Thornhill News Digital Storytelling (TNDS)
Monday, October 24, 2011 – Week 44, Number 42
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Digital Storytelling As Documentary Process
Creating Programming For Digital Media
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The New Video Marketplace
Moderator:
Andrew W. Thornhill
Sunday, November 6, 2011 – 1:00 PM
NextSpace Los Angeles
9415 Culver Boulevard, Culver City, California 90232
For Directions: (310) 606-2716
Only $20.00 Per Person – Registration Must Be Paid In Advance
To Register Go To: http://thornhillnewsdigitalstorytellingseminars18.eventbrite.com
Developing an agenda for the series The New Video Marketplace is a joy. The Thornhill News Digital Storytelling model has been to assist creative entrepreneurs in adding digital features and assets to their funding proposal for real-world documentaries.
We are all storytellers. No matter if you are in the non-fiction or fiction world; film, television or branded entertainment. For each of us, I see a positive change in the way we view digital media.
Transmedia is the latest buzz to describe cross-platform media development, production, distribution and promotion. Linking many digital options together builds a sure winner in your presentations for financial support.
In addition to digital television as a media category, we are witnessing the emergence of digital storytelling as a business, creative and communications gusher.
Each level of interaction and financial support requires some proposal. It could be a casual meeting, ending with a verbal agreement and a handshake – or a fully-blown document with outlines, scripts, budgets, securities and multiple signatures.
The Proposal Seminar
If you are approaching the pursuit of dollars in a competitive way, it might be helpful to look at the winners and notice how many of them have extended capabilities in each phase through digital tools and digital media. We must each become familiar with the many options in the new video marketplace.
To that end, I work to assist documentary filmmakers by providing greater awareness of the importance of digital assets and features in business proposals. Including a raft of options and examples could turn the tide when a team is seeking dollars to produce a theatrical release, a television special or a series based on either.
The original concept of “50 Steps To Documentary Success” has grown to be a beneficial seminar and a printed program, TNDS NEWS, for each individual seminar date.
We have surfaced examples to give a better feel for those companies or projects that have made it into production.
Production
Again, the film, television and branded entertainment options become easier to pursue if you are including an understanding of the digital realm.
In framing the concept, information gathering, storyboarding, and making the film, all production elements and post-production professionals are expected to use, if not rely on modern digital tools.
Distribution
The contemporary filmmaker has the benefit of multiple streams of distribution for their end product.
Certainly the Internet has opened many doors for product distribution.
For the last 20 years the changes in television were held back. But now, the traditional networks are now viewing every offer for digital storytelling with new eyes.
Digital Cinema is more than distributing feature films via satellite. Digital Television is certainly more than the concepts of multicasting, centralcasting and secondary digital channels.
In TNDS NEWS we add digital assets to the production trail and even given some detailed sources for distribution and promotion tools.
The Digital Metropolis
Our latest wrinkle is to research the various programs designed to woo production companies to their town or city to employ the local crews, spend money on support services and create a positive impression in the eyes of others in the industry and future audiences.
Now comes our concept of the “Digital Metropolis” to describe a cluster of businesses, spaces, creatives and businesses working together to train, promote and, when successful, serve the new video marketplace by becoming their location of choice for shooting.
Are facilities important enough to create a true digital hub? Could it start with a training schedule? Would such an environment result in actual contracts? How expensive are these digital facilities and who would build or outfit them. Is there a plank in the local economic development platform to address such issues.
This series was developed in early 2011. Thus far the confirmed dates and places are The Northwest Film Festival, Seattle (Saturday, October 1, 2011), NextSpace Los Angeles, Culver City (Sunday, November 6, 2011), Pittsburgh (Friday, November 18, 2011) with a venue to be determined and Kihei, Maui County (Friday, January 13, 2012) at the Mau Resource & Technology Center.
Taken together, these three stair steps – The Proposal Seminar, Production/Distribution, The Digital Metropolis walk us into a new concept of creative filmmaking. This is truly collaboration. Can you imagine a spacious environment, or a town, created to serve the digital storyteller?
The 120 Minute “New Video Marketplace” Agenda
1:00 PM to 1:30 PM
Use the first 30 minutes to describe the marketplace - as I see it.
Present examples of many categories of storytelling from news, to movies, to television, to radio, to webisodes to branded entertainment. Each is gaining wide acceptance in the new video marketplace.
