If you’ve been following the virtual reality posts that CFC Media Lab has published last year, one thing becomes clear -- technology that was once little more than a concept is now in the hands of millions of consumers around the globe.

“You’re starting to see a market. We didn’t have that two years ago,” says Frederic Guarino, guest programmer of the inaugural IDEABOOST Network Connect Summit that focused on VR. With tens of millions of headsets now in circulation (according to the most recent Google announcement, 10 million Cardboards alone have been distributed), Guarino believes that the VR install base is large enough to fuel an even bigger revolution. “Now we’re looking for the iPhone moment. We’re looking for the apps that are going to drive people into stores.”

As Canada’s only digital media and entertainment accelerator, IDEABOOST has taken steps to build a collaborative close-knit community of VR startups, as evidenced by the recent Summit, but it also provided entrepreneurs with practical advice to help them build successful businesses. With that in mind, here are five tips for any startup looking to navigate the VR space.

1. Manage Your Expectations

In Silicon Valley, the VR hype was at its peak about two years ago, when venture capitalists (VC) anticipated a rapid transformation of the consumer market. That revolution has not yet come to pass (at least not at that pace). Tom Emrich, a venture capitalist with Super Ventures and a panelist at the Summit, told guests that investors have since become more selective, making things more difficult for startups that are new to virtual reality.

Yet there are still plenty of opportunities. Early sales for headsets are tracking similarly to early sales for the iPhone, and there’s every reason to think that growth will continue. The projections that drove the initial hype were simply unrealistic. While VR remains an unproven commodity for the general public, it will be an easier sell if companies can give consumers a more accurate picture of the landscape.

“For people on the street, it’s still being hyped to them,” says Guarino. “We have to be very clear to the marketplace that no, it’s not The Matrix. We’re on our way, but we’re not there yet.”

The key will be bridging the gap between expectation and reality. VR is no longer science fiction. It is an emerging tech field with obstacles that require tangible solutions. A more grounded approach will remove some of the gloss and give both developers and consumers a better sense of what it looks like now.

2. Entertainment is Not the Answer

The first wave of VR venture capital went to entertainment companies but many of the most profitable applications of VR have been seen in training, education and other practical fields. Those alternatives are attractive to VCs because they provide a more stable business foundation and offer more predictable revenue streams for investors.

“If you were lucky enough to get in on that first bubble, then you would have raised money quickly. If you didn’t have the opportunity to raise money at that time, that’s where your strategy might need to shift to B2B to show where the revenue is going to come from,” says Ana Serrano, the Chief Digital Officer at the CFC and the Managing Director of IDEABOOST.

“The companies that are making money today – and that’s what VCs want to see – are on the service side, whether it’s medical, training, military or some kind of product,” adds Vlad Dascalu, one of the founders of PinchVR and a participant at the Summit.

The takeaway is that if you’re looking to launch a VR venture in 2017, you’re better off creating a product that meets an identifiable need, more so than chasing a recreational still-nascent market. The companies that do so are the companies that will be successful.

“You’re trying to be pragmatic,” says Guarino. “Look at VR as greater than the entertainment space.”

3. Look Beyond VR

Virtual Reality is not the only platform that utilizes immersive 3D technology. Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) blend the real world with the digital world, and many of the skills needed to develop in one are transferable to the others.

That’s why anyone working in VR should be familiar with the latest trends in AR, MR and other related sectors. The emergence of AR and MR has created a new wave of hype in Silicon Valley, so companies that are able to pivot will have a better chance to secure VC funding.

“You need to be as agile as possible,” says Guarino. People are discovering new applications for VR. In many cases, the product you thought you were making is not the product that you eventually take to market. You don’t want to become so attached to your original idea that you can’t transition to a better business model when it becomes necessary.

Startups with a narrow focus will blind themselves to potentially lucrative opportunities. The ability to adapt will be crucial for companies struggling to stay afloat.

4. Turn to the Web(VR)

From the Oculus Rift to the HTC Vive to the Samsung Gear, the choice of platform is one of the most important decisions facing any VR developer. The market has yet to adopt a common standard, so choosing the wrong headset could be a death knell if that headset becomes the Betamax to a competitor’s VHS.

Fortunately, there are ways to mitigate that risk. With Google’s WebVR, software developers are now able to build directly for the web. The all-purpose platform will chill the impact of any console war and make the VR ecosystem safer for startups active in the space.

The broader point is that you don’t want to limit yourself to one platform. Smart entrepreneurs will want their product to be compatible with as many headsets as possible to guarantee an audience, no matter which hardware manufacturer comes out ahead.

5. Learn from Your Mistakes

Many tech startups don’t get everything right the first time. As with anything else, those that survive are the ones that are able to learn from their mistakes.

PinchVR is an excellent example of what that looks like in practice. The company has created a VR headset with multi-touch controllers that can be shipped through the mail for as little as five dollars. In the past two years, PinchVR has pivoted to focus on immersive B2B marketing solutions. That’s not what Vlad Dascalu expected he’d be doing – he originally thought PinchVR would end up in the entertainment space – but it was the right decision based on the market and the product that PinchVR had been developing.

“I think a lot of companies in VR are technology purists. The focus needs to be figuring out the business problems where VR can disrupt the status quo,” says Dascalu.

Once you do find your niche, you need to be able to scale quickly to exploit that window. No one knows how the VR market will evolve in the next few years. Flexible companies will be well positioned to take advantage of any opportunity. The successful ones will look beyond the hype and idealism to find practical solutions to current problems, wherever they happen to appear.

Photo by Allison Meire

Back by popular demand, CFC Media Lab , Seneca’s School of Creative Arts and Animation, and the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) are returning to The Met Cloisters (99 Margaret Corbin Drive, Fort Tryon Park, New York, NY 10040) with their “impressively transporting” (Hyperallergic) virtual reality (VR) collaboration, Small Wonders: The VR Experience. The encore engagement is FREE with admission, with reservations suggested due to popular demand,Friday, March 31–Sunday, April 2 and Friday, May 12–Sunday, May 14, 10:30 am–5:00 pm in the Fuentidueña Chapel at The Met Cloisters, the branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art devoted to the art and architecture of the Middle Ages.

“It really is worth it to gain an intricate understanding on a forensic level of how meticulous the detail is in these handheld objects.” -- Allison Meire, Hyperallergic

After exploring the exhibition Small Wonders: Gothic Boxwood Miniatures, running through May 21,which brings together for the first time some 50 rare boxwood carvings from museums and private collections across Europe and North America, visitors can don a VR headset and walk through the Last Judgement: Coronation of the Virgin (1500-1530) - a Gothic miniature bead that fits inside the palm of one’s hand.VR users will get up close and personal with the intricately carved saints and sinners.

The exhibition offers new insight into the methods of production and cultural significance of these awe-inspiring works of art. Small enough to fit in the palm of the hand, these tiny masterpieces depict complex scenes with elegance and precision. Without fail, they inspire viewers to ask how an artist could have possibly made them, a question that can only be answered today and a challenge perfect for VR technology. The integrated use of VR enhances the museum experience, and marks a significant first for The Met Cloisters.

“I had been interested in creating a parallel experience for the public,” says Lisa Ellis, the conservator of the Art Gallery of Ontario, who created the exhibit. I think there is complete synchronicity between these tiny objects and the virtual world inside the HTC headset.” The result is an experience of exploring art like no other.

“This was a lightning in a bottle experience,” says Ana Serrano, Chief Digital Officer, CFC, and Producer, Small Wonders: The VR Experience. “A perfect marriage of content and form that made an object of wonder accessible.”

The AGO, CFC Media Lab and Seneca’s School of Creative Arts and Animation partnered to create Small Wonders: The VR Experience. Using one of the AGO’s micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) scans of the miniatures, the creative and technical team led by interactive artist and designer, Priam Givord, developed an experience specifically for the HTC Vive platform. Viewers can explore the intricate carvings of the prayer bead from various angles and in detail otherwise inaccessible to the human eye. The soundtrack, Treasures of Devotion: Spiritual Songs in Northern Europe 1500-1540, echoes the ambience of the wider show. The result: VR enriches the contemplative and immersive experience.

