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Welcome
to Issue Three of the Newsletter for members of "The
Creative Networks"
'Creative Networks' at the Technology
Innovation Centre (tic) is about
bringing all parties involved in screen-based media in
the West Midlands together. This includes the diverse
and often disparate creative companies, freelancers and
associated businesses in the region.
Creative Networks seeks to promote successful business
development and collaboration, and long-term sustainability
through knowledge and use of innovative technologies and
creative practices.
Regular monthly face-to-face networking events are held
at tic. They offer opportunities to companies
to network and make pitches, detailing either the resources
they are seeking or the projects and challenges 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 - May's
Creative Networks Event @ tic
*DONT MISS OUT* |
| 2.
Event Reviewed - April's Creative
Networks Event |
| |
:: Summaries of 'Client Pitches'
:: Key Speaker
- tic's Steve Smith on 'New
Funded Projects’ |
|
We’d
like to hear from you!
Contact Mandeep Chana, The Creative Networks administrator
with your news and views:
:: phone
0121 331 5400
:: email
mandeep.chana@tic.ac.uk
:: or
post to Technology Innovation Centre, Millennium
Point, Curzon Street, Birmingham, B4 7XG |
| 1.
COMING UP - May's Creative
Networks Event @ tic *DONT
MISS OUT* |
Thursday
26th May - From 6.00pm ‘til LATE at tic, Millennium Point
The
Collaborative Networking Event for Creative Industry Professionals
BUYERS FORUM 2005
The next event is scheduled for Thursday 26th May 2005
starting at 6pm at tic. There will be
the usual opportunities to network, pitch your products
and services and form partnerships and collaborations
with colleagues from the Creative Industries Sector. Advance
notice is strongly recommended for those wishing to pitch.
Here’s your opportunity to grow your business – and quickly
– in an evening packed with workshops, presentations and
seminars. Reserve your place now and prepare for an opportunity
to make an impact on 'buyers of content'.
| AGENDA |
|
| 6.00
- 7.00pm |
Buyer/Supplier
Networking, Hot Buffet and Wine |
| 8.30pm
'til Late |
Buyer/Supplier
Networking at ‘The ibar’ (Millennium Point) |
| For
the Creative audience... |
| ...Creative
Supplier Presentations |
| 7.00pm |
Current Tenders -
tic Lecture Theatre
tic's Business Consultants will be
discussing the current tenders through the Creative
Networks portal. |
| |
|
| 7.20pm |
Market Awareness
- tic Lecture Theatre
The region’s developers will be discussing the creative
business potential existing in a range of industries.
|
| |
|
| 7.40pm |
Investment Opportunities
- tic Lecture
Theatre
Money makes the world go round. Here are the people
with the resources guiding you to accessing them. |
| |
|
| 8.00pm |
Bigger Business
Insight - tic Lecture Theatre
Large organisations will be discussing what potential
exists within their company. |
| For
the Buying audience... |
| ...Creative
Buyer Rolling Workshops |
| 7.00pm
- 8.00pm |
Creative Supplier
Pitching - tic Soft Seat
Area
A series of five minute “elevator pitches” from creative
companies around the Region. Use these to see the
wealth of talent on offer and to help decide who to
talk to at the iBar later. |
| |
|
| 8.00pm
- 8.30pm |
Student Start-Ups
- tic Demonstration Area
Many top tic creative students will
demonstrate current projects as well as commercial
or placement projects developed in the last twelve
months. |
| |
|
| 6.00pm
- 8.30pm |
Creative Showcasing
- tic Content
Creation Centre
A selection of suppliers demonstrate the abilities
of their companies and how to benefit from the technology
available at tic. |
If you would like to attend please,
email
(mention any special dietary requirements)
Mandeep Chana mandeep.chana@tic.ac.uk
or phone
Ha Vu on 07967 706 445
You'll be very welcome.
Great success
stories on collaboration projects have resulted from the
Creative Networks events – so get pitching. Do contact
us first if you'd like to try!
We will publicise success stories on the Creative Networks
portal at ww.creativenetworksonline.com |
| 2. Review of April's
Creative Networks Event |
Wednesday 27th April - From
6.00pm ‘til LATE at tic, Millennium Point
The 6th Creative Networks evening was once again hosted
by tic’s Centre for Interactive Media
at Millennium Point. Despite the competing attraction
of the European Champions League football semi-final,
the event once again attracted a substantial gathering
of Midlands, screen-based, creative businesses and independents.
Steve Smith, tic's Centre Manager for
Interactive Media introduced the ever lively and engaging
‘pitching’ session. Screen-based creative SMEs/freelancers
were again given the opportunity to make a brief ‘elevator’
style pitch for their business ambitions, aims and creative
skills – seeking fruitful future collaborative projects
and seed-revenue for their enterprises.
|
| Summaries of the
latest Client Pitches |
| |
Kevin
Thompson
Company: Archangel Marketing and Communications
Kevin spoke about his PR and marketing agency Archangel
Marketing & Communications. Based in Birmingham, the
agency provides a range of client services. Archangel
offers initial research and fact-finding to gain an insight
to a client’s business; its fees are competitive; it offers
multiple marketing skills, talents and experience within
a focused time-frame to help reduce costs. Archangel's
bespoke solutions are delivered by dedicated campaign
managers. Please contact Kevin if you are interested in
appointing an agency for marketing and communication projects,
or investing in the company.
email: info@archangelmarketing.co.uk |
| 
|
John
Hill-Daniel
Company: Hill Daniel
John offers freelance services as an editor for both film
and video.
He is seeking projects needing an editor (from June onwards).
