Tag Archives: interactive

Feedback from a SXSW Rookie

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By Robin Suchman
Digital Projects Manager, ITVS

The South by Southwest (SXSW) Conferences & Festivals (March 9-18, 2012) offer the unique convergence of original music, independent films, and emerging technologies. 

As the line between film and digital projects continues to blur, it makes perfect sense that the Interactive and Film portions of SXSW run concurrently (along with ScreenBurn- the gaming tract), followed closely by the Music portion.  Social TV, the crossover between television viewing and social media, was a topic mentioned quite often during many of the sessions I attended.

Although this was my first time at SXSW (and Austin), I heard that the Interactive portion has grown quite significantly over the past few years; now being held in nine different locations with complimentary shuttles for badge holders to move freely between them (although I preferred to walk, despite the persistent rain!).  Moreover, the Interactive conference is broken down into 18 different themes, each being housed in a specific building, so you really do not need to move between the different buildings if you intend to focus on a single track. Continue reading →

Filmmaker Isaac Solotaroff on Wham! Bam! Islam!

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Director Isaac Solotaroff  talks about using Wham! Bam! Islam! and the recently released Hunt For the Noor Stone Interactive game to promote cultural understanding.

The interactive game, Hunt for the Noor Stone, just launched and features an in-depth, standards-aligned study guide for middle school students. The inspiration for the game came from THE 99, the comic book series featured in Solotaroff’s documentary Wham! Bam! Islam! which aired on Independent Lens last week, and is currently streaming for free on PBS.org. BTB caught up with Soloratoff last week to ask — why a game, and why now?

Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Isaac Solotaroff and on my good days I get to work on documentaries and on my bad days I try to figure out how to raise money to make documentaries.
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Transformative Transmedia for Saving the Planet

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From original online mapping projects to Second Life, ITVS Interactive is constantly finding innovative and creative ways to draw new viewers to Public Media 2.0. Senior Content Producer Cathy Fischer reports on the subject and has the resources to back it up.

Images by Douglas Gayeton from The Lexicon of Sustainability

I recently moderated a panel at the San Francisco Green Film Festival entitled Transmedia in a Green Context, showing how media makers are using multiple touch points to extend story and create opportunities for participation, play, and activism.

What exactly is transmedia? The term seems to be the buzzword of the year. Transmedia storyteller Jeff Gomez defines it as, “The art of conveying messages themes, or storylines to mass audiences through the artful and well planned use of multiple media platforms.”

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Update from The National Conference for Media Reform

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Thousands will convene this weekend in Boston to share ideas about the future of media, technology, and democracy at the 2011 NCMR. ITVS Marketing & Communications Manger Steve Goldbloom is at the conference and will be providing updates on BTB.

Greetings from Boston! The NCMR kicks off bright and early Friday morning with a live broadcast of Democracy Now with Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzales. After the show, the panels begin and they don’t stop until Sunday.

The conference — which includes activists, media makers, educators, journalists, artists, and policymakers — has been broken down into themed tracks that will guide the weekend’s discussions. From Policy and Politics to Journalism and Public Media; from Media Makers, Culture and Arts to Technology and Innovation, there will be lots of interesting news to relay on BTB over the next few days.
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Asparagus Sprouts Only on FUTURESTATES

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Filmmaker Robby Henson’s short Asparagus is streaming free beginning today on FUTURESTATES.TV.

The original online series FUTURESTATES launched its second season last week at SXSW and will release films for free online over the next several weeks.

See the trailer for Henson’s films below, which follows one introverted agricultural engineer as he finds love among genetically modified crops. Watch the full version of Asparagus,streaming free online. Enjoy!

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Tip of the Day: Engage Beyond the Broadcast

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The internet is completely revolutionizing all kinds of media by freeing creators from linearity and one-way paradigms. Here at ITVS, we’ve been working with filmmakers for more than a decade to create multifaceted and multi-platform projects that liberate the story from dusty old limitations.

It’s easy to get stuck in a familiar way of doing things, but when you begin to think of your audience as a collaborator, and technology as an ally, you break into new dimensions and open up fresh perspectives on your story. We have a large library of the interactive projects we’ve produced in the past 10 year, and encourage you to check them out for ideas and inspiration.