November 30, 2003
Script sales information
Need more information.
http://www.scriptsales.com/DoneWrap01.html
November 29, 2003
Ann-Kristin Glenster (Script Editor/Producer)
Ann Kristin is an award winning screenwriter who received the Geneva-Europe Prize for television in 2001. The same year she was also short-listed for the Euroscript competition. Ann Kristin has experience as a writer and script editor and has worked on projects for Filmhuset in Oslo, Norway, and for Petrouchka Films in Paris, France.
She has experience in development from the Wind Dancer Production Group in New York and from Media Finance International in Paris, France. She has worked as a dramaturg for the Polo Ralph Lauren Film Festival in New York and for various theatre productions. In addition to her experience in cinema, she has also an extensive background in theatre and has directed five stage plays in New York.
Ann Kristin teaches screenwriting at the London branch of the New York Film Academy. Her recent writing credits include “A Christmas Story” (short film) for Looking Glass Films, London; and “It’s a Lulu” (feature film) for Lulu Films, London.
Ann Kristin will manage script and story development in the early phases of the project with input into asset design processes and the run-time (i.e. DVD) story architecture. She will then assist with overall production.
She will work part-time on the project.
0796 791 2648
akglenster@hotmail.com
REFERENCES
Noel Qualter
Film Director
0796761 5494
0207 359 7325
Dr. Charlotte Crofts
Senior Lecturer, Video Production
South Bank University
02078155803
07973444659
November 28, 2003
Other Questions
1.1 - Project Name
1.2 - Contact details:
Title
Full Name
Organisation
Address
Telephone Number
Mobile Number
Fax Number
Email Address
3.2 - Current stage of project
Choose one of:
Still at ideas stage
Research/concept stage
Early prototype/design/draft
Outline
Full prototype/design/final draft
Testing/approvals/rehearsal stage
Ready to sell as a marketable product/process
Other (please specify)
3.3 - Over what period of time will you require support from NESTA?
7.1 - Financial Breakdown
As per Project Budget.xls file
November 26, 2003
Academic partnerships
These may be worth exploring for access to research funding and access to academic research.
http://www.ost.gov.uk/ostinternational/
http://www.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~morph/
Interactive fiction
"What I see is an interactive drama for the masses who have computers, but who are not 'gamers'." Randy Littlejohn
http://steel.lcc.gatech.edu/grandtextauto/archives/000138.html
So how does the re-mixable film idea mesh with the interactive fiction community? My idea is simply that this kind of film be re-purposable for the AI and IF folks to play with. We concentrate on making art and go the one extra step to provide a low level interface so it's of practical benefit to different communities. I think that will be enough of a challenge for SANCTUARY. What do you all think?
HfC was supposed to be re-purposable only BDE overestimated the capabilities of their software. Any notion of re-purposing Pan, his forest, and misc. other elements of the film went out the window when early tests came up nought. It wasn't possible to re-use Pan's head from the banner ad (our test) in the final movie the way we envisaged.
November 21, 2003
Dorothy Crouch (Licensed publishing advisor)
Dorothy Crouch was until recently the Warner Brothers Vice-President of Licensed Publishing, and manager director of DC Comics and MAD magazine. Dorothy first came into contact with the project in 1999 when BDE gave her the script for consideration (BDE was working with DC on a Superman series). Since leaving Warner, Dorothy is able to provide independent advice and leads for the project through her consultancy Dorothy Crouch International.
Dorothy has world-beating experience of the graphic novel, comics and interactive publishing industries. Her advice will be instrumental in securing a favourable deal for a graphic novel.
Simon Millgate (Artist)
Simon Millgate is a classically trained fine artist, an oil painter, photographer and digital artist who is working predominantly with Photoshop, Illustrator and Flash. Simon is providing input into the development phase, particularly with regards to aesthetics and composition.
Australian wilderness activism
The Wilderness Society | Rainforest society gold mining protest | GUNNS Ltd. (largest logging company)
NSW Student activist mailing list archives
Klaude Thomas (External advisor - Games producer)
Klaude Thomas works for the leading games publisher SCi as a games producer. He was the co-author of a role-playing adventure "Goblins" (Steve Jackson Games, 1996) and most recently produced the "Futurama" game based on the hit TV show by Matt Groening.
