Explore every episode of the podcast Ontario Creates Podcasts

With over 1 billion monthly active users worldwide, TikTok has become a critical component in marketing and selling creative content. Whether it’s through emerging communities like #BookTok, sharing your latest promotional material, or jumping on the latest viral trend, join us for an exciting discussion on the different ways creators and companies are using the platform to connect their content with audiences. 

Moderator:

Lisa Fiorilli, Research Officer, Ontario Creates

Panelists:

Maria Zuppardi, Marketing Coordinator & Community Manager, Dundurn Press

Drew Yorke, Consultant, 1 Step Media Company

Lu Aburawi, TikTok Creator

With its Being Seen series of reports, the Black Screen Office has worked to illustrate how Canada’s screen industries are currently falling short in representing people from Black, People of Colour, 2SLGBTQIA+, and People with Disabilities communities. In this session, the Black Screen Office will present an overview of Being Seen, as well as convene an in-depth discussion on the report’s findings.  

 

Moderator:

Kelly Lynne Ashton, Lead Researcher, Being Seen

 

Panelists:

Gavin Ball, Game Developer and Assistant Teaching Professor, Ontario Tech University

Josiane Blanc, Producer, Writer, Director, Sahkosh Productions

Michelle Asgarali, Writer/Producer

Nour Mallouh, Children's Content Creator and Developmental Editor

 

Avec sa série de rapports Être vu, le Bureau de l'écran des noirs s'est efforcé d'illustrer comment l’industrie des médias télévisuels et cinématographiques du Canada ne parviennent pas à représenter les personnes des communautés noires, de couleur, 2SLGBTQIA+ et les personnes en situation de handicap. Au cours de cette séance, le Bureau de l'écran des noirs présentera un aperçu d'Être vu et organisera une discussion approfondie sur les conclusions du rapport.  

 

Modératrice :

Kelly Lynne Ashton, chercheuse principale, Être vu

 

Panélistes :

Gavin Ball, développeur de jeux et professeur adjoint, Ontario Tech University

Josiane Blanc, productrice, scénariste et réalisatrice, Sahkosh Productions

Michelle Asgarali, scénariste et productrice

Nour Mallouh, créatrice de contenu pour enfants et éditrice en développement

Creative Industries on Climate Action - Friday October 22, 2021

In a world increasingly confronted with the need for immediate environmental action, what are Ontario’s creative industries doing to protect the future of the planet and lower harmful emissions? Join us for a discussion between experts from the music and screen sectors to hear how and why these industries are working to improve their own environmental practices. 

Moderator :

Jen Knoch, Senior Editor - ECW Press 

Panelists:

Brighid Fry, Music Declares Emergency, and half of the indie band Moscow Apartment

Music Declares Emergency (MDE) is an independent group, created by artists, music industry professionals and organisations concerned at the lack of a cohesive, industry-wide response to the climate emergency. 

Chris Dunn, Production Consultant, Film Initiatives, Ontario Creates and Ontario Green Screen 

Ontario Green Screen is the collaborative initiative between government, industry partners, unions, guilds, trade associations and companies that endeavors to make lasting change in the industry and to empower individuals, production companies and studios to make sustainable choices. 

 

Les industries de la création et l’action climatique – le vendredi 22 octobre 2021

Dans un monde de plus en plus confronté à la nécessité de mesures environnementales immédiates, que font les industries de la création de l’Ontario pour protéger l’avenir de la planète et réduire les émissions nocives? Joignez-vous à nous pour une discussion entre experts des secteurs de la musique et de l’écran afin d’entendre comment et pourquoi ces industries travaillent pour améliorer leurs propres pratiques environnementales.

Modératrice :

Jen Knoch, rédactrice en chef, ECW Press

Panélistes : 

Brighid Fry, Music Declares Emergency et la moitié du groupe indie Moscow Apartment

Music Declares Emergency (MDE) est un groupe indépendant d’artistes, de professionnel.le.s de l’industrie musicale et d’organismes préoccupés par l’absence d’une réponse cohérente à l’urgence climatique.

