Transcript of Interview with Amelia King

Transcript of interview with Amelia King

Can you describe the digital scoping and digital prototyping funding programs that Film Victoria operates?

Sure, well the scoping is very much about the early stage development which means what we are looking for is projects where you have the idea but you need to get a little more information before you come to us and say that you have a great idea and would like to prototype it. So it’s your very early stage funding, its actually designed to have the expertise input otherwise you would scope it yourself without any additional funding. So we are looking for people who might need support who are trying to work out where it would be placed in the market, maybe some help with creative elements, maybe some initial character designs so you would start to get a look and a feel at what the actual project would look like. Or it might be about your technology, so (for example) I’ve got an idea and is it possible? And what sort of programming language would I be using? So it’s really bringing in third party expertise to help you get a better picture of what the program you are working on is all about.

In terms of our prototyping its very much designed that you have all of those elements and you know what you want to do but you can now take it too the next step… you can take it too the third party publisher, you can take it to a distributor and you can actually demonstrate your idea, they then can contribute additional funding to it and then it can go into its commercialization phase. So it’s about getting an “e-pock” – an electronic proof of concept up and running so you can either take it and present to international markets to attract other markets and other people to actually get further investment to make the project.

With the industry constantly changing how do you keep the program relevant and adaptable?

So, when we actually started last year we had three programs but what we are realising with digital animation, is that innovation in digital animation that’s the focus, there is so much animation game development. It was becoming a little confusing so we just group all into prototyping we will keep it very clear and make it all about the digital which for us is looking at the platform whether they are online there mobile and wireless or they are console or pc based. So that was our focus, with scoping we were rejecting so many proposals because they were really underdeveloped. Some people actually don’t understand that to invest 150,000 to 500,000 into a project you really have to know and have the faith that the people know what they are doing and have done significant market research into the product. So we introduced the scoping in response to the fact that we were rejecting so many applications because they weren’t thoroughly thought through. So in that we way we are sort of responding to the needs of the market and we also wanted to make sure that we kept the process broadly enough so we could capture things we hadn’t ourselves considered. And that’s really what we are hoping to do to get some idea that we haven’t though off because we are really not on the coal face in that way in terms of creating them and developing ideas and hoping people will pick up an i-phone and see its got movement what can I do that is amazing and different. You know, so ensuring that we maintain an open police in that way

Have many of the Digital Media projects given funding by Film Victoria achieved commercial success?

Well I would say that there have been out there ideas, what I can say is that one in three of our projects tend to commercialize so we do have a very good strike rate in terms of commercial success. “Forget the rules,” “Girl Friday’s” another one, we’ve got two games which have just been commercialized one of them is by “Fire Mint studios” which is a local mobile phone developer and a another project is by “Infinite interactive” which I can talk about, because it was launched this year at the”game developers conference” and that it’s called “puzzle quest galaxtrics.” The publisher is D3 publishing and they’ve taken that on board. And we have invested 100,000 into a PC version of galatrixs the company “Infinite Interactive,” last year created a new game called “puzzle quest” and what they have now done is grouped “galatrixs” as one of the puzzle quest brands and it now will go further into the market place

Do the funding programs differ between film bodies in each state?

Yes, each state has its’ own aims and objectives. We worked really closely with “Multimedia Victoria,” to set our own it strategy for the state. And out of that is this recognition that content does drive the take up of technology and that there is such a growth in the digital content in terms of online e-commerce, online platforms and all of the social networking websites and we want to make sure we are part of this. So part of that for us and part of that strategy is ensuring that we actually do have programs that people can develop and build ideas

How important is an emphasis on content and narrative when it comes to making decisions about what Digital Media projects to fund at Film Victoria?

A lot of it depends on the content. However, for example, we have invested in a social networking website so its not so much about the narrative as it’s about those modules and components that you know come together to make that social network site a success and looking at very niche market from that point of view. So no, it’s not necessary, but now as we are moving into the next generation of console games because they are so powerful and cinematic we are looking for more narrative and story-based ideas.

Are there many Digital Media projects being submitted for funding from Film Victoria that are for Children?

A lot of websites tend to be focused on children. We had a number of Children’s projects a few years ago but not so much at the moment, but certainly probably about 3 years ago we had a lot of kids based content. Not so much now. And I think because there has been a transference of focus onto more of the social networking and in terms of the next g of consoles it really is looking at a more mature market however when it comes to the Nintento Wii we are getting a lot more kids products. So in terms of kid product we are getting a fair bit through for the Wii console.

What is the maximum amount of money can project expect to receive from Film Victoria?

