Subject: New chapters

Date, Jan 09, 2023

Sharing the 2b Story has been a pleasure. It has reminded me of many adventures. There are a few chapters I would like to forget and some where I would quickly turn the page but overall it has been a fun ride. Don’t start something that you are not willing to finish.

Founding the company makes it difficult to step back but I know it is something I will one day have to do. Until then I am proud of its direction and look forward to be part of some of the new chapters that will be written. Your help in writing them is appreciated.

I will say no more.

#2bacting #2bstory #siv #inview

Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: A big thank you

Date, Jan 08, 2023

Where do I start. There are so many people I would like to thank for participating in the 2b Acting story.

There is Wai, my college friend, for inspiring the start. Thomas Danby College (Now Leeds City College) for their remarkable support in our early years. The Arts Council England for helping a fledgling company develop. ITVlocal.com for believing in the work we produced. Venus TV for taking a chance with us. The Joseph Rowntree charitable trust for helping us prove that art can make a difference to real lives. Screen Yorkshire for helping us find new networks. The Apple iStore for selling our Apps when we desperately needed funds. TotalIT.com for their remarkable technical expertise. The Culture Vulture for the timely reviews of our work. The list goes on and on and for the many not mentioned, if you have worked with us, you know who you are, especially, our actors, like Edit, Lucy, Tyron, Annie, Daniel, Helen, Victoria. Without you there would be nothing on our InView channel and there would be no memories of our live performances. Thank you all.

Next: New chapters

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: Distracted by the noise

Date, Jan 07, 2023

I’m often challenged to defend 2b Acting’s goal of using technology to create new opportunities for actors. How can this be a priority when you consider all the other more important issues in the world. Climate Change, Rising Prices, Poverty, etc. Should support not be directed at these things? Acting is really not a priority in the bigger picture.

I find reactions like this to be distracting noise. I believe art can and has changed the world. If through more actors acting we are able to educate, inspire, challenge and change views we may avoid or be better placed to resolve world issues. I therefore am comfortable with being the champion that keeps 2b Acting on its path.

Next: A big thank you

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: The right support

Date, Jan 06, 2023

If you have kept up with the 2b Acting story you may have the view that questions my sanity. Can an unknown, unrecognised creative company really do all that I want any time soon? Especially without compromise or the intervention of ‘the Big Guys’. Well, you may be right but there are so many things in life that looked impossible when first said. Going to the moon, climbing Everest, sailing to the edge of the earth, etc. Big goals, big rewards. That is how I view what 2b Acting is doing and like with all the unbelievable things that have been achieved in our history finding the right supporters is key.

Doubters are always the first to come onboard and will perhaps follow us all the way hoping for failure but supporters when we find them will strengthen us. Our work in pushing forward with SIV business collaborations and SIV productions is attracting supporters, however, the best way to encourage positive participation is keep doing what we do best. Create.

Next: Distracted by the noise

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: No compromises

Date, Jan 05, 2023

One more difficulty I’ve found in reaching our goal is knowing when to compromise.

Do we include other goals to obtain funds? Do we partner with others whose values we don’t share to reach an audience? Do we listen to critical advice and change our ways of doing things to be accepted?

Naturally, to survive in any business, compromise comes with the territory. And yet, in my experience, compromise is what eventually leads to failure. ‘If your heart is not in it you will not win it.’ - This is the moral I have lived with and I can tell you that there have been occasions this refusal to compromise has held the company’s development back but it has kept our spirit alive.

Next: The right support

#2bacting #2bstory #siv #inview

Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: The journey

Date, Jan 04, 2023

Founding a company is one thing, keeping it going is a whole different ball game.

When you set off down a road you have no idea what you will discover on the journey. You can plan the route and the destination but what you see, what you find, the people you meet, the things you learn, the emotions you experience, the obstacles that get in your way, etc., etc. are all part of the rich tapestry of travelling. However, the hardest part of any journey is staying on the path and not forget the destination.

The travel can be too exciting that you never want it to end. This happened with 2b Acting where, if we could make productions every day we would but, as we discovered, that only improves the lives of a few. Or the travel can be too exhausting, again, having to fight for funding, audience attention, recognition, etc. can be soul destroying.

Then the biggest challenge. Avoiding paths to other destinations, other goals. For many reasons:- Easier to reach, less obstacles, more adventurous. Paths taken by others. It becomes too simple to just follow the crowd.

That’s why you need support. Others to remind you. To hurry you along. To help you decide and avoid wrong paths. This is what I’ve realised as founder. My work does not stop until the 2b Acting story is no longer just ours.

Next: No compromises

#2bacting #2bstory #siv #inview

Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: Just imagine

Date, Jan 03, 2023

Imagine a world where creative talent naturally extends outside of entertainment and is fully used to educate, inspire, explain, guide, promote, challenge, support, campaign, comfort and nurture us through life in an interactive way.

Imagine the number of jobs that would be created when 100% instead of 10% of actors can make a full time living from their craft. Jobs, not just in the creative industry, but reaching into so many other disciplines.

