Environmentally friendly suggestion for freeview?

Television viewers in all major New Zealand towns are set to benefit from the Government’s announcement today that digital switchover will take place in 2013.

That’s the message from Freeview, the free-to-air digital televison and radio broadcasting platform, which has welcomed the date set by Broadcasting Minister Dr. Jonathan Coleman and the Government’s intention to migrate all viewers from analogue to digital Television.

The extension of the Digital terrestrial network (DTT) , will increase Freeview|HD®, coverage from 75% of the population to about 87% meaning even more Kiwis will now be able to access the benefits of High Definition television for free.

“The launch of Freeview three years ago was the most significant broadcasting moment since the introduction of colour TV 30 years ago and since then we’ve grown swiftly, so much so that Freeview is now being enjoyed by viewers in more than a quarter of New Zealand homes (i.e. a total of 419,945 or 26.1 % of Kiwi households as at June 30th, 2010). Importantly, with Freeview and a one off purchase, all New Zealanders can continue to get great Televison for free ,” says Sam Irvine, General Manager, Freeview.

“Today’s announcement also means a further year of funding for Freeview, more efficient use of spectrum and the availability of new technologies, all of which will enable us to continue providing the Kiwi viewing public with a compelling free-to-air offer,” he adds.

For more information on Freeview please folow this link to their website: Freeview

New Zealanders looking for brilliant content to watch on their new Apple iPads will find it close to home. NZ On Screen has launched a major upgrade to its website to coincide with the iPad’s local launch.

More than 300 of NZ On Screen’s 1000 video titles — television, film, short film and music – have already been reformatted to play on the iPad and iPhone, and the rest will come in the next few weeks.

This isn’t a small job. The iPad and iPhone are not compatible with Adobe Flash – the most common video playing technology for websites. They use the emergent HTML 5 video standard, which is being offered in trial form by major video sites – but is ready to go now on NZ On Screen.

The NZ On Screen site runs completely in HTML 5 on the iPad and iPhone, and the new format is available as an option for personal computer users with Chrome or Safari browsers. Our developers have had to start from scratch to create a viewing experience that is as good as we have had for the Flash version.

This site evolution presents NZ On Screen’s award-winning showcase of local screen content for the new age of digital devices. Feel free to tell your mates/colleagues/readers that it’s there, and to use it as an example of what can be done on the iPad. If you’d like to know more, contact us to talk about how we did it, with our development partners, Wellington agencies Chrometoaster and YouDo.

Fully funded by NZ On Air, NZ On Screen was established in 2008 to showcase New Zealand television, film and music video. Over 1000 titles, profiles and interviews can all be seen free of charge on NZ on Screen.

Skype on the Panasonic Viera HD TV set

Panasonic New Zealand has announced availability of Skype on VIERA High Definition TV

For sometime Panasonic have been aiming to do a deal with Skype to include a built-in support for the internet service allowing users to makae a free voice or video call to another Skype user. They finally have completed the deal and now you can have acces to Skype on the latest Viera High Definition TV’s.

Viewers will be able to access the Skype service by pressing a button on their remote. And you can purchase a specioally engineered high definition (720p) video Sype Camera (sold seperately for $249) to place on the top of your TV Set. The cheapest model in Panasonic’s line-up to gain Skype support is a 32-inch LCD model that sells for $1399.

TVNZ new website

TVNZ are talking up the launch of their new rich media website with some big claims about what it will achieve. Only time will tell how well they perform.

Watching a TV programme isn’t just about watching anymore – reliving great moments, speculating about upcoming storylines, reading about the actors, watching missed episodes, previews and parallel storylines, seeing ‘behind the scenes’, sharing the latest news and joining the programme’s community to talk about it.

From today kiwis will be able to do that with their favourite programmes on tvnz.co.nz’s new television entertainment site
www.tvnz.co.nz/tv

“We briefed the designers and asked them to provide a site that was a best-in-class rich media experience, not only have they delivered but without overstating it, I think we’re going to deliver the best media site in Australasia”, says TVNZ’s General Manager of Digital Media, Tom Cotter.
TVNZ has been working on the site for the last 8 months. News was the first stage of the new tvnz.co.nz roll-out and since it launched in December it has achieved up to 13 million page impressions, 1.25 million UB’s and almost 1.5 million video streams per month.

“Every month tvnz.co.nz has been streaming the equivalent of 39 years of television to kiwis which is in excess of 300,000 hours of TV watched on our site every month, the new user friendly design and added richness will push those numbers through the roof”.