500,000 is the largest investment we make and that s very specifically targeted to the next generation, which is your Wii, PS3 and x box 36. For those funds we expect that they have a very strong business plan that they’ve looked at all the features of those consoles and they know exactly why they are running with that console. And that they would be using some of the feature of those consoles we would want to see a lot of multiplayer gaming and co-operative gaming where you can play with the person next too you where you are both watching the screen. Maybe some voice recognition so you can communicate with someone elsewhere… so you know when it comes to the PS3 you maybe again how do you engage with the camera elements. So we expect that there would be a lot of consideration of the features similarly the Wii how you are using the, ‘Wii-mote,’ and again using movement and other forms of game play. We are looking for something unique, certainly that sort of funding would only go to a more established company so again we are looking at what relationships they have with publishers what preliminary discussions have they had with publishers. What is also really important to us is too now that they’ve investigated alternate and competing products. So they know completely what is out there, in the same genre as the project they are working on. And why they are working on it what is unique about it? And what is different about and how will they differentiate between its competition?

Do the Digital Media projects funded by Film Victoria have a local or an international audience or both?

Well one of things that we are very mindful of is that to compete and succeed in this industry we need to be internationally competitive. We also need to tap into an international market. So whilst some of our projects have been successful like “forget the rules,” locally, there is also this aim of going to the international markets and promoting the product and working on the global stage on that way. In terms of “forget the rules,” being that drama comedy, having that live action and having that voting element it’s probably something that we recognize that would work locally. When it comes to our video games we are very focused on the international market and it has to have international appeal or it’s not going to make its money back. In that case we are not building a sustainable industry we are just subsidising an industry, so we do have the difference between subsidy and working towards sustainability. So everything we do is about building a business and working towards a sense of sustainable business so that international context is really important to the longevity and the building of those businesses. So we focus on the local but the building of the international is really important.

Is it a sustainable industry?

I think with our games industry it has the potential to be sustainable. However I think one of the things our game developers need to do is be very business focused. Many of them have had to become managers and CEOs of their businesses because they have branched out from other studios. But primarily either an artist or a programmer and they want to do their own thing so they don’t necessarily have the business acumen. Those that do have the business acumen, and we do have a few of those in the industry, are actually really going great guns and they are very strategically using our investment. Like I mentioned, “infinite interactive” has created a whole new genre of gameplay by mixing a bit of roleplaying with puzzles. Puzzles, very much attract a female and a casual market and roleplaying is very much driven to the hardcore market so what they are doing is combining the two and building the audience and now they are building their brand with this whole notion of puzzle quest so they have been very strategic and very clever in what they are doing. We have another couple for developers that are starting to build a business and looking at the strengths of projects of the hand-held mobile and the i-phone. I-phone because it’s new and there is lots of opportunity and hand-held because it’s easy to get into and the DS is extremely popular. So some of them have become quiet strategic and I think they will become eventually very sustainable and I think that there our other areas because the government always want to see a bit of an Australian perspective and an Australian focus and will struggle to be sustainable and will be culturally successful. So we sort of are in this for two reasons; one of this if for retaining our sense of culture. And you know work by Australians for Australians and the other is that you want to be successful and recognized by other industries for being successful. In certain industries. So I guess they are our two core area of why we are in the business.

How does Digital Media enrich the audiences’ of the story through narrative and interactivity?

Well I think that what is really apparent with the digital media is that level of interactivity and the return path. As a user and an audience member you can get online and play but you can also communicate back to the producers and the get a good profile and you can also target and make adjustments to your content with that in mind. I think the other thing is it’s much cheaper to develop and produce in the digital media so you should see a lot more niche targeted product so it doesnt have be necessarily be high-end and you can see that in the renaissance of all those retro games. People want to have fun they don’t want to see all production values, just keep it fun. I think that thing is that with digital platforms is that they tend to play with different levels of engagement and it is quiet diverse levels of engagement. And as a producer you can get a sense of what people want from you because you do have that return part and that opportunity to communicate with the audience. With TV and radio you get your ratings and then you have spent all your money then haven’t you?. And I think that with us we are getting so much opportunity with user generated content that people are realizing that it not necessarily its not professional product values its about what engages you, what is funny or what is informative so people are coming at it in very different reasons and they can channel it down and really look at the niche content and really look at what there interests are.

Have there been any other recent changes to the policy of funding programs for Digital Media at Film Victoria?