Small Wonders: The VR Experience was created by Lisa Ellis, Conservator of Sculpture and Decorative Arts (AGO); VR Creative and Technical Director Priam Givord (Interactive Artist/Designer); VR Producers Ana Serrano (CFC Media Lab) and Mark Jones (Seneca College); VR Technical Team Craig Alguire, Morgan Young (Quantum Capture) and Tyrone Melkitoy (Mobius Interactive); Composer/Vocalist Anne Azema, Artistic Director (The Boston Camerata); Narrator Gillian McIntyre; and Micro-CT Scanner Andrew Nelson, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Sustainable Archaeology (Western University).

The exhibition continues at The Met Cloisters through May 21, 2017, but the VR experience will only run during public hours, Friday, March 31–Sunday, April 2 and Friday, May 12–Sunday, May 14. To learn more about the Small Wonders exhibition and to plan your visit, go to: http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2017/small-wonders

At The Met Cloisters, Small Wonders: Gothic Boxwood Miniatures is made possible by the Michel David-Weill Fund.It wasorganized by the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; and the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

We are deeply saddened to share that our CFC alumnus, mentor and much-loved colleague, Denis McGrath, died on Thursday, March 23, 2017, after an illness. He was 48 years old.

Denis was an alumnus both of CFC Features in 1998, and then of the 2001 Prime Time TV Program – where he met, worked alongside and formed strong enduring friendships with Rob Sheridan and Jason Belleville, among others.

It was Denis, who after completing the Prime Time TV program, made the seemingly simple suggestion to expand the program offering to include the development of each writer’s original series, in addition to the story room experience. This was a significant change that forever altered this program for the better.

It was his commitment to the well-being of writers, to the building up of our creative community, to the pursuit of excellence, and Denis’ own natural ability to share information and teach that made him a sought-after and valued mentor to many here at the CFC, and out in the larger creative community.

Over the years, and no matter how busy he was, Denis always made time to be an advisor, guest and project mentor to our writers, along with hosting the occasional master class and case study with notable guests. So we were delighted when Denis returned in 2011 to head up the CFC’s Prime Time TV Program as its Executive Producer in Residence – a decade after he graduated from this very program. It seemed fitting to officially mark his significant contributions to the CFC in this way.

Denis was an accomplished and award-winning screenwriter, playwright, producer and blogger. He was an excellent mentor, teacher and a dedicated and active member of the Executive Council of the Writers Guild of Canada.

“Whether you did or did not like what Denis had to say, you had to respect Denis’ sharp analytical mind and that his was an extremely well informed and outspoken critical voice,” says Kathryn Emslie, Chief Programs Officer, CFC. "So many have already said this, but Denis’ commitment to our creative and cultural industries will be greatly missed, and while his creative and professional contributions deserve our recognition and thanks, they do not overshadow his personal contributions. Denis was above all else kind, smart, loyal, fun, clever, political, a lover of life and a passionate human being. His largeness of spirit and incredible generosity touched a very long list of people, who were lucky enough to call him friend, brother, son, husband and partner. He will be greatly and dearly missed."

Last Friday, after his death was announced by the WGC, Denis’ name was trending on Twitter. Tributes poured in from far and wide, reminding all of us just how many people have been touched and inspired by Denis both on and off the screen. We here at the CFC join them. We will miss him more than we can say.

Read these two warm tributes to Denis McGrath, one from Etan Vlessing at The Hollywood Reporter and one from Vinay Menon at The Toronto Star.

“With involving characters and a tremendously talented ensemble cast, ‘Sensitive Parts’ makes you hope for the day that Prost gets to work his magic with a higher budgeted film.” –Richard Propes, 'The Independent Critic'

With National Canadian Film Day right around the corner (April 19), here’s your chance to help bring new Canadian voices to the fore!

CFC Cineplex Entertainment Film Program Directors Lab alumnus Brendan Prost’s new feature, Sensitive Parts, will screen in Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto. It then will receive a digital release on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu and Vimeo on Demand.

A dramedy shot in Vancouver, Sensitive Parts tells the story of Dolore (Carolyn Yonge), a young woman trying to overcome her social anxieties. When Dolore introduces her new boyfriend Ruin (Sean Marshall) to her best friend Sinead (Jennifer Kobelt), she learns they share a less-than-platonic history.

Catch the film here:

IDEABOOST’s globalization program, Unleashed, continues to open global partnerships between Ontario and the world, presenting co-production and commercialization opportunities with the U.S., South Korea and France.

Last week CFC Media Lab welcomed two international startup companies, Widevantage and Éditions-Animées, to Toronto. Both companies were offered this unique opportunity by demonstrating their appeal to businesses in North America and their appetite for Ontario as a new home and avenue to commercialization.

Claire Fay, CEO of Éditions-Animées, presented her colouring book tool that allows child artists to morph into film directors by turning their pictures into animated films. When asked what she gained from the opportunity, she said, “I learned to speak English! This is only the second time I’ve done an English pitch and only the second time with PowerPoint. Normally I’m an artist, working alone with my clients and staff. It’s new for me to sell my work like this. With this kind of meeting, I meet people in the world of business. It’s the world I never meet and the only way I get to meet this world is through these kinds of meetings. And we need to meet business people to succeed.”

Éditions-Animées is also the 2016 winner of the inaugural Cultural Start-up Award, part of Enterprising Culture, an international forum for Franco-Canadian creative and cultural industry startups. CFC Media Lab and the Cultural Service of the Embassy of France in Canada, in partnership with Forum d’Avignon, produced the event. Read more about the Cultural Start-up Award and event here.

Jaeyong Koh, CEO of stylus start-up, Widevantage, presented a Bluetooth-free, battery-free joystick controller that can be used on mobile devices as an attractive accompaniment for gamers. “I got great advice on how to market my product. We talked about limitations and possibilities. For instance, gaming companies may be less interested in our product than brands looking for promotional opportunities. Also, toy companies may be more interested than gaming companies. So, we’re starting to find out the right industry to focus on and this event helped me a lot with that.”

The Widevantage technology can be applied not only to smartphones, but also to futuristic platforms such as VR/AR controllers. Widevantage’s participation is part of a partnership between Gyeonggi Center for Creative Economy & Innovation (GCCEI), a startup accelerator specializing in harvesting interconnected ecosystems, and IDEABOOST.

IDEABOOST’s commitment to brokering international partnerships will continue with an L.A. commercialization event planned for April 13 at The 14th Factory in Los Angeles. The event will include: Thomas Wallner, filmmaker and founder of Liquid Cinema VR platform; Jonathan Gagne, Founder and ‎CEO of leading virtual reality (VR) developer Brinx Software; and Ben Sainsbury and Anthony Baird, award-winning filmmakers, entrepreneurs and co-founders of Filmtyme. They will provide hands-on demos to a suite of potential L.A. based customers and partners.

IDEABOOST Unleashed is a program within CFC Media Lab’s IDEABOOST Ecosystem. For more information on IDEABOOST’s suite of commercialization services, visit www.ideaboost.ca or apply to join the network.

The second sprint of the sixth cohort of CFC Media Lab’s IDEABOOST accelerator program culminated in a 'Meet The Customers' session on March 31, 2017. IDEABOOST companies pitched, demoed and engaged with representatives of their ideal target market to get, in the words of emcee Warren Coughlin, “intense, focused feedback from knowledgeable industry partners.”

We asked each of the founders what they were hoping to take away from the event. Then we followed up with what industry partners had to say about the companies in response.

Jonathan Gagne, CEO of Brinx Software Inc.-- Brinx’s MasterpieceVR is the world's first collaborative VR platform that dramatically simplifies 3D sculpting and painting.

“It’s really about observing our audience and seeing the kinds of things they need. How the user uses our product and how they want to integrate it into their own workflow. We watch them create and see how we can build on that – making it more complicated for some, and more simple for others.”

Kim Davidson of SideFX

“Brinx will be selling software B2B and we sell animation software to businesses. So we are going to set up an idea session to see if we can have joint customers. We sell into pipelines and they’re part of the modelling pipeline.”

Thomas Wallner, CEO of DEEP Inc.-- DEEP's Liquid Cinema utilizes cutting-edge technologies to create highly immersive stories.

“These sessions confront you with your customers. They force you to contemplate hard questions and find answers to those questions that will ultimately make your business more successful.”

Dre Labre of Rethink

“It’s nice to see that there’s some active effort to try to address all the pitfalls of linear storytelling in 360 video. There are some nice ideas on how to guide the viewer through the story – cutting from spherical to 2D, for instance. There’s going to be a lot of innovation in this realm and Liquid Cinema is pretty fresh compared to other things I’ve seen on the market.”