Klaude has contributed advice on the mechanics of commercial games publishing and game design. His feedback helps to position the project for future games industry funding.
Grant Dean (Games industry advisor)
Grant Dean was recently appointed as Director of International Product Development for Midway Games, one of the world's leading interactive entertainment software publishers. Prior to joining Midway, Grant was Director of European Development for THQ and Executive Producer, Eidos Interactive. Grant has managed some of the most successful interactive brands of recent years including MotoGP, Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, Commandos and Deus Ex from developers as geographically diverse as Spain, USA and China. Despite his experience in entertainment software, Grant's roots were in television at the BBC. Grant is also Chair of the BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Committee and a member of the BAFTA Council.
He has contributed advice on the games publishing business, provided leads and contacts, and helped to validate the premise upon which this project is based.
Archie Maddan (Legal Counsel)
Archie Maddan is a barrister with a London chambers (1 Plowden Buildings, Temple) who acts as general legal counsel to thequality.com, pinpointing legal issues to consider for this project. Archie's background is general civil litigation and public law but increasingly he is involved with media and film finance law and has been working on several media capitalisation projects to that end.
archiemaddan@oneplowden.fsnet.co.uk
REFERENCES
Alison Armour
Head of Chambers
1 Plowden Building, Temple
0207 353 4444
Matthew Joynes
Aurelius Capital
8 Golden Sq.
0207 287 6294
Christine Coorey (Project Accountant)
Christine Coorey is a qualified chartered accountant with over five years experience in the music industry. Christine recently left the independant label Cooking Vinyl to become a consultant. She is also the manager of UK punk band, The Dilaters. Christine's previous clients include Reuters and Credit Suisse First Boston.
November 20, 2003
Michael Eleftheriades (Panorama Consultant)
Although an architect by training, Michael has made a successful transition into digital media. He is the director of Media Synthesis – a media design, software development and systems integration company. Michael makes regular contributions to the design and computer press, has lectured on architecture and multimedia in Europe and the United State, and is a visiting critic at CUMIS, the Architectural Association and the NFTS.
While still in architectural training Michael pioneered a 3-D modelling program. He has taught at the National Film and Television School's production design department, working specifically with virtual sets. He is one of the UK's leading authorities on virtual and captured panoramic environments.
Michael will be our key advisor for the panoramic element of the core product.
Robert Bowerman (Technical Architect)
Robert Bowerman is a highly experienced technical architect and project manager. He will be advising on the overall architecture of the project and contributing specialist AI expertise for the console product. His past clients include DTI, Deutsch Bank AG, British Airways, QXL, NatWest and Reuters.
Robet will also play a key role in building the online community as a vibrant personality and well-respected academic. He is currently completing a PhD in Artificial Intelligence at University College London on a leading-edge topic that is complementary to the re-mixable film experience (e.g. reasoning constructs for non-player characters).
Robert has published three computer textbooks, "Putting Expert Systems into Practice", "Engineering Workstations" and "The Software Revolution" and written over 20 published articles in MIS Week, Datamation, Machine Design, CAE, Interface Age and IEEE C G & A.
REFERENCES
Kathy Bailey
kathy.bailey@sbs.gsi.gov.uk
Gareth Pearce
Gareth.Pearce@db.com
Kam Memarzia (Graphics supervisor)
Kam Memarzia is a trained architect and 3D visualisation consultant who most recently has been the graphics supervisor on the BBC2 series, Time Commanders, making headlines for its use of a real-time 3D graphics engine to re-enact historic battle scenes live in the studio.
kam@memarzia.com
http://kam.memarzia.com
Damon O'Connell (Art Director)
Damon O’Connell is a much-sought-after independent visual artist working in film and television ("Lost in Space", Bjork promo "Pagan Poetry", television graphics). His work has been shown on BBC, Channel 4, ITV, and Channel 5. He has also had work exhibited in the London Science Museum.