There will be information sources for continuing review of examples, media outlets / leaders and well-respected money sources.
1:30 PM to 2:30 PM
The second 30 minutes are dedicated to a positive exchange in a workshop fashion to solve real problems, make suggestions to build successes and offer assistance to those attending. Where do we find the new tools, learn the new skills and get to try the new markets. How can I fix this?
2:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Not everyone comes to a festival for solutions. Therefore, the last 30 minutes will be reserved for the classic question and answer period. This is the time for real challenges to current themes in the world of media finance. Let’s talk money sources – including funders, investors, sponsors, advertisers and corporate marketing clients. Investing in stories can be good business.
3:00 on – Open
Follow our presentation at a nearby spot with casual conversation – and a beverage - or additional examples from the digital evolution of film, television, radio, the Internet or other industry events.
For Weekly Updates: http://digitalstorytellingseminar.blogspot.com
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The Thornhill News Radio Show
www.1150kknw.com/podcast/media/AndrewThornhill_10-16-11.mp3
Copyright ã 1971 – 2011, Andrew W. Thornhill, All Rights Reserved
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Thornhill News Digital Storytelling (TNDS)
Purpose
1. To stress the importance of each personal story
2. To build the confidence of every storyteller
3. To provide concrete support for film and television documentaries
4. To improve the “50 Steps To Documentary Success” guide with details, contacts
and presentation
5. To improve the proposals for financial support of every storyteller by including
features and assets from across the digital realm
6. To show examples of the many options for storytelling skills including books, music, photography, visual arts, performing arts, entertainment, education, civic, journalism,
media, corporate and cross-platform combinations
7. To continue the research, therefore continuous improvement, at Thornhill News
Digital Storytelling:
Information Sources
Money Sources
Partners
Sponsors
8. To attract all levels and descriptions of the documentary community to collaborate
and grow
9. To make each seminar, workshop, blog and publication a critical and financial success
10. To expand the audience base with the TNDS Blog, TNDS NEWS and supportive
marketing planning
11. To operate with integrity, shared respect and trust
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With the first full Thornhill News Design Review in January 2009, we saw the advantage of having all aspects of this research-based model kick around concepts with other players. From that came the Thornhill Design Laboratory, a series of workshops, seminars and a universe of research friends.
If this sounds like an entity your company, campus, office or organization could partner with, let’s have a discussion about the possibilities. Because we expect to have research partners from across the country, we can start with e-mail at thornhillnews@hotmail.com.
Narrowing the candidates to actual deals will be a harrowing task. Have you inquired? Not yet! What are you waiting for?
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Seminars, Series and Special Events
Our “Proposal Seminar” was created to serve the persons, groups or projects that are interested in broadcast (television and radio) series and specials. Now there are market categories. They are: Personal and Family Stories, Television, Film, Fashion, Corporate / Advertising and International.
Our Thornhill News Digital Storytelling crew takes information from the film, television, radio and photography documentary worlds and watches the applications in advertising, promotions, education, social media, Webisodes and branded entertainment for new methods, skills and technology.
After our first Los Angeles seminars and subsequent meeting with filmmakers, we added points of view and key information for those persons creating documentaries for theatrical release.
And further research has taught us that there is a much broader market than we had initially prepared for. So just in case, we’re splitting the market for our research and news reporting.
And stay tuned for an avalanche of details, invitations and outlines as we begin to flex our collaboration muscles. It seems that other organizations have found great value in adding Thornhill News Digital Storytelling to their agenda at important events. We are but a small part in their effort, but we are very excited about joining the mission.
Special Events are being considered for Los Angeles, New Orleans, Miami, Phoenix and Detroit.
Subscribers
As a nod to our friends and supporters, there will be a season subscription program announced in advance of the rise in individual event prices. Be sure to get on the wait list.
With creative leaders, an explosion of tools and a new consumer interest (probably brought on by social media) in telling personal stories, documentaries appear to be the next big media boom. We will help make that happen.
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Product Development
Continuing improvement does not end with our lead product, the documentary proposal seminars.
TNDS NEWS
TNDS NEWS - Digital
TNDS Tutorial
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Business Development
All roads lead to revenue. Our strategy is sound, we watch the marketplace carefully and we are now engaged in an upgrade that will take hard look at our competitive posture and our product. The new General Plan will be push many buttons to move our ambitions forward.