Pete Forde, CEO ofitsme3D-- Itsme creates animated, photo-realistic full-body 3D avatars.

“I came here today to find out if I’m insane. Because I’m encouraging game designers and game players to use our technology. but I’m not part of the gaming industry. I didn’t hear ‘This is stupid,” which I worry about in my most neurotic moments, and I’ve been educated in the differences between large game studios and small independent players and how they make decisions on what technology to use.”

Scott Benzi, Independent Marketer

"İt's a cool project that properly targets a demographic known for early adoption and has a functional interest. They shouldn't stop there though. Itsme has a branding and advertising opportunity that can't be be ignored"

Mark Argo, CEO ofLittle Robot Friends-- LRF creates connected toys and apps for learning code and electronics, designed for age seven and up.

“We’ve learned a bunch of things over the past months and this has given me a chance to affirm the action to take going forward. That’s the purpose of this sprint, to hammer you with questions and then bring in friendly professionals for you to test if you’re on the right track or not.”

Suzanne Stein of OCADU

“I think they have a huge amount of potential. If they can bring up the design a notch to make it more lovable, or keep it in its current form and leverage the fact that it’s unfinished and you get to complete it, that would be good.”

Adam Adelman, CEO of Mighty Cast (The Nex Band)-- Mighty Cast’s The Nex Band is the world's first programmable smart band with a focus on the gaming industry.

“It’s a very different experience pitching to consumers than to investors. The feedback was much more about what our company’s personal ethos is. It’s very refreshing to meet with people and get feedback based on our passion for the product and not just the financial opportunity.”

Brigitte Truong of Watchlist

“It’s a piece of technology I can see myself wearing. It makes me feel like I’m in control of everything that’s coming in and going out on a daily basis. I think their demographic is early to late teens, but it can solve a lot of different problems for a lot of different age groups.”

Jim Rand, CEO of Synervoz-- Synervoz builds audio and voice communications software and its flagship app, turnmeup, allows anyone to listen to music and talk at the same time using headphones.

“The value to us was that people understood our product, both from the pitch and the demo, which led to some new trials being set up. They will roll out in the next few months.”

Kristin Izumi of Bookmark

“We’re very interested in piloting the program in our office. We have nine different offices around the world. We want to test and learn and prototype the product. I could immediately see the value. All the challenges he presented were challenges that we experience every day.”

Apply to become part of IDEABOOSTNetwork Connect, a community affiliates program for companies that are building the next generation of technology-based media and entertainment products, services and brands.

The Canadian Cinema Editors announced the nominees for the seventh annual CCE Awards this morning. We are pleased to share that 12 CFC alumni received nominations for their work on 15 different projects. 

Congratulations to our alumni and all nominees for the 2017 Awards! The winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony, to be held on June 1 in Toronto.

A scene from 'Bare' in 'Workin' Moms', a CCE Award-nominated episode edited by Jonathan Eagan.

Best Editing in Documentary - Short Form

• Brenda Terning - Vital Bonds
• Brenda Terning - The Nature of Things: Wolverine Ghost of the Northern Forest

Best Editing in Feature Film

• Greg Ng - Come and Find Me
• Jane MacRae - Remomory
• Kye Meechan - ARQ

Best Editing in ½ Hour Scripted

• Dev Singh - People of Earth, “Significant Other"
• Jonathan Eagan - Workin’ Moms, “Bare"
• Kye Meechan - Kim’s Convenience, “Gay Discount”

Best Editing in Lifestyle/Docudrama

• Kristi Macaulay - Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan, “The Philippines”

Best Editing in MOW/Mini-Series

• Aren Hansen - Bruno & Boots, “This Can’t Be Happening at Macdonald Hall"
• Roslyn Kalloo - Mary Kills People, “The River Styx”

Best Editing in Short Film

• Jane MacRae - Thresher
• Michael Pierro - Imposter

Best Editing in Web Based Series

• Jonathan Eagan– Cold, Ep. 110
• Maureen Grant - That’s My DJ, Ep. 207
• Matt Lyon- The Leaf,“Blueprint Bouncing Back”

Read the announcement for the CCE Awards and full list of nominations here.

Yan Chen first met Travis Rice in a figure drawing class five years ago. They were both Americans living in Australia with a shared interest in the arts and science fiction. Eventually they would team up to co-found LENS Immersive (LENS) and create the world’s most advanced streaming technology.

LENS is a virtual reality platform and content creation house, but its heart is its unique compression codec technology, TORII (pronounced tor-ee), which provides higher VR resolution and streaming at double the speed. With this new technology, the company is making leaps and bounds in the world of data compression for creative content. Yan Chen shares some of the challenges he’s faced and what it’s like to run a start-up.

What inspired you and Travis Rice to create LENS Immersive?

Yan Chen: The idea behind LENS is that everything is moving onto the cloud. The world is moving in that direction and all data, no matter how large or how complex, will eventually need to be streamed from the cloud. So the whole experience of downloading an app, video or game will go by the wayside quickly. We thought VR would be a good first application of the ability to stream large amounts of data because VR video is 4K resolution or higher. We felt the VR industry needed a platform to be able to stream that content; hence, we created the LENS Immersive platform to do exactly that.

The company was launched in 2015. What have you learned about running a startup over the last couple years? 

Chen: My friend likes to say that when you run a startup, you’ve got to have a really strong back. That’s definitely true [laughs]. One of the things we learned is how to operate a business from all aspects, whether it’s operations, marketing, engineering or business development — we’ve learned all the facets of what it takes to run a successful business. We’re a very small, lean team. I think it’s a great skill to stay lean and still get everything done.

TORII is the world’s most advanced streaming technology. Did you create the technology yourself?

Chen: Yes, TORII is completely proprietary. So while I’m the CEO, I’m also the CTO and work with a great team of engineers. They come from all walks of life, but one thing they share in common is that they are brilliant at computer science and math. Data compression is a very specialized field and there are few people in the world that do it, so it’s kind of impossible to go out there and just find a data compression expert. You have to breed that in-house with the right foundational skills.

How long did that take to develop and what challenges did you face?

Chen: We started in July 2016, so we haven’t even been doing it for a full year. I think the biggest challenge is not so much the technical aspects — we’ve always known we could do it. The challenge is convincing everyone else that we can. I think common sense would say, if you haven’t done it before, what makes you think you can do it now? Common sense would also dictate that giant companies like Google and Facebook and Cisco are all trying to do the same thing. What makes you think you can beat them to the punch? I have to remind them that all those companies started with a small idea as well. None of them were giants and they grew into that from one or two brilliant ideas. It’s that process of convincing, showing everybody that we can do exactly what we set out to do — that’s been the largest challenge.

What prompted you to join CFC Media Lab’s IDEABOOST Network?

Chen: Almost one year ago when we heard [CFC Media Lab Founder and Chief Digital Officer] Ana Serrano talk about VR and content here in Sydney at a conference called 360 Vision. She espoused some strong ideas on how content and creativity comes from stories themselves, not the medium. VR is a great medium, but it’s simply a new tool and it’s not going to reinvent storytelling or how a person perceives a story just quite yet — not until we learn how to leverage it and add it to our storytelling arsenal. So we really loved her message. We liked hearing her stay true to what we think our core beliefs are. That made us want to join CFC because we thought she was such a wonderful spokesperson and really strong in her ideas.

LENS recently launched its first digital series, Remember. Can you talk a little about that project?

Chen: Remember encompasses some of our content strategy’s core tenets. Remember is a short story about a dystopian future where an AI/VR Interface has taken over the memory of a person and manipulated her memory to his own nefarious ends. The end of the episode alludes to what those ends are. Remember is important for us because it showcases one of the things we believe in, which is also one of Ana’s points: good storytelling can happen in all mediums. So we have Remember in both VR and standard television format, which tell exactly the same story in slightly different cinematic ways.

Do you think the premise behind Remember is something that could actually happen one day?

Chen: [Laughs] Absolutely. The premise is really a look through the lens of our predictions of the future. Remember is a little bit dystopian, a little bit dark, but I think the core idea — digital assistance in a virtual 3D world that can help us with our day-to-day lives, even to a point where it can insert or delete our memories — is very much a reality. The new Ghost in the Shell movie is alluding to that end as well. A lot of great science fiction properties are heading down the same track.

Can you share any VR trends to look out for?

