tim wright: digital writer

Hail slabovia

Have just got back from Glasgow where I've been working with Tern TV on their Channel 4 project slabovia.tv.

It's only at soft launch at this stage but there are some crazy plans afoot for it. If you like jokes about pigs, this is the place for you.

Multi Platform Storytelling Course for TV Screenwriters

"WRITERS:  Don’t lose control of your characters and narrative when interactive elements get introduced. Learn to write to the approved formats and deliver the correct piece of writing for Interactivity."

Digital writer Tim Wright will share a range of ideas and techniques that can empower writers to adapt and develop their creative output successfully in an increasingly complex cross-platform marketplace.  Who is it for? 6 Freelance writers in the Broadcast industry. The course is funded by the Skillset TV Freelance Fund and is offered at a greatly discounted rate.

See http://www.01zero-one.co.uk/MultiplatformStorytelling.htm

BBC Castaway Remote Control

The BBC reality series Castaway finally got under way at the week-end. I have been working on some of the interactive elements for a few months now.

Chiefly, I helped to devise the 'Remote Control' feature that allows people to unleash some 'unexpected events' on the Castaway island directly from the web. Right now you can choose to remove half the chickens in the island coop, or hatch out a few extra chicks overnight. Will the audience be nasty or nice? Er...

Alongside this, I also helped to devise a treasure hunt game that involves spotting odd symbols and signs in the BBC1 Sunday shows, collecting them on the web and then using them to identify a secret location. The ultimate prize is a holiday for two in New Zealand that I wouldn't mind winning myself. It's one of the drawbacks of devising this kind of thing that it's always someone else who gets to keep the cool prizes.

It has, though, been very interesting to work on such a massive TV beast that is operating across both BBC1 and BBC3, with live and pre-recorded elements plus a lot of online and red button content. It's great too that we came up with something that's a bit more sophisticated than straight voting, and ties TV and online together in a tighter way than I've seen in previous shows of this ilk.