Chris Dunn, Conseiller en production, initiatives pour la production cinématographique, Ontario Créatif et Écran vert Ontario

Écran vert Ontario est une initiative de collaboration entre le gouvernement, des partenaires de l’industrie, des syndicats, des guildes, des associations sectorielles et des entreprises qui s’efforcent d’apporter des changements durables dans leur industrie et de donner aux particuliers, aux sociétés de production et aux studios les moyens de faire des choix viables.

Revenue Model Innovation in the Creative Industries – Friday September 24, 2021 The creative industries were among the sectors most adversely impacted by the pandemic. Hear how the pandemic pushed companies to redefine their traditional revenue models and content offerings in order to adapt to a radically different environment. How have these innovations helped film, music, and publishing companies weather the last 18 months, and when things return to normal, will these new models and strategies remain in place? Moderator: Marina Adam, Manager, Ontario Music Office Panelists: Hilary Hart, Director of Acquisitions & Distribution, Game Theory Films Robert Dees, President & Publisher, Robert Rose Inc. TiKA, Artist, Film Composer, Founder, StereoVisual Innovation dans les modèles de revenus au sein des industries de la création – le vendredi 24 septembre 2021 Les industries de la création ont été parmi les plus touchées par la pandémie. Découvrez comment la pandémie a poussé des entreprises à redéfinir leurs modèles de revenus traditionnels et leurs offres de contenu afin de s’adapter à un environnement radicalement différent. Comment l’innovation à ce chapitre a-t-elle aidé les entreprises des secteurs du cinéma, de la musique et de l’édition à surmonter les 18 derniers mois? Lorsque la situation reviendra à la normale, ces nouveaux modèles et stratégies resteront-ils en place? Modératrice : Marian Adam, Chef, Bureau ontarien de promotion de la musique Panélistes : Hilary Hart, directrice, Acquisitions et distribution, Game Theory Films Robert Dees, président et éditeur, Robert Rose Inc. TiKA, artiste, compositrice de musique de film et fondatrice, StereoVisual

The Future of the Creative Workforce – with VICE Media Group – Thursday August 19, 2021 Ontario Creates partnered with VICE Media Group to identify interest and awareness across different types of roles in the Canadian cultural media landscape. Join us to learn about findings from our 360-degree exploration of the creative workforce, inclusive of those in the spotlight and those who keep the lights on. The creative landscape is changing as younger generations take over these industries. Through this research, we present the career toolkit needed for the culture makers of the future, along with a blueprint for building up tomorrow’s cultural business leaders. Speakers: Julie Arbit, Global SVP, Insights at VICE Media Group Lauren Greenspan, Senior Director, Insights, North America at VICE Media Group L’avenir de la main-d’œuvre créative – avec le groupe Vice Media – Le jeudi 19 août 2021 Ontario Créatif s’est associé au groupe Vice Media pour cerner l’intérêt à l’égard de différents types de rôles dans le paysage médiatique culturel canadien, et évaluer la mesure dans laquelle ceux-ci sont connus. Rejoignez-nous pour découvrir les résultats de notre exploration tous azimuts de la main-d’œuvre créative, tant celle sous les projecteurs que celle qui les allume. Le paysage créatif évolue à mesure que les jeunes générations prennent la relève dans ces industries. Nous présentons dans cette recherche la trousse des outils de carrière nécessaires aux créateurs de contenu culturel de demain, et nous proposons un plan d’action pour former les futurs chefs d’entreprise du secteur culturel. Conférencières : Julie Arbit, vice-présidente directrice mondiale, Perspectives, groupe Vice Media Lauren Greenspan, directrice principale, Perspectives, groupe Vice Media (Amérique du Nord)