Imagine the benefits that will come from better understanding, reduced intolerance and improvements in the quality of life with the telling of powerful stories that matters and can make a difference.

2b Acting’s daily effort is about making this future vision a reality. The question is how long will it take? I’m beginning now to understand that this vision will only happen faster when others share our passion.

Next: The journey

#2bacting #2bstory #siv #inview

Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: So much more

Date, Jan 02, 2023

The annoying thing about me is when I get an idea I am driven to bring it to life.

I know been asked to to tell this 2b story was just a distraction to avoid new projects springing into my mind but I think it may have backfired for the short break from producing has brought on an urgency to produce even more.

Again, the problem is time. Not enough of it. 2b Acting has to grow faster, be bigger and bolder. How can this be done? Well, that is what I will spend the last seven posts in this story talking about. 2b Acting’s vision of success and how I want it to happen sooner rather than later.

Next: Just imagine

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: Production update

Date, Jan 01, 2023

In a previous post I announced that we are working on producing our first adventure SIV, ‘Space Vorilex’.

Having had to give up our studio in Leeds due to COVID restrictions we are working hard to find an affordable replacement to avoid the high cost of hiring studio space. That said, we are determine to stay on production schedule and hope to start casting actors for the show later this year.

Again, we are trying something different with casting in that, since ‘Space Vorilex’ is an ongoing adventure then new characters will come and go often so we are looking to establish an open casting call process which means actors can apply at any time for parts. Flexibility is key and we are looking forward to seeing how this works and if it helps actors push forward with their careers.

Next: So much more

#2bacting #2bstory #siv #inview

Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: 360 Interaction

Date, Dec 31, 2022

We developed 360 interaction because, as said previously, 360 videos encourage interaction with the screen almost immediately, which until SIVs popularity grows, as a designer, you will need to find ways to do.
However, you still need to design the 360 video for interaction. A method we use involves:
- Capturing actors on a blue or green screen background. Shoot them with at least a 4k camera to get an adequate quality when they are placed in the 360 environment.
- Film or create a 360 background. There are a number of low cost 360 degree cameras on the market that can do this or you can design one using 3D modelling software.
- Combine actors with the 360 background using Chromatic software to generate a 360 video.
- With InView you can then utilise different selection modes to trigger an interactive action e,g, when the viewer moves the 360 video screen to a certain position or you can use overlays that display buttons or hyperlinks on the screen that the viewer can select.

To see this 360 interactivity in action watch our ‘Gym BS’ production.

Next: Production update

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: SIV designs

Date, Dec 30, 2022

The mistake we made in the early development of SIV was looking at the selective and interactive components as an ‘add-on’ to the content. Whilst this can be done it does not produce very good SIV designs.

To get the best from SIV you first determine its purpose. What do you want the SIV to do? Training? Tell a story? Be a game? Make a choice? etc.

When you have the purpose you then decide how you want the selection to work. Automatic, actions triggered by the weather, the time of day, the day of the week, temperature, etc. Or manual, actions triggered by a viewer making a selection, voice command, making a movement, etc.

After that you then design the action you want. A jump to different part of the video, to another video, to another website, to display information, operate an external device, call a phone number, send a text, turn on/off an appliance, etc.

Finally, you then make the content to work with the selection and interaction. The SIV should present a simple to use experience from start to finish. It takes time, so do not rush the design stage as things are easy to change at this point and very difficult to change when you get to the configuration stage.

Next: 360 Interaction

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: SIV vs Ordinary

Date, Dec 29, 2022

I’m often asked what the difference is between an ordinary video production and a SIV production. They are both videos after all. Well, yes and no.

You can take an ordinary produced video and create a SIV but it depends on what functions you want in the SIV. For example, if you want jump functions where you want to skip to another point in a video then, if you want this jump to go unnoticed by the viewer, it is best to have these jump points designed into the video. This means when you create a video for SIV you have to design a user selection and interaction script to go with the production script. This effectively can be considered like shooting a b-roll for a movie.

The director will need to have a good sense of the selections and interactions to ensure the main production includes the necessary break and transitions points. Handover to post-production should include a SIV timing schedule which lets the editor know when tags will appear and the jump points to allow in/out transitions. SIV tag designing (Where the various SIV functions are applied to the video) has to be done with a full length video, as timing is very important. Any change to the video timeline could change tag settings. On average, SIV requires 25% more resource to produce but it’s always worth the effort.