Chen: I think one of the trends to look out for in the near future is a replacement of 360 videos with VR videos. In VR everything has to be stereoscopic; only with that do you have a strong sense of presence and immersiveness. I think that’s going to be a trend that’s going to take the industry by storm. I think we’re going to see a lot of 360 cameras that are not stereo-worthy quickly become stereo-worthy, and we really feel that the whole 360 aspect is here to stay for VR.

How do you see LENS Immersive growing over the next two years?

Chen: LENS Immersive in VR is really a showcase of our technology. We see that in the next two years that we’re going to take our encoding technology, TORII, and start expanding that into AR and 3D streaming. And that’s always been our goal, to take our core technology and apply it to new aspects, industries and verticals. So I think you’re going to see LENS staying strong in VR, but also branch out in 3D streaming and AR streaming.

This interview has been edited and condensed for publication.

IDEABOOST Accelerator is a four-month bootcamp for tech companies that want to achieve success and scale in the media and entertainment ecosystem.An initiative of the Canadian Film Centre’s Media Lab, in partnership with Corus Entertainment, IDEABOOST provides high–potential Canadian startups with seed investment, mentorship, and access to its network.

'Barmecide Feast'. Simon Birch & KplusK Associates.

The monumental 150,000 square foot immersive, multi-media art installation in downtown Los Angeles called The 14th Factory, complete with a reproduction of the bedroom from 2001: A Space Odyssey (above) and 13 other large-scale collaborative installations, will be the site for an inspiring close encounter between L.A.'s contemporary art scene and the VR community.

CFC Media Lab is partnering with Simon Birch and Linling Tao, co-founders of The 14th Factory Foundation, and Keram Malicki-Sánchez, founder of FIVARS.net and VRTO, to bring, on the eve of VRLA 2017 - the largest VR gathering on the planet - a unique invitation-only VIP salon and reception called Collisions: Intersecting Virtual Reality, Immersive Art & Technology. 

The evening will feature a keynote by Michael Naimark, artist and inventor of “place representation” works and Google's first-ever “resident artist” in their VR division, and a panel discussion, moderated by Ana Serrano, Chief Digital Officer, Canadian Film Centre and Managing Director of IDEABOOST, which includes:

• Simon Birch, British-born, Hong-Kong-based artist and founder of The 14th Factory
• Thomas Wallner, filmmaker and founder of Liquid Cinema VR platform
• Samantha Matthews, co-founder and CEO of Venn.Agency
• Elizabeth McGrath, L.A.-based artist and performer
• Keram Malicki-Sánchez, founder VRTO and FIVARS.net

Hands-on demos by IDEABOOST VR companies Brinx(MasterpieceVR), FilmTyme and Liquid Cinema will take place around the indoor garden created by 14th Factory artist collaborator, Lily Kwong.

Each of these companies showcases next generation platforms artists will use: from Liquid Cinema's end-to-end solution for immersive, interactive and cinematic VR creation and distribution; to MasterpieceVR's collaborative 3D sculpting and modelling; to FilmTyme's suite of cameras, lenses and tools for "in-VR filmmaking."

Attendees of Collisions will be able to try all of these platforms, including the ability to film a reimagined 14th Factory cyberpunk environment in VR.

Collisions: Intersecting Virtual Reality, Immersive Art & Technology
Thursday, April 13
8 - 10 p.m.
The 14th Factory, Downtown LA

This event is by invitation only. For more information, please contact Ana Serrano.

For a look at what The 14th Factory is all about, watch this movie by Eric Minh Swenson:

Alexa Roeper, CEO and co-founder of Penta Medical, took top prize for her company’s product, Helios, at the inaugural Canadian Female Founders Hardware Cup. It took place during the We Are Wearables Toronto event, which took place on March 28 at MaRS and featured six female founders, working on a range of products from connected toys to wearables for athletes to mixed reality technology.

The Canadian Female Founders Hardware Cup, the brainchild of IDEABOOST’s Ana Serrano and WWTO’s Tom Emrich, is the only pitch competition for female founders that feeds into the prestigious and highly competitive annual Hardware Cup in Pittsburgh, a city known for its dense hub of hardware innovation, robotics and advanced software activity. 

Helmed by AlphaLab Gear’s Managing Director Ilana Diamond, an entrepreneurial executive and a model for the Canadian Female Founders Hardware Cup, this year’s Hardware Cup finals will have a grand prize that includes $50,000 US investment and a showcase slot at Computex Taipei, the leading trade show and global startup platform. It will take place on April 19 at AlphaLab Gear.

Helios is the first wireless infrared therapy wearable that allows users to take full advantage of infrared therapy without the inconvenience of daily physiotherapy appointments. We asked Alexa Roeper about advancing to the Hardware Cup finals, what it means to be a female entrepreneur in a male-dominated space and her advice for other entrepreneurs.

What does it mean for you to advance to the Hardware Cup in Pittsburgh?

Alexa Roeper: We're excited to have this opportunity to make connections in Pittsburgh, since the U.S. is our target market. While we plan to continue manufacturing in Canada, in the long term we plan to begin selling in the U.S. immediately following our FDA approval in the coming months. The U.S. offers a larger network of professional athletes who need to recover quickly to be able to play their scheduled games. They are interested in products like ours that increase the efficiency of existing systems. We think going to Pittsburgh is an important early step for us entering the market.

What specific opportunities does participating in the Hardware Cup pitch represent?

Roeper: Aside from the trip to Pittsburgh and the connections that we will make there, the most valuable thing we have gained so far is a relationship with CFC Media Lab’s IDEABOOST. They have a very strong network both in Canada and the U.S., and we can't wait to start working with them. Their expertise in the entertainment industry is exactly what we need as a company that's targeting professional athletes as our early adopters.

What are you looking forward to the most during the Hardware Cup?

Roeper: I'm so excited to meet all of the international companies at the Hardware Cup! This is my first international pitch competition. I'm looking forward to speaking with other founders and learning about the startup ecosystems they're from around the world. This is also the most excited I've ever been to be competing. The international teams all have amazing products that I'm genuinely excited to learn about.

Are you comfortable with the gender component to Canadian Female Founders Hardware Cup?

Roeper: The Canadian Female Founders Hardware Cup was the only qualifying competition for the Hardware Cup series that was focused on female entrepreneurs. Specifically in the hardware space, often less than eight per cent of founders and engineers are female. I think in this case, highlighting that and showcasing the women who are working on really amazing companies in the hardware and robotics space is unbelievably valuable. Gender equality is an extremely sensitive issue. I've heard many opinions on people from either ends of the spectrum — some suggesting we're not doing enough to support women working in minority female industries and others saying that specifically supporting women is unfair to men and/or makes women feel as though they didn't earn their spot. Both groups of people have solid reasoning behind their opinions. In short, though, yes, I am comfortable, and I'm very thankful that it was done.

What recent business challenge have you solved/won that made you proud?

Roeper: We're publishing our first paper on the efficacy of our device, which demonstrates the device significantly increases the rate of healing. This research is being done on a medical sciences grant from the Ontario Centres of Excellence. Our lab team has been working unbelievably hard to produce high-quality research.

Best advice you received, or want to impart, about being an entrepreneur?

Roeper: It's never too early to start working on your idea or seeking funding! It's difficult and inefficient to make progress with very little to no funding. You owe it to yourself to take your ideas seriously.

Find out more about the Hardware Cup. 

One of the most wonderful days of the year is upon is – Wednesday, April 19 is National Canadian Film Day! More than 1700 events are being planned coast to coast.

On this day we celebrate the contributions and creations of our country’s multifaceted filmmakers. They’ve given us a treasure trove of stories and images that, woven together, reveal us in all our grit, emotion, diversity and complexity.

Here at CFC we’re celebrating in several ways.

Watch Big Girl Right Here

First, on April 19 we’ll be streaming the multiple award-winning CFC short film, BIG GIRL. Check back here that day and watch nine-year-old Josephine learn that letting people in can lead to wonderful things. 

A festival favourite, BIG GIRL was written and directed by multiple Cineplex Entertainment Film Programalumni: director Renuka Jeyapalan, producers Michael Gelfand and Anneli Ekborn, who is also an alumna of CFC Features, and editor Tiffany Beaudin.

In the film, nine-year-old Josephine (Samantha Weinstein) openly resents her mother (Patricia Fagan) for having a newfound love life. When her mother introduces her to a new boyfriend (Kris Holden-Ried), Josephine gives him the cold shoulder. A bittersweet battle of wills erupts, both heartbreaking and hilarious.

