During the Cross Media Storytelling conference I had the chance to learn more about LAMP, (Laboratory of Advanced Media Production), aimed to upgrade media professionals to cutting-edge production modes, which means of course cross media.As far as I know nothing like that is actually happening in Europe, except maybe the (internal) training at BBC 360°, the Immovator meetings in the Netherlands, which are not exactly training, and perhaps something within the Media program (the brilliant Sagas courses have been denied funding this year, let’s hope in the next one). I understand something in that direction is going to happen at the MEC centre in Mechelen, will post about it later on.Probably for this to happen in Europe we will need cross media to reach some sort of “official” status, which it still has not. Let’s wait and see..

Orphan of Christy Dena’s blog, who did all the dirty work of finding what was actually going on, and much more than that, I will have to post more about new cross media productions, in case somebody is actually reading this blog :)A new TV spin off ARG is seeing the light, here is one of the original posts in the Jericho community:Yes, that’s right! A Jericho alternate reality game! Betcha didn’t see that one coming! Or at least, I sure didn’t!A few days (maybe a week?) ago, some people in the fandom received an email which linked them to the ARG. Apparently, it’s been around for awhile or something, but right now, the morse code involved is being updated regularly with new clues.It pretty much set the CBS message boards on fire with speculation and excitement (does this mean they’re actually promoting our show?!).So, if anyone wants to play along, the main site is www.jenningsandrall.com. It’s also being followed closely and discussed on these threads on the CBS message boards: jenningsandrall and Black Hills Radio Broadcasts.Associated sites are www.sacredhatcasino.com, www.blackhillsradiocontrol.com, and I think there might be a fourth as well so if you want to play along, check out those sites and get involved! :)Also, the production blog was updated with photos of the cast walking the picket lines with the writers…you can check them out at www.jerichorises.com.I d follow it, but I am still too busy trying to keep up with Year Zero

A lot of new projects appearing this month in this blog, maybe because for once I have been around a little more so I actually saw some of what is going on..
During the seminar on cross media at Cinekid Patrick Crowe introduced this brilliant project for teens, called Total Drama Island, by the multiple award winning Xenophile Media (interactive Emmy for alternate reality games Fallen and Regenesis. oops, sorry, Regenesis is an EXTENDED reality game). The interactive format makes fun of the various Survivor and Big Brother-style TV formats, and creates a highly ironic universe in which the system is basically the same, with a twist. The interaction architecture is all but obvious, and I found the ironic approach very educational, as irony may be the only defense left when one grows into a mature viewer.
If you wish to have your avatar selected for the Total Drama Island TV show, you should win a lot of games online - have fun!

Tomorrow night, at 10 pm eastern time, 7 pm SLT, CSI: NY “Down the Rabbithole” will go on the air - detective Mac Taylor / Gary Sinise will have to follow a killer in Second Life, but he won’t find him/her until spring. In the meanwhile all viewers have a shot to catch the techno-savy murderer in the CSI island, or working shoulder to shoulder with pros at the Crime lab in Second Life.
The interesting thing is that the CBS network had to build a simplified interface to Second Life because the main one was considered too difficult for the average TV viewer - the OnRez viewer will combine Second Life features, like chat and teleporting, with services such as virtual shopping.
Definitely worth attending, I ll be there

Technorati Tags: alternate reality games, cross media, event, virtual worlds

After discovering the attempt made by Sky Vivo to produce participatory television in Italy, I kept thinking that was nothing new, and I remembered reading a post by Robin Good, one of my favorite blogs, in 2005 about Nessuno TV, wonderful italian experiment of participatory channel, dating back to 2002, 4 year earlier than Al Gore’s Current TV.
In this post, Robin Good describes a “virtual talk show” presented by Nessuno TV, with real guests in the studio and other guests on screens inside the studio interacting via webcam. The program was broadcasted in streaming and on satellite TV at the same time.
What I am trying to point out is how grassroots production most of the time leads the way for mainstream communication, and, like in Maurizio Costanzo’s case, how can we preserve the potential of the new communication methods so that they promote better communication, better understanding, a more democratic approach to media, and avoid cross media to be used just as a gimmick to add a novelty flavor to an otherwise very conventional approach to television.

Sky Vivo, italian satellite tv, is going to launch this July the first (? if I am wrong please correct me) officially cross media program, entitled “Stella: are you ready to change?”. One of the more venerable talk show conductors in Italy, Maurizio Costanzo, is going to moderate a daily talk show featuring every day via webcam connection four italian families, interacting with guests and stars in studio.
The conversation will also be influenced by spectators from home, via sms, email and the Stella web portal. Sms will be visually present in the studio through projection on a large luminous sphere in the middle of the studio.
The broadcast will be also available later on in streaming.
While the information structure might sound “young”, in fact the themes treated, like the debate on stamina cells and embryos (this is a hot theme in Italy, check out the lovely activist game of Molle Industria), safety on the streets, precarious work etc, seem to be addressing an older audience.

Costanzo himself, age 69? 71?, an institution in Italian television since 25 years, is hardly as cool and young as the network tries to portray him. Maybe this is the only way to introduce innovative forms of communication in an “old-fashioned” country such as Italy. I wonder how the situation like is in Spain, Portugal, Greece, and other countries where “institutions”, like in Italy, tend to slow down change and innovation.

Technorati Tags: iTV, Web 2.0