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  • 24 Apr 2019 by DigiBC

    DigiBC hosted a breakout session panel event on the topic of financing on April 17. It was a fun and engaging night where members from the creative tech sector came together to hear from important players in the tech and media finance world. Attendees were split into small groups and rotated through the five panelist stations where they were able to sit and interact with each speaker.

    The event took place at the KPMG Ignition Centre and it was great to see folks engaged and connecting throughout the night. Huge thanks to our generous sponsors (KPMG & Fasken) and our wonderful panelists (Raul Duque from EDC, Caterina Papadakos from Espresso Capital, Stéphane Cosentino from the CMF, Ed Zacharuk from KPMG & Roberto Monteleone from RBC) for making this event possible. We can't thank them enough!

    DigiBC has more events planned for the year, so no need to fret if you weren’t able to make it to this one! Be sure to join our mailing list so you can stay up-to-date. >> http://bit.ly/2IOW6bo

    Photos courtesy of KPMG Ignition Centre

  • 08 Apr 2019 by DigiBC

    Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is a unique library that holds the largest collection of Canadian content in the world. They collect books, magazines, musical recordings, maps and electronic books published in Canada or about Canada. The collection is searchable via their online catalogue and thousands of researchers visit the facilities to consult holdings in person. Building the LAC national collection is a collaborative effort that includes the many publishers and music producers participating in the Legal Deposit program, gifts received from organizations and individuals, as well as selective purchases. More than 20 million items are currently in LAC’s published collection and it grows every day!


    LAC recognizes that Canadians are using new media to create, publish, and share their cultural heritage. To ensure the National Collection is relevant and meets the current and future needs of Canadians, they have launched an informal questionnaire to gather ideas as they consider options for potential selection criteria for Canadian YouTube videos, video games, and podcasts. Your involvement is essential!

     

    How to participate:

    English: http://placespeak.com/LAClibrary

    Français: http://placespeak.com/BACbiblio

     

     

  • 04 Apr 2019 by DigiBC

    DigiBC Diversity & Inclusion Surveys

    These surveys are open until April 15. We would love to get your input! If you have seven minutes to spare then your voice will be heard. This information is vital in helping us gauge where things currently are at in BC's creative tech sector and seeing what we can do to grow it going forward. We would appreciate your help in participating and then circulating the survey links within your studio.


    Survey #1 - All Employees (inclusion)
    Survey #2 - Studio Leadership (benchmark on equity, diversity, inclusion initiatives)
    Survey #3 - HR Professionals (measuring outcomes)


    Upon completion of a survey, you will be eligible for a chance to win one of five prizes of ARC’TERYX apparel and accessories!
    Click here for contest rules and details.


    Please note that all data collected is anonymous and will not be tracked by studio. DigiBC and WIA will be sharing the resulting report later this spring. Your participation will ensure results worth sharing.


    We appreciate you taking the time to contribute to this audit. Thank you!

     

     

    DigiBC Inclusive Leadership Training

    As part of DigiBC’s Diversity & Inclusion Strategy, training is being offered across the digital media sector (video games, animation, VFX, AR/VR), in conjunction with Women in Animation (WIA) and Women in Games Vancouver (WIG’eh). This training is ideal for managers and business leaders who are wanting to learn about ways diversity and inclusion can be incorporated and sustained in the workplace. The training is free to DigiBC and WIA members (if you are a member of the Animation & VFX Alliance, you are a member of DigiBC). A fee of $250 will be charged if you are not.

    Saturday April 13, 2019 | 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
    To register, please click here

     

    The session will be facilitated by Alden E. Habacon, one of the country’s leading diversity and inclusion strategists and facilitators. Alden specializes in working with organizations and companies that are historically male-dominated, and his clients include the Vancouver Airport Authority, the Department of Justice, and Clio.

     

     

  • 04 Apr 2019 by DigiBC

    The past couple of months at DigiBC has been focused largely on program delivery. We know that the video game, animation & VFX sectors will not continue to grow without securing the talent we need now and into the future. As such, we have been working to raise awareness of creative technology in the province, increasing the knowledge young people have about opportunities in our industry, and enhancing skills in high school students while teaching them about our sectors.  We’ve done this in a number of ways including:

    • Leading a panel on the creative industries for 800-1,000 high school students at the #BCTECHSummit Youth Innovation Day
    • Launching Play to Learn outside of the Lower Mainland (the event was held at Cowichan High in Duncan, BC)
    • Running a province-wide competition where students can create original music for video games and animation called DigiMusic


    We also know we can no longer afford to leave people out of our workforce. Diversity and inclusion (D&I) are important ways, not only to have more diverse perspectives and creative ideas in our studios but also to enhance our talent pool. As such, DigiBC and Women in Animation are leading our sector with the following activities:

     


    #BCTECHSummit Youth Innovation Day Creative Industries Panel

    Brenda Bailey, DigiBC Executive Director, led a panel of successful young creatives. They shared their stories with 800-1,000 high school students and spoke about how they found their way into creative tech, what their backgrounds are, where they trained, what they wished they knew when they were 16 and what a “day in the life” looks like for programmers, game designers, producers, filmmakers, and emerging leaders. Of the five panelists on stage, three had worked on Oscar-winning properties (two on Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse, one on The Revenant) and all shared their contagious enthusiasm for their exciting careers.


    Play to Learn Launch Event

    DigiBC is working to expand the Play to Learn program, pioneered by EA and Everfi, into rural and underserved areas in the province. We launched outreach at the end of February at Cowichan Secondary School, and it was a terrific start to connecting with students who might not otherwise have the opportunity to meet people working in Interactive Digital Media.  The expansion continues over the next two years and will be going into 66 rural school districts throughout our province.

     

    DigiMusic 2019 Initiative

    DigiMusic is live! Did you ever wish you could compose the perfect score for your favorite video game or animated film? High schools students across the province have a chance to do exactly that and learn about working in the Creative Technology industry while doing it. This novel and exciting competition was the brainchild of James Hursthouse, DigiBC Board member and hardcore metal fan. James worked with his son's high school music instructor to do a classroom session on composing for video games, and it was such a success he thought, why not take this to DigiBC and roll it out across the province? This evolved into DigiMusic and the inaugural competition runs April 2-30th. It’s a fantastic opportunity to connect high school students to our sector, have some fun celebrating the budding musical talent out there in our province. Check the website for further details.

     


    We are guessing that you probably play video games and watch movies, but did you know that British Columbia is home to some of the world’s most well-known video game, animation and visual effects companies employing thousands of people with all types of different skill-sets and talents? Have you ever thought that a career in creative tech might be something you’re interested in? DigiMusic 2019 is a competition that gives you a small taste of what it’s like to combine creativity and technology, as we challenge you to compose music for one or more short clips of video games and animated movies that are being created right here in BC.


    We will accept entries from individual composers (students) as well as entries from groups of up to four composers working together. The competition will run from April 2-30, 2019 after which an expert panel of digital media and music industry experts will assess the entries received, and award a range of prizes to both composers and their schools.