Village Gamer

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.

In years past, they were the Canada New Media Awards. Now they are the Digi Awards, and they are looking for nominees in two areas. According to the newly-launched and re-designed site, companies and individuals can be named to The List, and from there be nominated for a Digi Award.

“The List is our way of bringing together the top tier of the entire Canadian digital ecosystem in a single place, and will serve as a crucial resource for anyone in this country and around the world looking to get a sense of who’s making waves in Canada.” states an About paragraph on the event’s web site. “Expert juries from across Canada will select the top entrants in each category listed below to make up The List, which we’ll take to the world online, in trade periodicals, and in live events across the globe.”

Nominations are now open, with an Early Bird entry rate of $149.00 in effect until until August 12th, 2011. I couldn’t easily find what the entry rate will be after August 12th. The Digi Awards will still be presented at nextMEDIA Toronto on December 6th, with the Digi Award finalists being culled from those nominated to The List. Categories for The List are as follows:

Canada’s Top Digital Companies – Presented by Deloitte
Canada’s Most Promising New Digital Companies
Canada’s Top Digital Executives
Canada’s Top Digital Producers
Canada’s Top Digital Design Teams
Canada’s Top Development Teams
Canada’s Top Social Media Mavens
Most Innovative Digital Media Technologies
Best In Branded Entertainment
Best In Community Campaigns
Best in Online Advertising
Best Use of Social Media
Best In Location-Based Services
Best in Mobile Marketing
Best In Mobile Applications
Best In Tablet Applications
Best In Cross-Platform: Kids
Best In Cross-Platform: Entertainment
Best In Cross-Platform: Factual
Best Web Series: Reality and Lifestyle
Best Web Series: Comedy
Best Web Series: Drama
Best Web Series: Documentary
Best In Web-Based Gaming
Best In Mobile Gaming
Best In Tablet Gaming
Best In Digital News and Current Affairs Publishing
Best In Tablet-Based Publishing
Best In Digital Lifestyle and Entertainment Publishing
Best In Online Video Portals
Best In E-Learning
Best In Canadian Culture

Categories for the Digi Awards:

Canada’s Top Digital Companies – Presented by Deloitte
Digital Executive of the Year
Social Media Maven of the Year
Best Interactive Campaign
Best In Mobile
Best Cross-Platform Project
Best Web Series
Best In Gaming
Best In Digital Publishing
Best In E-Learning
Best In Canadian Culture

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 Saskatchewan Science Centre has partnered with IBM and its subsidiary, ISM Canada, as part of IBM’s Celebration of Service through which IBM  employees, retirees and business partners donate their time and expertise in communities around the world during IBM’s Centennial year.

On June 15, the Science Centre is hosting the third of many robotics workshops planned for this year using special educational robotics kits and laptops donated by IBM and valued at $10,000. Volunteers from IBM, ISM Canada, and the Science Centre will lead today’s robotics workshops for Imperial Community School students from Grades 6 through 8. Over the course of 2011, about 100 volunteers from IBM and the community are expected to participate in the program.

“The Saskatchewan Robotics Challenge workshop is a perfect fit for us, truly inspiring minds through science and innovation,” said Saskatchewan Science Centre Executive Director Sandy Baumgartner.  “Our volunteers make learning fun and accessible, and they help the students see the possibilities for futures in science.”

The Saskatchewan Robotics Challenge places special emphasis on reaching out to young people from First Nations and Aboriginal schools. “We’re finding that our First Nations are under-represented in science and technology careers, and we want to help change that,” said Hugh Hudson, IBM’s Senior Location Executive for Saskatchewan. “The Robotics Challenge workshop is a way of opening career doors. Students become more aware of the possibilities, and we hope they discover that the experience of building a robot with one of our mentor-volunteers sparks their interest in learning more about future careers in technology.”

In recognition of 100 years in business, the 2011 IBM Celebration of Service spans more than 120 countries where IBMers live and conduct business. The Saskatchewan Science Centre offers over 20 curriculum-based workshops designed to supplement what educators are teaching, or to introduce new concepts using resources not available at every school.

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.

Calgary’s chapter of the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) is hosting its annual summer social and networking event immediately following the organization’s annual general meeting at the Vue Café on Thursday, June 16, 2011. The meeting will run from 5:30pm – 6:00pm with a networking social immediately to follow. A new members’ reception will be held immediately before the meeting from 5:00pm – 5:30pm. The gallery closes at 8:00pm.

“This is a great opportunity and venue for Calgary’s PR community to connect again before dispersing for the summer,” says the Calgary chapter president, Dan Muys.

Chapter news and updates, as well as future organizational plans, will be discussed at the AGM, which is open to both members and non-members. Only members in good standing can vote. CPRS will host a summer social and networking event immediately following the meeting. The social is a chance for public relations professionals to meet and network while exchanging ideas and best practices. This event is free for CPRS-Calgary members, $25.00 for non-members. The Vue Café is located in the Virginia Christopher Fine Art Gallery on 11^th Ave SW.

