Get some inspiration in 2006

Celebrating collaborative cultures and independence movements - from independent labels to peer-to-peer culture, from free parties to free networks, from locative media to local food

Futuresonic 2006 will explore the state of independence today, and showcase independent music, arts and technologies that are open, emergent, collaborative and ad-hoc.

http://10.futuresonic.com/

Plan pervasive and locative arts network

A new international and interdisciplinary research network in pervasive media and locative media has been funded as part of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Culture & Creativity programme. The network will bring together practicing artists, technology developers and ethnographers with the aim of advancing interdisciplinary understanding and building consortia for future collaborative projects. It will be of relevance to people working in the arts, games, education, tourism, heritage, science and engineering.

http://www.open-plan.org/

Interesting man in crossmedia (really a man!!)

Gary looks interesting (tipped by Christy Dena)

http://www.personalizemedia.com/index.php/about-gary/

fat kids inspire new formats

Fat kids are becoming an issue worldwide. How to get them moving and not sit for telly all day? Well, make a televisionprogram about this and for them. Maybe not such a bad idea..

http://www.c21media.net/news/detail.asp?area=79&article=26653

Warner and MTV close mobile TV deal

MTV has struck a global licensing deal with Warner Music Group that will allow it to create original short-form video content for mobile phones, based on Warner's catalogue.Under the terms of the agreement, MTV will be able to create made-for-mobile content based on artists including Sean Paul, Twista, Green Day, Big & Rich and Maná and distribute it around the world.

According to the two parties, the deal represents the first of its kind between a media company and music label covering programming on mobile networks on a global basis.

This is a great leap forward in the evolution of our mobile video strategy, and we look forward to developing more exciting initiatives in this space over the year to come," said MTV Networks chairman and chief executive, Judy McGrath. Read more at..

http://www.c21media.net/news/detail.asp?area=1&article=26621

Economics of crossmedia

What are the economic advantages of using crossmedia instead of a one medium approach?
The Wall Street Journal finds this in composing multiskilled teams around one subject or newsstory. The story gets input from the regular newspaper journalist but likewise from the internet journalists and off course bloggers will let their light shine on it. The economic advantage is that it all happens simultaneous and tasks can be shared instead of done twice (with twice the cost). Crossmedia is always about composing differential teams. Kim Dingler, former media manager at Heineken and recently started with her own company Thys thinks there are enough monochaistic approaches in the market, you don't all have to be of the same bloodgroup to make excellent team work. Indeed, you'd better not be.
So different approaches affecting one another makes more excellent crossmedia work, better value is always better economics.
But for now there is a cost involved, because to get such a team working you need openmindedness, respect as well as the ability to harshly criticise one anothers boundaries of the medium you are coming from. In short, it will hurt.
How to use channels wisely, that is cost-effective and with the highest rate of return is another question to be answered. Approaches will have to differ from the current ones. Instead of coming from a mass approach and accounting number of individuals, maybe now you have to start with individuals and account when is your critical mass?
I am currently working on a model to get this better accounted for, so that when you move to crossmedia communication you may also know why you should!

De Mol's vision on Dutch journalism

In this interview de Mol gives his vision on the journalistic landscape in the Netherlands. With Talpa he has become a player on the formation of public opinion in the Netherlands as is any broadcaster. The interview is in Dutch, I will translate a few remarks: Traditional newspapers are not going to survive. Talpa will consider partnering with a newspaper, but not owning one because it is not in the experience of De Mol to direct a newspaper. He wants to be able to direct all his content!...And he dislikes being compared to Berlusconi. (But being able to direct all of your content is not really a democratic attitude, now is it!!). If he will cooperate with a newspaper means he will bring in his expertise in making television. On the long term.. De Mol does not have a 20 yrs plan but is convinced convergence of media is inevitable (I agree) He again tells he wants to develop the ideal convergence model and has the right team to do this (If he says so ;-)He tells us he will judge people when he sees them; what is their attitude, do they fit the team.. Saillant to tell, that a couple of months ago I too visited Talpa and very briefly met him, so he probably judged and found I did not fit the team (I agree). For me (an excellent working) crossmedia aspect of projects is most important to achieve. A different approach all together, because Talpa is not designing new crossmedia projects, the team is just copying some international formats and adjusting them to the local market.


http://www.villamedia.nl/journalist/n/17.2005.johndemol.shtm

20lives and Blackbeard crossmedia game

The dutch company zground developed a crossmedia game that reminds of the nokia game that is also about to start Nokia's 20 lives.
The blackbeard connection will use mobile and the internet as well as spits a free newspaper for travellers. Costs to develop the game are estimated at 700.000 Euro (which I personally find quit a sum) Players will spend 49,50 Euro as a maximum and they need 25.000 players to get the cost out. The development of the game was initiated by Zground which found sponsor onto it. As nokia's game offcourse is very much an initiative of the sponsor themselves. Did like the autocue joke on 20lives as a former autocue operator ;-)

http://theblackbeardconnection.com/

http://www.nokia.com/20Lives/

buzzcut.com - Video Game Theory and Criticism

we love to learn about games..

buzzcut.com - Video Game Theory and Criticism

Grand Text Auto

Check out these riders..

Grand Text Auto

Want to write a paper on media convergence?

