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Territorial Assets - New media in Vancouver

Explore the status, background, and future challenges of the new media industry in Vancouver, BC. Discover the vibrant community and organizations driving innovation in this emerging sector.

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Territorial Assets - New media in Vancouver

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  1. Territorial Assets - New media in Vancouver Richard Smith SFU ISRN 2004

  2. Topics to be covered • Thank you’s • Status • Background on new media/multimedia - definitions • The industry in profile in BC/Vancouver • History, status, directions, trends, future challenges • Territorial assets • Questions ISRN 2004

  3. Partners and research assistants • This project has been successful in large part because of the tireless work of Michelle Petrusevich, Michael Felczak, and Shawna Reibling (MA students) and Jane McCarthy (CPROST Research Fellow). • Newmedia BC has been a wonderful community partner. • Numerous firms, government agencies, and research institutes contributed time and insight through participation in case studies. ISRN 2004

  4. State of the research project • Newmedia cluster study in BC is complete (final interviews were conducted in 2003) and the most recent report is in the latest “ISRN book” you have in your package. • Further research into new media innovation practices continues, and we continue to work with groups like CIMI and Newmedia BC on an informal basis. ISRN 2004

  5. First, some definitions • New media suffers from a surprising degree of ambiguity of what it is; defining new media frequently depends on who is asking the question. • Given our research focus, we proposed (and used) a definition tied to where innovation was occurring but that definition is rarely used within the cluster as it means key players are not included. New MediaInnovation Computation Content ISRN 2004

  6. Findings: Services • Many see new media in terms of the service economy - ‘soft’ products and much service work within the cluster… but this might be a mistake as new media also includes products - games, movies, software, animation. • Services within the cluster, however, are an emerging trend - particularly well developed in computer games, which are becoming more and more like movie studios every day. As part of this process, extended value chains with sub-trades and specialists are gaining in viability. ISRN 2004

  7. Findings: New media is ambiguous • The presence of a “cluster” of new media firms is ambiguous, depending on how you define cluster and how rigorously you apply that definition. • New media is perhaps best described as a nascent or incipient cluster • New media faces obstacles to growth, most recently in proposed government initiatives to lump it in with the information and communication technologies (ICT) cluster, which may not be a good ‘fit’. ISRN 2004

  8. Findings… what kind of industry is this? • Newmedia, or multimedia, as some call it, can also be categorized as a “cultural industry” and while many in the industry are wary of this definition there is the lure of government money that causes them to continue to return to this version of what new media is. ISRN 2004

  9. Findings… knowledge flows • Knowledge flows in the cluster are largely informal and surprisingly ‘disconnected’ from the universities. • Major sources of new employees come from specialized training institutions (CDIS, VFS) as well as colleges (Capilano) and even some high schools that have specialized in multimedia programs. • Research programs in new media are few and the recent demise of “NewMIC” puts firms in the sector on guard. • There is a gap between ‘the trenches’ for coding, which are occupied by locals where programs supporting that employment exist but increasingly are being farmed out to Korea, India, China, and the frontier work and mind and management, which remains local. ISRN 2004

  10. Findings…size of firms • The ‘cluster’ has a few big players (e.g., Electronic Arts) and everyone else is very small. • 700 firms / 14000 employees • Nevertheless, the sector is growing and has survived a traumatic shrinkage. • More details in the New media BC Industry Report: • http://www.newmediabc.com/2003_NMBC_study.pdf • Or, you can watch it in streaming video (Windows Media File), available online here: • http://www.newmediabc.com/New_Media_BC_2003_Industry_Survey/New_Media_BC_Survey_part03.wmv ISRN 2004

  11. Comparisons • Research on new media in Toronto and Montreal is coming along well and we have met to plan our comparative report. • John Britten leading comparison initiative. Met in Toronto in February. • First finding is that the sectors have some common features but are surprisingly different, at least at first blush. • More systematic comparison to come in 2004. ISRN 2004

  12. Territorial assets for new media in Vancouver • 4th pillar organizations - Community • Anchor • Local assets • Knowledge Producers ISRN 2004

  13. Vibrant, creative 4th pillar organizations • NewmediaBC • Wireless Innovation Network BC (WINBC) • BC Film • Association of BC Animation Producers • eLearning BC • Techvibes • All of these work together to create,sustain, and enhance the communityfor new media in BC ISRN 2004

  14. An anchor/pivot/model • Electronic Arts/Don Mattrick • A role model for individuals • An employers for many • A place to go when things don’t work out • A place to come from when you want to break away • A place to come to if you’re from away • A place to come from if you’re leaving (credibility) • A place to hire your company (value chain stuff) • A model of how things work in the industry • A local (Burnaby) supporter ISRN 2004

  15. Location, location, location • Fibre - Bandwidth to the world • Airport - Los Angeles, Toronto, New York • Highway - Seattle • Mountains, ocean, climate, cultural diversity ISRN 2004

  16. Knowledge • Basic training is available • Vancouver Film School • Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design • Art Institute of Vancouver/ITI • Simon Fraser & UBC • Capilano College, BCIT • High school multimedia programs ISRN 2004

  17. Next steps • Complete work on the ISRN database, which was funded from new media cluster budget; publish in open source form. MA Thesis on the process forthcoming by M Felczak. • Complete work on “social capital” among new media associations. MA Thesis forthcoming by M Petrusevich. ISRN 2004

  18. Next steps • Future cluster/innovation systems research? • Future versions of the ISRN database? • Continued collaboration with cluster enablers, such as Newmedia BC? ISRN 2004

  19. Questions/Contact • Questions welcome • Richard SmithSFU/CPROST515 West Hastings StreetVancouver, BC V6B 5K3smith@sfu.ca ISRN 2004

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