CUBE at the Royal Cinema in Toronto

We’re also excited to be at Toronto’s Royal Cinema for the 20^th Anniversary screening of CUBE. This surreal, atmospheric sci-fi classic of seven strangers trapped in a seemingly-endless maze of rooms was co-written and directed by alumnus Vincenzo Natali and produced by CFC Features.

NOW Magazine’s Norm Wilner is hosting this extra-special National Canadian Film Day event, which will reunite CUBE’s key creatives and cast for a discussion with the audience. It’s free, but make sure to insure your spot here.

In Conversation with Suck It Up Cast and Creatives

We’re also marking the day by holding a special invite-only In Conversation with several of the key CFC alumni behind the upcoming feature, Suck It Up. We look forward to hearing from director Jordan Canning, lead actress Erin Carter, editor Simone Smith, composer Ben Foxand producers Marc Tetreault and Jason Levangie. They’ll share their insights on this beguiling indie, which premiered at Slamdance 2017.

In Suck It Up, estranged best friends Ronnie (Grace Glowicki) and Faye (Erin Carter) are grieving the death of the same man. Garrett was Ronnie’s brother and the love of Faye’s life. When Faye finds Ronnie spiraling down an epic bender, she grabs her friend for a journey through the mountains of British Columbia.

No doubt everyone will soon be enjoying Suck It Up in festivals across Canada. In the meantime, get a first look at the trailer here:

Finally, be sure to visit the CFC Collection on iTunes. It includes CFC Features’ films, as well as a variety of films developed at the CFC and produced by CFC alumni – perfect for enjoying National Canadian Film Day wherever you live.

Our friends at REEL Canada present National Canadian Film Day, so head to their website and discover what’s happening on screens near you!

Held atThe 14th Factory, Simon Birch’s sprawling 150,000 square foot art installation, a packed house of VR producers, technologists, art world figures, and students were treated to an invigorating conversation about the intersection of VR and immersive art this past weekend at CFC Media Lab’s COLLISIONS VR salon.

Simon Birch addressing the Collisions VR Salon audience. All photos by Eric Minh Swenson.

Michael Naimark, artist, inventor, scholar and Google’s first-ever resident artist in its VR division, kicked off the evening with a keynote address that touched on four “vignettes” about lessons learnt in his career as an artist and technologist.

“An artist walks into a bar, and there is the director of Microsoft Research,” he began his address. “Wait, it’ll never happen. They drink at different bars and live in different cultures. The artist is socially, politically and spiritually savvy. Meanwhile, Microsoft, Google, Apple and Facebook spend $10 billion a year on research. Artists may have solutions to the problems that corporate researchers spend months to solve … and artists may provide a more holistic and less myopic approach.”

This idea set the tone for the evening – that researchers and developers working in VR tend to focus on the technological aspect but sometimes forget to check in with artists who might be able to subvert their thinking.

Michael Naimark addresses the crowd.

Naimark’s vignettes focused on his time at Paul Allen’s Interval Research Corporation, where he worked in the 1990s, and were divided into the categories of Research & Development, Art & Money, Content & Technology and Focus & Perspective. He finished his keynote with a rallying cry.

“I am convinced that VR and AR have created a magic moment that doesn’t come very often in the histories of media and technology. There’s a lot of confusion but there’s also a lot of opportunity,” he said. “So, if there’s one suggestion I have for all of you working in VR and AR, it is: surprise us!”

Following Naimark’s address, Ana Serrano, CFC Chief Digital Officer, and founder of the CFC Media Lab and CFC’s digital media accelerator, IDEABOOST, led a panel of major figures in the fields of art and VR: Thomas Wallner, an award-winning filmmaker and CEO and founder of the Liquid Cinema VR platform; Samantha Mathews, co-founder and CEO of Venn.Agency, an immersive art agency focused on building an infrastructure to introduce more VR onto the web; Los Angeles-based sculptor and performer Elizabeth McGrath; Keram Malicki-Sánchez, founder of VRTO (Toronto’s VR Conference and Expo) and FIVARS.net (Festival of International Virtual and Augmented Reality Stories); and Simon Birch, whose self-funded exhibition took five years to create and contains a replica of the bedroom from 2001: A Space Odyssey, among other surprising installations.

Ana Serrano leading the panel discussion. 

“This medium right now is unforgiving, and there are a number of problems with it, not least of all the fact that it privileges literal-ness and place and location, as opposed to expression,” Serrano began. “How do we battle that?”

Wallner, whose platform Liquid Cinema was on display in the next room as part of three IDEABOOST-sponsored demonstrations, tackled the issue of how we view narrative VR and “respecting what the brain wants to understand.”

“In film, we’re taking fragments and abstractions of the world and we’re assembling these fragments into a narrative. That narrative is actually created by the imagination of the observer and those fragments of reality are just metaphors of reality,” he said. “The thing with metaphors is that you can be creative and playful with them and create bits of meaning that wouldn’t exist unless they collided. In film, space and time are created. Right now, it seems that space is space and time is time, and it’s a terrible shackle because when we have ideas, we do with time and space whatever we want.”

Thomas Wallner of Liquid Cinema doing a demo.

An audience member made the point that Wallner’s statement of “space is space and time is time” in VR and gaming isn’t entirely accurate, saying, “You’re playing Candy Crush, and the next thing you know, five hours has gone by. I feel like space, especially with [cinematic] VR, where you’re hiding all the senses around you, or transforming them somewhere else, you can now blend space and time together.”

Mathews agreed. “A fun way to play with space and time in VR is by constantly scanning different instances and taking the medium to another level … It’s like [what Wallner said]: respecting what the brain wants to understand.”

Malicki-Sánchez of FIVARS added that VR is not only respecting the way the brain operates, but mirroring its use in the real world, and that VR needs to meet the brain halfway. “We’re talking about the provocation of ideas, letting your brain do the rest of the work which is sort of what’s going on in reality anyway,” said Malicki-Sánchez. “Our eyes are scanning thousand times right now, we’re filling in the blanks, so now we’re understanding just how much it takes. Low-poly VR is typically much more immersive, some would argue, than super high-def. Once it goes into the uncanny valley, [VR is less immersive]—there’s something to be said about just the suggestion or insinuation.”

The conversation turned to empathy, and with the panelists agreeing that VR has been railroaded into being seen as an “empathy machine”—often the technology is used to put people in war zones or allow them to experience abjection.

“It’s actually an empathy killer,” said Wallner, who described being immersed as something that can distract from the reflection that the distance between the viewer and, say, a film might foster.

After the discussion, the audience demoed Wallner’s platform and the works of two other IDEABOOST VR start-ups — FilmTyme, who have created a suite of tools that allows users to “record” and make films while inside VR environments, and Brinx Software’s MasterpieceVR, which is an incredibly intuitive collaborative VR sculpting program (like being inside a virtual reality Photoshop with other people).

Elizabeth McGrath, the sculptor whose surreal sculptures often contain intricate little universes, felt at home using MasterpieceVR. “I thought it was awesome,” she said. “I’m a way stronger sculptor than I am drawer, so it was just perfect. I think if I got on there for an hour, I would be able to figure out at least how to do the basic shapes. [Brinx CEO Jon Gagne] said you can export it into a 3D printer.”

As for Birch, he was pleased that the VR audience was taking in his work and engaging with the work. Before the panel, he relaxed in the café area of the exhibition and marvelled at the VR crew inhabiting the space.

“I think it’s rare that a technology audience looks at contemporary art,” he said. “You do see technology in art but it tends to be token-esque or a novelty. But for technology to come here and inhabit the space for an evening and converse is pretty cool. And I’m not sure that happens in the institutional structured art world, but maybe it’s time for a renaissance, where these things start to connect more thoroughly and authentically. It’s a privilege to be a part of that conversation.”

Yes, it's the stuff Instagram dreams are made of but don't let that fool you into thinking this is mere eye candy. Evocative and nostalgic, The 14th Factory's space was made all the more magical by way of how one encounters it. All Photos by Eric Mihn Swenson.

Barmecide Feast by Simon Birch and KplusK Associates is one of the more arresting pieces in The 14th Factory. 

Monumental meteorite

The Crusher, also by Simon Birch, is not for the faint of heart.