Work in the After-Times: Labour market trends for the next ten years – Friday July 9, 2021 Thinking about how to prepare your business for the post-pandemic environment? Join us for a virtual session with two co-authors of the Brookfield Institute’s foresight research report: Yesterday’s Gone: Exploring the Future of Canada’s Labour Market in a Post-COVID World. Learn how broad societal trends – such as the shift to virtual activities, and the growing recognition of the importance of equity, inclusion and mental well-being-- might influence the creative sector labour market as the pandemic recedes and a new normal sets in. Speakers: Heather Russek, Collaborator, Brookfield Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (Ryerson University) + Principal, Creative Futures Jessica Thornton, Collaborator, Brookfield Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (Ryerson University) + Principal, Creative Futures Le travail en un temps nouveau: tendances du marché du travail pour les dix prochaines années – Le vendredi 9 juillet 2021 Vous vous demandez comment adapter votre entreprise à l’environnement post-pandémique? Joignez-vous à nous pour une séance virtuelle avec deux co-autrices d’un rapport de recherche prospective du Brookfield Institute: Bats-toi, signe et persiste: Explorer les futurs possibles du marché de l'emploi au Canada dans un monde post -COVID. Découvrez comment les grandes tendances sociétales, telles que la transition vers un mode virtuel et la reconnaissance croissante de l’importance de l’équité, de l’inclusion et du bien-être mental, pourraient influencer le marché du travail dans le secteur créatif alors que la pandémie recule et qu’une nouvelle normalité s’installe. Conférencières: Heather Russek, collaboratrice, Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship (Université Ryerson) + directrice, Creative Futures Jessica Thornton, collaboratrice Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship (Université Ryerson) + directrice, Creative Futures

Moderator:  

Tonya Williams, Founder, Executive Director, Reelworld Film Festival & Reelworld Screen Institute

Panelists:  

Hana El Niwairi, Co-Founder/Senior Rights Associate, BIPOC of Publishing in Canada/The Cooke Agency International  

Sharon Hinds, CRM, PMI, ABC, PowerMBA, Rogers Sports & Media Manager, All IN

Keziah Myers, Copyright Licensing & Royalties, Entandem (A SOCAN & Re:Sound Company)

Moderator:

Ramona Pringle, Director of the Transmedia Zone, Ryerson University

Panelists:

Angela Misri, Digital Director, The Walrus

Sasha Boersma, Co-Founder/Producer, Sticky Brain Studios

John Bain, Head of Distribution, Level Film

Jay Devonish, Director of A&R Marketing, eOne Music Canada

Moderator:

Cynthia Lynch, Managing Director & Counsel, FilmOntario

Panelists:

Vikas Gupta, Co-Founder & CEO, AVARA Media

Kate Edwards, Executive Director, Association of Canadian Publishers

Kiana ‘rookz’ Eastmond, Sandbox Studios Inc

John Weber, President & CEO, Take 5 Productions Inc

Moderator:

Erin Creasey, Manager, Industry Initiatives, Ontario Creates

Panelists:

Alysa Procida, Executive Director & Publisher, Inuit Art Quarterly

Juliet Dunn, Executive Director & Artistic Producer, Niagara Jazz Festival

Sergio Navarretta, Director & Producer, S.N.A.P Films

Tanya Kan, Executive Producer & Director, Vivid Foundry

Moderator:

Erin Smith: Manager of Research, Strategic Planning & IT, Ontario Creates

 

Panelists:

Jasmin Mozaffari: Writer/Director, Prowler Film

Caitlin Grabham: Producer, Prowler Film

Chris Fitzgerald: Project Manager, Bloom Digital Media

Moderator:  

Lisa Fiorilli: Research and Outreach Manager, WorkInCulture

 

Panelists:  

Melanie Rutledge: Executive Director, Magazines Canada

Bruce Harvey: Film Commissioner, Ottawa Film Office

Nik Ives-Allison: Executive Director, Ottawa Music Industry Coalition

Moderator:
Marcia Nickerson, Indigenous governance consultant and author, On Screen Protocols & Pathways

Panelists:
Dr. Jenny Kay Dupuis, author, I Am Not a Number
Nyla Innuksuk, Founder and CEO, Mixtape VR
Bear Witness, Founding member/DJ/VJ, A Tribe Called Red

Moderator:
Margaret McGuffin, Executive Director, Canadian Music Publishers Association

