Screen Media Industries Cross Over In Sheffield

Yorkshire's screen media companies will converge in Sheffield on Wednesday for an evening exploring new business opportunities in interactive media, one of the most rapidly developing industries in the UK.
'This Is Cross Platform', hosted by Screen Yorkshire, will bring companies working in games, interactive media, mobile, TV and film together to discuss opportunities for working in partnership.
Matt Locke, Commissioning Editor for New Media and Education at Channel 4, will join guests to discuss his new vision for cross platform content at Channel 4.
"Channel 4 Education will be commissioning innovative informal education content for 14-19 yr olds. As part of our new strategy for 2008 we’re commissioning online projects only – TV or other video content will be commissioned, but only as part of a larger online project. This is a really exciting opportunity to experiment with new collaborative and immersive formats on many different platforms. We want to find great stories and issues that matter to teens, but tell them in new ways, merging the story-telling talents of traditional TV companies with the interactive expertise of the new media sector."
Yorkshire has a rich heritage in TV and film production and is rapidly gaining a reputation in the industry as a hotbed for new media and games companies in the UK. Screen Yorkshire, who will be celebrating the opening of its new office, based at Creative Sheffield, aim to position the region as a leading centre for new media and will launch its new business investment fund at the event.
Sally Joynson, Chief Executive at Screen Yorkshire, said: "We hope that this event will both inform and encourage companies working across traditional and new media platforms to form partnerships that will benefit the growth of the screen media industries, providing long term job opportunities in the region. Screen Yorkshire is looking for projects that show potential for growth and sustainability and would welcome applications from individual companies, or companies acting in partnership."
Marc Goodchild, Head of Children's Interactive and On-Demand; BBC Children's, Heather Croall; Sheffield Doc/Fest and Frank Boyd; Unexpected Media will attend This is Cross Platform to give a joint presentation on Crossover UK - a residential development lab presented by Sheffield Doc/Fest and Unexpected Media which will take place this October.
The programme is aimed at bringing together talented individuals from a range of disciplines to explore the creative and the commercial challenges of developing documentary content and services for digital delivery in the new world of cross platform commissioning.
Jim Farmery, Head of Innovation at Yorkshire Forward added: “Yorkshire and Humber is a developed and prosperous screen media centre with over 10% of the UK’s games development based here and established links with some of the world’s biggest commissioners. It is with networking opportunities such as this that important partnerships are formed and innovative ideas created. We look forward to seeing existing partnerships sustained and some develop as a result of this event."
(SP)