Next: SIV designs

#2bacting #2bstory #siv #inview

Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: Putting an InView project together

Date, Dec 28, 2022

We often forget that every production you see on InView started with a blank sheet of paper. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve stared at a blank sheet waiting for an idea to come. When it arrives and it gets on a page the next difficulty is how to make the idea fit within 2b Acting’s requirements, Budget, Resource, Schedule. After that is when the hard work begins.
Pulling together the teams.
First the team to secure project finance, write a script, find locations, obtain permits, etc. Then a marketing team to gain exposure ahead of the production launch.
For filming we recruit a crew and director to start pre-production work before we start working with casting agents to find actors. This leads to time consuming auditions and cast selections (set up contracts and payment systems). We then have to finalise and distribute scripts, agree rehearsal schedules, rehearse and then undertake production which involves far too many activities to mention here.
Post-production starts when you have the first videos to edit. Pulling together backgrounds, music, effects, images, captions, titles, etc. and editing to create a draft to develop and test the Selective Interactive Video Tags and support material. After that a final master video is created and given to the distribution team.
A short wait and the completed SIV miraculously appears on InView.
Then, if you’re lucky, someone is kind enough to watch it and send you a short message to say they liked it.
You breathe a little then wait for the next big idea.

Next: SIV vs Ordinary

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: Why involve actors?

Date, Dec 27, 2022

As said previously, we want to involve actors in the telling of powerful stories. In this way we can create new opportunities for them.

We know we can tell stories using animations, puppets, CGI or stock material. In many cases it lowers production cost significantly and resolves a number of other production issues such as casting, agents, contracts, rehearsals, make-up, directors, crew, etc. However, these are exactly the reason why we use actors.

Acting is not a stand alone profession, it involves a team. A team means jobs for other creatives. Getting actors acting generates work not just for them but for a mired of associates. 2b Acting’s goal supports the creative industry. That’s why we want Actors to be Acting.

Next: Putting an InView project together

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: A numbers game

Date, Dec 26, 2022

InView is about outreach but it is not a numbers game. Nothing on the channel will change to increase viewing numbers. It will always remain a platform for us and the viewers to explore, experience and enjoy the work of the actors that help in creating the SIVs. It is our beacon that one day will spread and as stupid as it sounds, as I shouldn’t be calling for competition, I can’t wait for more SIV channels to establish and expand the SIV choice.

When SIV becomes mainstream we would know that we would have achieved more paid work opportunities for actors. Exciting stuff.

Next: Why involve actors?

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: Coming Soon

Date, Dec 25, 2022

I couldn’t tell the 2b story without including a small peek behind the curtain and say a little about what’s coming up.

We are excited about this next production as it is our attempt at a never ending adventure story, called ‘Space Vorilex’. Now we did trail a pilot ‘Space Vorilex’ about two years ago and decided that a complete redesign of the production was needed. With the pilot we held back on the interactions but that is all set to change. We will be creating a 360 Interactive world in which you as a character will exist and through your own unforced decisions you will or will not (it’s up to you) go on adventures that may or may not (your decision) take you to the stars and other planets. It is a fusion of a game and a drama series. A journey to last you a life time. If things stay on track with production plans you should have a first peek early next year if not before. Worth looking out for.

Next: A numbers game

#2bacting #2bstory #siv #inview

Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: Get to know InView

Date, Dec 24, 2022

We do encourage everyone to spend time getting to know InView. Explore, Experience, Enjoy.

It is not a traditional video website and you should not go there for the content alone. There is a lot in what you don’t see. For example. The ‘Witch Trinity’ Motion comic. It is a comic with moving panels. Now I know there are other motion comics out there but the difference is they use dedicated players. Our motion comic SIV shows that any video can easily be converted to a motion comic that runs on an ordinary video player.

‘Gym BS’. How many other sites do you know that can show a 360 degree video that displays information when you look at an item in the video? Again, using an ordinary video player.

I can go on but exploration of the difference between SIV and ordinary video is part of the fun. Sometimes you will see the obvious differences. Like with ‘Clue Card’. And sometime you won’t, like with ‘The 2b Show’. Discover the plus in each video. That’s what we say.

Next: Coming Soon

#2bacting #2bstory #siv #inview

Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: Getting up and running

Date, Dec 23, 2022

I didn’t realise how difficult it would be to design a user interface for InView. The initial interface was a simple video player. All interactive buttons and information for the different SIVs appeared as overlays on the playing screen like subtitles. Personally, I hated it. Far too distracting. And as someone said when I showed a SIV with their Art work. Having a button slapped across their work did not make them feel good. We therefore moved away from using overlays and the default interface is the one you will see today with the buttons and information panel separated from the video. Yes, we did leave the option for viewers to select the video only layout as a preferance.

The next problem we had to overcome, which is perhaps why we are moving towards more 360 interactive shows, is getting people to interface with the screen. Having Actors say ‘click here’, or having arrows and button randomly appear, is not nice. Annoyingly, if you don’t make the interactions clear there will be no interaction. Viewers may as well be watching an ordinary video. The good thing about a 360 video is people start interacting with the screen straight away. That makes it easier to get them selecting items that appear in the view.

We can’t wait until interfaces such as Augmented Reality Glasses or portable projectors become more mainstream. That’s when you’ll see the real interface we have planned for InView.

Next: Get to know InView

#2bacting #2bstory #siv #inview

Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: InView is a SIV channel

Date, Dec 22, 2022

The thing to remember when you visit InView is that it is a SIV channel. On it we have decided to add a broad range of SIV productions. There is no genre focus. It’s not a comedy channel, sports channel, news channel, a drama channel, a kids channel. If you want to give it a label then call it a SIV channel.