He started up Reelthing Animation in 1997 and has won various awards for his work including Design and Advertising (DNAD), YELL, and Web3D Art Prize at SIGGRAPH (Golden Lasso). He has created real-time 3D animation for thequality.com (Art Director on "Horses for Courses") and Toshiba.
Originally trained as a fine artist at Chelsea College of Art, Damon started Reelthing Animation in 1997. He has a reputation for bringing a different perspective to visual projects.
Damon is planning the re-mixable film production/post-production processes for achieving a cinema-quality aesthetic while retaining flexibility in the pipeline normally associated with games.
REFERENCES
Mandy Cohen
Production Manager
Oxford Scientific Films
45-49 Mortimer St
London
W1W 8HX
0207 470 1329
Anthony Gambier-Parry
Creative Director
Denman Productions
60 Mallard Place
Strawberry Vale
Twickenham
TW1 4FR
0208 913 461
John Broomhall (Audio Producer)
John Broomhall is the UK’s leading audio producer for computer games with credits on over fifty released titles. His advice has been sought to ensure that the project takes full account of game industry developments, including the Pop Idol computer game, for which he is Audio Producer. It is likely that as the top audio consultant in the UK he will have other commitments at intermittent intervals for the duration of the project.
john@johnbroomhall.co.uk.
http://www.johnbroomhall.co.uk
Mike Roberts (Console Architect)
Dr. Mike Roberts is a leading expert on next-generation entertainment systems, a key advisor to several Hollywood entertainment companies. His last role was working at Qube Software (founded by the creator of Microsoft DirectX) on content and optimisation for a new 3D graphics engine.
Dr. Roberts will take over technical design responsibility (from me) for all code to be written for the DVD. This breaks down into the GROOVER (rhythm game), SWITCH (real-time audio/video/3D player) and FEEDER (input/output) modules of the DVD. He is currently responsible for prototyping GROOVER and liasising with technology vendors.
roberts128@supanet.com
Referees:
Chenoa Smith - President/CEO AestheticScience
USA - 310 309 3754
chenoa@aestheticscience.com
Servan Keodjian - CEO, Qubesoft Inc,
servan@qubesoft.com
Sanctuary Project Plan
For version 1 please follow this link
November 19, 2003
Ken Thompson Marchesi
Ken Thompson Marchesi has for the last 3 years been working in the film industry as an Assistant Director. In this role he has had to be a jack of all trades, to know what needs doing, what the inherent problems are, and how long they will take to resolve. His responsibilities on a film production start in pre-production with the scheduling of the shoot in consultation with the Director and Producer (and often other Heads of Department as well). He has to know every detail of the shoot and going in to the shoot should be able to field any questions from any department. On top of the organisation, it is also the AD's job to ensure the shoot runs smoothly not just technically but personally - i.e. to look after the crew while ensuring that at all times they are working to the best of their abilities with no physical or emotional complaints. As an AD and now as a Producer, the key skills he has had to hone are organisation, communication, people management and information management.
Ken has worked on shoots in England, Spain and the US. His films have gone to the Cannes Film Festival, the New York Film Festival and other festivals.
Michela Ledwidge (Writer/Director/Producer/Architect)
Michela Ledwidge is the project director and the originator of this crazy idea. She wants to play with films as though they were musical instruments.
