DIY case studies – learn as you go

The following are case studies of projects being developed by emerging Australian new media writers and producers, all of whom participated in the LAMP: Story of the Future Residential Labs run by the Australia Council and LAMP (Laboratory of Advanced Media Production), at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School in 2007, and subsequently received development assistance in the form of grants and mentoring

Case study – What If Macbeth? (virtual worlds)

Who are you?

I am Kerreen Ely-Harper, a graduate of the Drama and Film & Television Schools at the VCA (Victorian College of the Arts) and am a practicing theatre and film writer/director and teaching artist. I have written and directed a range of arts projects: professional and community based theatre; narrative short films; dance; and documentary, corporate and educational videos.

Where did the idea for What If Macbeth? come from and how has it evolved so far?

With the growing ‘tech savvy and globally connected generation’ I was concerned that many literary texts were in danger of becoming irrelevant and accessible only in their traditional forms. I wanted to find out how to investigate a literary text in a virtual environment. What would be the advantages and the limitations? What would be revealed about the text that could not be found by reading, attending a live performance, or watching a film? The key to unlocking this new narrative pathway would be the interactive non-linear component of Second Life. I felt this platform would have the greatest potential for community participation and creative possibilities for the audience and myself.

How did you form the team and what are your roles? What partners are you working with?

I sought out experts in multimedia and literary texts in virtual worlds (specifically Second Life) who would both embrace the vision and have the expertise to ensure the viability of the concept. I collaborated with Dr Angela Thomas, a specialist in New Media Literacies at Sydney University, and multimedia producer and artist Kate Richards.

The team’s process is a highly collaborative one, and our skill and experience level diverse. I bring my acting, theatre and film experience, and knowledge of the source text – Shakespeare’s Macbeth – to the project table. Angela is the project’s co-author and interactive designer. Kate is the project manager and creative producer.

We formed an investment partnership with the NMC (New Media Consortium) in the US for the first prototype build. Second Life artists Beth Satchjen and UK-based Christopher Holden were engaged by the NMC to work with us in realising the design and functionality concepts. Melbourne-based multimedia artist Adam Nash joined the team as design and sound consultant.

What is different about creating a community that encourages co-creative works, as opposed to creating your own work?

In co-creative work my main focus is to provide maximum opportunities for the community to inhabit, respond, create and own the material as well as there being a shared vision between all participants. In my own work I am less concerned about participation and trade my facilitator hat for a directorial one. But as in co-creative works I believe the best work comes from a shared vision between all the collaborators.

When conceiving interactive components of the work, I have had to allow for a non-linear navigation through the story world. This has been quite challenging especially when dealing with an unfolding linear narrative. We have had to strike a balance between the original property (the play text) and adaptation that will both engage and provoke the community user/s ‘call to action‘ without over reliance on the original property, but will also act as a prompt to seek it out in the virtual world. As the writer you are creating a series of multi-non-linear pathway spaces for the community to inhabit, create, leave and return to. In virtual world storytelling, the navigation spaces are as much the ‘text’ as is the narrative content.

Tell us about your experience of turning the creative concept into a commercially viable one.

The commercial viability of What If Macbeth? is paramount for its sustainability and my continued involvement. I believe that only by embracing the future through relevant and developing technology can the widest audience be reached. In order to achieve this, the project requires a business plan with attainable income generation initiatives. This is constantly being reviewed and discussed between the team and our partners as we move closer to releasing the site to the general public.

My most significant learning to date has been dealing with the scope, unpredictability and limitations of the Second Life platform, and how these often opposing elements affect design and delivery. While I have become more flexible and ambitious in my ideas without losing sight of the original vision of Second Life’s potential for fantasy, abstract and symbol, I have also come to recognise that the quality of the user’s experience will invariably determine the success of the project.

The current investment partnership with NMC has enabled production of the first stage of the What If Macbeth? project. The challenge for us will be securing further investment both in Australia and internationally to ensure the work’s long-term commercial future.

What would you say to other writers and theatre people considering the use of new media?

Heed Shakespeare’s call to embrace ‘the brave new world’. Be open to the possibilities that new media can bring to the writing and performing process, especially in the areas of adaptation, collective and collaborative storytelling. Thoroughly research and investigate the range of online platforms available and be prepared to re-define the parameters of authorship and linear text in 3D interactive spaces. Or lse risk the loss of great and yet untold stories.