We understand that this makes it difficult to define an audience type for the channel. For this I am sorry. Marketing advice says we should specify a content genre. Appeal to a certain demography to build the numbers. If this was a totally commercial venture then it would be good advice. However, if we did that, then we will be saying that content is more important than the selection or interactive components. If anything, if there is any divisions in what appears on InView, I’d rather the dividers be SIV related and that we use categories like: Video database SIVs, Story SIVs, 360 Interactive SIVs, etc. InView is different and it is important that this message is not diluted.

Next: Getting up and running

#2bacting #2bstory #siv #inview

Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: 3 Reasons

Date, Dec 21, 2022

I created InView for three reasons.
- The first is obvious. To be visible. People want to see what SIV productions look like. To avoid having to produce examples after examples it is much easier experience SIV by spending time on the channel.
- The second reason is to prove that Interactive Passes can provide revenue to support productions.
- Third, to tell people through our work, who we are, what we do and why we do it.

InView is our beacon. A calling card that represents the future of entertainment.

Next: InView is a SIV channel

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: Welcome to InView

Date, Dec 20, 2022

The last pillar that forms the core of 2b Acting is our InView channel. It is where our exclusive productions are shown and where you can experience the best in Selective Interactive Videos (SIV).

Currently, all SIV productions on the channel are produced by us but we may soon open the space to collaboration partners. You may notice when you visit the site that there is one thing it doesn’t have. External advertising. We plan on making use of In-Show advertising and perhaps display partners logos but that will be it. We want the focus to be on the work and for viewers to enjoy experiencing our stories without distracting advertisements.

Next: 3 Reasons

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: Something too good is hard to ignore

Date, Dec 19, 2022

Telling Powerful Stories is key and our work is focused on sharing these stories with audiences.

To do this and stay true to out interactive passion and our ability to break boundaries there is one more step, We have to establish a platform we can call our own. A platform that can rapidly change to support our productions. A platform with a responsive interface that can function across the many different internet devices. A platform where we can control the look and feel to give the viewer the best online experience. A platform we will make so good that it will be hard to ignore.

Basically, I’ve just described our InView platform.

Next: Welcome to InView

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: I get that!

Date, Dec 18, 2022

I said in the last post that including powerful stories in our work can alienate rather than attract viewers. Am I alright with this? Well, no. Not really.

I get that some, if not all, of our shows may have messages or subjects that some don’t like. That there are people who are looking for art as an escape from this world and don’t want to be reminded of things they can’t change or are not directly responsible for. I get that a good story can sometimes just be a good story. It doesn’t have to lead to or have anything to do with changing this world or any world. I get that! And there is no BUT. I understand and accept that there will always be different views.

Therefore, I have no choice but to accept that 2b Acting’s productions may not be watched by everyone. However, over time, I can only hope that more and more people will stop and listen to what our productions have to say.

Next: Something too good is hard to ignore

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: Watch Gym BS

Date, Dec 17, 2022

So how do we tell powerful stories? Well, the answer is that it varies with every production. Sometimes it is very subtle, like with our ‘Witch Trinity’ series. Other times we are very direct and produce shows like our ‘NO: series’ which takes specific subjects head on.

However, a good example of us telling powerful stories is our ‘Gym BS’ current issues 360 interactive sitcom. In this series we included three powerful subjects in each episode. It pushed the writers creativity, for, at the end of the day, the show still had to be a comedy for it to enjoyed.

How well did we do? Watch ‘Gym BS’.

Next: I get that!

#2bacting #2bstory #siv #inview

Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: Finding powerful stories

Date, Dec 16, 2022

How do we go about doing this? Well, most of my inspiration comes from people. I find everyone has a story and sometimes they are unaware of how powerful the story they have lived or experienced is. The mainstream concentrates on telling us stories of the famous, rich and powerful. The rags to riches stories. However, for me, the real world changing stories comes from the ordinary, the overlooked or the down trodden.

This clearly put us on the side of those that don’t often have a voice. Again, this decision does nothing for our popularity. Speaking for people that have not asked you to speak for them can be considered an intrusion, yet how else can we help those that are resigned to just ‘put up with it.’?

Art is intrusive and using it to tell stories that goes untold is where you will find 2b Acting.

Next: Watch Gym BS

#2bacting #2bstory #siv #inview

Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: Powerful stories in everything we do

Date, Dec 15, 2022

Insisting that everything we produce contains a powerful message is not as easy as it sounds. I am often reminded that hard truths, no matter how we present them, can alienate rather than build support for our work.

The push to be popular, to be ratings driven, to be commercial, to increase followers and likes, to follow the mainstream, always seem to mean an avoidance of subjects and stories that matter. ‘No one has asked us to do this.’ - ‘No one wants it.’ - ‘No one cares.’ - Thesre are statements we’ve heard on more than one occasion over the years. However, this is exactly the reason why. Not facing a problem will never change it. If our creativity is going to be worth anything to anyone it has to do something. Telling powerful stories can be difficult but that is when we rely on the strength in our art and hearts.