Panelists:
Amanda Lee, Bibliographic metadata consultant
Tessa Sproule, Co-founder and CEO, Vubble
Tom Leighton, Director, Digital, Anthem Entertainment

Modérateur :
Kevin Sweet, journaliste culturel, Radio-Canada

Panélistes :
Marie-Pierre Gariépy, présidente et fondatrice, Productions Slalom
Lara Mainville, directrice, Les Presses de l’Université d’Ottawa
Elise Roiron, analyst des politiques, Canadian Independent Music Association & Music Ontario

Moderator:
Angela Misri, Digital Director, The Walrus & Author

Panelists:
Shannon Culver, Manager of Technology, eBOUND Canada
Jeff King, Chief Operating and Corporate Development Officer, SOCAN
Rachel Noonan, Director, Marketing, Strategy and Communications, TIFF

Moderator:
Vish Khanna, Host/Producer, Kreative Kontrol with Vish Khanna

Panelists:
Asha Daniere, EVP, Legal/Business Affairs, Blue Ant Media
Krista Faist, CEO & Publisher, Foodism and Escapism Toronto
Kit Redmond, Executive Chair & President, RTR Media
Ian Stanger, Co-Founder & Label Manager, Black Box Music

Moderator:
Vish Khanna, Host/Producer, Kreative Kontrol with Vish Khanna

Panelists:
Jennifer Burkitt, Founder & Creative Director, Log Cabin Productions
Geoff Kulawick, President, True North Records/Linus Entertainment
Juan Esteban Lopez, President & Co-Founder, Pipeline Studios

Moderator:
Lisa Freeman, Research Consultant

Panelists:
Janal Bechthold, Board Member and Chair of the Women Composer Advisory Council, Screen Composers Guild of Canada
Christa Dickenson, President & CEO, Interactive Ontario
Emily Kellogg, Program Manager, Association of Canadian Publishers
Melanie Rutledge, Director, Government and Industry Engagement, Magazines Canada

Kitchener-Waterloo | Adding live experiences to traditionally mediated cultural products can offer new audience development and revenue generation opportunities: think consumer shows, pop-up shops, exclusive screenings, and conventions. The bonus is that the live event can be the springboard for new cultural products with their own potential to be developed. Join us for a discussion with savvy creatives who share tips on how to curate premium experiences to connect with and develop your audiences in novel ways.

Moderator:
David McConnachie, Publisher, Alternatives Journal

Panelists:
Meridith Braun, VP Publishing, Digital Extremes
Pamela Mulloy, Editor, The New Quarterly
Craig Thompson, President and Executive Producer, Ballinran Entertainment

Sudbury | Intégrer des expériences vécues aux produits culturels traditionnellement établis peut permettre le développement d’un nouvel auditoire ainsi que l’augmentation de recettes. À titre d’exemples, pensons aux expositions pour le grand public, aux boutiques éphémères, aux projections en exclusivité et aux conventions. En outre, l’expérience vécue peut servir de tremplin à de nouveaux produits culturels avec leur propre potentiel à mettre en valeur.

Présentatrice : Tammy Frick, directrice générale,
Festival international du film Cinéfest Sudbury.

Panélistes :
Mike Daoust, fondateur, Northern Game Design Challenge;
Vicki Gilhula, éditrice adjointe et rédactrice en chef,
Sudbury Living Magazine Group;
Mark Montefiore, coprésident, New Metric Media,
et chef de la production, Letterkenny.

Sudbury Event | Adding live experiences to traditionally mediated cultural products can offer new audience development and revenue generation opportunities: think consumer shows, pop-up shops, exclusive screenings, and conventions. The bonus is that the live event can be the springboard for new cultural products with their own potential to be developed.

Moderator: Tammy Frick, Executive Director,
Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival.

Panelists:
Mike Daoust, Founder, Northern Game Design Challenge;
Vicki Gilhula, Associate Publisher/Editor,
Sudbury Living Magazine Group;
Mark Montefiore, Co-President, New Metric Media &
Executive Producer, Letterkenny.

