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Media Festival review by Scott McCubbin |
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Friday, 28 November 2008 |
All were there, all made themselves available, all ready to swap stories and business cards; an all singing all dancing multi-media version of the Edinburgh International Television Festival (albeit a tad smaller), with folk nipping into nooks and crannies for a quick private chat or two.
 MacKenzie
Liverpool culture supremo Phil Redmond presented a similar, if more reasoned argument, the following morning.
"People are asking ‘what’s the point in this indirect poll tax?’". Redmond has spent 15 years questioning the BBC’s role – or more to the point, its funding. “Just remove the word ‘broadcasting’ and focus on public sector.” The Ross debacle was “an obscene use of cultural resources," he said. Although his main angst, was the lack of TV coverage for Liverpool’s year.
"Broadcasting is totally unconnected with the culture of the nation. It’s been like pulling teeth. They don’t get it!"
BBC Children’s Controller, Richard Deverell, did his best to counteract such anti-BBC claims, emphasizing the innovations in his channel. “We don’t just commission TV programmes – all platforms are considered from the start,” said Deverell, flying through a series of TV, online and gaming options. And with half of the content budget spent with independents, everybodt was taking heed.
He got his biggest cheer of the day with his truly brilliant CBeebies birthday card. No longer do parents need fear that their decorated card for wee Jim doesn’t make the box. The web now allows parents to type in all the details and the net will do the rest.
More than 700 children’s names have already been programmed into the system, and a personalised video (with said birthday card) is the result.
Pure magic.
There is a lot riding on gaming and, yes I’ve said it convergence. It’s widely believed (and hoped) that this is where opportunities will arise, when CBeebies and co. move up north. Although in one moment of sanity MacKenzie made a fair point: “If the content guys don’t come up to Manchester it won’t work, programme makers will still have to go to London. People will only flock around if the controllers come up north.” Deverell admitted he still hasn’t made the decision to move up north yet.
 Little Big Planet
Sony’s Michael Denny, who overseas the company’s large Liverpool base among others as Senior VP, explained just how gaming was changing. ‘Creative gaming’ and social networking are the buzzwords, altering the landscape – Little Big Planet is this year’s big Sony success, with user generated content at the heart of it.
by Scott McCubbin, MD, Glorious Creativewww.gloriouscreative.co.uk Something to add? Then leave a comment below or email us now.
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