THOUGHT (aka Centric's Blog)

I attended the Platform International Animation Festival in Portland and it was a blast. I saw great films, experienced outstanding art installations, and hung out with a lot of fascinating and creative people. Oh, and drank beer. Portland is the most amazing beer town you can imagine. No, I’m serious.

Shawn Bowman talked me into a Guitar Hero competition at the Someday Lounge. Despite my initial misgivings, I really enjoyed it, and ended up taking 4th place. Don’t believe me? Check out the photo! Some people from Encore - the creators of Guitar Hero - were there to participate, and I hung out with them after. A fun, drunken time was had by all.

Scott McCloud gave an inspiring talk on comics - their history and future. Laika threw an outdoor barbecue for us all to enjoy. The whole city pretty much supported the festival: the animators, and the artwork, showing that they’ll likely be a center for animation in the near future.

I participated in a panel on Second Life, and Jason Stoddard attended virtually from San Francisco. The discussion ran the gamut from the impact of virtual worlds on social interactions to China and the upcoming HiPiHi platform to the future of animation and how animators and other artists can use virtual worlds to advance their art. Second Life is a platform in which animators, filmmakers, and other visual artists can prototype, do portfolio work, and create new tools and venues for expressing their work. Everyone was excited by the possibilities.

I left ecstatic.

I’m up in Portland, Oregon, braving the light rain for the Platform International Animation Festival. I’ll be on a panel called "Get a Second Life" this Saturday at 2:30 Pacific, and Jason will join us via Second Life for the discussion.

Who’s here? Students, professional animators, producers, directors, musicians, graphic designers, architects, programmers, and marketers from all over the world. We’re all here to talk animation, hand-drawn, computer, stop-motion; to screen films; to talk about the business and the art of animation and its place in a changing media environment.

What’s interesting is that everyone I’ve talked to here gets virtual worlds. Many of them have only heard of Second Life and have only a passing idea of what it’s all about, but when I explain what Centric does, what the opportunities are, and where it’s going, they get it. Right away. Which is perfect, because virtual worlds need more of these artists and thinkers to get involved. One of the strengths of Second Life is user-generated content; one of its weaknesses is limited creation tools. The more animators there are in virtual worlds, the better the tools will get. Which is good for all of us.

If you’re in Portland, come check it out!

We interrupt this blog for a brief list of some of the conferences that we’ll be speaking at over the next few months:

Home Entertainment Summit
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Date: June 19, 2007 2:40PM
Speaker: Jason Stoddard
Topic: How Virtual Worlds Open New Universes of Entertainment

Platform Festival
Location: Portland, Oregon and Second Life
Date: June 30, 2007
Panelists: Ken Brady and Jason Stoddard
Topic: Get a Second Life

State of Play V
Location: Singapore
Date: August 19-22, 2007
Speaker: Ken Brady
Topic: Building Business in Virtual Worlds

Virtual Worlds Fall 2007
Location: San Francisco, CA
Date: October 10-11, 2007
Speakers: Ken Brady, Yuki Saeki
Topic: International Impact of Virtual Worlds

Well, one of them, at least. Looks like I’ll be speaking at next month’s Home Entertainment Summit. The topic? Hey, what a shock:

Online Marketing Meets Web 2.1
Marketing In the New World of Social Networking

Tuesday, June 19, 2:40PM

Or, more specifically, I’ll be talking about what we learned about when our Second Life region intersected with a future (alternate) reality . . . and what entertainment marketers might take away from it.

More information at: http://dvdsummit.homemediaconferences.com/dvdsummit/v42/index.cvn?id=10007

This is an introduction and a few announcements. I’ve been lurking here without posting for quite a while. My name is Ken Brady. As the Director of International Strategies for Centric, it’s about time I introduced myself and what I’m doing here.

Centric is commited to our international clients, and we’re working to make our company much more relevant on the world stage. Our new office in Tokyo is one step, our forthcoming office in Shanghai is another, and our international prospects in Second Life is yet another. My focus on developing international business is also part of that commitment, and there will be many more announcements in the near future. We now have clients in Japan and China, and have been speaking to potential clients in Taiwan, Thailand, Germany, Switzerland, Isreal, France, Brazil, Singapore, the U.K. and Australia.

I’m very excited about the possibilities, and welcome the challenge and unique opportunities that come from doing international business. These are exciting times!

PORTLAND

Jason and I are speaking at a Portland Advertising Federation event in Portland, Oregon. The seminar is called SecondLife: Web 2.0 Branding - Boldly Going Where Million$ are Right Now. Sounds like something we can handle, right? If you’re in the Portland area, we’d love to see you there.

SINGAPORE

Yuki and I will be in Singapore for a series of meetings May 3-8. Hit us up if you’re in Singapore!

CHINA

Yuki and I wil be in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen and Hong Kong May 10-24. We’re checking out possible office locations and meeting with a variety of potential partners and clients. Again, let us know if you’re in China during those two weeks!

JAPAN

Yuki and I will be here May 8-10 and again May 24-30. We’ll be arranging our new office, talking to a number of prospective clients, and visiting current clients and friends. Again, if you’re in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto or Kobe, email and let us know.