Next: Finding powerful stories

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: Where did the why come from?

Date, Dec 14, 2022

At the very start it was a social justice story that led to the founding of the company. To overcome an intolerance. The issue faced was ‘Why were there a predominant amount of white only acting roles?’ Doing something like starting a simple website to open access to all seemed the least we could do.

However, it was the subject of our play, ‘Pimlico’, that really cemented the need for Powerful Stories to be told. The real life story of the death of illegal immigrants whilst cockle picking on a beach in the UK and the discovery that they were part of a people trafficking network which society accepts as something that happens. Part of our economy. Helps keep prices down. Worse, the illegal immigrants are treated like animals by some. As second class citizens that don’t deserve any kind of self respect. The attitudes surrounding illegal immigrants and legal immigration seems to bring out the worse kind of injustices. Our play got us involved in real world discussions and we attended a number of organised immigrant support events.

Opening discussions and shining a light on subjects like these felt important and art is a great way to do it. We found our why.

Next: Powerful stories in everything we do

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: But why?

Date, Dec 13, 2022

The third pillar that makes up 2b Acting is Powerful Stories. Telling powerful stories using SIV is our why. It roots out interactive passion and drives the need to create our InView productions. It’s why we want actors to be acting. Why we want collaborations, partnerships, public and industry support to help achieve our goal. Achieving our goal will give us the means to tell powerful stories.

Through SIV and the employment of many more actors we will better engage viewers with stories that matter. Stories that can make a difference. By working with others we can broaden understanding and breakdown intolerance. We can make art more than just entertainment. Powerful stories make change hard to ignore.

Next: Where did the why come from?

#2bacting #2bstory #siv #inview

Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: The solution

Date, Dec 12, 2022

Solving the problem of being a small fish in a large sea is a simple one. Find other fishes to swim with. Our solution going forward is to form collaborations. Join with partners, actors, audiences. Anyone willing to work with us to reach our goals.

What’s in it for them? The chance to share in our vision and use our success to their benefit.
Learning how to be creative to take the spotlight by not following the traditional routes can be an attractive proposition and that is what we offer.
We want companies to talk to us about how they do things, so we can work together in using SIV to improve a process, method or income stream.
We want the public to give SIV a try whenever they see a new SIV production to discover new forms of entertainment.
We want the industry to recognise that SIV is a game changer that should be encouraged and supported where possible.
We want to start making this happen and believe it or not, we already are.

Next: But why?

#2bacting #2bstory #siv #inview

Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: A boundary that will be hard to break

Date, Dec 11, 2022

As always, there is a major challenge. Currently, we are a very small fish in a very large sea. The creative industry has been moulded over the years and is an uncompromising unchanging infrastructure with many layers. We have found that anything we do, if it does not conform, it more than likely will go unrecognised and unsupported. Even audience expectations are influenced by the industry. Year after year audiences are pulled back to watch the same plays, types of movies and TV shows. Anything different from the popular formats are frown on and very rarely given a chance, unless promoted by ‘The Big Guys’.

Breaking through this boundary is not going to be easy and we can’t blame our nemesis – Time. Time is unlikely to change this one. We need another solution.

Next: The solution

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: Flexibility

Date, Dec 10, 2022

This is the key. Having rigid practices that don’t change to accommodate the company’s goal will not break boundaries. In every area: technology, the type of productions, our networks, the way we work. They all have to be constantly reviewed and modified.

Again, an example was our play ‘Pimlico’. We gave a main role to an actor that later turned the role down when she received the rehearsal schedule. It turned out that she had a small child (Charlie. A really lovely two year old) and the production times made it hard for her to get a baby sitter. We moved the rehearsal times to accommodate her and the reward was the biggest hug I’ve ever received from an actor at the end of the last performance. She said how grateful she was and wished more companies were as accommodating.

A small change can make a big difference and we now encourage all actors to talk about their perceived impediments to see how we can work together to overcome them.

Next: A boundary that will be hard to break

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: An example of breaking boundaries

Date, Dec 09, 2022

All our plays are written with open casting in mind. Roles are not restricted and can be played by a wide range of actors.

As an example, for our play ‘The Cleaner’ I offered a talented young actor a chance to audition. The audition date came and went and he did not turn up, which breaks one of my major rules. Punctuality and attendance are everything in acting. Fortunately for him, I attended a networking event that very evening and we met there. When I asked why he didn’t attend the audition he said it was because he didn’t see a role for him in the play. He couldn’t see the ‘black character’. Shocked, I asked him to audition anyway and the next day he did. He was and is a talented actor and he took the part playing a country line dancer and did an excellent job.

After that his confidence in his acting ability grew and a few years later he went on to create his own video production company dedicated to using a majority of black actors to play Shakespeare roles. He said I encouraged him to break boundaries.