But not all installations The 14th Factory require gutsy participation, here the multi-screen projection by Wing Shya and Simon Birch is like a hypnotic ballet one could only wish for in VR.


The Ferrari room, where after seeing the video installation of the car getting totalled, we get to see the idea of these broken shards reified into objets d'art.

The14th Factory founder and artist Simon Birch kicks off the at-capacity COLLISIONS salon.

COLLISIONS guest speakers and panelists (L-R): Ana moderator; Thomas Wallner, filmmaker and founder of Liquid Cinema VR platform; Samantha Matthews co-founder and CEO of Venn.Agency; Simon Birch founder of The14th Factory; Elizabeth McGrath, artist and performer; Keram Malicki-Sánchez, founder VRTO and FIVARS.net; Michael Naimark, artist and inventor of “place representation” works and Google's first-ever “resident artist” in their VR division.

Meanwhile, outside, Clear Air Turbulence by Simon Birch takes on a greater, quiet resonance as nightfall transforms the piece from dizzying display of salvaged airplane components into onyx monolith.

Trying out the VR demos by Brinx's Masterpiece VR.

Q&A with the cast and creatives from CUBE at the 20th anniversary screening on National Canadian Film Day. Photo credit: Nicholas Kalimi.

We hope you enjoyed National Canadian Film Day yesterday! We did, especially given that this year offered a substantially expanded list of screenings and streamings in honour of “Canada 150."

Here at the CFC, we foster and celebrate Canadian film every day of the year. It’s part of our mandate – to help build the next generation of storytellers in the screen-based entertainment industry, of which film is a key part.

That’s why we brought our very own fan and film festival favourite short film, Big Girl, out of the vault. We hope you got a chance to see this story directed by CFC alumna Renuka Jeyapalan, and maybe tear up at that bittersweet battle of wills.

We love seeing our alumni join forces on dynamic new projects. Such was the case at our In Conversation event. A group of residents and alumni got to chat with the key creatives of buzzed-about new feature, Suck It Up. CFC alumna and Women in the Director’s Chair award recipient Jordan Canning directed the film, which premiered at Slamdance last January.

L-R Justine Whyte, Jordan Canning, Erin Carter and Simone Smith at our In Conversation event.

In addition to Canning, the audience heard from one of the film’s lead actresses, Erin Carter, editor Simone Smith, composer Ben Fox and producer Marc Tetreault. Suck It Up got its start through Carter and her friend, co-star and fellow CBC Actors Conservatory Program alumna, Grace Glowicki. They conceived the project together as, first and foremost, the story of more complex, complicated women than what’s typically seen.

As producer Tetreault noted, with so many CFC alumni in the mix, it was as if the project was “incubated” at CFC. Canning herself summed up well how valuable good collaborators are: “The best is not impossible [if you] put great teams together and keep working with the people you love” – music to our CFC ears.

Finally, we ended the day with what might have been one of National Canadian Film Day’s most impassioned gatherings of cinephiles in one spot: the 20^th anniversary screening of CUBE at the Royal Cinema in Toronto. Directed and co-written by alumnus Vincenzo Natali (who was not present last night but sent a special pre-taped introduction), CUBE was also produced by CFC Features.

CUBE Director Vincenzo Natali giving his pre-recorded introduction to the 20th Anniversary Screening.

A huge crowd showed up for the Royal’s screening, ready to re-enter the maze, as well as hear from CUBE’s wider cast and creatives, including actors Julian Richings, Nicky Guadagni and Maurice Dean Wint, co-writers Graeme Manson and Andre Bijelic, art director Diana Magnus, special make-up and physical effects artist Louise Mackintosh, composer Mark Korvan and CFC Features’ director and executive producer, Justine Whyte. And, as the engaging post-screening Q&A hosted by Now Magazine’s Norm Wilner demonstrated, there was a mix of CUBE super fans and first-timers in attendance. We could not be more proud to see this film continuing to thrill audiences after all these years.

Wherever you live, we hope you had a chance to take in something new and at least one beloved favourite. Let’s carry the spirit forward and keep supporting these storytellers year-round. 

The best part of National Canadian Film Day? Audiences enjoying great Canadian films like CUBE! Photo credit: Nicholas Kalimi.

Code for Canada, a new not-for-profit that aims to modernize digital services at all levels of government launched in Toronto on April 5, 2017. 

It’s exciting news for anyone (read: everyone) who gripes about having to do any government-related tasks, whether it’s paying a parking ticket or applying for a permit. Their hope is to create an easier, more user-friendly experience for all.

It’s the first of its kind in Canada, though there are more than 10 countries already involved in the “Code for” model of civic technology. 

The Ontario government is the first to contribute $700,000 to funding the project, while private companies such as Shopify and Normative have also contributed to the initiative.

What’s great about Code for Canada is that it also gives work opportunities to Canadian technologists and designers in the form of 10-month fellowship programs.

CFC alumnus Gabe Sawhney (TELUS Interactive Art and Entertainment Program, Interactive Project Lab) is the executive director at Code for Canada and helped launch the organization. Here, he talks about its inception and the challenges of design technology for governments.

Your professional pursuits have mostly been in technology and innovation. What inspired you to follow this path?

Gabe Sawhney: My work has varied from technology to design, innovation, consulting and now civic tech. I found technology to be really fascinating since my youth and have always sought out opportunities to apply it in ways that were meaningful — with storytelling, with community work, and now increasingly with social causes and government.

Code for Canada is the first of its kind in the country. How did the idea come to be?Sawhney: Code for Canada is inspired by similar organizations in other countries. Code for America was the first. It started in 2009 and there have been many others. We’ve been really inspired by the work that those organizations have done to help connect government innovators with the tech and design community, and we felt it was time for a similar initiative in Canada.

In your opinion, which countries have been really successful at making big changes?

Sawhney: What’s interesting is that each of the organizations take a slightly different approach because they’ve adapted the model for their context and country. Code for America has been around for a long time and they really got things rolling with their fellowship program and their Brigades (i.e., community volunteer) program. That model has been adapted in different ways in different countries. For instance, Code for Japan has a really different Brigades program with a lot of private sector support. Code for Pakistan has a really successful fellowship program, now in its third or fourth round. One of the newer ones is Code for Romania — they’ve grown very quickly and have tapped into the Romanian diaspora. Because there are so many Romanian technologists who are working in other parts of Europe, it’s a really interesting case in that a lot of their activity takes place outside of Romania.

Do you think there are more risks or challenges involved in working with government technology?

Do you think Code for Canada will expand to provide technology services to non-profit organizations as well?

Sawhney: It’s interesting — non-profits are in a similar situation to government in many ways. They’re always trying to do more with less in terms of resources and, historically, have had a lot of challenges related to technology. There’s definitely a strong need and interest from the non-profit community and that’s something we’d really like to look into in the future, whether it’s Code for Canada or a different program.

You’re also the co-founder of Civic Tech Toronto, which hosts many events for people interested in civic technology. What’s one of your favourite things about the organization?

Sawhney: One of the things I like about Civic Tech Toronto and civic tech communities in general is the way they create a really welcoming environment to people with a whole range of skill levels related to technology and design. A lot of people are in the learning stages and developing their skills around those things, but they all share an interest in the potential for how technology and design can have a positive impact in our communities. As a result, it attracts a very diverse set of people in terms of their backgrounds, their experiences and skill set, and the sectors and industries in which they work.

To learn more about Code for Canada’s community network and fellowship program, visit codeforcanada.ca.

This interview has been edited and condensed for publication.

Last night, the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) held their 21st annual awards at Koerner Hall in Toronto. The awards honour excellence in Canadian screenwriting. 

We are thrilled that six CFC alumni won awards, capturing prizes in both the film and television categories, including the brand new category, "Best Script from a Rookie Series."

Congratulations to all of this year's nominees and winners. We are proud to see CFC so well represented among the best of the best.

CHILDREN’S

Numb Chucks, Season 2, “The Chucks Get Stuck in a Hole”
Written by Josh Gal

DOCUMENTARY

Quebec My Country Mon Pays
Written by John Walker

FEATURE FILM

Maudie
Written by Sherry White

MOW AND MINISERIES

Bruno & Boots: Go Jump in the Pool
Written by Adam Barken

SHOWRUNNER AWARD

Aaron Martin

SONDRA KELLY AWARD

Diana Frances

Go hereto see the full list of nominees and award winners.

