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Welcome
to December's Issue of the Newsletter for members of "The
Creative Networks"
'Creative Networks' at UCE Birmingham's Technology
Innovation Centre (tic) is
about bringing together all parties involved in sound
and screen-based media in the West Midlands. 'Creative
Networks' seeks to promote both successful business development
and collaboration. It also seeks to contribute to the establishment
of a strong, long-term, sound and screen-based Creative
Industry in the West Midlands. The tic
achieves this through increasing knowledge sharing and use of innovative
technologies, creative practice and business processes.
Regular monthly networking events are held at tic.
They offer opportunities for individuals and companies
to network, make pitches and identify the resources they
are seeking or support for the projects they are planning.
Visit our online portal www.creativenetworksonline.com
for up-to-date news, funding, business support, training
and tender opportunities.
In This Issue:
1. COMING UP -
December's Creative Networks Event @ tic *CHANGE OF DAY AND TIME*
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This months event is on a Wednesday and starts at the earlier time of 2pm
:: Key Speaker Ruth Badger - The Star of the 2006 reality TV show "The Apprentice" |
2. Event Reviewed
- November's Creative Networks Event
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...we’d also like to hear from you!
Contact Scarlet Scardanelli, the Creative Networks administrator
with any feedback, case studies, success stories, interesting projects, collaboration opportunities or news:
:: phone
0121 331 5400
:: email
scarlet.scardanelli@tic.ac.uk
:: or
post to Technology Innovation Centre, Millennium
Point, Curzon Street, Birmingham, B4 7XG
:: or online at www.creativenetworksonline.com |
| 1.
COMING UP - December's
Creative Networks Event @ tic *DON'T
MISS OUT* |
Wednesday
13th December - From 2.00pm at tic, Millennium Point
The
Collaborative Networking Event for Creative Industry Professionals
RUTH BADGER
TURN YOUR IDEAS INTO PROFIT
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Creative Networks is proud to present Ruth Badger, the star of the 2006 reality TV show ‘The Apprentice’, as keynote speaker for our December event.
The host of Sky One’s current hit series ‘The Big Idea’ has an affinity with the West Midlands having been born and bred in Wolverhampton, Ruth will be making a special trip to the region’s largest creative networking event to offer expert advice on running a successful business and improving profitability.
A lifelong overachiever, Ruth has been swiftly promoted through the ranks in all of her posts, gaining a wealth of experience in financial services, business management and operations management, exceeding targets and growing revenue far beyond expectations. |
Applying the tried and tested methods which have led to her consistent success for over a decade, Ruth has recently started her own company which is helping businesses to achieve the same.
Ruth will be imparting her expertise to Creative Networks in a special DAYTIME event, inspiring the creative industry to develop its focus, ambition and drive to turn ideas into profit.
PRIZE RAFFLE - DON'T MISS YOUR CHANCE!
We are giving everyone who comes to this months Creative Networks the chance to WIN in our prize raffle!
The Draw will be taking place on the day:
1st prize is a mono laser printer
2nd prize is a nice bottle of Champagne
3rd prizes of the new board game by Alphabet Runner; they kindly sponsored the draw by giving us 30 of their fantastic games!
The Creative Networks event is FREE. If you would like to join us, please contact Scarlet Scardanelli email scarlet.scardanelli@tic.ac.uk, or phone 07969 226 693
or register online on the Creative Networks portal www.creativenetworksonline.com
You'll be very welcome.
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| 2. Review of November's Creative Networks Event |
Thursday 30th November - From 6.00pm ‘til LATE at tic, Millennium Point
Two years after the launch of Creative Networks, November’s event brought together the West Midlands’ creative industry under one roof for the 25th consecutive month. UCE Birmingham’s Technology Innovation Centre welcomed Kieron Concannon, the manager of FDM Records and 2005 Christmas chart-toppers Nizlopi, to talk about the challenges facing independent musicians and the role of interactive technologies in the band’s rise to fame.
Hot food and refreshments were served while the creatives had a chance to sit down and discuss industry developments and collaboration opportunities. Amongst the crowd were delegates from all walks of the industry, including animators, actors, video editors, graphic artists and web designers to name but a few. This month's guest speaker also proved to be a magnet for a larger than usual flock of musicians and audio professionals.
As with every event, Creative Networks members were given an opportunity to stand up give a short pitch about their creative company in order to both gain business, and to attract partners to work collaboratively on media projects.
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| Summaries of Open Floor Pitches |
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Gary introduced the New Grey Whistle Test, a platform which showcases unsigned talent in the same way that the BBC Old Grey Whistle Test gave a stage to the likes of Led Zeppelin, Simply Red, John Lennon, Dr Hook, Jimi Hendrix and countless others.
The New Grey Whistle Test is different in that it gives a much needed media platform to new bands and solo artists working with today's technology.....the Internet.