Some of the features on www.tvnz.co.nz/tv include:
- catch up on missed episodes – over 160 programmes are available to watch on demand
- behind the scenes, parallel storylines, actor interviews and bios plus many other extras will be available on each programme’s page
- show communities – easy to use message boards for fans to interact with each other on the official programme site
- ability to share the whole programme page or parts of it on Facebook and Bebo
- home page TV schedule – detailing what’s on now, what’s coming up this week and what you missed yesterday so you can catch up by watching it online
- easy to navigate home page by clicking on News, Sport or Television tab

“The new look and new features on tvnz.co.nz is quite a revolution in online television – it’s a significant step forward for TVNZ and the company’s vision of inspiring New Zealanders on every screen but most of all we’re really proud of it and hope our viewers will be too”.

Television’s most popular programmes such as Desperate Housewives, Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, Coronation Street, Criminal Minds, Shortland Street, Dancing With The Stars, Gossip Girl, Go Girls, Chuck, Brothers & Sisters, Diplomatic Immunity, Stars In Their Eyes, Country Calendar, Te Karere, Good Morning, Tagata Pasifika, Media 7, The Gravy, I AM TV and Lost are just some of the favourite shows that will feature with the richer content from today.

After many months of development Gorilla-TV is launching this month on Juice TV and www.gorilla-tv.com

Gorilla-TV is a unique blend of old-school static television and new age web interaction.

Every month teams from all over the country submit a 4 minute television pilot. The pilots go onto Gorilla-TV.com where the public vote on them. It’s completely free to enter.

There may dozens of good pilots but there can only be 5 shows ‘green-lit’ to air.

The prize, if you make the Top 5, is for your show at the end of the month, to play NATIONWIDE on Juice TV.

But it doesn’t stop there. The following month winners go on to make a 2nd episode of their series while people who didn’t make the Top 5 scrap their idea and start fresh with a new one.

People can make that TV show they’ve always dreamt about, and if it makes it to the Top 5 thousands of people across the country will be watching. In our books there is no better prize than that.

They could become the next Fonzie. They could gain a cult following. All on a shoestring budget from their backyard.

Go to www.Gorilla-TV.com for all the details and to see the television commercial currently running on Juice TV.

Behind the show

Gorilla-TV is created by Christchurch producer Logan McMillan (Gorilla Pictures) in conjunction with Juice TV.

Logan has produced and directed over 40 music videos, and his debut feature length film “Last of the Living” premiered at last years NZ Film Festival – going on to pick up international distribution through a US based company. After many unsuccessful bids Gorilla-TV is the first television concept that has been given a green light for the 28 year old.

Gorilla-TV came out of Logan’s, and fellow filmmakers Ben Edwards and Morgan William’s, desire to have ideas that they make broadcast on TV in some form. They also saw a large market of like minded people in NZ (entrants of 48hours and various other festivals) that would be excited at the possibility of such a TV & web based show.

Initial estimates of 500 viewers, were exceeded after reports on Close-Up, TV One News and Sunrise drove 2500 people to their computers to watch the acclaimed feature. Local content delivery company, E-Cast ‘s Gresham Bradley said the result was “fantastic and an exciting preview of things to come”.

Unfortunately for producers, a miscommunication between the New Zealand distributor (Rialto) and the sub-distributor (Vendetta) resulted in the film being pulled from release the morning after the streaming.

Vendetta’s Jill McNab released a statement to all retailers intending to stock the film, “We were not made aware of the free streaming and understand fully the threat this poses to you, our customers. Therefore we have made the decision to cancel the release of the dvd as we do not think it is fair to supply you with a product which is legally available for free in the marketplace already. We will be cancelling all orders of this movie.”

Luckily many others in the industry saw the enormous value of the online promotion and the resultant media coverage. First up to the support the film were movie champions Video Ezy who boosted their initial order by 500%. Then other believers (JB Hifi, Warehouse and Fatso) joined suit, much to the relief of filmmakers and producers. Rialto’s Distribution Manager Karen Cartwright is shocked by the reversal of fortune, happily exclaiming “the stock intended to cope with demand has run out already!”

The film is finally being released to dvd today, Wednesday Feb 25th.

Exec Producer Ant Timpson is reflective after the roller-coaster week, “In the end, the film will be enjoying a much larger dvd release, which at the end of the day is all that counts. It should enjoy a long life as its topical subject matter makes it compelling viewing in these turbulent times. I completely understand Vendetta’s initial reaction and I hope they understand that all parties had the best of intentions with this successful experiment.”

A Song of Good is the story of 28-year-old Gary Cradle’s struggle for redemption after committing an horrific crime.