 

Case study – Wild Ark (cross-platform writing)

Who are you?

I’m Shoni Ellis, the creator behind Wild Ark. My background is predominantly in education, teaching as well as developing a range of education and community engagement projects, programs and resources for different organisations. I’ve written a variety of print and online education resources. Most recently I worked as a writer for Australian Screen Online, developing educational material to accompany film and audio clips from the National Film and Sound Archives. I became interested in using digital media because I wanted to explore more creative ways to reach, connect and engage young people through using the same channels that they use.

Where did the idea for Wild Ark come from and how has it evolved so far?

A few years ago, walking along the shoreline at Cornelian Bay in Hobart, I was thinking about how many stories were layered in the landscape and how to convey these to the passer by. I wanted to know about the Aboriginal people who’d created the middens and what happened to the people who lived in the boatsheds when the tide came in. Interpretation signs present one solution, but they’re expensive, date quickly and have limited appeal. Instead, I began to consider what would be possible if I could access and contribute to stories through my mobile phone.

A few years later Wild Ark was conceived while working as an education officer at Melbourne Zoo and observing how visitors, and in particular, children, interact with the information on display at each of the exhibits. I started exploring ideas I thought would enhance the zoo experience amongst young visitors and help maintain an ongoing relationship once they had left for the day.

What is/are your role(s) in the project and who are you working with?

Predominantly my role has been that of a writer and producer, but working independently means I wear many hats. As the project progresses the various roles required to develop it have become clearer and I am gradually putting a team together to develop a prototype to pilot at our partner zoo.

Tell us about your experience of turning the creative concept into a commercially viable one.

Evolving Wild Ark from a creative concept into a commercially viable project continues to be a challenging process. Although I had worked as a writer previously, I had always worked to a brief with clear parameters in relation to time, budget, style, content and audience. Wild Ark has provided me with the scope to negotiate my own parameters and priorities and construct my own brief. However, assuming the role of writer and producer means I’m also constantly trying to strike a balance between my creative vision and what makes sense in terms of business.

Wild Ark has extended my skills as a writer, introduced me to new professional networks and challenged me to adopt new business processes and practices. Navigating the production process has proven difficult because there are few people working in a similar space or examples of similar projects to be guided by.

However, it’s also an exciting time to explore new possibilities and mix and mash up different art forms and make new hybrid media that better cater for a rapidly changing world.

How has working with a writing mentor helped you with this project?

I’ve had the privilege of working with Mark Shirrefs, an experienced children’s film and television writer who has helped me negotiate the challenges of not only writing my first fictional work, but also writing an interactive narrative for a new medium.

We spent a lot of time exploring different ideas including the role of game play and interactivity and what would or wouldn’t work on a micro screen.

What would you say to an emerging writer who is considering the use of new media?

I think new forms of digital media present a fantastic opportunity for emerging writers to reach and engage their own audiences. The industry in Australia is relatively young and continues to evolve rapidly, which means you can make your own discoveries, forge your own path and create your own opportunities.

 

Case study – Hearts Akimbo (online)

Who are you?

We come from quite different backgrounds. Sarah Jane Woulahan is a prolific writer/director of award-winning independent films, Australian music videos, and more recently documentaries and short satires for SBS and JTV. Rachel O’Reilly has a literature background and has worked for ten years as a media art festival manager, arts writer and curator of contemporary film, video and new media art projects. She writes experimental literary short fiction in all her spare time. David Campbell is a designer who works primarily with artists and arts organisations, ranging from DIY spaces to state galleries, on projects across new media, Web and print. We all write; we are all avid interlocutors and consumers of contemporary fiction, philosophy, film, and cultural commentary – we connect about writing on this level.

Where did the idea for Hearts Akimbo come from and how has it evolved so far?

