the cinematography, editing and final composition of the film makes a statement in and of itself and reflects the filmmakers underlying POV on the topic or person being considered.

The film should be complete and contained and thoroughly explore a tangible subject or person. A creative documentary is not: open ended, investigative, educational, “DIY” in style nor like a news report, a docusoap or a reality show. A creative documentary can examine a historical event or person but, once again, it must be done in a unique and creative fashion and not simply recount the past.”

To date, the following key commissioning editors have been confirmed:

• Nick Fraser (BBC)
• Mette Hoffman Meyer (DRTV)
• Axel Arno (SVT Documentaries)
• Olaf Grunert (ARTE TV)
• Tom Koch (PBS)
• John Lindsay (KCTS9)
• Murray Battle (Knowledge Network)

The Vancouver International Film Festival runs from September 28th through October 14th, 2011.