With an increasing number of media projects expected to be developed for and distributed via a wide variety of digital platforms the industry faces a considerable challenge of how to put together teams to produce this material efficiently and profitably. In 2002 the ICDC at Liverpool John Moore’s University commissioned a research programme to examine the development of production methods in television and digital media and to conduct case studies of three original cross-platform projects.

Presented in association with BAFTA, Stephen Jeffrey-Poulter will present the findings of his two-year assignment and propose a number of practical guidelines for an integrated production approach to multi-platform production for debate and discussion by a panel of leading figures from across the media spectrum.

About the speakers:

Emma Somerville is Head of BBC’s interactive TV programming, responsible for developing integrated strategies for the BBC’s enhanced television (eTV) services, focusing on integrating eTV commissioning as part of TV’s broader commissioning process. Emma joined the BBC in September, 2002 as Head of 24/7 - the BBC’s ‘always-on’ information services – to implement the rollout across digital Satellite and FREEVIEW.

Previously she launched the UK’s first-ever digital interactive content services at Open…, subsequently taking on the additional role of Head of Content and Enhanced TV at Sky, responsible for creating and implementing the interactive content strategy that currently supports Sky One, Sky Sports, Sky News and Sky Movies. Emma started her digital media career at Teletext where, as New Media Manager she set up its website which, within a year, won the BT and Yell award for Best Online Publication.

Jonathan Webb is Channel Controller of Trouble and Challenge. Since joining Challenge, Jonathan has moved the programme strategy from game shows to the games we play. The channel has recently launched a new series of casino based shows including Celebrity Poker Club. Jonathan is also responsible for the development of Trouble with a raft of new US comedies coming to the channel in 2004.

In addition, Jonathan is Flextech Television's Director of Interactive Programming, responsible for creating a convergent vision for Flextech's wholly owned channels. The role covers the development of Flextech's interactive multi-platform strategy across interactive TV, mobile telephony and web/broadband.

Michael Blakstad is chair of a government-funded B2B broadband initiative and a regular chair and speaker at conferences on interactive media. He is external professor of digital media at the University of Glamorgan and he advises clients on broadband and interactive strategies.

In 1984 he founded Workhouse, which became one of the UK’s leading independent agencies producing web and interactive TV programmes. He is a member of SEEDA’s Media, Telecommunications and Technology Task Force and was Chair of the Executive of the Broadbandshow. He is also Chair of the Advisory Board of Digital Public, an independent consultancy advising public sector organisations on the implementation of broadband. He has worked with the Chichester Festival Theatre to develop an broadband educational outreach programme.

Michael has also been a Director of the Chrysalis Group and Zenith Entertainment plc; Director of Programmes of TVS; and from 1974 to 1980 worked in various senior roles at BBC television.

David Stranks is Series Producer/Head of Production, Gamer.tv. David started in TV as one of the 1st 4 Continuity Announcers on Channel 4 in 1982. Since 1987 he has worked in the independent sector as a Producer/Director with a bias towards factual entertainment/magazine shows. Programmes/series worked on include: SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES (Initial for GTV), ROUGH GUIDE TO CAREERS (Diverse for BBC2) – but have ventured into wider pastures including SOUTH (global documentary magazine for C4) THE WORLD AT THEIR FEET (Kids drama for Disney & BBC1) and WANTED MARJORY & OLIVER (Anglo/Georgian drama-doc – Initial for C4).

Between 1992-7 David ran London and LA offices of Capricorn Programmes, an independent company producing up to 10 entertainment, music and videogame series per week for ITV and international distribution. He spent 2 years from 2000-02 as Senior Producer at NOW (Network of The World)- the "world’s first fully converged TV & Internet Service" - co-produced by TWI and PCCW, where he created and ran the music channel: MP3tv. Since 2002 he has been Senior Producer, Series Producer & Head of Production at Gamer.tv - a niche entertainment production company producing TV and web content centred on the world’s biggest entertainment industry, videogames.

Morgan Holt, Executive Producer of Interactive, Endemol UK.
Morgan Holt is Executive Producer at Endemol UK with responsibility for interactivity on all broadcast TV projects, as well as other platforms such as mobiles, the web and gaming consoles. He is a former journalist, and began working for Endemol on the first series of Big Brother where he was in charge of the editorial for all platforms. Subsequently he has worked as Executive Producer for all the company's leading interactive projects: all five series of Big Brother, The Match, Restoration, Fame Academy, and The Farm. He has Executive Produced smaller shows for Endemol such as Orange Playlist, Cosmetic Surgery Live, and the Bristol Studios projects. He has also created broadcasts such as I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here and Hell's Kitchen with Granada, and Bump 'n' Grind with Flextech.

Mark Webley, Development Director, Lionhead Studios.
Mark Webley first joined forces with Peter Molyneux at Bullfrog, and was then one of four Bullfrog directors who together went on to set up Lionhead Studios in 1997. Under the Bullfrog umbrella Mark set up the conversions department and was designer and lead programmer of Theme Hospital, one of Bullfrog’s most successful titles.

Lionhead Studios has since gone onto become one of the world’s most successful games developers. In 2001 its game Black & White was released and sales now top the 2 million mark. The studio’s second game Fable released in September 2004 broke several US sales records selling over a million copies in its first month of release. A further four games are currently under development and Lionhead now numbers over 230 employees.

Mark is a Computer Science graduate of Surrey University and before working in the games industry wrote business systems for various software houses. He is an ardent gamer, listing many computer and board games among his favourite pastimes. At one time he was a guitar/vocalist with a band. He is a vegetarian and is married with three children Sam, Rebecca and Kate.

Report on the event.