The learning from this example is sometimes we have to believe in people until they can believe in themselves.

Next: Flexibility

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: What does breaking boundaries look like?

Date, Dec 08, 2022

Three things:
- A wider range of acting roles available for all. It’s not just about providing new opportunities but the roles must include a wider range of parts for actors. i.e. more diversity.
- A wider access to acting opportunities. More parts should mean more opportunities that should be shared out and not just giving to a select few.
- Improved chance of getting desired roles. Creating new jobs must lead to a large reduction in time and money that actors spend attending auditions for roles they are unlikely to get.

To break the barriers and achieve these three outcomes is 2b Acting’s focus and the work has already started.

Next: An example of breaking boundaries

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Subject: I want to see real change

Date, Dec 07, 2022

Let me explain what I mean by real change. I want every actor to be able to find sustainable paid work in the industry. For their craft to be taken seriously so they receive recognisable support from family and friends. I want to see an end to their exploitation so they can develop and share their talent in welcoming safe environments. I want the world to value artists contributions in areas outside of the normal, to give them career progression, recognition and rewards commensurable with their worth.

In return, I want actors to think outside of the limited box they currently operate within. Aspirations should extend beyond a casting in a lead role in a major movie. They have the skills to inspire, encourage and promote a better life for all. They can lead by example with the characters they portray. We all need role models and actors, giving the chance, can be this for so many.

Next: What does breaking boundaries look like?

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Subject: Break boundaries

Date, Dec 06, 2022

There is a quote attributed to Bernie Luskin that goes “If you want to change something, you have to change something.” When we set out to break boundaries it means change is at the forefront of our minds.

Our goal to use technology to create new paid opportunities for actors, requires real change. To do this we know we have to break boundaries. To not listen when people tell us it can’t be done. That is when we just get up and do it. This is the only way 2b Acting has survive and thrived. Yes, we are mocked on occasions. Yes, many don’t understand why we do what we do and yes, it can be unrewarding. However, we have a strong belief in our ability to change the world through creativity. Having to break boundaries to do it is what makes us 2b Acting.

Next: I want to see real change

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Subject: Waking up the world

Date, Dec 05, 2022

I mentioned in the last post that I hope the advertising industry doesn’t take too long to start using SIV for In-Show advertising. However, this hope does not only apply to advertisers. I do hope our passion and the passion of others can wake up the entertainment industry and the world to what SIV can and is doing.

I am happy to answer questions or provide demonstrations where necessary. We have a passionate belief that one day all videos will be interactive. This is the dawn of a new age of creativity. Simply put we are working hard to spark an excitement in Interactive productions on stage and online to create a vibrant new industry. An exciting future.

Now, to the second pillar that forms the core of 2b Acting that separates us from any other interactive producers. The need to break boundaries.

Next: Break boundaries

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Subject: In-show Adverting

Date, Dec 04, 2022

I am not sure about you but I really don’t like adverts popping up in the playing video. Perhaps I’m not the only one, which is the reason why you now see the ‘skip advert’ button. Although I do use the skip button when available, I do feel sorry for advertisers that have paid a lot of money in the hope their advert is watched.

Well, SIV comes to the rescue. In our latest production, ‘Gym BS’, we introduced In-show advertising. In this production, paintings and posters on the walls are real advertisements. They do not get in the way of the playing story but at any time the viewer can stop and interact with them. Effectively, the adverts can be viewed on demand. Being a part of the show the adverts can’t be skipped. The other advantage is because the ads are independent from the performance they can be changed.

Embedding adverts in shows is an exciting interactive outcome. I do hope the industry doesn’t take too long to warm to the idea as it will bring advertising revenue to productions and perhaps fast track SIV into the mainstream.

Next: Waking up the world

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: How SIV gives more

Date, Dec 03, 2022

We worked with a famous Greek Author that writes interactive children books. We used one of our custom SIVs to introduce an on screen narrator (like an audio book) and the video stepped through the illustrated story. At decision points the story would jump depending on the viewers’ answers to questions.

The book had a finite story that ended but in our use of SIV the author realised that the story didn’t have to end. SIV allowed for new branches to be added to the story at any time. Not only new branches but stories in previous branches could be changed each time the SIV is played to keep audiences returning time and time again. SIV gave the author more than fixed pages of his books and it was exciting to see where it took his imagination. This is just one example of how interactive passion can be more. It is a disruptive technology and if used right can change viewing experiences. A great example of this disruption is our In-show Advertising.

Next: In-show Adverting

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Subject: Interactive Video is not new but SIV is

Date, Dec 02, 2022

The world’s first interactive film, was a Czechoslovakian comedy called ‘Kinoautomat: One Man and His House’, which was shown to audiences at the 1967 Expo in Montreal. It was a decision making film where the audience had to make selections to change the story as the film unfolded.

Since then interactive video of this type has found its way into the mainstream. Netflix and Youtube have several interactive offerings. The media and advertising industries have even created new awards to celebrate them, including the Tribeca Film Festival, MTV O Awards, Webby’s and more.