We have introduced more recently (last financial year) support for producers and that was inline with information we get from the constituents. I mean we tend to meet with our constituents the every 6 months with some core people who can come through. So one of the things that we introduced was support for business and support for producers so what that is a investment of either 35,000 or 70,000 that actually goes into the businesses. So you know, they can use it for travel for legal fees for overheads, maybe a small wage they can actually start developing ideas. And obviously spend a little bit in development which obviously frees them up so they can focus on the content instead of thinking, ‘oh my god,’ I have to get this job out because the rent’s due. Just providing a bit of a cushioning from that perspective, that’s one program we have introduced. Another program we’ve extended is where we provide support to go into the international market place, its important to go into the international network because that’s were all the investors are placed. They don’t necessarily don’t get all the investment from here. One of the other things we have recognized in relation to the market is the festivals and as the new graduate with a student product sometimes it can really help to get your name out there and build some attention to you if you have a really good student product. So we will support people who do get invited or accepted into festivals, it’s about positing themselves internationally as talented people with potential. So that’s another recent one which is support for festivals even though we have had support to travel to the markets for a couple of years. So support to festivals and producer support, they are probably the two main areas. A few years again we introduced our cash flow facility to support game developers, about 6 years ago we introduced the internship program again in recognition of gaps in the market. And the internship program is the gap building skills almost providing a learning environment. People go into a company they work there for 28 weeks and the idea is that they continue on into full time employment. So we are subsiding employment while they are there providing a grant to the host companies so they can buy their hardware or software and that has been really successful. So we have had programs that we have been running for a number of years that we identified as necessary through gaps in the market. So far 92% of those in the internship program have ended up in full time employment and continue with that company so it has been a really good way of building skills in the industry.

So we have continued that one on and similarly with the prototyping which I have said on average one in three programs will commercialize so we continue on with that program because its you have a look at some of the main games like, “the sims,” and “Lara Croft,” they have all been original IP and that’s what we want to do build our industry to the point where we’ve got two or three really major and really original IPs that are out there and doing sequels and really branching out there into the other sort of formats so that’s really what we are aiming for.

What are key elements you look for when approving Digital Media projects that are submitted for funding?

Firstly we go through it and make sure they have addressed all of our criteria. If they haven’t addressed all of our criteria on the application for we make sure they do go back ask that they do and give them a timeframe. If they meet that we start assessing the project. We have a look at the idea clearly and have a look at what analysis they’ve done in terms of competing product and what else is out there. If its similar to something else, why is this one unique and different? What will they do to differentiate the product? We take a really good look at the company and its track record for development and success and that’s really critical if they are looking at doing something large scale. Have they managed large scale development before? Will they pull this off? What the likelihood of them being able to keep to their milestones or will there be a lot of slippage? And will they meet their deadline which may be say, to take it too the gamers development conference in March next year? So we will look at all these elements I think I mentioned the personel of the team we have a look at the technology they’re working with. Are they working with ps3? Do they have the ps3 def kit? If they don’t have the def kit then it very unlikely that we are going to be supportive to develop on a ps3 for example. We just make sure they have access to the technology and this can be tricky because they have to have approval from the hardware managers so if you are working on a Nintendo on a Sony playstation or Xbox you actually need to be an accredited and approved developer by those hardware manufacturers. And then if you are going to do a particular title they need to approve that as well and say well this is the type of thing that what would like to do on this particular platform. So it’s not such an easy or straightforward development. So we want to make sure that they have all of those assurances and those things in place there is no point in doing a violent game in Wii if Nintendo won’t approve it and we’ve just wasted our money. So we need to see that all of those accreditations are in place. We usually like to see a bit of that preliminary artwork, so we can get a look and a feel for the product and get a sense of what it looks like so they usually do a bit of the artwork and it is presented too us. We also ask for a business plan, so within in that they have to look at what relationships they have with existing publishers, what product have these publishes published in the past. If it’s not that kind of genre or platform, who else if out there that has at track record and an interest in that type of work? What sort of track record do they have with these publishers if any and do they need to build them from the ground up. Where will they seek out these publishers, will it be at conference or game show? What’s their strategy? Then we also look at the potential profitability, you know some sort of projection in terms of how many people are after this product how many have sold in the past why do they think it will sell? So all of these things are the types of things we look at.

Without the funding from Film Victoria can Digital Media projects be successful?

Lot of it depends on the platform you are working on if you are working in next generation, I d say its almost impossible because most of the demos we develop range from 500 to close to a million dollars and it’s a lot of spare cash lying around to be developing off your own back. That’s one of the reasons why we introduced the program because one of the bits of solid communication we were having was we want to develop our own intellectual property we don’t have the funds to do it. So with us we can the work of the studio continues then on the side they can have a small development team working on their own intellectual property. So in terms of game development its really important, in terms of all the other works because its such an unproven area we don’t know what the other areas are and its still really high risk. It’s still really important that there is subsidy for people. One of the things we do recognize that there is room for incredible growth in this industry content for mobile phones this year alone hit over a trillion dollars we are talking enormous amount of money worldwide again we want to be part of it. But again we do need to see the industry from its early stage so we can be equip to take part in it.