Ontario content creators understand that relying on revenue from the Canadian market alone limits growth and opportunities for collaboration. Our moderator and panelists will explore ways to prepare international strategies and speak to such topics as finding collaborators and relationship building through festival, market and conference attendance in Canada and abroad; taking advantage of Government priorities, treaties and missions; and planning for market readiness.

Moderator: Jeffrey Crossman, Trade Commissioner (Creative Industries)
Global Affairs Canada
Panelists:
Maria Armstrong, CEO, Executive Producer of Big Coat Media
Karen Boersma, Publisher, Owlkids Books
Anne Loi, Executive Vice President, Global Operations, DHX Media

Adding live experiences to traditionally mediated cultural products can offer new audience development and revenue generation opportunities: think author readings, pop up shops, eSports, and conventions. The bonus is that the live event can be the springboard for new cultural products with their own potential to be developed. Join us for a discussion with savvy creative companies who tell us how they create and curate premium experiences to connect with their audiences in novel ways, and explain how they are diversifying their revenue streams in the process.

Moderator: Heather Kanabe, Festival Director, The Word on the Street Book and Magazine Festival

Panelists:

Meridith Braun, VP Publishing, Digital Extremes

David Leonard, Events Director, The Walrus

Mark Montefiore, Co-President, New Metric Media & Executive Producer, Letterkenny

The changing technological landscape has had an immense influence on the way the creative media industries deliver content to audiences. As content continues to shift from physical to digital formats the same evolution is also happening for sales channels, triggering the rise of new platforms and methods of distribution. What are the challenges in getting a market-ready creative work, regardless of the sector it comes from, through the existing and evolving distribution paths and to the end-user who can be either in Canada or abroad? OMDC commissioned and recently launched a study on this subject. Hear from the study authors how Ontario content owners are creatively navigating the challenges of the shifting distribution landscape to successfully deliver their content to audiences around the world.

Presenter: Kristian Roberts, Partner, Nordicity

Moderator: Negin Zebarjad, Manager, Nordicity

Panelists:
Diane Hall, President, 2 for Life Media Inc.
Tony Walsh, Company Director, Phantom Compass

Adam Caplan, OMDC Board of Directors

Jarrett Martineau, Creative Producer of new global music platform, record label, and artist collective Revolutions Per Minute (RPM) and artist Leanne Betasomosake Simpson talk to Jesse Wente about their success breaking new ground connecting with audiences and broadening the reach of contemporary indigenous talent.

Jesse Wente, Broadcaster and Curator
Jarrett Marineau, Creative Producer, Revolutions Per Minute

Every moment you spend online, you are participating in a massive global experiment. Before digital technology, producers needed to make sure their project was perfect - there was only one broadcast premiere, only one book launch. Today every interaction is an opportunity to learn more about your target market; best approaches to reach your audience, onboard, and engage them. Learn how Stitch Media launched a publishing platform for Together Tales and refined it using big data in their marketing strategy, and look inside Threads Audience Development tools to see how this radical approach is increasing discoverability and retention for their partners.

Evan Jones, Founder, Threads Audience Development

Thanks to advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), chatbots are exploding in popularity, and 2017 is the year for critical mass. Russ Ward explains why "talk to our chatbot" is the new "download our app" and how creatives can leverage this uniquely individual engagement experience to the fullest.

Russell Ward, President, Massively

In a world where mixed realities are starting to take over entertainment and advertising, where do characters and mascots stand? Why does the audience like to interact with 3D mascots and holographic characters? In this conference, Elodie and Laurent will trace a portrait of the current situation, the innovation Neweb has developed with interactive mascots and holographic characters and the technology behind it.

Elodie Lorrain-Martin, VP Business Development, Neweb.tv
Laurent Abecassis, Technology Producer, Neweb.tv

It’s not enough to merely survive change; growth and evolution are necessities. Despite the rapidity and discontinuity of transitions you can take control to achieve professional excellence: adjust attitudes and behaviors, exceed limits, choose wisely, act on opportunities, and stay current.

