2013 is rapidly becoming the year that games were taken seriously by Scotland’s government, media and creative industries. The latest good news comes from the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
EIFF is the world’s longest-running film festival, with a global reputation for discovering and promoting the very best in international cinema. Alongside the film screenings, premieres and glamorous celebrities, the festival also features a complete industry programme, aimed at film makers, production companies, producers, directors, screen writers and producers.
This year, for the first time, EIFF features a number of industry events, looking at the ways in which digital and interactive media is changing aspects of film making. They’re also, to our knowledge, the first film festival in the world to include an entirely new form of art, which the games world has known about for years, but which has never made it into the mainstream.
All festival delegates can access the industry programme. Passes for the full festival, 3-7 day passes or single day passes are available, allowing delegates to dip in and out as work allows. You can see all of the options here. We’ve also got a free-to-enter, public facing event on the final day of EIFF, featuring an ex-member of the Scottish development scene…
The games-related industry events in the 2013 EIFF are:
Friday 21st June
Edinburgh Game Symposium (10:00 – 17:15)
Venue: Inspace, University of Edinburgh
Access: Free entry for EIFF Passholders.
This symposium examines the phenomenon and music of video games, and will look at developments in current independent video game productions. Game developers will be in open house, including Yann Seznec of Lucky Frame, Alexander Mathew of USC Interactive Media and others. L.A. based composer Jeff Rona (God of War III) will be in interview, plus a panel of video game composers including Jessica Curry (Dear Esther), Simon Hale (LA Noire) and others.
Presented by Edinburgh University with EIFF and New Media Scotland.
Video Game Music Concert by the Edinburgh Film Music Orchestra (EFMO) (19:30 – 20:30)
Inspace, University of Edinburgh
Access: Free entry for EIFF Passholders. Please sign up at the registration desk in the Delegate Centre to book your place or email industryevents@edfilmfest.org.uk.
The is Edinburgh’s only orchestra entirely devoted to performing film and TV music. For this event, the EFMO will be expanding its palette with music from video games. The concert features music from Grammy nominated composer Austin Wintory (Journey), Jessica Curry (Dear Esther), Simon & Andrew Hale (LA Noire), Robert Holmes (Gray Matter) and Jacob Pernell (Deep Blue Sky). The orchestra is conducted by Yati Durant.
Saturday 22nd June
An Introduction To Interactivity (12:00 – 13:15)
Traverse Theatre 2 – EIFF Delegate Centre
Access: EIFF Passholders
Interactive media is causing fundamental changes in every aspect of the creative industries, from the way content is created, to the way it is monetised, distributed and consumed.
Presented by MEDIA in partnership with Hollow Earth Industries‘ Brian Baglow, Introduction to Interactivity will give filmmakers the chance to discover new business models as well as information on funding, distribution and audience building possibilities. You will also learn about the latest opportunities created by new platforms, devices, apps, games and other interactive media.
MEDIA is a programme of the European Union. The MEDIA Programme supports the interactive sector through funding for the development of interactive projects, digital distribution, training courses in new media, new technologies and interactive markets.
Sunday 23rd June
Thinking Outside The Page: Expanding models of storytelling (12:15 – 13:30)
Traverse Theatre 1 – EIFF Delegate Centre
Access: EIFF Passholders
On the page, on screen or inside a game: the spectrum of opportunities of how to tell a story is continually growing. Films and games have a long history of working together and expanding the story from one to the other. How can writers adapt to keep up with new and different mediums? With a growing demand for interactive and on-demand media, new opportunities are opening up for writers to think outside of the page in front of them.
What are the considerations for writers when creating narratives across different platforms, opening up expansive story worlds as well as increasing and diversifying their audience? Where should writers be looking to expand their career horizons and what are the artistic opportunities available outside the conventional mediums?
BAFTA nominated screenwriter, Olivia Hetreed (Girl with a Pearl Earring) and games writer Andrew Walsh (Harry Potter, Prince of Persia) will discuss the different approaches and opportunities writers can take. They will also be joined by Phil Parker, founder of multi-platform media company BCre8ive.eu, which promotes original and new talent as well as creating new development initiatives with Mudlark, Factory Transmedia and Jager Developments.
Tuesday 25th June
Masterclass In Digital Distribution (17:00 – 18:30)
Traverse Theatre 1 – EIFF Delegate Centre
Access: EIFF Passholders. Please sign up at the registration desk in the Delegate Centre to book your place or email industryevents@edfilmfest.org.uk.
Have you thought about using apps, games and other multimedia resources to publicise & market your film? How will you reach and engage an audience in a saturated digital market? How do you consider all of these aspects at the development stage, when you’re trying to raise finance and get your script green lit?
Answers to these and other questions will be the topic of this straightforward masterclass. We’ll be informally discussing all aspects of digital distribution with industry experts, delivering an essential and invaluable understanding of Digital Distribution. The masterclass is funded by http://www.craftandtech.org
Expert panellists will include:
Brian Baglow: founder of digital media consultancy Hollow Earth and ScottishGames.net, lecturer at Napier University’s Screen Academy and interactive/digital expert on the BAFTA Scotland committee.
Julie Short: Head of Acquisitions at The Works Film Group. Actively involved in delivering several high profile training courses for the FDA, Creative Skillset and MEDIA. She is a trustee of the Independent Cinema Office, mentors students from Screen Academy Scotland and Film Agency Wales and is a guest speaker at the NFTS and London Film School.
Matt Locke: Founder of Storythings, a creative studio which helps clients deliver stories digitally, Matt has over 15 years experience in digital media including Head of Innovation at BBC New Media, and Head of Multiplatform at Channel 4 where he developed such projects as Million Pound Drop, Big Brother, Skins and Misfits.
Saturday 29th June
An Introduction to the Demoscene – The Best Digital Art You’ve Never Seen (11:00 – 11:45)
Traverse Theatre 2 – EIFF Delegate Centre
Access: Open access. Non EIFF Passholders register by emailing industryevents@edfilmfest.org.uk
The demoscene is a loose collection of individuals who use computers to show off their skills in programming, art and music making. Originating from the software cracking scene of the early 80s, where beating your rivals was everything, it has grown into a global forum for modern digital art. Demoscene productions often share the aesthetics of motion graphics but it is their use of cutting edge computer programming techniques that allow them to operate in real-time without the need for offline rendering or editing. It is this immediacy that gives us a glimpse into how interactive media could look in the near future.
Presented by demo expert Paul Grenfell, This session will explore the origins of the demoscene, the technologies and sub-genres that make it unique and screen some of the scene’s most innovative, stunning and original work.
Case Study: The Creation of a Demo (12:00 – 12:45)
Traverse Theatre 2 – EIFF Delegate Centre
Access: Open access. Non EIFF Passholders register by emailing industryevents@edfilmfest.org.uk
In the last session we saw some of the best examples of what the demoscene is producing. Now we delve into the process that is used to produced these works and see how a small team of talented individuals are able to create such inspiring works. We will do this by examining the unique challenges, pressures and motivations involved in creating one of the standout demos of the last few years.
