WiCM Event: FableVision

I attended a Women in Children's Media event last night featuring FableVision. Gary Goldberger, President and Co-Founder, showcased some of their recent projects, and talked about "cool stuff" in the world of transmedia. My notes are below:

9/15/10

Gary Goldberger, President and Co-Founder, FableVision (Boston)

• "Media producers who partner with content experts"
• Big ideas into simple format

Fablevision =
(1) Creative Studio: Client-based (e.g. Henson, PBS Kids)
(2) FV Learning = K-12 software distribution

ANIMATION-ISH product (co-pro with Toon Boom)

• Basic animation software (downloadable)
  

FAB@SCHOOL DESIGNER

• Funded by NSF
• Visual fabrication using simple software
• Make paper crafts, 3D paper crafts, 3D fabrication / models
  
• Used Blender, an open source 3D animation tool

LURE OF THE LABRYINTH

• Funded by DoE
• Games to teach math and literacy
• Multi-player classroom game that lasts a semester (takes about 6 - 9 hours to complete)
  
• Avatar-based graphic novel experience, where your personal avatar is part of the story
• Rules of the game are not explained and left to the players. Math content comes next.
• 5.6MM complete games
• Free on thinkport.org
• Summative research paper coming soon
  

Secret of Useability:

• Strip away everything that slows down experience. Limit barriers to play.

CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF BOSTON

• Goal: Get tweens engaged in philanthropy
• generationcures.org
• FV created tween content within that site: Zebrafish
• Zebrafish.com story - transmedia:

1. First came animation
2. Graphic novel
3. Zebrafish.com (game about scientific method)
4. Battle of the bands for high school students (they raised $20k in 1 evening)
5. Online battle of the bands where winner gets song professionally produced and featured on next RockBand title

• 10k hits / day with limited marketing in Boston (some launch local launch events)

OTHER STUFF GARY THINKS IS COOL:

• Little Airplane's new transmedia, Small Potatoes
  
• Wild Planet remote control car - spy vehicle with programmable video display
• Lego Universe - epic VW (beta now) all buildable content within world

THE TRANSMEDIA CHALLENGE:
** don't rush into market (especially because of different timelines for different types of content)
Strategically release content
Must have one person to oversee ALL platforms

• Transmedia = It's not about one character on multiple platforms, but doing interesting things on each platform that take advantage of the medium.
• Don't forget the offline living room experience (e.g. Dino Train geocaching event)

Other random thoughts:

• Apple looking for developers to showcase gyroscope functionality (but may not be age appropriate for 3 year olds?)
• City + states giving $ to game companies to produce there -- tax incentives