John has just completed the edit of a dance / drama piece
called 'The Wild Party, for Rosie Kay Dance Company, and
has three other edits in the pipeline. He has been working
on a 'making-of' feature - a documentary shot in Ethiopia
about Bob Marley. And he is editing an account of the
recent week-long AVIT festival at the Custard Factory,
which he also shot.
John is offering a special rate for jobs commencing in
June. How special?
Contact him to find out.
email: john@hill-daniel.co.uk
web: www.hill-daniel.co.uk
|
 |
Billy
Jackson
Company: Open Mind Surgery
A new Billy Jackson-organised short film festival at Birmingham's
e Electric Cinema on 8th May proved very successful. Films
were varied and there were entries from film-makers as
young as 16! Seven shorts were shown ranging from experimental
and documentary to fiction and drama. The thoroughly entertaining
day and social event, brought together audiences and film-makers,
giving a taste of the 'full festival' experience. Attracting
over 40 entries in just two weeks, Birmingham's new short
film festival is another event which will help to put
Birmingham on the festival circuit. Organiser Billy J
Jackson intends to makes this an annual event and is now
looking for sponsorship. He is seeking to incorporate
genre categories which may include documentary, short
fiction, drama, comedy, young film makers and 'lo/no'
budget productions.
email:
openmindsurgery@hotmail.com
web: www.theelectric.co.uk
|
 |
Rhonda
Wilson
Company: Rhubarb Rhubarb
Rhonda presented Creative Alliance - a unique
partnership of organisations delivering new professional
skills courses for artists. These are 'practice-led' and
extend to a mentoring development programme.
There are a series of 5 intakes for the course which concludes
in 2006.
In this LSC-funded project, Birmingham Artists, Friction
Arts and Seeing The Light will provide specialist handling
for 2D/3D visual arts, live artists/performers/ interdisciplinary
and participatory arts, photographers and digital image
makers. These organisations have specific knowledge, experience
and networks and a track record of delivering industry-relevant
support in the Creative and Cultural industry. Placements
and work experience situations will be sought after the
course. If you are interested in offering such 'diamonds',
please contact Rhonda at rx@rhubarb-rhubarb.net.
email: rx@rhubarb-rhubarb.net
web: www.rhubarb-rhubarb.net
web: www.creativealliance.org.uk
|
| |
Steve
Smith - tic's Centre Manager
for Interactive Media
tic’s Centre Manager
for Interactive Media gave a presentation on ‘Market
Maker’, tic's latest project. This
is considered to be the last and most crucial piece
of tic’s strategy to develop screen-based
companies and their markets across the West Midlands.
Market Maker is a substantial project geared to finding
wide market and business opportunities for Digital
Content Producers. Market Maker capitalises upon 3
sources of support: European (ERDF) funds, LSC/ESF
Co-financed funds and tic Direct support.
The ERDF funds are being used to build dedicated Business,
Creative and Technical teams. The Business Team will: |
 |
Identify new markets |
|
Develop business opportunities |
|
Publicise opportunities online (ensuring they are
open, competitive and transparent) |
| |
| The Creative and Technical Team
offers the unique infrastructure available from tic.
New markets and business opportunities will be stimulated
and assisted through subsidised access to: |
|
Collaborative Tools (share documents and communicate
online) |
|
eCRM & eCommerce (Web-based Customer Management
& Online Sales) |
|
eLearning engines (Online Training) |
|
Data & Media Management, Storage and Hosting |
|
Enterprise Content Management Solutions |
|
Streaming Servers (Multi-platform delivery: PC,
Mobile, etc) |
| |
| ESF/LSC funding is being deployed
to offer training and support to the creative supplier
business network. This is to help members in responding
most effectively to the market and business opportunities
generated through the Market Maker project. As part
of this training and diversification initiative tic
has joined with project partners Lighthouse and MediaDev
to offer a learning programme comprising: |
|
Understanding Markets |
|
Seeking Commissions and Finance |
|
Language & Communication |
|
Media Needs & Intervention |
|
Sales Tactics |
|
Diversification |
| |
| This programme is supported by
workshops, presentations and seminars covering: |
|
Multi-platform/device distribution |
|
eCommerce for Digital Content |
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IP in the Digital Domain |
|
Collaborative Tools |
|
Technical Creativity and Innovation |
| |
Putting its 'money-where-its-mouth
is’, tic is also using its own core
funds to ensure that the other funding streams are
complemented through subsidising the cost of tic
facilities.
The tic offers participants in Market
Maker and Creative Networks: |
|
Free access to business areas (meeting rooms, etc) |
|
|
Subject to availability and following introduction
of Market Maker to a potential client. |
|
Free online showcasing facilities and business advertorials
(profiles) |
|
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Subject to storage & bandwidth, this supports
streaming video, audio, graphics, etc. |
|
Access to ‘Media Vault’ facilities at highly subsidised
rates. These include: |
|
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Multimedia Labs |
|
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Digital “Virtual” Television Studio |
|
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3D Avatar Capture Booth |
|
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Broadcast Camera & Production facilities |
|
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Interactive Media Authoring & Streaming |
| |
| Steve Smith outlined the conditions
in order to be a part of this opportunity: |
|
Registered on Creative Networks Portal (+ at least
one attendance) |
|
Resident in West Midlands Region |
|
Working on a commissioned project |
For any company supplying Digital Content in the West
Midlands Region, the tic would like to
help you grow and prosper.
email: steve.smith@tic.ac.uk
web: www.tic.ac.uk
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| ©
Technology Innovation Centre (tic) 2005
Millennium Point, Curzon Street, Birmingham B4 7XG
phone +44 (0)121 331 5400 fax +44 (0)121
331 5401
www.tic-online.com
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