And maybe go to Nottingham, just like Robin ;-)

IPerG; designing crossmedia pervasive games

Information on making pervasive crossmedia games

http://www.pervasive-gaming.org/index_swf.html

Crossmedia is a woman's world

Sorry you guys, but everytime I find something compelling on crossmedia it's a woman!

http://www.avantgame.com/

eBay takes over Skype

eBay has acquired Skype for approx. $ 2.6 billion upfront cash and eBay Stock. Niklas Zennstrom has finally cashed in major after first also setting up Kazaa. Wonder what he is up to next. Keep a track on that man!!
eBay - Events & Presentations

Come and play with me

If you could play all day, what would you be playing? Would you engage in sports and be competitive (you're a male.. right) Or would you like to be engaged in strategic participation with others to conquer more land (woman.. definitely!). What would you like to play, please be interactive and tell me.. I am looking to write a piece about work and play (a research subject for the EC)
Can you come and play with me...because..

Bright spirits enlight one another

(got this one from one of those wisdom in lines books and really liked it)

Endemol to Amsterdam stock exchange

Endemol will go to the Amsterdam stock exchange before the end of this year according to the words of César Alierta, head of Telefónica.
Endemol is in the sales window at Telefónica for quite a while now. This looks like the pressure is hightened for current negotiations with buyers or there may not be an attractive enough buyer for the format and television production company at this moment. Telefónica at the beginning of this year announced it was looking for a buyer (not going to the stock exhange but a sale of the whole company) Telefónica five years ago bought Endemol for 5,5 Billion Euro's. It is not expected they will get this amount from the market. By the end of this year though the media market is looking much better and therefore timing will be right for Telefónica to sell the company. Shareholder value will be driving the company then, even more then now (some initiatives may be not so attractive in revenue but of strategeic importance to Telefónica).. It is a question if this will be a good driver for a creative company?

Practicum nieuwe media: Crossmedia formats - web-log.nl

Indira Reijnaart is on to work with her students in Utrecht. You can follow the activities of the students at:

I met Indira last week and energy was streaming right away. She is a very likeable lady and we had a very inspiring afternoon and discussed crossmedia for four hours.. so that's what happens when you meet kindred spirits.

Looking at the neighbours..Big Brother

As it happens to be, my house and office are located only meters from the Big Brother house in Aalsmeer. Big Brother off course is the excellent example of a crossmedia project (as I have stated many times before) The first BB ever, I did see on a regular bases as did almost every Dutch at the time (1999). After that the genre quickly lost my interest and today I am not a big fan of the genre personally, professionally off course I am very much an admirer. The fun thing is ..What I started doing every now and then is take a peak at the neighbours through the live stream (good quality by the way!!) I still don’t feel bonded, because I have not invested time in looking at the series and getting to know the inhabitants of the house. I did visit the house only 1 day before it would be visible on the net and the people got in, resulting in a very nervous guard asking how the …. We’ve got into the house...:-) (Which is by means of an employers’ pass because my partner regularly works there, in fact also at the Big Brother program.)
This proximity makes me curious to mirror what is happening only a few meters away, every now and then during work. All they do is lay in the sun.. Would I also do this if I would not be situated so near?
I have considered making a streaming blog with webcams called “In the mean time outside the BB house”.. And letting my neighbours comment on it all ;-) Because it is so easy and right outside my door. Would only cause just a little problem with IPR..


http://www.talpa.tv/big-brother/

media policy explosive political material

Medy van der Laan who has announced a radical change of policy for the Public Broadcasters is overwhelmed by the comments to her policy. Next week the 'house of commons" would debate the plans. But because of the large amount of protests the debate is postponed. Some journalists even wonder if the plans will be evaluated during this government period. This may also be wishfull thinking of them. Most surprising I found that the the WRR (Scientific council to the Dutch Government) who has issued a study on the changing media landscape upon which Van der Laan claims to base her new policy is OPPOSED to the plans! they claim they never ment the report to be a base for new media policy. I just feel a lot of lobbying pressure here. It is the task of the WRR to generate bases for new policy for the government. how can they not mean it to be used like that then. Medy van der Laan has landed in heavy weather. But I support her plans on the changes. Not all of it, but I hope she perseveres, because changes are already set in and the Public Broadcasters need to realise they are not living in an isolated world. Definitely not now that the internet is going to be the bases for television activities. As we all know the internet has no borders!

Van Massamerk naar Mensmerk - Merken in een Veranderende Mediacontext

Yesterday I met Erwin van Lun, a very friendly and enthusiastic man. My attention was immediately triggered by his book called "From massbranding to personal brands". When I started reading parts I got even more enthusiastic. Erwin has an origin as an artificial intelligence expert, after that he has studied and worked in the world of brands. It gives him this rare and very valuable view on the changing media context. He based his book on a lot of interviews with experts from the field (in fact the book is his thesis for obtaining a master in brand management at the Erasmus University of Rotterdam) Erwin also has the ability to write in a very understandable and a nice-to-read way about his findings. The book is in Dutch (sorry english readers) hopefully Erwin will translate it later on. Because it is a must read for anybody working on crossmedia communication. You can find information on Erwin and his book on his blog..

http://mensmerk.blogspot.com/