However, the current trend in interactive video production, in my opinion, is limiting its creativity. The designs mainly are focused on promoting content (getting more people to watch a video) rather than utilising the selection and interaction facilities to enhance the viewing experience.

This is where SIV is different to interactive videos. SIV goes beyond what you see in a video and every SIV does something. We say, when it comes to SIV, if you can watch and do then SIV is for you.

Next: How SIV gives more

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Subject: A new generation of SIV creatives

Date, Dec 01, 2022

You know that videos are a sequence of images, text, sounds combined in a multitude of ways to make up the moving images we call video content. Since the birth of the moving picture we have witnessed the creativity of ordinary people in making video content that you want to watch again and again. If we can do such wondrous thing with just content, imagine if we added two more video changing variables into the mix.

How selections are made and what happens as a result of the selection (Interaction). Our interactive passion aims to encourage the growth of new SIV designers to mix these three components to amaze us with content plus SIV. These new skills can be applied to the existing stock of videos. As an example, they could add options to see new endings to movies we know and love, so perhaps, as an example, we may be able to decide if ‘Jack survives’ at the end of Titanic.
Or we will see the emergence of brand new SIVs connecting content with the real world. For example, adding an external fan to simulate wind when characters go for a drive in the playing video. A silly idea maybe but the reality is the options for creativity are endless and I can’t wait to see what these new designers come up with.

Next: Interactive Video is not new but SIV is

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Subject: Get actors acting

Date, Nov 30, 2022

Our interactive passion extends beyond creating new applications and reasons for the world to utilise SIVs. It has to include the employment of actors. For this reason we actively avoid using computer generated 3D human models in our videos unless actors are used to bring more realism to an animation. I am also championing to have SIV compete for work currently being done using animations, especially in the area of 3D gaming. Why have computer generated characters that look almost human when with SIV you can have actual humans.

I see a future where SIV human avatars could be let loose in the real world by merging it with augmented reality. Imagine having a full sized video friend pop-up beside you when you’re out and about.

The reasons to get passionate are numerous but the one that really gets me talking is the emergence of a new industry that supports SIV creators. Think what the next generation will do with SIV.

Next: A new generation of SIV creatives

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Subject: Interactive Passion

Date, Nov 29, 2022

To understand what I mean by Interactive Passion you first need to have a clear idea about what SIV is NOT. It is not Interactive Videos as most people recognise. i.e. The videos where you get to a particular point in the playback and you are asked to make decisions that take you down different parts of the playing video. e.g. Do you want the man to go left or right?

SIV can be used to make these types of videos with simple selection options and jump functions. It is also not banners or skip buttons being overlaid on videos providing hyperlink actions. SIV can do these things with ease. No. SIV is recognising that ordinary videos have been upgraded. We did call it ‘finding the plus’ in every video. ‘Content plus’ and SIV, for us, is pushing ourselves to always look for ways to make videos interactive, to create new applications. Interactive Passion is us working every day to ensure that one day all videos will be interactive in one way or another. Achieve this and we open unlimited work opportunities for actors.

Next: Get actors acting

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Subject: Time is on our side – Yes it is!

Date, Nov 28, 2022

Finally, as a company, SIV has giving 2b Acting words that describe clearly who we are, what we do and why we do it.

“2b Acting is a digital media and theatre company that specialises in Selective Interactive Video(SIV) productions for Business and Entertainment - Changing the world through creativity.”

Our enemy once was time but now it feels to me that time is on our side, as with SIV as a foundation we can sit back and wait for the realisation that it really is a game changer when it comes to videos. When this happens we will have to be ready to answer the last question:, ‘Why 2b Acting’s SIV?’ That’s where the companies four key pillars come into the story. Interactive Passion, Powerful Stories, Breaking Boundaries and InView.

Next: Interactive Passion

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: InView for Entertainment

Date, Nov 27, 2022

Whilst 2b Acting is keen for businesses to use SIV as a way to promote its capabilities and raise its profile, we can’t forget that we are a creative business first. However, we are back to the problem when it comes to selling online video productions. People will not pay to watch online content (only the ‘Big Guys’ can charge and they have made their prices so low that us independents cannot compete). Then there is the free Youtube, TikTok and numerous other free video channels out there. Yes, there are advertising and investment money but these come with compromises that we are not yet ready to make.

If we can’t get the public to pay then our goal of being able to offer continuous work to actors will not be possible. Our solution is InView. It is a unique entertainment platform hosting a growing library of SIV productions. To raise income InView sells Interactive Passes which unlock the interactive elements in the videos. Content remains free. It may take time but I believe that as the understanding of SIV grows, viewers will be more than willing to pay for the full SIV experience. Time will increase income. And with time we will be able to make more and more productions, generating more and more revenue. The possibility of unlimited opportunities is embedded in the success of InView. Now, we don’t mind waiting.

Next: Time is on our side – Yes it is!