Gary has been a regular pitcher in the past, appealing to acts to take advantage of this great vehicle for exposure. He is now looking to take the project to the next level, and appealed for people or businesses who may be interested in an investment opportunity with tremendous potential. Check out the website or contact Gary to find out more.
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Christmas Parties – hideous?
NO MORE, Rooty Frooty’s Christmas Hooty will restore faith to anyone who feels such trials are beyond banality. A party ‘Hooty’ style will naturally have all the essentials of enjoying a libation or two, and the opportunity to drop some Brummie Foot on the ballroom floor to some fine, knob twiddling purveyors of dance rhythms. However it will also mean a feast of sensory pleasures served by the likes of: The Destroyers, a 15 piece whirlwind of gypsy folk mayhem - The Cantina Band – so called after the Star Wars ensemble of the same name, which suits their irresistible flow of extra-terrestrial roots and funk, plus The Family Unit reminding us all that Rasta Claus is on his way. Ohhh, but that is just the basics.
Visit www.myspace.com/rootyfrooty for more details. |
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3 Pin Recordings is a Birmingham-based label which has been operating in the region since 2003. The label works with artists from around the world, releasing experimental and underground music, with a special interest in unusual packaging. They pride themselves on high quality control, both in terms of amazing music and the visual presentation of their ideas. 3 Pin are into their fifth release and have received rave reviews and airplay internationally, the latest CD being a 14 artist multimedia compilation which Zero Tolerance magazine call "stunning". Michael appealed for members of the network to send him samples of any experimental music or ideas for collaborative projects. |
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Phil Mountford has just launched his company which writes music for media; composing bespoke music to complement any visual media content. With vast experience in writing music for computer games, short films, animation and TV drama, Phil has just completed the soundtrack to a Birmingham produced romantic comedy feature film 'See You At The Altar' and is about to commence scoring for another Midlands feature.
Talent and experience are only part of the solution when it comes to providing the most realistic soundtracks, which is why his purpose built studio contains a farm of PC's specifically tasked with running the very latest software sound libraries to help craft the music on time and within budget. |
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Sapphires Model Management is an award-winning, young model agency based in the Midlands, and is one of the fastest growing agencies in the country. Supplying models for fashion, beauty, commercial, catwalk, editorial, video/TV and promotional work, they pride themselves on a down to earth and honest approach to their clients.
A client is never just another client to Sapphires; they are committed to providing a first class service and are there to meet every brief however large or small. They provide a bespoke service to clients, so whatever the requirement, let Sapphires find the face that fits! |
| Kieron Concannon Guest Speaker |
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After chasing Kieron to be our guest speaker for many months, we finally managed to bring him into TIC as our keynote speaker for Creative Networks. No-one was left disappointed, as we were treated to an incredibly frank insight into the challenges facing independent labels and artists in the music industry today. Kieron opened by revealing that as he was talking to us, Nizlopi were supporting Christina Aguilera at Wembley Arena in front of over 12,000 people, testament to the success of the band and their continuing appeal around the UK and Europe.
The FDM Records Manager took us through a timeline of events surrounding his experiences with the band and the JCB song, starting with a trip to California in 1997. While recovering from a long term illness, Kieron recognised that recording studios in the UK paled in comparison to those across the Atlantic. With this motivation, he embarked upon a project to build his own studio in Warwickshire, which opened in 1998 and is still being used by artists (including Nizlopi) today.
However the journey for Nizlopi has been anything but easy, with the band learning just how difficult it is to get a UK number one without the clout and influence of a major label. Kieron warned against the pitfalls of signing over hastily to the industry’s big boys, where the status and direction of a band is controlled by the label, and an act can go from flavour of the month to having their careers consigned to the scrapheap in an instant.
In the run up to Christmas of 2005, Nizlopi were offered a number of deals from industry giants such as Sony and Universal, turning each of them down in what proved to be an astute manoeuvre. The family risked everything by remortgaging their house to pay for manufacturing costs, and justified this gamble by selling over 500,000 copies of the JCB Song.
After an engaging Q&A session with the network, Kieron was keen to point out the importance of the internet as both a sales outlet and as a means of using interactive technology to promote bands, especially for unsigned musicians. Nizlopi and FDM Records are still exploiting web technology to this day and it will continue to be central to the band’s music in the future.
While lazy journalism widely stigmatised Nizlopi as a novelty act, they are quite the opposite, as a number of Creative Network members testified from personal experience. Kieron is more than confident that the duo’s songwriting ability and well earned reputation as a top live act will see them sustain a long and successful career in the music business. |
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| ©
Technology Innovation Centre (tic) 2006
Millennium Point, Curzon Street, Birmingham B4 7XG
phone +44 (0)121 331 5400 fax +44 (0)121
331 5401
email enquiries@tic.ac.uk www.tic.ac.uk
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