Last week, I drove over to Ottawa (during crazy winter storm action) to speak on a panel at “Prime Time“, the annual conference for the Canadian Film and Television Production Association. Our panel was moderated by Warren Currell of game agency Sherpa, Marks Skaggs of Trilogy, Genevieve Lord (an ex-Ubisoft producer) and Michael McGuigan, head of games for Breakthrough Films and Television.

As it turns out, film and TV folks are wrestling with the same topics as game industry folks: funding, distribution, IP rights, convergence, high-def content, etc. That said, the game panel I was on was a bit of an anomaly as it was the only session that covered any of the above topics in relation to games. No big surprise, but most film and TV folks are simply not attuned to the potential and significance of games. To date, they are still having a tough time understanding how games can extend the universe of their IP… There are exceptions, of course.

Much of the funding discussion focused on the various government related support programs (eg, Canadian Television Fund, Telefilm). As one producer described it, the Canadian sector’s reliance on government hand-outs has lead to a steady stream of (mostly) solid content that is “not overly market/hit driven”. On one hand, this implies that content (perhaps too innovative or risky) that would not be supported “by the market” gets made. It also means that a lot boring stuff gets made simply because the creators can file for the right production grants… Standard double-edged sword challenge…

Admittedly, one of the main reasons I agreed to speak was to attend the keynote speech by the new chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), Dan Glickman. What was billed as the “future of content delivery”, sadly turned into “let’s fight the hell against piracy so we can ensure we preserve the same old forms of content delivery”. Of course, no one in the room full of movie/TV producers disagreed with the piracy is bad message, it was just a big waste of a keynote speech and lost opportunity for Glickman to demonstrate some greater vision. Oh well.

Here are a few quick pics from the trip:


Ian Kelso (New Media Business Alliance), Mark Skaggs (Trilogy Studios) and Warren Currell (Sherpa Games) chatting right before the break for…
Official “candy story” break. Wow, I can only imagine the hysteria a big trough of candy would create at GDC ;)


Production Financing Panel: moderator Ira Levy (Breakthrough Films and Television), Stephen Stohn (Epitome Pictures), Norm Bolen (Alliance Atlantis Communications), Andra Sheffer (Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund), Scott Garvie (Shaftesbury Film), Daniel McMullen (Royal Bank).


Someone I have not seen since playing rugby at Concordia University, Emmanuel Evdemon is now practicing entertaiment law.


Steven DeNure (Decode Entertainment) and Michael McGuigan (Breakthrough Films and Television) reach for their… business cards. I was worried for moment that I said something to upset them…


Even in the glitzy biz of film and television, most folks just want to schmooze. Somehow, I didn’t think the dance floor would be as barren as at game conferences.