Lorraine Behnan ,Change Management and Communications Specialist

•Bevel, by Matter and Form Inc.
Bevel is a smartphone attachment that lets anyone take and use Genuine 3D photos. Bevel photos are an exciting new media type, providing new experiences in AR, VR, e-commerce and the social web.

•Klipfolio
Klipfolio is a cloud application for building dashboards that answers the question “how am I doing” in real-time and on web browsers, on big screen TVs or mobile devices. Examples of what you could do with Klipfolio include: continuously understanding your top performing articles on your digital properties so you could ensure they get top billing, seeing audience sentiment evolve for recently released firms, and seeing what social outreach is driving traffic to your youtube channel or website.

•SARA
SARA creates and curates educational and marketing campaigns specifically for vertical video on Snapchat & Instagram Stories. We also offer consulting services to assist you in navigating and tailoring the best content for Snapchat & Instagram Stories.

•Voices.com
Voices.com is the online marketplace connecting businesses with voice actors. The company has transformed a 100-year-old industry through the power of technology and the human voice. Voices.com serves more than 200,000 organizations hiring voice actors globally and is home to 200,000+ talent speaking over 100 different languages.

•WIMM
WIMM (World Indie Media Marketplace) is a globally accessible portal designed to open up a permanent marketplace where independent filmmakers and producers can display and offer their film properties to distributors and other media buyers.

•Passport AR, by *no campfire required
We make an off-the-shelf augmented reality (AR) adventure story creator package called Passport AR (think of Pokémon GO, with a narrative attached). The package, including the story, is customized to design a great branded experience for a specific client audience in a given geographical area. Ultimately, Passport AR encourages exploration of physical real-world sites, while allowing our clients to collect relevant and useful data about their guests. As for the guests, they get involved in an engaging experience that they'll not only talk about to their friends, but they will never forget.

•Screen Industries Research and Training Centre, Sheridan College (SIRT)
How to leverage SIRT’s Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality Innovation Lab and it's leading applied research and service centre for the creative industries.

Trevor Townsend, CTO, Matter and Form Inc.;
Mychelle Mollot, CMO, Klipfolio;
Rehman Ata, Founder, SARA;
Stephanie Ciccarelli, Chief Brand Officer, Voices.com;
Rodger Campbell, CEO and Co-Founder, World Indie Media Marketplace Inc.;
Emily Smith, CEO & Business Operations, *no campfire required;
David Dexter, Operations and Business Development Lead, SIRT

Find out how equity crowdfunding, available in Ontario since early 2016, can help your company raise capital.

Craig Asano, Founder and Executive Director, National Crowdfunding Association of Canada

Our fast-evolving digital world creates new opportunities for storytellers and also give rise to new media consumption behaviours. Is storytelling changing in a fundamental way or are there simply more options available to storytellers? Are consumers preferring new forms of story experiences or merely engaging with a greater variety of story formats? What are crucial trends to be aware of? Hear the insights of industry leaders who are pushing the boundaries of storytelling.

Moderator : Nigel Newton, Director (Canada), INDE Experience Engineering

Panel:

David Brady, CEO, Cream Productions

David Caron, Co-Publisher and President, ECW Press

Joanne Loton, Co-Founder & Executive Producer, Sesqui

Siobhan O’Flynn, Founder, NarrativeNow

The OMDC Digital Dialogue conference is an annual one-day January event presented by Ontario Media Development Corporation. The event brings together leaders from across six sectors - book publishing, film and television, interactive digital media, magazine publishing, and music - for a day of panels, pitches and conversations about what’s new and emerging in the marketplace and opportunities for collaboration. Throughout the year the conversation continues through the OMDC Digital Dialogue Breakfast Series, morning panel discussions exploring specific topics of interest.

• Karen Thorne-Stone, President & CEO, OMDC
• Han Dong, MPP Trinity-Spadina
• Ramona Pringle, Host

Drawing on the findings of his long-term international research study, Dr. Jeffrey Cole discusses how consumers use media, including the scope of user-generated and professionally-produced content, and its effect on traditional media content.