http://thequality.com/people/michela/resume.html
Project glossary
http://thequality.com/flics/10weeks/blog/archives/docs/Glossary.doc
| AGENT | Software that functions autonomously on behalf of a user |
| GUI | “Graphic User Interface” The non-text based visual mechanism by which input to a computer is managed, also referred to as ‘look & feel’ e.g. Microsoft Standard GUI |
| FLIC | "Flexible light interactive content" The art asset format created for the project. |
| MIX | The technical description of the film experience created as an XML file in a format like SMIL |
| MOD | Re-mixed content packaged so it can be downloaded into the experience |
| RE-MIXABLE FILMS | Films you can fiddle with like never before |
| MODFILMS | Ditto |
| MACHINIMA | Machine cinema. Films created using real-time 3D engines (e.g. game technology). |
| RIG | "Reactive Interface Grid". Mind-machine interface technology in the story. Project-specific code on the DVD. |
| ENGINE | As in 3D engine. Code which plays the film in real-time from a library of assets. |
| GROOVER | Rhythm game module of the RIG |
| SWITCH | Performance (DJ/VJ) module of the RIG |
| FEEDER | Online input/output module for the RIG |
| SANCTUARY | The film and overall project title |
| ten weeks in the head bin | The film script on which SANCTUARY is based |
| ASSET | Digital media file used in the production |
| SMIL | Synchronised Multimedia Integration Language. Technical language for describing timing and playback information of audio-visual assets |
| RDF | Resource Description Framework. Technical language for describing semantic properties of any object. |
| XML | Extensible Markup Language. Technical language for describing any arbitrary markup language in machine-readable terms |
| CMS | Content Management System. |
| IPR | Intellectual Property Rights |
| Creative Commons | Online resource developing an intellectual commons in the form of new licenses that make it easier to build on other people's existing work and develop new ways to collaborate |
| Code | Software |
| OSS | Open Source Software. Open source means conforming to a license specifying certain critera including access to source code, free distribution, no restrictions toother software, and technical neutrality. |
| P2P | Peer-to-peer. P2P is a class of applications (like the Kazaa) that takes advantage of resources -- storage, cycles, content, human presence -- available at the edges of the Internet. Because accessing these decentralized resources means operating in an environment of unstable connectivity and unpredictable IP addresses, P2P nodes must operate outside the DNS system and have significant or total autonomy from central servers. |
| HfC | Horses for Courses (web3d film by Michela Ledwidge, 2001). English expression originating from the practice of picking race-hourses deemed the most suitable for any given terrain and conditions. |
November 18, 2003
Bios for Friday
Can I get a short bio approx 200 words on each of you by Friday? If you could blog a people category entry with your name as a title that would be fab. Just send an email if you prefer. Let's get this community 'appening! Yee hah!
"Tell us about the key team members who have been working on the project so far, about their track records and relevant experience, and what their roles and responsibilities were."
NESTA Proposal
November 17, 2003
10weeks script v9
For version 9, please follow this link.
Offer any comments you may have on the script via this entry.
November 13, 2003
Devil's advocate FAQ
Questions that answers we need to be ready for. I've got mine. Have you?
Q) Who is going to bother re-mixing a film?
Q) Why not film at lower cost (i.e. not 35mm)?
Q) Why not develop a PC product instead of console to make it more widely accessible?
Q) Why doesn't someone else direct this so Michela can concentrate on architecture and technical design?
Q) Is the budget realistic?
Q) Why hasn't anyone done this before?
Quotes
http://thequality.com/flics/10weeks/blog/archives/docs/Quotes.doc
"People aren't looking or not looking for a specific thing - they really just want something that's good... What people want are good things. Quality, I guess."
Toby Gard, game designer (Tomb Raider)
p.20 Academy - Issue 23 - The Journal of BAFTA
"As video games as a leisure concept is absorbed into the wider artistic community, shrugging off the "youth-culture lifestyle" ahngers-on that blight any advancement, a broader and more intelligent base of consumer will emerge".
Stefen Walters (spong.com), "They're not idiots"
MCV - The Marketing for Home Computing and Video Games, Feb 14, 2003
"Through the 1990s, as game budgets grew, publishers became more risk-averse. ... Messing with core gameplay is extremely risky, so they don't want to do that. They do want to improve the gameplay of existing games - they're not trying to make bad games, after all. But they want to do that by making small, incremental changes to established successes."
Jonathan Blow, Experimental Gameplay Workshop
"When one thinks of Star Wars, one usually thinks “action.” I would rate that factor at about 10 percent. The other 90 percent is in the little things, and while I admire, respect and even enjoy those little things, it doesn’t help the fact that we’re looking at a total experience that’s roughly analogous to watching water boil."
