CONTRASTS IN CLUSTERING:
CANADIAN NEW MEDIA
John Britton
with Richard Smith and
Diane-Gabrielle Tremblay
DEFINITION
• New media = interactive digital media =
multimedia
• An interrelated set of economic activities that
produce digital, text, audio and interactive
computer graphic material which may be
accessed through the Internet, films, and related
communication channels
2
BACKGROUND
• Geography
• Innovation
Entertainment markets
Business markets
3
Toronto Region
Number employed
1-5
6 - 10
11 - 20
Built-up
area
0
5 km
21 - 40
41 - 100
101 - 400
4
Number
employed
Bloor St. W.
Toronto - Central Area
6 - 10
11 - 20
21 - 40
41 - 100
Dufferin St.
101 - 400
Don Valley Pkwy.
1-5
0
1 km
5
INTEGRATING RESEARCH RESULTS
• Practical issues
• Conceptual approach
Can we understand locational differences in new
media in terms of antecedent patterns of
development?
6
ANTECEDENT FACTORS
• Film production
• Television networks
• Corporate functions
7
AN INDUSTRY OF SMALL-SCALE FIRMS?
• Locational exceptions: games developers
• Why Montreal and Vancouver as nodes of
games production?
• Are Electronic Arts and Ubisoft anchor-firms?
8
MAINSTREAM NEW MEDIA
• Production, the Project-based System and
Finance
• Labour and Learning
9
LOCAL RELATIONS VS GLOBAL LINKS
• I
Input and circulation of technical knowledge
• II
Market Relations
• III Production relationships
(a) Collaboration
(b) Outsourcing/sub-contracting
10
NEW MEDIA IN PUBLIC VIEW
• Contrasts in associational development
• Contrasts in public initiatives
• Concluding comments
11