The film stars Gareth Reeves, Danielle Cormack, Ian Mune and Matthew Sunderland. The film was invited to Rotterdam Film Festival for its World Premiere and also won Best Film* at the New Zealand Film and Television Awards.

This online screening was made possible by the good folks at Headstrong, Robbers Dog, New Zealand Film Commission, Rialto Distribution, Cactus Lab, e-Cast and of course the film gurus at Flicks.co.nz

The new-look website of the World Indigenous Television Broadcasters Network (WITBN) includes information, videos and links to its member organisations; updates on programme and news sharing initiatives; membership application forms; community news; and e-newsletters.

The nine foundation Council members are National Indigenous Television (NITV), Australia; Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), Canada; TG4, Ireland; Maori Television, New Zealand; NRK Sámi Radio, Norway; BBC ALBA, Scotland; South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), South Africa; Taiwan Indigenous TV (TITV) / Public Television Service (PTS), Taiwan; and S4C, Wales.

The chairman of WITBN, Jim Mather – who is chief executive of Maori Television – says the network promotes partnerships and co-operation between member broadcasters. It also builds capacity and capability within the indigenous television broadcasting sector by identifying opportunities for development, staff exchanges, training, bursaries, scholarships and networking opportunities.

Two major initiatives for Council members in 2009 – a Programme Exchange Scheme and an international indigenous current affairs programme – are well underway, Mr Mather says. Taiwan Indigenous TV, supported by the Public Television Service, will also host the next World Indigenous Television Broadcasting Conference in 2010.

“The redesigned online resource will fulfill a major objective of WITBN which is to facilitate sharing amongst indigenous television broadcasters worldwide. The website is a key communications tool for our network and we invite like-minded organisations to take the initiative and work together to achieve common goals.”

Membership application forms for WITBN are available on the website www.witbn.org.

Full Length
Te Po Urirui
Awatea, a young warrior, is enraged when his lover Te Po, a high-born chief’s daughter, enters an arranged marriage. Retribution is swift and brutal. Set in the late 16th century and based on a Shakespeare sonnet (“my love is as a fever, longing still”), the storytelling of Te Po Uriuri is visceral, and suitably mythic in style. Rurus hoot; bloody patu gleam and bodies and the oily black of the night are vividly shot by Waka Attewell. Directed by Toby Mills and filmed in te reo, it was selected for the Hamburg International Film Festival.

Excerpts
Alex
Alex is a champion swimmer determined to win selection to the 1960 Commonwealth Games. She is a teenage high achiever, and the film deals with themes of intense rivalry, ambition, first love and the pressures of growing up. The film was adapted from Tessa Duder’s award-winning novel, which was the first in a quartet of Alex books. Lauren Jackson went on to a professional acting career, including film roles in The Tattooist and Perfect Creature. Alex was a co-production between NZ and Australia.

Ans Westra – Private Journeys, Public Signposts
Private Journeys / Public Signposts turns the camera on photographer Ans Westra. Dutch emigree Westra has captured iconic images of New Zealanders since the late 1950s, expressively observing Aotearoa societal changes, particularly M?ori urban drift. This film explores her remarkable life and work, and includes commentary from family and friends, fellow photographers, and colleagues, as well as discussion of the Washday at the Pa controversy. Luit Bieringa, curator of Westra’s retrospective photo exhibition, directed the film, his first.

Sweet As
A documentary about music festival Sweetwaters. It follows the experiences of two groups: six teenagers (including actor Kate Elliott, then 17), and a group of thirty-somethings (many of them veterans of the eighties Sweetwaters festivals). The youngsters rave in the dance tent and the veterans argue there was more drinking and naked bodies back in the day. The documentary includes short clips of performers UB40, The Clean, Chris Knox, Stellar – and Elvis Costello, who drops the on-stage bomb that most of the artists haven’t been paid.

Trailer
Trial Run
Rosemary Edmonds (Annie Whittle) is a photographer, mother and middle-distance runner. A project photographing the rare yellow-eyed penguin sends her to a remote Otago cottage. On arrival odd happenings become increasingly menacing. However Rosemary refuses to be intimidated. Events escalate, sending her running from her unknown assailant to the phone box for help in the race of her life. Bird-watching, stranger danger and feminist film theory line up for a time trial in Melanie Read’s first feature.

People: full profile
John Laing
After working at the National Film Unit, the BBC and Canada’s National Film Board, John Laing made his feature film debut as a director with Arthur Allan Thomas drama Beyond Reasonable Doubt (1980). Since then he has directed another six features, and many television shows and tele-movies. Laing has also produced for both Outrageous Fortune and Mercy Peak.

