Lights, Cameras, Dial Tones!

Stonegate, Inc., a software development company based in Marin County, California, providee hosting and staging for the first World's Smallest Film Festival. Stonegate also produced the award presentation software, featuring screenings of the films of each nominee.

BigDigit, Inc. solicited digital film entries for its "World's Smallest Film Festival', which took place on March 18, 2003 as a special independent event at the CTIA wireless conference and trade show in New Orleans, LA. The event was produced by BigDigit, in partnership with Shoreline Research and other leading companies in the mobile and wireless industry.

Film entries were accepted through March 10, 2003 in nine major categories: Drama, Comedy, Music, Episodic, Instructional, Animation, Commercial, Sports, and Experimental. A panel of judges rated submissions on a variety of levels, including creativity, entertainment value, 'real world' utility and optimum use of currently-available technology. Attendees at the CTIA conference and exhibition also had an opportunity to screen and vote on entries as part of the First Annual BigDigit-CTIA 'best of show' awards category, through a special portal and software developed and enhanced just for The BigDigit First Annual 'World's Smallest Film Festival'.

The highlight of the event was an award's ceremony, recognizing the most creative and effective entries in each category, including those 'films' that are developed by corporations as part of an 'eLearning' or service and support function.

The first-of-its-kind festival showcased a variety of digital content that is created and enhanced for presentation on next-generation wireless phones. The events sponsors included Intel, BMW Films, PacketVideo, LightSurf, and Nokia. The company brings together the most important players in application development, wireless services, and content development to create high-impact perception campaigns for its clients.

The CTIA spring wireless conference is the premier event in the industry, and was expected to attract more than 40,000 attendees worldwide and 800 members of the press. Speakers at the CTIA conference included Paul Otellini, President and COO of Intel Corp., Christopher Galvin, Chairman and CEO of Motorola, Len Lauer, President of Sprint Corp.'s PCS Division, John Stanton, Chairman of T-Mobile, and Ted Turner, Vice Chairman of AOL Time Warner.

Mobile Digital Discussion

As part of the WSFF program, BigDigit led a series of discussions and presentations prior to the awards ceremony that focused on new trends and developments in new media presentations and mobile multimedia systems. Representatives from some of the top hardware, software and content companies in the industry took part in the panel discussions. Many of these companies showed the latest in mobile technology and demonstrated how these new systems and services will usher in a brave new world of mobile entertainment and portable multimedia.

The whole concept behind the WSFF and BigDigit's conference-within-a-conference is to demonstrate and discuss what will soon be available in the U.S. in terms of new mobile and wireless technology and personalized mobile content. Right now, there are close to 138 million wireless subscribers in the U.S (and 900 million wireless service subscribers worldwide). Although most of the digital wireless communications in the U.S. today consists of voice and data traffic (including, most recently, the transmission of full-color digital still images), we will soon have access to technology that allows capturing and transmitting full-motion video and multimedia clips that will usher in a whole new world of personal and mobile entertainment, as well as more business-oriented mobile info-tainment and multimedia eLearning.

Shipments of next-generation wireless handsets with built-in digital imaging capabilities will reach 151 million by 2006, as users view digital imaging as a major incentive to trade-up their present cell phones to more feature-packed models (IDC Research). These numbers represent an incredible opportunity for wireless service providers, digital content developers, and applications creators. Strong sales are expected to continue throughout the fourth quarter and into the first quarter of 2003, as handset makers in the U.S. unveil an exciting new generation of multimedia and Web-enabled devices featuring improved color screens and a built-in ability to handle high-level graphics.