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Gov 2.0 Report released: Use of online video content seen as important to help engage with communities
After months of consultations across the country, the Government 2.0 Taskforce has released its final report on how Web 2.0 technologies can be implemented to improve open governance in Australia.
Since June 2009, the Australian Government has been actively investigating how new media and online technologies, commonly known as Web 2.0 technologies, can help create new ways for government to communicate openly with community.
 “This government backed inquiry was really the first time that something of this nature and scale was actually willing to embrace the whole new world of Web 2.0 and start to really use these participatory tools,” said Darren Sharp, senior consultant with Collaforge, a company commissioned to identify how well the Taskforce was engaging with the public.
One interesting issue to come out of the report is the use of online video content by government agencies. The Whole of Government Video Service Scoping Study as published on the Government 2.0 Taskforce website discusses the importance of video as a way of engaging with audiences in an accessible way.
Yet within the study, many departments noted a lack of knowledge on production and technical skills with video production as challenges of producing quality content.
“Video has always been an effective way of communicating information,” said Hub Managing Director Chris Hindes. “What is important is establishing collaborative relationships with government agencies to ensure the right messages are being communicated, targeted at the right audiences and then distributed using the most effective technology.”
Over 15 years, the Hub has developed strong ties with a variety of government agencies and worked with them to produce video content for various media platforms. The Hub’s recent work with Australian government agency AusAID is a good example of how video can be distributed effectively through online technologies. (See article Working together towards Millennium Goals for more information).
“It’s great to see this push for video content, and it will be interesting to follow what initiatives are introduced as a result of these reports,” said Hindes “The Hub is looking forward to collaborating with various government agency to help achieve these outcomes”.
For more information on the Government 2.0 Taskforce and its final report, visit www.gov2.net.au >>
Archived News - 2009
Working together towards Millennium Goals
" What better way to address global issues than through a global communications medium "
 Following the success of No Ordinary Journey, The Hub has again partnered with AusAID, this time to deliver an exciting new internet-based video project promoting a call to action against poverty and inequality.
The Millennium Development Goals are a series of 8 targets announced by the United Nations to reduce poverty by 2015. These targets aim to eradicate global hunger and inequality in areas like health, education and gender.
Australia’s commitment to the Millennium Development Goals was confirmed by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in 2008, with the aim to increase awareness and action on these important global issues.
Working with Australian Aid Agency for International Development (AusAID), The Hub is working to produce a series of short videos, promoting awareness of the 8 Millennium Development Goals, as well as demonstrating how Australian aid is working toward achieving these goals. With a mix of animation and live action, the vignettes will have a visual design for specific targeted use, and will be distributed purely online, particularly through AusAID’s YouTube channel.
This combination of distributing video content online through various Web 2.0 applications, like YouTube, provides new opportunities for connecting with audiences on a global level. This contemporary approach to production and distribution not only to widens audience reach but also maximises awareness and a call to action on the Millennium Development Goals, as we strive to close the gap on poverty and inequality throughout the world.
for more information on the Millennium Development Goals, visit the AusAID website >>
Hub looking towards new media experiences
The world of media technologies is changing rapidly and with new web technologies being introduced we’re seeing a real change in the way media messages are being delivered and consumed.
The Hub has been active over the last few weeks, attending various industry events to learn more about these new changes and what they mean for the media industry as a whole.
 “We’re seeing a big push towards multi-platform delivery for media products now,” said Hub’s Director of Production Fausto Pighin after attending a seminar on cross-media development at AFTRS in Sydney. A point echoed at this year’s Spaa Fringe event at Sydney’s Fox Studios.
One keynote speaker from Spaa Fringe, producer Kelly Chapman, mentioned “Everything is changing; audiences are really changing and we need to change to both make a sustainable living and to tell stories.”
With 79% of people now active online using social media, 33% reading online forums and 18% of people contributing content to them, it’s obvious that media professionals should be harnessing this activity in content delivery rather than fighting against it. (Source: Screen Hub News)
“What is most interesting in existing cross media projects is the existence of traditional media,” said Hub’s Business Manager Chris Hindes. “It seems that the most successful projects have solid base in traditional media forms like broadcast television or film, but are being experienced in multiple ways, especially online, and as a result can widen audience reach.”
These technology shifts are also being noticed within government, with Government 2.0 Conference held in Canberra recently. The conference was a chance to share knowledge and experiences of utilising these new media and online technologies and how they help create new ways for communities to access public sector information, as well as interact and collaborate more effectively with government.
“Again we’re seeing how new technologies are being used to deliver, and now create media messages,” said Chris Hindes “That’s why we felt it important to come and find out what else is being done in these areas.”
It’s clear that there is a new paradigm shift in how media products are being produced and delivered, and The Hub is looking towards this with anticipation, as Chris Hindes pointed out, “This is a chance to be innovative and creative and we’re looking forward to the challenges ahead.”
*Image source: www.doublejdesign.co.uk
Hub scoops two nominations for 2009 ATOM Awards
The Hub has been named finalists in two categories this year’s prestigious EnhanceTV ATOM Awards.
 Established in 1982, the awards are run by the Australian Teachers of Media (ATOM) and recognise excellence in across Film, Television, Animation and Multimedia and are aimed at promoting media education and screen literacy within schools, universities and the wider community.
The Hub have been named Finalists for:
Best Documentary Science, Technology and Environment - Ghosts of the Gulf: Ghosts of the Gulf explores the cultural relationship of indigenous communities in the Gulf of Carpentaria to their sea country and the innovative steps these communities are taking to protect their country and animals.
Best Instructional/Training Resource – ‘Safety On Site’ Induction OHS Training:
This interactive training resource is aimed specifically at informing school leavers and new workers of correct practices and policies relating to Occupational Health and Safety on the construction site.
