North East & The Border Centre, RTS AWARDS 2007

Category 5: BEST NEW MEDIA PRODUCTION
Guest Presenter: IAN McBRIDE

This is for productions delivered on 'new media' — in other words, content which is digitally delivered and is not broadcast or non-broadcast TV. Entries could be video podcasts, websites, interactive TV content, computer games or similar. DVDs which contain linear production are not included (they are covered in other production categories). Entrants submitted samples of one project on DVD/CD or (in the case of online-only applications) URLs, together with supporting text to explain audience, purpose, budget and technologies used.

Winner:
NORTH EAST MOVIES WEBSITE
Produced by EMMA ROBINSON, Funkigroup for Northern Film & Media

(l to r) Emma Robinson, Ian McBride, Dr Derek Simpson (University of Teesside)

Four entries drew particular praise from the judges. Funkigroup created the NORTH EAST MOVIES WEBSITE for Northern Film & Media — a media distribution platform that allows North East filmmakers to deliver their films to a worldwide online audience, who in turn can share, vote and comment on the films. The panel agreed the website had an uncomplicated graphic style, and made ideal use of the online environment.

GREEDY GARETH, THE HUNGRY FROG, an online game created by Enigma Interactive for the Basic Skills Agency, is aimed at encouraging young children to read. It was superbly executed, and managed to succeed in its twin aims of being educational and almost addictively entertaining.

INTERACTIVE HOUSE, from Firstline Interactive Systems, is a website built for Powergen to provide a fun way for users to explore energy-saving in the home. With superb graphics, the site was easy to understand and (above all) useful.

ITV LOCAL is part of a ground breaking, regional web-based broadband network. The Border site was launched in August, offering viewers 24 hour access to news, travel and weather, as well as providing space for local filmmakers of all types. The judges agreed that ITV LOCAL was well presented, clear, and showed an infectious enthusiasm for both content and purpose.

But with its brilliantly designed content and delivery, the winner of this year's BEST NEW MEDIA PRODUCTION is Funkigroup's North East Movies website for Northern Film & Media, produced by EMMA ROBINSON.

The North East Movies Website