Dr. Jeffrey Cole, Director, Center for the Digital Future, USC Annenberg School for Communication

The market for augmented and virtual reality is anticipated to grow by 89%, to $16 billion globally in 2020. Content creators from across the sectors will speak about the challenges and successes they've had experimenting with this emerging form of content from financing and concept definition to development and marketing and distribution.

Moderator: Nigel Newton, Consultant for AR Innovation & Strategy

Panelists:
Bernie Roehl, CEO, Virtual Escapes
Damir Slogar, Founder and CEO, Big Blue Bubble
Keith Makse, CEO, Red Meat Games
Dr. Rhonda Bathurst, Executive Director, Museum of Ontario Archaeology

The market for augmented and virtual reality is anticipated to grow by 89%, to $16 billion globally in 2020. Content creators from across the sectors will speak about the challenges and successes they've had experimenting with this emerging form of content from financing and concept definition to development and marketing and distribution.

Moderator:
Nigel Newton, Consultant for AR Innovation & Strategy

Panelists: Nyla Innuksuk, Owner & Producer, Pinnguaq Productions Inc.; Srinivas Krishna, Founder and CEO, AWE Company Ltd.; Lucie Lalumière, Founder, Lalumiere Media and Executive Producer, 360 Story Lab; J. Lee Williams, President, Occupied VR

In a climate where it is becoming increasingly difficult to finance content, creators and producers must explore alternative ways to raise capital. Hear from content creators across the sectors about their successes and challenges engaging with new financing models and learn whether any of these models (which include crowdfunding, venture capital and angel investment) are right for your company.

Moderator: Catherine Tait, President, Duoploy
Panelists: Alex Jansen, Founder and Producer, Pop Sandbox; John Young, CEO, Boat Rocker Media; Anne Marie Maduri, Venture Capital & Private Equity Consultant, Maduri & Associates Inc.; Daniel Bekerman, Producer, Scythia Films

Data is a vital part of understanding consumer patterns. Creative content producers use data and analytics in vastly different ways to guide their product development, distribution, and marketing strategies. This panel looks at how three Ontario-based companies are using data and analytics to inform their product development, guide their marketing strategies, and ultimately, to understand their audience.

Moderator:
Erin Creasey, Manager, Industry Initiatives, OMDC

Panelists:
Devi Ekanand, Vice President, Marketing, Promotions and New Media, Coalition Music
Ken Hunt, Publisher, Toronto Life
Margaret Bryant, Director of Sales and Marketing, Dundurn Press

Tout ce que vous pensiez savoir concernant la négociation des droits, des droits d'auteur et des droits de licence a changé lorsque votre contenu a migré des distributeurs conventionnels vers les plates-formes de l'espace numérique. Venez écouter les personnes qui sont passées par là, qui ont effectué cette transition au sein du nouveau marché et qui ont une expérience de la négociation avec les diffuseurs, les sociétés spécialisées dans la technologie, les autres créateurs de contenu et les services de diffusion en flux de contenu musical, publié ou pour écran. Découvrez de nouvelles sources de revenu grâce à la collaboration.
Un service de traduction simultanée sera disponible.

Animateur : Doug Murray de Taylor Klein Oballa
Experts :
Michael Dobbin, producteur et directeur de la société Quiet Revolution Pictures
Scott Simpson, président-directeur général et cofondateur de bitHeads
Jon Bartlett, fondateur de Kelp Records

We took the Digital Dialogue Breakfast series on the road, and delivered the Let’s Make A Deal: Negotiating Rights, License Fees and Royalties for New Platforms session to an Ottawa audience.

Everything you thought you knew about negotiating rights, royalties and license fees changed when your content moved from the traditional distributors across platforms to the digital space. Learn from those who have been there and done that in the new marketplace, with experience negotiating with broadcasters, technology companies, other content creators and streaming services for screen-based, music and published content. Explore new revenue sources through collaboration.