Keith Durocher
Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided (review)
http://www.avault.com/reviews/review_temp.asp?game=swg
"We want to equip film-makers, theatres and distributors with tools"
Erin Cullen, product manager, Windows Digital Media division, Microsoft Corp.
http://www.wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,59107,00.html
"Are fan films legal? Legal in the sense that you won't get in trouble for them- yes. Most fan films do include material that is copywrited by Lucasfilm, but the wonderful people there know that it is the fans that keep them going so they pretty much let fan films get away with using trademark characters, locations, ect. When making a film be careful if you are going to use characters from movies or books that are not covered by Lucasfilm, such as Star Trek or Superman, as those companies may not be so generous. A recent Superman fan film what shut down because of copyright infringement.
Can I buy/sell fan film? NO. No, no, no, no, no. Films may be distributed without profit only. If you make money from a film it will be considered copywrite infringement and may force Lucasfilm to come down hard on not only your film but EVERY fan film. This is a sensitive issue and for the sake of fan film makers everywhere please do not attempt to sell a fan film on Ebay or anywhere else. If you want to give your film out on a format other than the internet it is suggested that the individual give you a disk or VHS tape for you to copy the film on to and give back to them. There is a very thin line between making a profit and not, for which it is better to play it safe. "
Tony the Jedi
http://www.theforce.net/theater/faq/filmfaq.shtml
"What we will be doing in large parts with our first party publishing relationships - is trying to look for new creative concepts... the only way you will get there is by engaging a broader audience, with games that are easier to get started with, as well as having concepts that are broader then the seven ideas tha most of the games build on today."
Robbie Bach, chief Xbox officer, Microsoft
MCV - The Marketing for Home Computing and Video Games, Nov 28, 2003
"While development continues on making the World Wide Web more sophisticated, efforts should be made to put this technology to other uses -- some more relevant to the arts than to the sciences."
Michela Ledwidge
http://archive.ncsa.uiuc.edu/SDG/Software/Mosaic/Docs/old-whats-new/whats-new-1193.html
November 12, 2003
9.2 - Did you receive any support/advice in preparing this proposal?
We might want to contact this person/organisation as part of the assessment of your proposal so please provide their contact details.
My assistant Ken Thompson Marchesi helped me draft and finalise the form as well as compile research and feedback from other parties. Christine Coorey helped several finance-related entries and Archie Maddan helped draft the IP related entries.
Comments were also received from the advisory team mentioned earlier in 3.5b. The proposal was been drafted within a private extranet community which allowed team members to call up and reference individual entries as and when required.
November 10, 2003
XML
Two XML applications in SANCTUARY:
1) mix - machine readible description of the cinematic experience (SMIL?)
2) flic - "flexible light interactive content", the bits you can replace and share (RDF-encoded binaries)
November 05, 2003
Actor Wishlist
Below are the contact details (as found on IMDbPro.com) for some actors Michela was thinking might essay the roles of Father and Blade.
Russell Crowe
Talent Agent
George Freeman - William Morris Agency
phone: 310-859-4000
fax: 310-859-4462
310-859-4262
website: http://www.wma.com/
address: One William Morris Place, Beverly Hills, CA, 90212, USA
Publicist
Robin Baum - PMK/HBH
phone: 310-289-6200
fax: 310-289-6677
address: 8500 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700, Beverly Hills, CA, 90211
USA
Tilda Swinton
Talent Agent
Endeavor Talent Agency
phone: 310-248-2000
fax: 310-248-2020
address: 9701 Wilshire Blvd., 10th Floor, Beverly Hills, CA, 90212
USA
Talent Agent
Christian Hodell - Hamilton Hodell Ltd.
phone: +44 20 7636 1221
fax: +44 20 7636 1226
email: christian@hamiltonhodell.co.uk
website: http://www.hamiltonhodell.co.uk/
address: First Floor, 24 Hanway Street, London, , W1T 1UH, UK
Talent Agent (Voice Agency)
Qvoice
phone: +44 (0) 020 7420 6827
fax: +44 (0) 20 7240 4956
email: info@qvoice.co.uk
website: http://www.qvoice.co.uk/
Carrie-Ann Moss
Scott Lambert - William Morris Agency
phone: 310-859-4000
fax: 310-859-4462
310-859-4262
website: http://www.wma.com/
address: One William Morris Place, Beverly Hills, CA, 90212, USA
Ken.