Hearts Akimbo has had many incarnations in its short life. It started as an idea for a multi-linear text and video-based psycho-geographic website that would document the passionate and surreal story of Sarah Jane’s successful stalking of her now-boyfriend through anonymous and romantic notes, letters, graffiti, philosophy, and public art – a plot which became so interestingly complicated by additional anonymous communiqués from additional anonymous admirers interwoven throughout. Sarah had recently made the idea into a documentary called ‘I Love Like Blood’ for the SBS series ‘Podlove’, and the website was intended as a strong complementary vehicle for that project. We took that project to LAMP: Story of the Future and soon realised that it was quite static and oh so very particular as narrative. What we really wanted to do was make that story of possibility, mystery and unique romantic creativity into an open platform for user-generated romantic projects, discussion, hilarity and playfulness for a whole generation of 2.0 users dipping in to the love and dating scene, not at all interested in RSVP-style dating rituals and formulas, and wanting to share great stories, tips, and moments. So what started as a celebration of one person’s obsessional adventure turned into a niche social network, user-generated gallery and cultural advice and commentary portal.

How did you form the team and what are your roles?

We had known each other for years, were familiar with and supportive of each other’s work, but had never collaborated. From Sarah Jane’s original project idea, Rachel came on board as a project editor and writer, and Dave was our first choice as designer. The ladies manage all aspects of the idea, including research, content development, documentation, and interface and user-journey planning. Our roles merge at the highest levels of decision-making and concept design, where we take a collaborative approach for best results. Sarah Jane is an expert on user-generated video and content and a great driver of new ideas and their visualisation into site designs; Rachel has a knack for turning our collaborative ideas into great written content and concepts, and is continually framing the project and pitch, ensuring each edit aligns with our main, evolving project idea and intended audience; Dave’s unique aesthetic and perspective on latest visual trends and applications feeds directly back in to better project ideas and concepts, as well as being incredibly pretty to look at.

What is different about creating a community that encourages co-creative works, as opposed to creating your own work?

It requires a much more complex combination of optimism, awareness and calculated doubt. Optimism is required in the sense that you need to believe in community in the first place – the specific interests, needs and compelling desires of inherently creative people other than yourself, and how that community might actually enjoy interacting and connecting (not how you would like them to). Awareness is needed in terms of knowing what else is, or has, attracted most attention online, and how we feel about those successful projects alongside ours (we are constantly discussing similarities and points of opposition). Doubt is also valuable in so far as our peers are smart as hell and aren’t going to waste time with the most wonderful idea or community of users online if the interface, story and subtext of that specific community formation, is not interesting, compelling, rewarding in and of itself.

Tell us about your experience of turning the creative concept into a commercially viable one.

We are all essentially artists even in terms of our approach to ideas, to notions of community, and in our assessment of the strength of project concepts. We can be fussy, overly thoughtful and hard to please. But that has also put us in good standing for working with a creative business looking for fun and interesting projects with a well-developed sense of identity and a genuine interest in impacting positively upon culture and audiences. We have met with and pitched our concept to social media experts, business start-up consultants, social network designers, and tossed around all sorts of online business models and strategies, which as well as being confusing has opened our world up to the ambitiously creative work that goes in to business design and business concept management. From our own creative work we know there is always perspective to be gained from people working outside or alongside your own path, specialisations or choice of media.

For this project we know when to be less precious about our creative work in the interest of learning more about, and tailoring our project to, the realities of the online environment. Everyone we have solicited advice from has provided different takes on those realities, what can and can’t be achieved and what you should and shouldn’t aim for. You have to really suss out the key marketing approaches, community-building strategies and business models that are going to help your idea find its genuine but broadest possible audience, retaining industry potential alongside the creative and narrative integrity of user journeys.

How has working with both business and writing mentors helped you with this project?

A writing mentor in the online space is always more than a writing mentor. It is a rare luxury to be able to bounce around ideas with someone more experienced in an industry, prior to that idea’s full development. As well as feedback aimed at writing our concept and creative content into a more commercial position, Christy Dena threw useful links, asides, articles and resources our way. She also organised meetings with experienced experts in the field whom we would otherwise never have had access to.

Through our experience at LAMP we were also lucky to establish a project-specific relationship with Melbourne-based design studio Portable Content, a prominent cross-platform business with experience building user-generated 2.0 communities including the Portable Film Festival and the upcoming Swappler.com. They were interested in the potential of the project and came on board with general, technical and business development support in return for a token percentage of our development funds. They are assisting with wire frame plans, bring industry awareness, and once we came to writing up our business plan, imparted priceless advice and experience. Their flexibility and support has been most useful as we have found our way.

What would you say to a writer who is considering the use of new media?

