New approaches to user-generated content for broadcast TV
Great news – Dan Fill, Head of Multiplatform Production for ABC TV, will be speaking at the Future of Media Summit 2007 on the Sydney side, on our opening User Generated Content meets Mainstream Media panel. In this newly created role, Dan oversees the strategic development of multiplatform content creation experiences across all platforms. Prior to joining the ABC, Dan was the Vice President Interactive of Decode Entertainment in Canada, where he developed a number of multiple projects for Console, Interactive Television, Broadband, public broadcasting screens and mobile.
To provide some context for attendees at the Summit, Dan has provided three very interesting examples of what ABC is currently doing in the user generated content space. The intention is that this is just the beginning of a major thrust into this area.
Zimmer Twins:
https://abc.net.au/zimmertwins/
Zimmer Twins is an online tool that allows kids 8-12 to create broadcast quality animated movies online using a simple tool. Since launching about 2 months ago, over 30,000 short movies have been created. A selection of the best of these are being voiced over with professional actors and will air on ABC TV and ABC 2.
Life @ 2:
ABC TV is part of a multi-year series that follows a group of 11 children at various stages of their lives. The television component is a series of documentaries that air every two years. The first LIFE @ 1 aired last year. To keep the interest in the kids and to follow their development, we have a website that continues to update throughout the course of their childhood. Right now we are in year 2. As part of our offering, we allow our audience to also upload their own audio, visual and text blogs about their own Aussie kids and they can track their own development. It’s sort of a competition to be 12th child in the series, but it is also a great ugc blog space.
The Global Warming Swindle:
https://www.abc.net.au/tv/swindle/
This is a controversial documentary produced for Channel Four in the UK, the program refutes Al Gore’s film ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ . Because of the nature of the program we anticipate a lot of feedback from the audience. We have set up a video feedback forum that allows users to submit their own thoughts as video responses in addition to the science blogs and user polls and forums.
