In spring 2011 First Motion celebrated its first anniversary! This inspired us to give you an overview about what First Motion and its partners developed, realized and achieved within its first run.
On the following pages you will find useful and up-to-date information about the projects of the first call, everything about the online plattform Baltic Universe (realized as a part of workpackages 3 and 5) and the pioneering MA-Curriculum »Crossmedia Production« which is an outcome of workpackage 6 as well as a page with reports, studies, research from all workpackages...

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As First Motion started its first call in 2010 more than 60 submissions from all over the Baltic Sea Region were handed in at the First Motion offices in Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Norway, Poland and Sweden. Only seven succeeded in convincing First Motion and its partners with their unique contribution to unlock digital markets in the BSR.
 

It is obvious that the creative industries – and with them a lot of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the av-media sector – are eager and interested in narrowing the shores of the digital and cross media world in order to stimulate economic growth and create contemporary and sustainable business models. Every single project of the first call experiments with new business models and methods of telling and selling stories and av-content, looks at the topic from a slightly different angle and highlights varying aspects: some are concentrating on the interaction of story and audience, on user generated content and its influence on the final media product. Some are focussing on alternative financing methods, time and money saving production work flows and distribution concepts. Others are testing the range of possibilities and the usage of cross-sectorial spill-overs in order to create synergy effects between different markets. But what they have in common is that each project functions effectively as a unique approach to the possibilities of modern communication technologies and innovative usage of emerging cross media tools.

 

Due to First Motion’s special focus on a manifold, but unified approach to fostering innovation, the first call was closely interlinked with other parts of First Motion. One of the results out of the work packages 3 and 5 is the online tool »Baltic Universe«, a networking and distribution platform for av-content. Co-developed by the projects of the first call, »Baltic Universe« is on its way to connect the BSR’s av-media industry and to test alternative distribution strategies. The platform is already in its beta phase. Part of the call were two international workshops, the so called LABs. Those had a double function: on the one hand they were used for the development of the projects and cooperation, on the other hand they worked as test runs for the MA-Curriculum »Crossmedia Production« which will be launched by the Tallinn-based Baltic Film and Media School this autumn as a pioneer project in the Baltic Sea Region (as part of work package 6).

 
First Motion’s fostering approach is not a one-way street, on contrary, the new media project itself is benefitting from the elaboration of new business models and the building of value chains in av-media. For example, the two LAB sessions were extremely helpful for improving First Motion’s mentoring skills, learning about the conditions of digital market mechanisms, and for adapting to new approaches on how creative industries and regional development can be synchronized successfully.