For more info see www.atomawards.org
National Television Premiere: No Ordinary Journey
 Shot in five countries over 6 months, the documentary follows inspirational journey of six volunteers with the Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development (AYAD) program.
Wading knee deep in mud in a Bangladesh village, counseling street kids in a Vietnam night market, nursing in a Papua New Guinean hospital which runs out of antibiotics are just a few of the challenges faced by the six volunteers. Yet it is all part of the adventure, as the volunteers strive to make a difference and forge friendships that will never be broken.
The AYAD program, funded by AusAID, supports young Australian volunteers looking to live and work in developing countries. On average the program places over 400 Australians on short-term assignments in countries across the Asia Pacific region and beyond each year.
No Ordinary Journey premiered on Sunday August 30, on Network Ten. It has received excellent reviews across a variety of locally and nationally produced broadcast and print media including the Sydney Morning Herald, ABC Radio Australia and State Focus for Southern Cross Ten Canberra.
To view this production online visit AusAID's website
For DVD copies of this production contact Cathy Reid, Broadcast Media Manager, AusAID cathy.reid@ausaid.gov.au
The Hub congratulates Message Stick on ten remarkable years
The Production Hub is pleased to congratulate The ABC’s Message Stick program on its tenth anniversary.
Over the past ten years Message Stick has provided Australia with a crucial voice on Indigenous issues and perspectives, and The Hub has been privileged to be part of the success story, having supplied programming for more than 10 episodes of Message Stick.
 These have included topics as diverse as the environmental threat of drift nets in the gulf region, Australia’s Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs), the life journey of the late great Nugget Coombs, and most recently Kakadu (Gagudju): A Timeless Land - The story of the historic agreement between Kakadu’s traditional owners - Bininj/Mungguy, and the Kakadu Board of Management as they agreed to develop a shared vision for the park, with culture and customary law underpinning all tourism decisions. The Hub’s Managing Director Mr Chris Hindes said, “We are delighted to see Message Stick having reached such an important milestone, and we take great pride in having been part of its journey. We are looking forward to another great ten years from a program that is so vital to all Australians”.
The Hub at the top of their game!
Television has the power to influence and transport people to far away places and events.
To this end the Hub’s Director of Production, Fausto Pighin, recently found himself on a plane travelling to South Africa to once again take-up a Broadcast Venue Managers (BVM) position at the FIFA Confederations Cup. The Cup is the lead-in event for the FIFA World Cup which is being held in South Africa in 2010.
The Confederations Cup was being broadcast live around the world. Of course, even live sport events are not continuously “live”. Material is pre-produced ready to be inserted into the program as required. This necessitates professional equipment that will not let the team down.
 “I wasn’t at all surprised to see Apple’s MacBook Pro and Final Cut Pro (Apple’s professional editing software solution) taking centre stage for some host broadcast duties at the recent FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 in South Africa” said Fausto on his return to Canberra. There was a significant amount of material shot by ENG crews that were “embedded” into two high profile teams, Brazil and Bafana Bafana (the beloved South African team). These packages needed to be edited and sent back to the central server in Johannesburg – quickly and reliably. Utilising Apple’s hardware / software solution, fast networks and even faster satellite links, the footage was effortlessly dispatched to it’s destination ready to be inserted into the broadcast.
Why wasn’t Fausto surprised to see the software and hardware platforms The Hub uses at such a large event? “We’ve been using Final Cut Pro for almost 10 years now, since version 1 (for the tech-heads, it’s now up to version 7). It is the mainstay of all our post-production facilities. Whether it’s for free-to-air broadcast, corporate DVD or web steaming, it all goes through one of our three FCP suites at some stage, it is proven technology” he said.
“Being very early adopters of Apple’s editing solution was not always met with enthusiasm. But our commitment to the product was well placed. In 2007 it was estimated that FCP makes up 49% of the US professional editing market” he added, by this stage enthusiastically!
“A gratifying aspect of this is the knowledge that we are utilising industry standard, state of the art solutions for our clients needs. We are filming in some of the most remote places in Australia. Re-shoots are out of the question in most cases. Much of our work is time critical, and we need to have confidence that the tools we are using everyday are up to the challenge”.
It may be World Cup, the Olympics or Commonwealth Games but we are certain that the experience Fausto brings back helps keep all of us at The Hub, at the top of our game.
Taking the FIFA Confederations Cup to the world!
The Hub’s Director of Production, Fausto Pighin is one of the key players bringing the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa, to television viewers around the world. 
As Broadcast Venue Manager, Fausto’s role is to direct a team of broadcast specialists, ensuring the provision of video and audio feeds from the games are flawlessly delivered to international audiences.
He is highly qualified and experienced in this area after working on many other big scale broadcasts such as the Beijing Olympics (2008), FINA Swimming World Championships (2007) Melbourne Commonwealth Games (2006), Doha Asia Games (2006) and FIFA World Cup in Germany (2006).
Having a key member of The Hub involved in such a critical role at these events ensures The Hub maintains world-class
standards and stays at the forefront of digital video and
broadcasting technologies.
Hub Managing Director graduates in Australia’s first Creative Industries Business Certificate.
Following 10 months intensive work our Managing Director Chris Hindes has completed and received his Graduate Certificate in Business Administration (Creative Industries). 
This certificate is Australia's first accredited management qualification that is specifically designed for screen producers and media professionals.
The course is run by the Australian Film, Television and Radio School’s Centre for Screen Business. CSB designed this innovative new course to bring together the best and brightest from the ranks of Australian media executives and screen producers.
Chris becomes part of the first group of alumni from the course, and received his certificate from AFTRS CEO Sandra Levy at a ceremony held in Sydney recently.
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