Canadian registered charities have five chances to earn complimentary admission to Canada’s premier professional development conference for sponsorship marketers: Strategic Sponsorship Marketing: The Canadian Summit® – also known as the Sponsorship Summit.

Pay it Forward, an innovative program launched last year by The Sponsorship Report and Hilborn eNEWS, invites registered charities to apply online for one of five complimentary passes to the Sponsorship Summit. For applicants outside the GTA, airfare is included courtesy of WestJet.

Last year’s Pay it Forward program drew 108 applications from deserving charities across the country.

“Charitable organizations often struggle when introducing corporate sponsorship to their revenue stream,” says Mark Sabourin, Publisher of The Sponsorship Report. Charities compete with sophisticated sponsorship marketers from sports, arts and culture, but often find themselves overmatched when corporate sponsors weigh competing proposals.

Organizations that attend the Sponsorship Summit can gain a year’s worth of learning in just two days.

“Corporate sponsorship is not philanthropy. Sponsorship solicitation requires a completely new approach, a new skill set, even a shift in culture within the charitable organization,” says Sabourin. “But the rewards can be staggering. Last year Canadian companies invested more than $1.5 billion in sponsorship.”

Strategic Sponsorship Marketing: The Canadian Summit® is hosted by The Sponsorship Report, and features two days of programming delivered by the top sponsorship experts from across North America. This year’s Summit will be held October 18 and 19 in Toronto.

Apply now for a Pay it Forward bursary, the deadline for applications is June 19.

ChinaJoy is the hallmark gaming industry show in mainland China. It is the best attended show with all the major market players exhibiting, speaking and networking at exhibition halls, business conferences and dinner receptions. Every year the show is visited by over 100,000 visitors (over 140,000 in 2010 event). In 2010, 17,105 professional visitors walked in the show.

There will be a Canada Pavilion at the Business-to-Business (B2B) Section of ChinaJoy 2011 co-organised by the Consulate General of Canada in Shanghai, the Alberta Beijing Office, the British-Columbia International Trade & Investment Representative Office East China, the Ontario Shanghai Office, and the Québec Government Representative Office in Shanghai.

Canadian game companies are welcome to join the pavilion either by presence at the booth to meet with visitors or to do a catalogue show. There is no cost to join the pavilion however the companies are responsible for their travel expenses.

Apart from the show, ChinaJoy also includes three major conferences: China Game Business Conference (CGBC), China Game Outsourcing Conference (CGOC), and China Game Developers Conference (CGDC). Interested companies can register online at ChinaJoy’s official website.

For detailed information on ChinaJoy 2011 and the Canada Pavilion, please contact Sandra Jiang from Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada.

Distribution360 has announced that it will be representing the worldwide, non-linear rights to the hit MTV series Undressed, on behalf of the show’s producer, at the 2011 Banff World Media Festival. Distribution360 will be looking for a home on VOD, home video, online, and mobile platforms for the 222-episode, award-winning property.

Created and executive produced by British director Roland Joffé, Undressed is an anthology series that follows the sexual and romantic relationships of young people in the Los Angeles area, featuring such notable personalities as Adam Brody, Katee Sackhoff, Brandon Routh, Jason Ritter and Chad Michael Murray. The show is known for its frank discussions on sex, promiscuous behaviour, and gay and lesbian relationships. Undressed ran for six seasons on MTV, and at its peak, aired to well over 10 million viewers per week; the show is also the recipient of a GLADD Media Award.

“We’re very excited to be showcasing this edgy and intriguing property in Banff this year,” says Stéphanie Röckmann-Portier, Head of Sales, Distribution360. “Non-linear platforms are becoming increasingly popular within the ever-evolving media landscape, and we’re thrilled to be presenting Undressed to these mediums.”

Telefilm Canada is proud to support the 2011 Banff World Media Festival and nextMEDIA Banff, which run from June 12 to 15, 2011. Telefilm’s support focuses on two initiatives: the Banff World Media Festival’s International Co-Production Market at Banff and nextMEDIA’s Digital Business Market.

“These activities are directly aligned with our mission to stimulate demand for Canadian content through a variety of platforms, and provides us with an ideal opportunity to forge ties with international partners and to dialogue with experts,” said Sheila de La Varende, Telefilm Canada’s Director of National and International Business Development.

The International Co-Production Market at Banff (June 13 to 15, 2011) is designed to foster international opportunities for Canadian companies. With a dual focus on learning and connecting, the program aims to educate participants on opportunities in the international marketplace, facilitate one-on-one meetings and highlight successful projects.

The Digital Business Market (June 14 and 15, 2011) offers an ideal opportunity for professional development and networking. This initiative favours business opportunities within the industry and enables participants to meet one another in the aim of forging business ties.

The Banff World Media Festival is a major annual event focused on content creation and a forum where television and new-media professionals have an opportunity to explore new business and creative possibilities. nextMEDIA, one of a series of major conferences on digital media in Canada, brings together professionals involved in all areas of digital-media activity and enables them to network as well as obtain information about the creation, distribution and monetization of multiplatform content and about mobile applications.