Don Reynolds
Tangata Whenua, A State of Siege, Utu, Smash Palace, The Quiet Earth, Illustrious Energy … The resume of soundman-turned-producer Don Reynolds covers the modern renaissance of New Zealand film.

People: short profile
Keisha Castle-Hughes, Maurice Gee, Anne Kennedy, Kirsty Cameron, Murray Milne, Victoria Kelly, Donald Duncan, Elizabeth McRae, Simon Raby, Peter Elliott, Kelly Johnson, Philippa Boyens, David Harry Baldock, Roger Hall

Screentalk interviews
Larry Parr

Annie Collins

Tony Hiles

Nothing compares with the power and excitement of the Olympic Games, the greatest global sporting event. When the world’s elite athletes gather in Beijing this August, TVNZ will bring Kiwi viewers closer to the drama and excitement than ever before, with spectacular images, expanded coverage, and new technologies.

The Olympic website is a one-stop shop for information, analysis and breaking Olympic news in the build-up to Beijing.

The site features include a dedicated section for every Olympic sport and profiles of every New Zealand competitor in the Games – including a range of interviews with the Kiwi medal hopefuls. Those wanting to enjoy past glories can watch the range of archive video footage. Google Maps technology has been utilised to produce a stunning bird’s-eye of the Beijing venues and there are blogs from sports broadcasting legends Keith Quinn and John McBeth, as well as diaries from several competing athletes. Further features include a full event schedule, photo galleries and all the news from the tvnz.co.nz journalists who will be will be part of the TVNZ production teams in Beijing and Auckland.

During the Games, in a first for New Zealand, tvnz.co.nz will offer the chance to choose from up to four channels of simultaneous video streaming online from TV ONE, TVNZ Sport Extra and two additional channels programmed by ONE Sport, which are only available online. There will be regularly updated information on the broadcast schedules for the television and online channels, and a daily package of Olympics video highlights that will be updated overnight, allowing Kiwis to catch up on, or re-live, the previous day’s big Olympic moments.

“This depth of online coverage of a major sporting event is something New Zealanders have never experienced,” says Jason Paris, Head of Emerging Business. “As well as broadcasting over 800 hours of Olympics action online, we’re offering up our richest content experience yet, with a wealth of video resources, coverage of every sport, high-quality images and all of the big stories about the Games.”

Head of Sport Murray Needham agrees: “The Olympic channels at tvnz.co.nz add another dimension to our coverage of Beijing, and give New Zealanders unprecedented opportunities to be part of the thrills and emotion of the Games.”

Beijing 2008 will be screened from August 8-24 across TV ONE, TVNZ Sport Extra and tvnz.co.nz.

Housed on tvnz.co.nz, the AEF website enables fans to interact with the show through exclusive video content, behind the scenes information, games and competitions.

The site has received funding from NZ On Air as part of its new Digital Content Partnership Fund and is produced by TVNZ’s online team with content supplied by Greenstone.

TVNZ’s Head of Marketing and Emerging Business Jason Paris says that the AEF site is a great example of TVNZ’s guiding strategy: “Inspiring New Zealanders on every screen”.

“Our strategy is to offer viewers content on multiple platforms and online is obviously an important part of this. Fans of AEF are always online, that’s where they get their information and how they communicate with their friends. So online is where we wanted to take the show.”

Paris says that partnering with NZ On Air and Greenstone in this venture is a significant step for TVNZ’s digital strategy.

“It’s great to have NZ On Air’s support, recognising that taking content online is an important extension for local production.”

NZ On Air’s CEO Jane Wrightson says that the AEF partnership is one of the first projects to be confirmed by the agency after the opportunity to fund online content was created by the recent Broadcasting Act amendment.

“The AEF project provided a wonderful opportunity for NZ On Air to move into the digital space in association with an already successful broadcast series. It is also appropriate that as one of our first online projects the target audience is one that easily embraces the opportunities presented by interactive web content”.

AEF producer Peter Clews believes that the AEF site is leading the way, reflecting the fact that in the future, television content will be delivered on a range of media.

“Having material online is changing the way that people are viewing and seeking their entertainment material, but the AEF site is not just another viewing platform, it’s a creative tool and fans will be part of the process.

“A lot of the material on the site will actually be generated by viewers. We want people to create their own superheroes who may actually end up being in Amazing Extraordinary Friends.”

The second series of The Amazing Extraordinary Friends is on TV2 at 4pm from Saturday 5 July. The production is funded by NZ On Air and TVNZ, and is created by Stephen Campbell and produced by Matt McPhail for Greenstone Pictures.