Producing An Award-Winning Interactive Documentary
What makes a good interactive documentary? How do you reach a global audience and how are interactive storytelling, the web and digital media changing the art of documentary cinema?
Panel discussion with IDFA DocLab curator Caspar Sonnen, Jeremy Mendes (creator of "Bear71" and other interactive documentaries for the National Film Board of Canada) and Marshall Heald (Manager Digital Media and Content Distribution at SBS Australia).
Since 2007, IDFA DocLab in Amsterdam has become one of Europe's most important platforms for showcasing interactive documentary and other new forms of digital non-fiction storytelling. The National Film Board Canada and SBS Australia are two of the world's most prolific and innovative producers of interactive documentary.
Presenters
Caspar Sonnen is the new media coordinator for the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) and curator of the festival's IDFA DocLab, a competition program for new forms of documentary and interactive storytelling.
In 2008, Sonnen founded IDFA DocLab to create a platform for interactive and multimedia documentary storytelling that expands the genre beyond traditional cinema. Since 2009, Sonnen also curates an annual IDFA DocLab guest program at SXSW.
Besides his work at IDFA, he is co-founder and programmer of the Open Air Film Festival Amsterdam.
Jeremy Mendes is a Vancouver based artist with over 10 years experience working on interactive projects. He specializes in Art Direction, Creative Direction, Design and Illustration. His experience spans interactive design, motion design, information design, creative conceptual work, storytelling, brand development and advertising.
He is currently working on several interactive projects with the National Film Board of Canada. Bear 71 is the 2nd of these projects to be released, following This Land (website). These interactive projects truly capitalize on his collective experience — requiring an understanding of story, culture, art and design. And importantly, how these elements are conveyed through interactive experiences.
Marshall is the Manager of Digital Media and Content Distribution at SBS.
Over the last ten years he's developed multimedia projects in partnership with many of Australia's major companies and cultural institutions including The Australia Council, Telstra, Qantas, The National Gallery, NSW FTO, The ABC, Triple J, The SAFC and The National Museum.
Monday, March 12