If you can love writing as a job, as a strategy, as a means of meeting and collaborating with different skill sets, and as a way of connecting audiences through text, you would probably love working with new media. Of course any person who identifies as a writer creatively really has to be aware of the intractable impact of technology on contemporary culture and cultural practice. For those who want to earn a living from their writing, being able to work with technology, embrace new platforms formally and creatively, and liaise with the design and Web specialists is quite essential. You will bring a wealth of textual savvy and perspective of great creative use to the field, and your writing practice will probably radically expand and mature as a result.

 

Case study – TellTales (online game)

Who are you?

TellTales is made up of Bernard Cohen, Director of The Writing Workshop [www.writingworkshop.com.au] and Vogel award-winning author of four novels and a children’s book; Natalie Kershaw, software engineer and writer short listed for Vogel award; and Dan Ormella, designer and exhibition designer at the Australian National Maritime Museum.

Where did the idea for TellTales come from and how has it evolved so far?

Bernard and Natalie were discussing the issues (and problems!) around creative writing distance education. Bernard uses a lot of word games and game-like activities in The Writing Workshop program, but these didn’t translate so well to the Internet. Natalie designed a collaborative method more suited for online and remote use – we named it ‘TellTales’. In 2007 TellTales was accepted for LAMP where we were encouraged to consider expanding its application across other media.

What are your roles in the project and describe any experience or skills other than writing that have helped you develop this project?

Bernard is responsible for educational oversight, audience testing and development, and business development. He founded The Writing Workshop in 2006 and since then has worked directly with around 2000 children.

Natalie is responsible for software development and production. She is a highly experienced software engineer and has previously overseen large-scale projects in the communications area.

Dan is responsible for visual design and many elements of the game design. He and Natalie work together on the information architecture. His experience in exhibition design for children is crucial as are his interests in writing and gaming.

What is different about creating a community that encourages co-creative works, as opposed to creating your own work?

Our aim is to encourage a community based around creating the best work possible within the cohort of writers playing TellTales. Whilst we intend to encourage large numbers to participate, the TellTales community will provide a scaffold, which enables participants to improve their creative writing within the process of co-creation through our unique method of peer feedback.

Tell us about your experience of turning the creative concept into a commercially viable one.

We are extremely optimistic about TellTales, and have had strong commercial interest every time we’ve presented it in a commercial setting (including at LAMP in 2007).

The project is in the development and commercialisation phase, but we haven’t yet completed it. Because the three of us are working in separate areas but on equal levels, we decided to set up a company with us as equal shareholders. We’ve now registered TellTales Productions Pty Limited. We all feel that the engagement and education of children is what’s driving TellTales, so commercial decisions must not compromise on the quality of what we are trying to achieve.

The biggest challenge to date has been turning commercial interest into commercial commitment – we think we’re getting there! Rewards include early phase paper and bluetack tests with 8–12 year olds who absolutely loved the TellTales game, and seeing the design and technology coming together.

What would you say to other writers considering the use of new media?

First, there’s nothing whatsoever to stop you. Digital media are easily available to use (though commercial projects may require funding and infrastructure closer to film production than to writing). My advice would be to build a website (easiest distribution method ever devised!) and see if it feels good to put work out in that manner; see what sort of audience you attract and then think about whether you’d like to take a step away from the Internet’s ‘gift culture’. That’s the tricky bit.

Have you sought advice from any organisations during your TellTales adventures, such as ASA, AWG or ArtsLaw or any other government departments that you would recommend to writers embarking on similar process?

We did seek information concerning IP protection from ArtsLaw, but the issues we needed to address were too specialised for their regular pro bono consultants and we were referred on (and ended up seeking legal advice elsewhere).

 

Case Study – Interactive cross-media mystery

 

Who are you?

I’m Raphael Sammut, a screen director and screenwriter with a particular interest in cross-platform entertainment. I have studied multimedia, video, film and television production and always had an interest in writing and directing for the screen, regardless of size or mode of delivery. Prior to this project, my writing was in linear form across various script lengths.

Where did the idea for this project come from and how has it evolved so far?

This project began as an idea for a linear story for children and evolved naturally through further expansion of my own understanding of non-linear and cross-platform storytelling. It was actually an idea that had been shelved for a few years because I wasn’t exactly sure how to approach it. After attending various information sessions organised by the Australia Council and the Australian, Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS) I began to understand the reach for stories to be told across new mediums. This seemed to fit incredibly well with my idea because it was intended for an audience who were already moving seamlessly across mediums. As I delved deeper into the story and thought about my idea for a new format, the more the pieces seemed to come together. So what began as story inspired by my own childhood experiences, soon became a story world, which organically required telling over various mediums.