The CFC Media Lab team headed to “Pitchburg” this month for the highly competitive AlphaLab Gear Hardware Cup International Finals in Pittsburgh. Joining them was Alexa Roeper, CEO and co-founder of Penta Medical, the winner of the inaugural Canadian Female Founders Hardware Cupand also competing for the US$50,000 grand prize investment, and IDEABOOST Cohort 6 IOT connected hardware company, Little Robot Friends, with its founder, Mark Argo.

They encountered an impressive roster of international hardware startups that included Japan’s QD Laser’s retinal glasses, India’s EyeROV, an underwater drone, and the cheekily-named Vagenie, a modern Kegel fitness and tracking solution, which took the top prize. PlayDate, the world’s first pet camera in a smart ball, was named runner-up.

Mark Argo of Little Robot Friends shared his valuable takeaways from 2017 Hardware Cup with us.

Which companies and connections stood out?

Mark Argo: I think the two best connections were not related to fundraising, but rather, to market expansion. I met a great delegation of folks from Japan, some of whom represented the hardware accelerator Makers Boot Camp. They recommended that we try to work together to bring Little Robot Friends to Japan, something I've always wanted to do. LRF was partially inspired by a Japanese toy company named Meywa Denki and I've always held their approach of blending art and tech as ideal. The other solid connection came from someone who worked with Virginia School Boards to bring coding and STEM into the classroom. We really connected over LRF's approach to introducing code through project- and problem-based learning.

What advice would you give other founders participating in short speed-date-style meetings?

Argo: I think the practise of doing rapid-fire pitches is actually quite clever. It forces you to boil your concept down to the bones, and depending on the person you're sitting across from, you slightly tweak your pitch to better communicate to their interests. But it also works the other way. By sitting down with so many different types of investors and interested parties, you get a sense of what type of person would make an ideal partner going forward. Some folks want to push you into the market as quickly as possible. Others understand the importance of being deliberate in each phase of growth to make sure you're building something strong. We're still learning about the different types of investors and approaches, so it’s very educational to cram it all together in an intense session like that.

What about AlphaLab Gear’s community (and Pittsburgh!) resonated with your company?

Argo: AlphaLab Gear appeared to have a great supportive community and one that borrows a bit from the energy and spirit of the big local university, Carnegie Mellon University. That environment of sharing, co-creation and learning is exactly what young startups need as they build their companies. The fact that they embrace hardware is also really great. We keep hearing: "hardware is hard.” Yes, but if that's the case, then "software is soft," and it’s important that our world isn't fully comprised of experiences behind a screen. They perhaps don't resonate or make as deep of an impression, especially with kids who are bombarded with all sorts of new information and stimuli. Mixing the "hard" and the "soft" is a huge challenge, but it's a challenge that we at Little Robot Friends have taken on with passion and excitement.

The Canadian Female Founders Hardware Cup was the brainchild of IDEABOOST’s Ana Serrano and We are Wearables Toronto’s (WWTO) Tom Emrich. It is the only pitch competition for female founders that feeds into the prestigious and highly competitive annual Hardware Cup in Pittsburgh, run by AlphaLab Gear’s Managing Director Ilana Diamond.

Look out for next year’s announcement to get a chance at competing.

Become part of the IDEABOOST Network Connect program to receive market immersion opportunities.

As one of the most celebrated public intellectuals in North America, Douglas Rushkoffis no stranger to new ideas. That remains true in Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus, a new book in which Rushkoff dismantles the conventional wisdom of the growth economy. Instead of making our lives easier, he argues that digital technology is being used to extract profit from individuals and communities, and that there is nothing to prevent us from reasserting control if we recognize that the growth mandate is itself a manufactured relic from the past.

Those ideas were at the forefront of Rushkoff’s Critical Crossroads discussion at the Toronto Reference Library on Monday evening, co-presented by the CFC Media Lab. Over the course of an hour, he explained that the constant demand for growth has stripped away our humanity. What’s more, he did not rely solely on his words to make his point.

Though Rushkoff was the star of the evening, attendees were also invited to experience Distributed: A Beginning, an animated Virtual Reality short film based on Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus. Commissioned and produced by the CFC Media Lab, narrated by Rushkoff, and directed by Justin Stephenson, Distributed is the first film of its kind, an abstract visualization of the core themes of the book.

“The book makes the digital media environment visceral,” says Rushkoff, when asked about Distributed prior to the event. “An abstract VR treatment can take historical language, economic language and make it feel almost psychedelic. These are not ideas that you listen to. They’re ideas that you experience.”

Indeed, the VR experience complements the book and makes Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus more accessible, giving it greater emotional resonance.

“My whole idea was to create a space in which you could start to create connections between digital media and the economy,” says Stephenson. “As you view it again and again, the text starts to sink in. The connections between environment and text start to grow.”

Stephenson used data from actual elevation maps to accomplish that goal. Distributed depicts the landmarks of the modern financial empire, tracing Wall Street and the Google campus with thin lines of code. The buildings dissolve and then reform as you move through the experience, which takes viewers beneath the surface of the economy and uses those same lines of code to build a post-capitalist future from the ground up. Despite their seeming permanence, the film implies that these landmarks are artificial and we shouldn't be afraid to question and restructure the very foundations of our reality.

“The object of the book is to show that the economy is synthetic,” says Rushkoff. “It’s not a condition of nature. It’s a set of rules. Once you understand that, then all of this stuff is plastic and open for discussion.”

“These are the most powerful buildings in the world but these spaces are essentially fabricated,” adds Stephenson. “They can be taken apart and put back together and reconfigured.”

For the CFC Medial Lab, Monday’s event is an attempt to put those lessons into practice. Rushkoff’s talk and the short film, Distributed, are part of a broader grass-roots project conceived by the CFC Media Lab in collaboration with the Toronto Public Library. Monday’s event which combines the lecture with a VR experience is the beginning of a series of evocations for a “distributed future” they urge us to collectively create.

“Our partnership with the Toronto Public Library is organic and bottom up in nature,“ says Ana Serrano, Chief Digital Officer of the CFC. “Our goal is to arm local communities with the tools they need to create the 'distributed futures' they want, from starting local currencies, to creating land trusts, to developing platform cooperatives, to templates for creating community gardens and so on.”

Natalie Kertes, Senior Producer of Cultural & Special Event Programming at Toronto Reference Library, agrees. “We believe our role is as much to create knowledge as it is to safeguard it. We’re excited by this new collaboration with the CFC Media Lab as we experiment with new ways to engage the community on the question and creation of our collective ‘distributed futures.’"

Monday’s event will hopefully be the first of many such evenings. Activities associated with this project include knowledge exchange events like the Critical Crossroads lecture with Rushkoff, but also evocative experiences that enable audiences to viscerally access these complex ideas -- experiences that VR and other immersive technologies can provide and of which the CFC Media Lab is uniquely positioned to produce with its community of startups and creative talent.

Their ultimate goal is to transform the extensive network for this project into the kind of hub that Rushkoff describes in his book, a public space where people can share ideas and build sustainable post-capitalist communities.

“As long as we’re thinking that we have to change things at scale, the people who actually operate at scale are going to win, and that’s corporations and governments,” he says. “As long as we realize that it’s happening on a human to human level, that’s when we win. Libraries can do something at scale that remains local.”

Distributed is, therefore, an experiment to see whether or not VR and immersive technologies can be effective tools for those kinds of grassroots movements.

“Can it become more analog? Can it become more fluid?” Asks Rushkoff, arguing that VR should be used to explore new paradigms and new ways of looking at the world. “You think that Pong was meant as a simulation of table tennis? No. It was its own thing.”

In that regard, it helps that VR is such a young medium. Stephenson was able to explore Rushkoff’s esoteric concepts because there are no formal rules about what a VR film like Distributed is supposed to look like.

“The environment challenges people’s sense of solidity and that’s useful in an argument where we’re trying to say that the foundations are much more plastic than we give them credit for,” concludes Rushkoff. “People [need] to feel that the dashboard of economic creation is entirely accessible to them.”

If you are interested in furthering the discussion about new ways to engage on the question and creation of our collective ‘distributed futures' get in touch. 

When it comes to learning tools, kids of today have it made. What could be more appealing (and educational) than creating your very own robot buddy customized to your liking?

The demand for Little Robot Friends was unmistakable from the get-go. Creators Ann Poochareon and Mark Argo’s Kickstarter campaign reached their goal of $55,000 within 36 hours, and ultimately acquired over $126,000 in 30 days to fund the project.

