In addition to the keynotes and panels, the Crossover Summit will feature a series of breakout sessions featuring presentations of funding opportunities, case studies from broadcasters and other commissioning bodies, advice on contracting and negotiating rights in collaborative projects.

The break-out sessions have very limited capacity, so if you would like to join one of the discussions it is a good idea to book in advance.  To do so, please send a mail with the number and title of the session you would like to attend to the Summit production manager, Nigel Fischer nigel.melt [at] theculturecompany.co.uk
 
The tables are scheduled in two sessions:

FIRST SESSION, 13;30

Table 1: Negotiating Rights and Contracts
A discussion, based on a live case study, of the issues facing small companies when negotiating deals and contracts on collaborative projects. How do you split IP, what can you expect from broadcasters and other investors or partners.

Hosted by Nick Underhill and Amanda Duthie of Pact, the trade association representing and promoting the commercial interests of independent feature film, television, digital, children's and animation media companies, this table will be of particular value to delegates with cross-platform projects in the Meet Market.

Table 2: Driving Innovation: collaborative R&D and Knowledge Transfer
As the UK's innovation agency the Technology Strategy Board has a key role in driving innovation in the digital economy through targeted investment in R&D and in supporting collaboration and knowledge sharing between businesses; businesses and universities and between different industry sectors. 

In the last two years approaching 400 companies, many from the games, TV, film and digital media sectors, have benefitted from £15m worth of investment in R&D funding;  with grant awards from £15,000 to £1m for projects that exploit  technology to develop innovative products and services. The Technology Strategy Board also funds the Creative Industries Knowledge Transfer Network - a national network that brings businesses from across all the creative industry sectors together around common challenges, to share and learn from different experiences, develop new thinking and inform the policy agenda.

Hosted by Sian Brereton of the Technology Strategy Board and John Cass from the Creative Industries KTN, this table will outline the future direction of the Technology Strategy Board's Creative Industry programme, explain why digital content businesses should be interested and suggest how you can benefit from their activities.

Table 3: Open Source Documentary?
Wikipedia is the poster child for the potential of participation to create high value content. Can we do the same with documentaries? How does involving the audience in the creative process impact on a producer's editorial vision? What are the rights issues?

This session will explore the possibilities of collaborative documentary making, taking the BBC's first 'open source' documentary, 'Digital Revolution', as the prime case study with examples from other productions. What are the realities of engaging the audience from Day 1 of pre-production - from input into programme themes and scripts, to accessing rushes that they can edit before broadcast, to brainstorming online the title of the documentary itself?

Table 4: Working with Channel 4
Channel 4 has produced some of the most innovative cross-platform projects yet commissioned by any broadcaster.

Using case studies such as Land Share, Adam Gee, one of the UK's most experienced multiplatform commissioners, will explore the dos and don'ts of winning commissions from Channel 4, the pitfalls and lessons of collaborative projects.

Landshare (www.channel4.com/landshare) typifies Channel 4's approach to multi-platform production. Inspired by an item in River Cottage, it has received attention in the Houses of Parliament and the Scottish Parliament, in influential environmental think tanks and among big land-owning organisations like the National Trust, creating a significant political impact. From the development of the concept, through the partnership between TV and digital indies, to the model for financial sustainability, the session maps out all the landmarks along the cross-platform way.

Table 5: The Wellcome Trust: funding for development
The Wellcome Trust’s Engaging Science programme offers over £3 million per year for that aim to inform and inspire the public about biomedical science and its social contexts.
Their Broadcast funding enables individuals and organisations with ideas for TV, radio or new media projects to develop them into high impact, well-researched proposals to be utilised in securing a broadcast platform and/or further funding.

Hosted by Rachel Hillman from the Wellcome and Crossover mentor, Margaret Robertson, this table will  explore how to work with the Wellcome and on the next Crossover Lab, Crossover  Science.

SECOND SESSION, 15:00

Table 6: Working with 4iP
The 4iP Fund aims to deliver publicly valuable content and services on digital media platforms with significant impact and in sustainable ways. It represents one of the biggest and most exciting calls-to-action for new and emergent digital media companies in the UK.

But what are the factors that will make for a proposal that is likely to be successful? What are the success stories to date and what levels of funding are being allocated? This table, hosted by 4iP Commissioning Manager Lucy Wurstlin,  will provide insights into developing ideas that could be picked up by the fund.

Table 7: Development Funding from the Media Programme.
The European Media Programme offers Development grants of between €15,000 and €150,000 to companies who have produced at least one previous interactive project for development of an interactive project which complements an audiovisual production.

Agnieszka Moody of the UK Media Desk will outline the criteria and process for submitting an application to the programme and other opportunities in the Media Programme.

Table 8: Transatlantic Transmedia: new media in Canada
Canada has one of the most vibrant new media production and development environments in the world. The government has recently created a $14.3 million fund for a national program supporting the creation and the distribution of interactive digital cultural content products.

Featuring presentations from the National Film Board, who are running a cross-platform pitching competition at the Doc/Fest, and Canadian producers, the table will give an overview of the development and production environment there.


Table 9: BBC Multiplatform Commissioning
It's two years now since the BBC became one of the first major broadcasters to introduce multiplatform commissioning. In this informal session BBC Commissioning Exec Nick Cohen hosts a frank round table discussion looking back at what's worked, discussing where the reality hasn't quite matched the rhetoric and exploring where the process of content commissioning is going. This is an opportunity to give your views, get your questions answered and debate the future shape of the industry.

Nick Cohen, who has multiplatform responsibility for Arts, Documentaries, Features and Formats on BBC ONE and TWO, Music and Events, will use case studies to provide insight into the reality of working with the BBC.

Table 10: Crossover Business Labs.
Crossover is planning a Business Support lab in January 2010 designed to help creative SMEs take advantage of new opportunities in digital media. We will address key issues raised during this Summit but we would also like to hear directly from you. What would you like us to include in a two-day lab devoted to the business of cross-platform production? What are the main issues you would like us to address and what sort of specialised mentoring would you like to receive?