New Strand Frontiers Launched
We are thrilled to reveal the line up for the Edinburgh TV Festival’s new Frontiers strand.
With subjects ranging from AI in creativity to Roblox and the telly-verse, the aim of the strand is to not only future-gaze as to what’s next for the TV industry but to also look at what can be learned from digital creators, brands and the games industry.
Speakers include HaZ Dulull, Yammy, Jordan Schwarzenberger (manager of The Sidemen), ShxtsNGigs, Ben Zand, Fitwaffle, Ash Holme, Elz the Witch, Chris Clements (Digital Products Lead, Wimbledon (AELTC)), Danny Lorimer (Head Of Creative Strategy at Cowshed Collective and Executive Producer of The Sidemen’s Reality TV show, Inside) and headline speaker will.i.am.
As talent, programme makers, broadcasters and brands move with increasing fluidity between different mediums and platforms, this new strand celebrates creativity, convergence and new forms of storytelling. Programming will explore the intersection between the traditional TV space and other sectors, including podcasting, tech and digital. It will also look at state-of-the-art programme making and provide insight from some of the world’s foremost creative innovators as well as practical guidance on how TV producers can adapt their business and working practices for a new digital age.
The Frontiers programme was pulled together with the advisory group made up of experts currently working in the digital space: Laura Marks (Senior Digital Commissioning Editor, Channel 4); Thom Gulseven (Co-Founder, Strong Watch Studios and former Director of Creative Strategy at Lad Bible and former Head of Digital Content Strategy, Channel 4); Ben Powell-Jones (Co-Founder, Strong Watch Studios and former Creative Director, LADstudios – Lad Bible); Muslim Alim (Commissioning Editor, Daytime, BBC); Melissa Chapman (CEO, Jungle Creations); Jordan Schwarzenberger (Co-Founder, Arcade Media and Manager of The Sidemen); and Matt Ford (Co-Founder and CEO, CoLab X).
Creative Director, Rowan Woods said: “I’m delighted to be launching the first Frontiers strand with such a playful and ambitious line up of creators, strategists, innovators and brands, who are all working at the forefront of the spaces where TV and digital intersect. In a year where the Festival is looking to the future and asking where the industry goes from here, it’s exciting to be able to share a snapshot of what that future might look like.”
Frontiers sessions will be programmed within the main Festival schedule and feature sessions including:
THE RISE OF THE TELLY-VERSE: WHERE TV MEETS GAMING: Welcome to the Telly-Verse, where TV and Gaming collide! This session highlights the metaverse’s role in reshaping television and IP, with platforms like Roblox and Fortnite introducing new generations to beloved franchises. Discover how broadcasters, producers and creators are adapting to Gen-Z and Alpha demanding interactive experiences, which have lead to virtual worlds from BBC, Netflix, and Nickelodeon.
MYTHBUSTING DIGITAL CONTENT: SEPARATING THE BULLSH*T FROM REALITY: Are creators really the future? Will I ever make money out of my TikTok channel? Is a digital broadcaster commission worth it? In this antidote to cheap LinkedIn wisdom, expect honest opinions from the people that have left (or gone beyond) TV and are making (and losing) money at the digital coalface.
DIGITAL BORN, BRED, AND BOOMING: Going viral is easy, but staying viral isn’t! Want to know how Digital talent operate? How they stay relevant and why that’s important for TV Producers? Think there is no money in digital? Think again! From digital born talent with worldwide IP, to the power of the podcast and making your digital production budget go further, these are the social elites who are born, bred and booming on Social.
BACK TO THE FUTURE: TURNING OLD IP INTO DIGITAL HITS: The UK has an abundance of world class IP and in a world where commissions and money are tight, this IP is often left sitting on the shelf gathering dust. But is there a way we can exploit this old IP and turn it into a digital powerhouse? That’s exactly what this panel aims to answer.
will.i.am: AI AND THE FUTURE OF CREATIVITY: Is AI the next writer’s room member? Grammy Award-winner and tech entrepreneur will.i.am, takes centre stage to explore the cutting-edge intersection of artificial intelligence and entertainment. With his ground-breaking work as the Founder & CEO of FYI, a trailblazing AI platform, he is uniquely positioned to offer invaluable insights into AI’s impact on content creation, distribution and audience engagement.