The DIY robots were originally conceptualized for electronic hobbyists, but during and shortly after the campaign, a trend quickly emerged: kids were instantly drawn to the cute robots, while parents were eager for an engaging toy that would teach their kids about technology.

Ann Poochareon is the co-founder of Little Robot Friends, as well as Aesthetec Studio, an interaction design studio in Toronto. She shares how Little Robot Friends teaches kids about programming and what she’s learned about being an entrepreneur.

You spent many years creating compelling, interactive installations for science centres and museums around the world. What led you to pursue a career in design and technology?

Ann Poochareon: It all started at ITP (Interactive Telecommunications Program) at NYU. Mark and I were in the same class. We both got to it by way of wanting to explore more creative pursuits after doing web development for a few years. ITP is a tech-oriented graduate program inside a prestigious art school, very interdisciplinary, and there was a lot of opportunities to explore the intersection between art and technology. After graduating, we both wanted to keep doing what really drew us into the program – making interesting, creative applications of technology. Project by project, we found our way to working with museums by way of making interactive installations.

In 2016, you co-founded Little Robot Friends. What made you want to transition from large-scale exhibits to building a retail product?

Poochareon: As part of our work in making custom interactive exhibits, we make our own technologies – circuit boards, firmware, software, UX/UI and even back-end maintenance systems. We had a side project that we were sketching up in early 2013 that we had called Little Robot Friends, and that summer we tasked our one talented intern to put together a Kickstarter campaign for it. The campaign was wildly successful and we ended up having a consumer product on our hand.

Over the next little while, we learned more about who was buying our product. It turned out that tech-savvy parents and educators were really interested in using Little Robot Friends to introduce their kids to technology. This happened to align really well with what we've been doing at Aesthetec, but more consumer-oriented, so we redesigned and refined the product for a better market fit. We incorporated Little Robot Friends as its own entity in 2016, but we had been working on it for a little over three years prior.

Do you feel like there’s more pressure or responsibility in creating a product that influences young minds?

Poochareon: I wouldn't say there is more, but rather, a different type of responsibility and pressure. To us, it comes naturally since we've been developing exhibits for educational institutions and kids for the past 10 years. We're now focused on ways to make the education aspects of Little Robot Friends become the key ingredient that really draws in the users, rather than focusing on the hardware alone. As well, we're not only interested in how to get get kids learning about code, but also to engage them long-term.

How does Little Robot Friends teach kids about coding and technology?

Poochareon: So the robot itself has multiple sensory inputs and can respond to different sets of inputs by blinking its eyes and making robot sounds. The combination of the light and sound is what we called a “robot expression.” They come with pre-configured expressions so the kids can get started right away.

While the robot is pre-configured as a character, it is also a blank slate for the kids to make up their own character. So we encourage them to think about their robot's personalities and responses to different inputs. For example, when you tap the robot on the head multiple times, we call that action a “tickle.” Does your robot get excited when tickled, or does it get annoyed? What does a robot say when it is annoyed? Our app allows the kids to edit all of the expressions and map different responses to different inputs. It is a drag-and-drop tool, and they can see the result of their programming on the robot right away. By doing this, we start to teach them the concept of event-based programming through configuring the robots – when you do X, Y happens.

For those who are comfortable with code, we introduce a concept of “tricks” for the robots. Tricks are custom code that can be loaded onto the robot to customize them even more. We currently use Arduino IDE, an open-source programming platform, to program the robots. Later this year, we're planning to release more visual programming tools to make learning to program the robot easier for kids.

What’s the greatest thing you’ve learned as an innovator and entrepreneur?

Poochareon: One is that you learn everything by doing, and that you can't rely on your own assumptions about the market, ever. Always question your assumptions.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received in business?

Poochareon: Don't run out of money!

What prompted you to join the CFC Media Lab IDEABOOST network?

Poochareon: We know the CFC Media Lab from past projects, as we've collaborated before on a project, the Body Mind Change exhibit. So IDEABOOST has always been on our radar, though Aesthetec Studio was never in a position to participate. After we decided to incorporate Little Robot Friends and treat it as a startup, we started to think about joining accelerators to expand our network and get business advice. IDEABOOST was first on our list.

What's next on the horizon?

Poochareon: We're focusing on growth this year (or, at the moment, how to start growing), but we also have a new product in the pipeline for Little Robot Friends that we're pretty excited about.

IDEABOOST Accelerator is a four-month boot camp for tech companies that want to achieve success and scale in the media and entertainment ecosystem. An initiative of the Canadian Film Centre’s Media Lab, in partnership with Corus Entertainment, IDEABOOST provides high–potential Canadian startups with seed investment, mentorship and access to its network. Join Network Connect to find out more.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Emily Blunt as Queen Victoria in 'The Young Victoria' (Courtesy of GK Films).

Colloquially known as the “May two-four” weekend, the upcoming Victoria Day long weekend marks the unofficial start of summer here in Canada.

Victoria Day honours Queen Victoria’s birthday, which Canadians have celebrated since Confederation. Queen Victoria was Britain’s longest reigning monarch at the time of her death in 1901 (a duration that only Queen Elizabeth II recently surpassed on September 9, 2015).

However you choose to spend the upcoming long weekend – hanging out at the cottage, watching fireworks or taking it easy – why not spend some time with the Queen herself? Here are some of the best onscreen stories, songs and games that feature this special member of the Royals front and centre.

Film

The Young Victoria

This 2009 British-American period drama chronicles the early years of Queen Victoria’s reign. Made by French Canadian director Jean-Marc Vallée ( Dallas Buyers Club, Wild, Big Little Lies) and written by Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park, Downtown Abbey), it stars Emily Blunt in the titular role, navigating a new and demanding position once she turns eighteen years old. Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson, Mark Strong and Jim Broadbent round out a talented ensemble in a film that was nominated for three Academy Awards and won the Oscar for Best Costume Design.

Mrs. Brown

Also known as Her Majesty Mrs. Brown, this 1997 British drama was directed by John Madden (Shakespeare in Love, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel). Judi Dench stars as the Queen – a role for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Billy Connolly and Gerard Butler costar, with Butler making his film debut. After the death of her beloved husband, Prince Albert, the Queen withdraws from public life. The court appoints a former servant of the prince, John Brown (Billy Connolly), to help her recover. While Brown's unorthodox approach draws the Queen out of her shell, their growing closeness stirs scandalous rumors.

Television

Victoria

This 2016 eight-part British drama series was first created by Daisy Goodwin and stars Jenna Coleman of Dr. Who fame in the lead. It depicts the early years of Queen Victoria’s rule, from her accession to the throne to her infatuation with Lord Melbourne, and from her courtship and early marriage to Prince Albert (Tom Hughes) to the birth of their first child. Catch up now, as an upcoming second season of the series is planned; it will follow Victoria's struggles as a mother, wife and Queen navigating new and often conflicting responsibilities.

Victoria and Albert

Also eschewing the later years, this 2001 British-American historical miniseries focuses on the early years of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s passionate love story and marriage. Directed by John Erman, the series starred Victoria Hamilton as Victoria, Jonathan Firth as Prince Albert and Peter Ustinov as King William IV.

Music

Queen Victoria was the only British monarch to be honoured by name in the title of the 1969 rock song, “Victoria,” by The Kinks. Since then, the English rock band The Kooks, English post-punk band The Fall, American alternative rock band Cracker, and American rock band Sonic Youth have all covered the song. Have a listen to the Kinks sing her praises.

Closer to home, Canadian singer Leonard Cohen refers to her in his 1972 song, "Queen Victoria," which was based on his 1964 poem.

And then John Cale later covered it.

Games

You might not picture Queen Victoria as an action hero or computer game avatar, but she even shows up here!

Civilization VI

Queen Victoria leads the English civilization in this 2016 4X game, developed by Firaxis Games. The game has won the Game Critics Awards 2016 – Best PC Game/Best Strategy Game and Best Strategy Game, as well as the National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers in Game, Strategy.

Victoria: An Empire Under the Sun

In this 2003 Paradox Interactive grand strategy game, a player must guide a country through the Industrial Revolution, warfare and other historic events.

Assassin's Creed: Syndicate

Queen Victoria probably does not spring to mind as a character who’d appear in this popular 2015 action-adventure video game, developed by Ubisoft Quebec, but even here she reigns.