Moderators: Doug Murray, Taylor Klein Oballa
Panelists:
Michael Dobbin, Producer and Corporate Director, Quiet Revolution Pictures
Scott Simpson, President, CEO & Co-Founder, bitHeads
Jon Bartlett, Founder, Kelp Records

Everything you thought you knew about negotiating rights, royalties and license fees changed when your content moved from the traditional distributors across platforms to the digital space. Learn from those who have been there and done that in the new marketplace, with experience negotiating with broadcasters, technology companies, other content creators and streaming services for screen-based, music and published content. Explore new revenue sources through collaboration.

Moderators: Chris Taylor and Doug Murray, Taylor Klein Oballa
Panelists:
Barbara Howson, Vice-President, Sales and Licensing, House of Anansi and Groundwood Books
Michael Perlmutter, Music Supervisor, Producer, Instinct Entertainment
Nathan Vella, President and Co-Founder, Capybara Games

It’s 2015: how pervasive is gender bias in the creative media industries – and does it matter? Our panel discusses the issues and the findings of recently released and in-process research examining gender in the film and television, interactive digital media, music and publishing industries.

Moderator:
Sue Carter, Editor, Quill and Quire

Panelists:
Rachel Goldstein-Couto, Entertainment and Specialty Television, Bell Media
Samantha Slattery, Women in Music Professional Association of Canada / Founder, Republic Presents
Suzanne Stein, Foresight & Innovation / Digital Futures, OCAD University

Join our panelists from three established content creation companies to explore ways to add another layer to the media experience. We’ll be looking at strategies and tools for building additional content into products, the cost and how the marketplace is responding to these innovations.

Moderator:
Kim Gibson, Program Consultant - Interactive Digital Media, OMDC

Panelists: Penny Caldwell, Cottage Life Media; Erin Mallory, House of Anansi; Blair Powers, Sinking Ship Entertainment

Data visualization is the art of visually communicating information - through informative, persuasive or artistic approaches to displaying patterns, relationships and trends in information. Compelling data visualizations can create powerful content experiences and help deliver key messages when communicating with stakeholders about your business. In this session, our presenters give examples from their recent work and offers tips and techniques for crafting effective visual stories with your information.

Moderator: Karen Mazurkewich, Maz Media Productions
Panel: Noah Genner, BookNet Canada; Andrea Teolis, Graphic Designer & Software Programmer; Manfred Becker, Documentary Filmmaker & Lecturer

What are your obligations under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act? What do you need to do in providing customer service, the information and communication you provide to the public, and as an employer? A representative from the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario explains.

Panelists:
Richard Cavanagh, CEO/Funding Officer, Broadcasting Accessibility Fund
Alfred Spencer, Director, Outreach and Strategic Initiatives, Accessibility Directorate of Ontario

Companies across the creative media industries face common issues: how to attract and retain top talent, recruit for intermediate and junior positions, stay ahead of talent and training gaps, and do effective succession planning. In this Digital Dialogue Breakfast session experts in the field, including Diane Davy, Executive Director of WorkInCulture, discuss the issues and answer audience questions.

Panel: Sandy Lee, Toronto International Film Festival; Diane Davy, WorkInCulture; Lisa Lyons, Kids Can Press/Corus Ent.

The market for creative media product is global; when trying to reach consumers outside Canada you may encounter different business models and technology as well as cultural differences. What do you need to know when selling in foreign territories? Panellists share their experiences selling to the US and other international markets: strategies for success and lessons learned.

Moderator: Kim Gibson, OMDC
Panel: Rob Segal, Get Set Games; Ryan St. Peters, Shaftesbury & Smokebomb; Peter Wilmshurst, AGW Publishing Inc.

Book publishers, music labels, and magazines used to depend heavily on reaching their audience by getting their product into retail stores, where consumers could find and purchase their products, and marketing leaned heavily on in-store merchandising. The changing retail landscape — fewer bricks and mortar stores, limited shelf space in the stores that exist, and the growing marketshare of online retailers — has dramatically changed how companies reach their consumer audiences. Three companies from different sectors share case studies on creative ways they are reaching audiences now, and how the digital sphere intersects with both their physical and digital products.

Moderator: Deb Day, Innovate by Day
Panel: Erin Creasey, ECW Books; Nathan Laurie, Jobpostings.ca; James Trauzzi, Last Gang Records