What is/are your role(s) in the project and who are you working with?

As the original creator of the idea, my role began as the writer on the project, which was supported by the Australia Council through their ‘Write in your face’ grant initiative. This developed by default into a writer/producer role and I began searching for a support team to take part in the the Australia Council and AFTRS run Laboratory of Advanced Media Production (LAMP). I came across a well-reputed company called Ish Media, run by Managing Director Debra Allanson, Creative Director Kylie Robertson and Production Director Karla Burt. When I approached them, Ish already had various new media projects on their slate and were looking at launching a second season for their popular comedy series ‘Girl Friday’. My project was met with great enthusiasm and they just seemed to fit. Kylie even took part in the LAMP: Story of the Future workshop along with Interaction Designer Keren Moran, so they were an integral part of the project from a very early stage. They were as excited about this as I was so we joined forces and started looking at how it would work.

Tell us about your experience of turning the creative concept into a commercially viable one.

At the end of the LAMP: Story of the Future program, the project was presented at a VIP industry day and was met with great interest and enthusiasm by representatives from several commercial media groups and the ABC. This was a new and exciting experience for me and I began to realise there would be a market for the project and a path for funding, once the right framework for its development and production was in place. I also realised that the project would benefit from working with a more experienced group. This led to a formal relationship with Ish Media, to jointly develop and produce the project. Ish then moved quickly to bring the ABC and the Australian Children’s Television Foundation on board to fund development, and be potential project partners. The credibility this adds to the project in the wider market place is as important as their funding. Both the ABC and Ish Media have already met with BBC executives who have expressed interest in seeing the developed project. Finding international partnerships, especially for large scale and relatively expensive projects such as this, is an important step to funding and the commercialisation path.

How has working with mentors, and in particular a games writing mentor, helped you with this project?

Working with the support of a great team is always a welcome advantage but having the assistance and feedback of highly regarded and well-established mentors is essential. The main challenge with this project was finding the right mentors who not only understood the screen narrative aspect but also the cross-platform mode of delivery. This concept is still relatively new and has its own unique set of challenges.

In the end, working with two established mentors for different aspects of the project seemed the most suitable approach. An experienced children’s television mentor is helping to shape the structure and script the television component of the narrative. This is still a crucial part of the storytelling to this demographic and adds an aspect of credibility to the story. A games writing mentor with skills and experience writing for games and mixed-media projects also brought an important and fresh approach to the team. His role is important because he is a fresh pair eyes to turn to when the story elements and different platforms become so intermingled that it can be confusing to see what is purposeful and what isn’t. The games writing mentor can come in and out and look at things from a planning level while suggesting different solutions or offering examples of what is already working out there or has worked in the past.

What would you say to a screenwriter who is considering the use of new media?

This project had an organic fit with new media. To me it seemed that the story itself called for new modes of storytelling. Screenwriters along with all other screen creators and technicians have many tools available to them and should let the story itself guide what is required. Choosing not to use certain mediums just because their advantages and limitations are not yet understood is doing oneself an injustice. Technology is improving at an ever-increasing rate and with this comes evolution and adaptation. The more tools we have access to, the more diverse our stories can be.

If you only have a grey lead pencil, you can only draw a monochrome picture. You can create a beautiful picture but it will still consist of different shades of the same grey colour. If you have a set of colour pencils however you can create a range of different pictures in different colours. This doesn’t mean that you won’t use the grey lead anymore, some pictures may still work better in monochrome, but others may call for colour and some may even need a mix of everything as well as a combination of different canvasses.

Case study – Faction Comics (online)

Who are you?

I’m Sam Clayton, creator of Faction Comics. I’ve worked and studied in the film and TV industry for about five years and in 2006 I completed a Masters in Production Design from the Australian Film Television and Radio School. During this time I have worked mainly in a variety of art department roles. Ever since I was young I enjoyed writing and illustrating my own comics. For the last year and a half I have been working on ' The 13th Samaritan' a graphic novel that I have co-written with Joshua Tyler.

Where did the idea for Faction Comics come from and how has it evolved so far?

