Contracts read? Check. Awful ID photo with added flash taken? Check. Couple of ground-breaking ideas off to a good start? Check. 4iP is picking up speed in Scotland and Northern Ireland and I’m delighted to be the first of the fund’s Digital Media Managers in place. But I want your help to identify new talent, the most promising startups or talented individuals out in the Northern parabola of the celtic curve.
The 4iP Fund isn’t quite open for business yet, but over the coming months I’ll be getting to know both the established digital media scene and, vitally for 4iP, seeking out the talent that has thus far remained untapped. As well as making contact with those established in the gaming, mobile and digital media scenes, and some of those who’ve passed through the doors of the excellent 4Talent, I’ll be raiding the contacts book to pick up with some of those who, for example, came along to Scotland’s first BarCamp, which I helped organise in 2007 with Nooked‘s Fergus Burns, Edinburgh University’s David Richardson and Mike Clouser, VC Florian Dargel and Affiliate Marketer Fraser Edwards. It’s going to be similarly diverse groups of filmmakers, coders, entrepreneurs, commercial sponsors and research groups that make 4iP projects distinctive and memorable.
But it was at BarCampScotland that our “Problem” (historically, we’ve got a few) came to light. Of the 180 or so people that came along there was remarkably little knowledge of between us of each other, our ideas or our startups. And what about the many coders, hackers, talent and creatives that didn’t come along that day? Basically, Scotland’s digital media community, in all its diversity, is just a tad disaggregated.
The Northern Irish tech and digital media community feels similar, although I’m champing at the bit for my first sesh there in early October to see the lay of the land with my own eyes. We’ve decided to sponsor the Slugger Awards on October 7, an opportunity for the superb Slugger O’Toole blog to fete those making a difference (or, at least, making waves) in Northern Ireland’s political scene. But I’ll also be using that week to get to know some of the more well-known digital media companies, but would love to fill up the calendar meeting some of the newer startups on the block.
One final thing we’re doing this week is launching a new space, the online glue for those interested in expanding their digital media horizons and contacts, picking up some ideas and maybe even picking up a commission in Scotland and Northern Ireland. It’s the place to be at the beginning of this 4iP journey, to meet others in your field, rub shoulders with those in others, and maybe get some inspiration for ideas that fit the 4iP vision. Above all, it’s a chance for you and me to get to know each other, though you’re better knowing now that I’ll refrain from any forum banter about Cosgrove‘s sacred Saints. Details of how to join coming over the next fortnight.
In the meantime, if you’re wanting to feast on my own digital breadcrumbs, and find out what lies in my deep and murky past, check out some of what I’ve been up to on my flaky site, check into my blog, and keep an eye on my online bookmarks which might just give an idea of the kind of projects I’d be keen to commission over the next few years.
Stuart Cosgrove on Mon, September 08, 2008 at 9:46 said:
“Basically, Scotland’s digital media community, in all its diversity, is just a tad disaggregated.”
Too true Ewan,and there may be many historic reasons for that. Scotland has always represented itself outwardly as an ambitious if small ‘nation’ but in the post-devolutionary era it is becoming increasingly obvious that, like England, Scotland is a place of a thousand fragmented regions. The Games sector has been very strong in Dundee, the literary and festival scene in Edinburgh, strong design clusters in Glasgow and Aberdeen, a tech sector cutting through the central belt. The mobile innovation unit in Hillingdon. And creative villages of Merchant City and the West End of Glasgow and Leith in Edinburgh. Disaggregated by both practice and geography. As Chair of the Digital Advisory Group for Scottish Enterprise I have insisted that the meetings are peripatetic, next up Dundee, in two weeks.
Like you Ewan I’m looking forward to the Slugger Awards in Belfast. It’s no great secret that London-based broadcasting has falied to engage sytematically with talent in Northern Ireland. With the partners we have there, 4iP can play a small but significant role in reversing that trend.
PS. I refuse to rise to the bait of defending St Johsntone on this forum that is better done here:
http://www.weareperth.co.uk/vforum/index.php
Will Adams on Mon, September 08, 2008 at 12:42 said:
This is the first time I’ve heard of BarCamp. Sory to have missed it.
Thought I’d mention the Scottish Animation Group which is an attempt to address the disaggragation in the animation industry at least:
http://www.scottishanimationgroup.co.uk/
SAG meets up on a voluntary basis most months. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly how it benefits those involved but the main thing is it’s got people in the industry talking to and finding out about each other.
It’s good to have friendly banter with your competitors and also have the door open to possible collaboration for when bigger jobs come along.
And yes, it’s strange how once you attain a certain level of quality you find yourself struggling to convince people you’re not based in London.
cheers
will
Stuart Cosgrove on Mon, September 08, 2008 at 1:52 said:
Thanks for that Will. Yes another important part of the overall story. Suspect in web 02 terms I should have also mentioned the digital music scene in Scotland, too. The other major part of the jigsaw is the world class Informatics work in Edinburgh, who we have already got close links with. Ewan lives just round the corner from Red Kite so no reason why he can’t speak to animators before he even gets on an early train to Glasgow.
Over next few weeks we will be doing more and more about 4iP in Scotland so stick with us. Thanks for contributing.
Ewan McIntosh on Mon, September 08, 2008 at 8:54 said:
I’m looking forward to joining the animation world of Scotland at the next meetup towards the end of October. It’ll be interesting to hear first hand the potential areas for development in your eyes.
mini game on Thu, October 02, 2008 at 2:02 said:
I would love to see Flash be less prominent on the web. It’s not the best solution for video, period. And once you figure that out, it becomes much less of a “necessity” for anything on the web. Flash sites are stupid, slow, unintuitive, etc.
About the only thing it does well is games and cartoons. Stick with that Adobe. Better yet, die. Or make some really great, fast, unbloated, reasonably priced applications.
Fergus Burns on Fri, October 17, 2008 at 5:57 said:
Hi Ewan
Congrats on new gig - and thanks for mention
Must hook up for a chat sometime soon…
best Regards
Fergus
Ewan McIntosh on Sun, October 19, 2008 at 10:43 said:
Thanks for the comment, Fergus. We’re looking forward to working with several of the Scottish-based mobile/web companies, and are discovering a good few in NI as well. Interesting to see how we can make RSS more mainstream with the kind of stuff Nooked and others do.
Chris Cavanagh - Beverly Hills TV, Los Angeles on Fri, November 14, 2008 at 7:50 said:
Ewan and Stuart,
You guys are going to do amazing things in Scotland!good for you!!!!
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