Funding of Digital Media projects: An overview

The introduction of formal funding applications for Digital media projects both in Victoria and South Australia is indicative of the growing relevance of digital and content-rich media projects in Australia. Digital media content and projects are unique in the sense that the delivery of the content is developed for and across a diverse range of media. Unlike a production developed for a traditional broadcast medium (such as television or film), digital projects have multiple platforms of delivery and also may range from mediums such as online (websites, social networking software), games (Wii, ps3 and Nintendo), mobile phone as well television. Growing consumer interest in digital media technology has mirrored interest in new media from a production perspective and advancements in technology. To the extent that most film bodies in the country now have digital media funding programs.

The digital media program at Film Victoria funds digital media projects in two primary ways. Firstly they offer a grant for, ‘Digital scoping,’ which focuses on the very, ‘early stage,’ funding of a digital project. It provides aspiring producers with a range of opportunities to develop their project for the market, creatively and technology wise. Amelia King (director of New Media at Film Victoria) explains the, ‘we introduced the scoping in response to the fact that we were rejecting so m any applications because they weren’t thoughly thought through.’ The introduction of the Digital Media scoping program also we in response to the large market demand for new media projects that could deliver across a range of mediums in Australia (whose Digital Media industry is still in the process of developing). (see Transcript of Interview with Amelia King

The second program, ‘Digital Prototyping,’ which was designed for when a producer has, ‘all of those elements and (knows) what they want to do… (and) now wants to take it too the next step.’ Protoyping provides the funding for a researched and substancially developed Digital Media project to obtain a publisher or distributor or launch the product on the international market. The most a production company can expect to receive in funding from the Digital Media funding body of Film Victoria is $500,000. (see Transcript of Interview with Amelia King

Both funding applications for Digital Media projects focus on the importance of the development of digital media projects with a strong emphasis on narrative, interactive and content rich features that can be delivered over a variety of different platforms (i.e online, mobile phones, in traditional broadcast mediums, game platforms.)

In our interview with Amelia King, she explained, '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 an enormous amount of money worldwide again and we want to be part of it.’

The official South Australian funding application statement emphasises that, "'investment in projects that are based on strong ideas, well-crafted, varying styles and content, exhibit a high level of creative ambition, good market prospects and have significant economic benefits to digital media section" ([].)

There is a range of different guidelines to the development of digital media projects in Australia which are shaping the industry. Foremost the creation of content-rich and narrative material are really shaping how major companies and financing bodies are investing in major digital media projects. An emphasis on transmedia storytelling is highlighted in the South Australian application process with funding being considered to, "'projects that seek to add a new and genuinely interactive dimension to an existing film or television program will be considered.’"

Both the funding regulations for digital media projects in South Australia and Victoria centre around the development of the industry as a business. King notes that some of the more successful and commercialised products emerging from the Film Victoria digital media program are those with the strongest business background. King explains,"‘Many of (the game developers) have become managers and CEOs of their businesses…a few those (who have a strong business sense) in the industry are actually really going great guns and are very strategically using our investment.’"

Establishing the digital media industry in Victoria and Australia (whether it be for children’s tv, games, online or mobile) will most likely centre on the constant growth of the business around it. This development of business has also an international perspective, with many children’s programs, games, websites and mobile content being, developed or tested in an international market.

LINKS

 * (see Transcript of Interview with Amelia King)
 * (see South Australian Digital Media policy [])
 * (back Investigation and Research (Section 2))