The three day Lab, organized by Nordisk Film & TV Fond in collaboration with Power to the Pixel, consists of presentations, development sessions, and one-on-one meetings with the experts. US novelist, scriptwriter and game designer Matt Costello, president of Polar Productions, will kick start the presentations with an introduction to transmedia storytelling. Costello, who was interactive and creative consultant on James Cameron's Titanic, is behind several best-selling games such as The 7th Guest and Disney's Pirates for the Caribbean: at World's End. He has co-scripted episodes of the Prix de la Jeunesse winning Microsoap series for Disney/BBC. Another US expert, writer and producer Adam Sigel (Cutbait Productions) will take Lab participants through the various steps of creating a successful transmedia project, from conception to production. Among his numerous past assignments, Sigel developed on line video games and creative content for Microsoft, Activision, Sony/Columbia Tri-Star, GE and Universal. He was writing consultant and story editor for Steven Spielberg on his video game project for Electronic Arts to be released in 2014.
Portuguese expert Nuno Bernardo (beActive) will use his own innovative transmedia teen soap opera Sofia's Diary to explain how to use transmedia to engage younger audiences. Sofia's Diary was the world's first international interactive on line teen series. Paul Tyler, e-concept development instructor at Copenhagen's School of Design and Technology will focus on kids needs when designing for engagement. Before moving to Denmark, Tyler worked for the BBC as producer and creative director of cross-media productions such as the BAFTA nominated BAMZOOKi show. UK director and producer Greg Childs will draw from his 25 years experience in new media for children to explain the cross-media market to participants. He runs his own consultancy company Childseye after several years spent at the BBC where he worked as commissioner, producer of children's programmes, and steered the BBC's development in interactive and online TV for kids.
The experts' presentations will be chaired by Liz Rosenthal, founder of Power to the Pixel, and Kirstine Vinderskov, editor of High Five Cross Media Content For Kids. The seven Nordic projects taking part in the workshop are ABCity, Barda, Carlo's Casino, ILov, Micropunks, Sunshine Kathy and The Core. Their next session will be the High Five Power to the Pixel Financing Forum and Seminar in Malmö (March 15-16, 2011) in connection with the BUFF:FF. The seminar on March 16 will be open to the whole Nordic industry. The High Five Cross Media Content For Kids initiative is supported by Kreanord and Nordbuk.