I attended LAMP: Story of the Future in November last year. I had originally intended to flesh out an idea about building a website around ‘The 13th Samaritan’ but at LAMP you are asked to think about other possibilities as to where your idea may go. My team and I took an element of the website that involved users submitting their own comics with the possibility of getting them published and expanded on that. So far the idea has stuck to that central theme but we aim to include an animation element by encouraging users to submit their own animated productions. We will also include the possibility of users downloading comics to their mobile devices and have just completed a prototype wire frame of the site.

What is/are your role(s) in the project and who else is involved?

I have been driving the project as a creative and business director since LAMP, and have been talking with a lot of comic and manga artists and writers about submitting work for the site once it is live. Both financial and mentoring support have been provided by children’s television broadcaster Nickelodeon, resulting in the development of a very solid prototype. I have just agreed to a deal with Nickelodeon and hope to work with them on developing the project in the future.

What is different about creating a community that encourages co-creative works, as opposed to creating your own work?

I think creating a community workspace allows you to create your own work but also have the options of finding somebody to work with who complements your skills. If you’re a writer but can’t illustrate it would allow you to find an illustrator and vice versa. The community aspect is also important as you can have your work seen by not only other artists and illustrators but also the general public. It’s also sometimes best when you’re working with someone else so they can give you that kick in the butt you may have needed to get things done.

Tell us about your experience of turning the creative concept into a commercially viable one.

think when it comes to turning the concept into a business you have to decide what aspects of the concept are most important to you and which ones aren’t. Before picking the business model we decided which elements of the concept were likely to produce income and worked from there. After this model was picked we thought of a catch that would make users return to the site.

To create balance between the creative and business sides of this project I’ve tried to make sure I listen to not only the artists and writers but also the broadcaster. The most challenging and rewarding aspect of the project has been the meeting and dealing with so many different people from both the creative and business worlds.

What would you say to a graphic novelist who is considering the use of new media?

New media provides a way of exploring new elements that can be added on to a story contained within a graphic novel, in particular fan interaction. It allows them to help build the world within the story by coming up with backstories, spin-off characters and fan art. It provides a platform for access to the story by more people. It also provides the opportunity to get in touch with not only fans but also fellow writers and artists.

 

Case study – Captive (role-playing game)

Who are you?

I am Andrew Wilson, from Zoot Film. I’m a producer of 14 years based in Tasmania. Initially I worked in the commercial sector before broadening into film and new media. Have been funded for three short films since 2003, I am currently working on several new media, documentary and commercial projects.

Where did the idea for Captive come from and how has it evolved so far?

Captive sprung from a documentary that co-producer Catherine Pettman and I are working on. We attended a Story of the Future seminar which basically started the creative juices flowing as our eyes were pretty much glued open to the wide world of new media opportunities. It has evolved in an interesting manner for we now find ourselves coming full circle back to the place where we originally started, the story. Over the past year or so, we have collected a library of information on the world of new media thanks to attending LAMP: Story of the Future and other seminars, working with highly experienced mentors such as Matt Costello through the Made for Market scheme, and the ongoing and sound advice we continually receive from the Story of the Future’s mother figure, Therese Fingleton, who we owe a lot of thanks to for her unwavering support of our project. From all the info we have ingested and stirred about we’re now able to freely write the story of Captive, focusing on a really juicy and exciting plot devised with the massive assistance of Hamish Maxwell-Stewart. Hamish is our historical guru, concept writer, as well as keen gamer (board games mostly). So with him we have a very strong team and things are progressing in a really exciting way. 

How did you form the team and what are your roles?

Catherine and I have been working together for several years now and Captive really just happened from working on the doco together. We both share the creative and logistical work load. Hamish came to us through a bit of sniffing around for a local historical writer. He was recommended to us by another historian we initially approached and like I mentioned before, Hamish is a huge asset to our team, we feel very fortunate to be able to work with him. Hamish is officially our Historical Consultant and Concept Story Writer.

What has been your experience of working with a games writing mentor?

Brilliant, Matt was awesome. He inspired us and enabled us to become focused by filling in the gaps of knowledge we were missing. The knowledge was really important as it meant we could make informed decisions on what to do next and more specifically what our desired result is for this stage of the project.

Tell us about your experience of turning the creative concept into a commercially viable one.

