Innovation is not about creating a new story idea for a film, or a new piece of jewellery. That’s about creativity, the lifeblood of the creative industries.  As Wikipedia puts it, innovation is about ‘new ways of doing things.’

A good case in point was the website ‘Help me investigate’. It’s not innovative because it uses digital media (the website) but because it’s a new way of doing investigative journalism by inviting the general public to collaborate on finding things out.

So maybe there’s a choice there. Be creative and help transform the regional economy. Or be innovative and help  change the world.

First up was screenwriter Geoff Thompson, whose Coventry-based feature Clubbed is out in the New Year. His main advice was work hard and be motivated. If you can work 8-10 hours in a factory, doing a job you don’t really enjoy, surely you can do the same hours as a writer? Motivation? Geoff is going for his Oscar. He’s already got his BAFTA three films back.

Next up was Natasha Carlish, co-producer on ‘Souled Out’ set in the 1970’s Stoke Northern Soul scene (currently in post-production). Her advice to would-be co-producers was to ‘bring added value to the partnership, swallow your ego and be prepared for masses of paperwork.’

Justin Edgar’s second feature as director, Special People, has been winning audiences at festivals and in cinemas, as well as grabbing headlines in the press. His recipe? Never give up, look for a good marketing angle and hire the best PR person you can afford.

Lastly, and a treat for us as we got to see his horror feature The Children in full, was writer/director Tom Shankland. What I gleaned from the Q&A with Tom was be prepared to change and adapt the script as you go along, get good feedback from test screenings before your final edit and never tell the audience the full story. Always hold something back.

Nuff said.

Tom Shankland

This morning, the chatter at the well-attended Birmingham Social Media Cafe, was deafening. I’m not joking – I could hardly hear myself think! I thought about this as a paradigm example of the world we live in now – there is so much information and chatter ‘out there’ it can be quite overwhelming sometimes. However, if I was to choose between chatter and silence I think I’d agree with Adrienne Rich when she writes:

‘what in fact I keep choosing

are these words, these whispers, conversations
from which time after time the truth breaks moist and green. ‘

The Creative Networks event at tic last night saw Tom Lawes in great form talking about his life and career as musician, composer, sound designer, film producer and more recently cinema owner. His experiences over the last four years of refurbishing, relaunching and developing the Electric Cinema provide a great example of what you can do through sheer determination, hard work and creative enterprise. Tom is up for Outstanding Business Development at the Birmingham Creative City Awards tomorrow. If he doesn’t win I’ll be very surprised. Hats off to you Tom.

Also at the event were Chris Pinches and Huw Bowen from Coventry-based Entanglement Productions, promoting their low-budget sci-fi thriller Schrodinger’s Girl. They demonstrated some great SFX using ‘before’ and ‘after’ footage of the same scene. If they could work some of their techniques into a simple workshop package I’m sure it would go down a storm in local schools and colleges. Anyway, here’s the trailer from the film. Good luck lads.

Feel free to browse and add comments.

Steve.

After-event music was provided by South Birmingham Community Radio. Station Manager Peni Whelan is looking for more volunteers, especially on the admin side, so if you’re interested give her a bell. Her number’s on the website.

Key speaker was Camille Deakin from C4′s recently launched animation site 4mations. Explaining the reasoning behing the site, Camille said Youtube had grown too big to find stuff by chance – most people were directed there. There needed to be a dedicated place for people to post and discuss content. Camille also touched on the thorny subject of funding – although there’s little money around to commision new work, the opportunities are greater than ever for people to get their work out there and seen. Doesn’t have to be completed work – you can build up a following through work in progress. Local animators Brothers Macleod were singled out as good examples, with over 4000 followers on Youtube. Also Suspicious Productions who launched ‘Life According to Dinosaurs‘ on Facebook and now has its own website and spin-offs including wallpapers, badges and t-shirts. They’ll probably make more money from the merchandise than from the films.  As Camille pointed out, the future market for animators is online, but nobody’s cracked it yet.