Partners
We expect our partners to be active. Each brings a special qualification to the game. Each must be, or become, a great communicator.
Businesses
Hyatt Vineyards
Homewood Nation
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Arts, Culture & Entertainment, LLC
Los Angeles, California
LUCID Jazz Lounge
Seattle, Washington
Maui Research & Technology Center
Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce
Kihei / Maui, Hawaii
We have a partnership with the Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce to bring a full-day workshop to the island. Our date is January 13, 2012. The spectacular location is the Maui Research & Technology Center in Kihei.
Sponsor Relations
A sponsor relationship is a very delicate balance between costs to the sponsoring entity and the benefits they receive in return. At this point, our sponsor fees are minimal. Yet, we can provide major exposure through the digital media industry, the creative communities and to our participants.
Will we have a sponsor for the overall series, or will it be wiser for all parties to take seminars or published products on one at a time? We’re certainly open for that discussion.
We would be happy to talk with sponsorship candidates at any time. The sponsoring entity can be involved in research, the seminars, the blog, our printed weekly news booklet, hospitality and cross-promotions.
Benefits to the sponsor will continue to grow with the project. Our greatest return, in exchange for sponsor dollars, is participation in the growth of Thornhill News Digital Storytelling and exposure to our audiences through the related events, media and campaigns.
Business Management
Project management, administration, accounting, bookkeeping and facilities will each play a large part in building our success. We are expecting that the talent needed to create the enterprise-wise General Plan and the proposed product development will come through contracted businesses.
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Researchers & Writers
Thornhill News Digital Storytelling proudly presents ongoing research, constant updates and discovery as a central theme.
Until now, the constant vigil, the curiosity and the sharing has been beneficial, yet informal. It’s time to ramp up.
We are looking for qualified partners to expand our research; to grow TNDS.
The First Research Categories:
· Marketplace - Where to present seminars
· Industry Research - Companies involved
· Product Development - Seminars, The Blog, THE NEWS
· Customer Satisfaction - What to you want from our products?
· Digital Media Devices - Smartphones, eReaders and tablets – as well as Platforms, Companies, and Applications
· Proprietary Product Development -
· Distribution - Opportunities For customers, Market expansion
· Design Continuity - The Overview
· Money Sources - Opportunities For Customers
· Successes - Share the excitement
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The Thornhill Design Laboratory
Structure
(1) Thornhill Design Lab Workshop
Design Review / Kai Zen
What is design? Aesthetics for inspiration, product development, financial planning and real-world case studies are included - create using function and form. Design efficient operations structures,
work processes, digital networks, multi-platform media programming and manufacturing
to proceed aggressively in the digital-led economy. You will better understand
and appreciate the talents of designers, storytellers, planners and artists.
(2) Thornhill News Digital Storytelling (TNDS)
TNDS Digital Storytelling Proposal Seminars – Series & Special Events
TNDS NEWS - Subscribers / Subscription Management
TNDS NEWS - Digital - http://digitalstorytellingseminar.blogspot.com/
(3) Client Services
Case Studies / Strategy
Extensions
Digital Marketing Planning
(4) Development
Editorial
Design Continuity
Administration
Database Management
Financial Planning
Integrated Marketing Planning
Partners
Sponsor Presentations
(5) Production Studio
Schedule
Research
Facilities / Environment
Archives
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October / 2011
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Thornhill News
Modern Life & Roses
thornhillnews@hotmail.com
Copyright © 1971 - 2011, Andrew W. Thornhill, All Rights Reserved
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A Thornhill News Digital Storytelling
Documentary Proposal Seminar
The Digital Metropolis
Enhance Your Proposal For Film & Television
With Digital Assets & Features
Friday, January 13, 2012
10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
In association with…
The Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce
www.mauihawaiianchamber.org
No Charge For Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber Of Commerce Members
Advance Registration Required
Only $20 Per Person for non-members
Registration Must Be Paid In Advance
To Register Go To:
http://thornhillnewsdigitalstorytellingseminarsmaui1.eventbrite.com
The Maui Research & Technology Center (MRTC)
590 Lipoa Parkway, Kihei, Hawaii 96753
For Directions (808) 875-5978
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