Well the experience so far is that we haven’t yet achieved that goal. This isn’t negative though. What I mean is that several more steps are going to be required before we reach that point. At the moment we are a project that is about to go out to the market place with enough background and thought put into it so that investors will see it possibly as a commercial venture. Without the funding through the Australia Council we would not be in this position, it’s important to state this. The funding has pushed our project to the next level and our aim is to create a pitch document so that investors’ palms start to itch. At that point we’ll hand them a pen so they can pull out their chequebook and use it. 

A valuable lesson would have to be ensuring you always make decisions based on the original reason for starting the journey in the first place. In other words, many people will give you amazing advice; the challenge is to remain focused on what you want to do because in the end that is what keeps the candle burning.

Our business model at the moment is to roll with the punches. We’re entering into a new market so right now it’s important for us to leave the door open so we can look at all the different ways of producing our product. When we start to approach investors, that’s when we’ll need to have a solid model behind us, until then it’s open to suggestion which should help us pick the right one on the day.

There have been too many surprises to mention and challenges as well. The rewards for me have been the personal knowledge I’ve gained on the topic Captive is about. That has been the free benefit in a way because it’s a topic I am deeply interested in and it’s exciting to think that one day we’ll hopefully deliver a product to market that allows children to experience that topic in a way that will really excite them.

What would you say to writers considering the use of new media?

Open yourself to the market because today’s new media technology really allows writers to go more deeply into their story worlds than ever before. New media is a place where backstory becomes the running companion to the main story arc because producers have many more places where they can connect the audience to the story. It can seem complicated but the simple matter is new media means you can get more mileage out of the world you’ve painstakingly created. This means you get to have more fun with your characters for a much longer time.

Case study – MACHINE (social networking game)

Who are you?

I’m Chris Rattray, a freelance writer with article credits in Tasmanian magazines Enterprise and SAUCE, and Perth’s X-Press. In the last fifteen years I’ve written several plays for the stage, most of which have been produced locally. I’ve been professionally engaged as an editor, sub-editor, proofreader and script editor for a variety of clients. MACHINE is the second IP for video games that I’ve had a hand in writing and developing.

Where did the idea for MACHINE come from and how has it evolved so far?

Bruce Moyle and David Quinn originally envisioned a game, intended as an ARG, centred around the notion of corporate espionage and intrigue. Through the process at LAMP: Story of the Future in Queensland last year, this idea was further refined, retaining the corporate espionage slant, but dispensing with the ARG delivery method in favour of a social networking paradigm. At this stage the idea was mostly about game mechanics rather than narrative. However, through the LAMP process, we started to conceive of a game world and this led to the beginnings of a narrative. The game has now evolved to a narrative-driven game experience, with solid characters, plot and excitement, while retaining the notion of corporate espionage that sparked the entire idea.

How did you form the team and what are your roles?

As a collective, we share an office under the name ‘Joffre Street Productions’ where we each conduct our individual businesses and come together as a project demands. The team was already in place when we conceived of MACHINE. David and I are co-writers. Bruce is producer and project manager. Dion Brooksis the designer.

What has been your experience of working with a games writing mentor?

Being able to work with a writing mentor has been fantastic, especially when they’ve been on the same wavelength. I’ve found it an encouraging experience to be able to share my original ideas with someone who is able to objectively view and appreciate it within the context of the whole idea. The feedback and criticism given from mentors has been relevant and empowering. It gives me confidence in my writing skills.

Tell us about your experience of turning the creative concept into a commercially viable one.

(Bruce Moyle)

We are still currently working on that with the support of Story of the Future and Screen Tasmania. It is a very different path we are treading here and breaking into the games industry isn’t easy but we are giving it our best. With the advice of our mentors we are distilling MACHINE down to something that will hopefully be commercially viable to construct and then sell. The hardest area of the project is working out what part to keep and what to ditch either because they don’t fit or it isn’t possible at our current level of expertise.

What would you say to writers considering the use of new media?

Be confident – you can do it. We’re all pioneers in this frontier, but you can do your homework by playing as many old games as you can and analysing their narrative structures. It’s also an excuse to raid second-hand bookstores for old game-books and role-playing games, as the non-linear narrative found in these books and games will serve as a good way to start training your mind to think around the corner, down the street, up a tree, and outside the box. However, no matter what the delivery method, a solid idea will persist and find its expression in whatever manner it ultimately chooses.

 

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