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Subject: SIV for business

Date, Nov 26, 2022

We discovered with much alarm when we attended a business conference back in 2016 how little businesses used ordinary videos. Us trying to convince them that Selective Interactive Videos were an improvement to something they never used was a very tough sell. Our enemy ‘Time’ had reared its ugly head again. It may have taken decades for SIV to be accepted in business if we had waited and this realisation prompted a swift change.

We now offer SIV as a business development service where we work in collaboration with selected partners to do all the hard work so they can utilise SIV for specific business improvements. Like our 'Automated Concierge System (ACS)' for hotels. This system uses SIV as the primary human video interface with hotel guests. It provides customers with a friendly human face, displayed on screens around the hotel and on the guest mobile devices to connect them with the hotels backroom services. The ACS improves the guest experience before, during and after staying at a hotel.

This SIV business approach works well and we are slowly moving towards our goal of providing new and unlimited paid opportunities for actors in business.

Next: InView for Entertainment

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Subject: Custom SIVs

Date, Nov 25, 2022

The SIV creator was like a paint box that needed artists to use it to create amazing stuff. The problem was finding SIV artists was very slow. When we gave away the creator we had to produce detailed guides and mentoring which effectively turned the company into a training organisation. Again, not the direction we wanted to take SIV.

To get off this road I decided we should create Custom SIVs. These are pre-configured SIVs tailored to turn ordinary video into useful functions. For example, one Custom SIV was a video database. With this, when you watch a video showing, for example, the layout of a room, as you hover over items in the room information from the database is displayed. Ideal for estate agents selling homes. Simple user interfaces made Custom SIVs easy to set up.
(To see a list of our Custom SIVs - https://2bacting.com/customsiv/ )

The problem was Customs SIVs were now being compared and confused with Apps. Instead of ‘What’s an App?’, we were now being asked ‘Is it an App?’. The fact that they were manipulating videos rather than writing complicated computer code was been totally missed.

We did not want to pass SIV off as Apps as that would put us back in a heavily populated market. Our only way forward was to take control of how SIVs were designed, produced and used. This led to the introduction of our SIV for business service and InView, our platform dedicated to showing our SIV entertainment productions.

Next: SIV for business

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Subject: Too many examples

Date, Nov 24, 2022

Undaunted by the lack of enthusiasm with the first SIV example, I decided to create more. It was costing a lot in time and money producing examples that had to be explained. People were more focused on the content than on what the SIV was doing in manipulating the videos. At the time I thought, if I wanted this to work, I could not rely on viewers to get excited. I had to take it to Video Editors.

In 2015, we launched our SIV creator. Using the online creator, Editors could take any video and turn it into a SIV. They could do things like add overlays (Banners or Text that appeared anywhere on the playing video). They could do live editing. They could erase objects they didn’t want you to see on the screen, add hyperlinks over anything you saw in a video, etc. etc. We started with a library of 15 functions that manipulated the playing video and this library grew to more than 50 functions to satisfy ever changing requirements. Eventually, we had to draw a line as the work now was forever explaining how the SIV creator worked and upgrading it to meet different perceived demands.

Next: Custom SIVs

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Subject: An obvious link

Date, Nov 23, 2022

Without getting too technical the breakthrough for us in creating what we call Selective Interactive Videos (SIV) came when we considered changing the content of a video using the internet browser controls. Without the viewer doing anything you can jump to any part of a video without the viewer noticing.

The most simple example of this is live editing. Cut out parts of a video you don’t want the viewer to see at any moment during playback. This was amazing and I thought we would be swamped by the rush of people that would deploy the technology. I was so excited when we created our first SIV showing three cards being dealt. Each time the video is played the dealing order of the three cards change without the viewer knowing, just by jumping around the video. The surprising thing was only I got excited by this. When I showed the discovery to the team they were NOT impressed. They just saw a video with someone dealing cards. Like with a magic trick they couldn’t see how the magic was done and really didn’t care.

(We’ve put the first SIV on InView if you want to see it for yourself - https://bit.ly/3MrUe5P )

Next: Too many examples

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Subject: The road to SIV

Date, Nov 22, 2022

When 2b Acting started, I had no idea that SIV was the destination and would be the tool that would introduce fundamental changes for the company and the creative industry.

The idea came from the need to find words that would best describe what the company was doing to meet its core objective of using technology to create paid opportunities for actors. Prior to SIV, the truth is, we were a little lost. A theatre company that spent more time trying to raise funds to perform plays than we did performing plays. A digital media production company spending more time trying to get people to watch and pay for what we produced than we were producing. To pay bills we got involved in so many different creative projects that it became impossible for anyone to identify anything that supported our goal. Workshops, events, books, magazines, Apps, etc. At one time we had 40 projects on the go keeping us busy but we weren’t going anywhere. Something had to change and it was a breath of fresh air when the idea of SIV landed.

Next: An obvious link

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Subject: What next?

Date, Nov 21, 2022

Digital Media has enabled 2b Acting to establish a platform for growth and more importantly deliver on its core objectives.

We had a rocky start filming series 1 of Today and Tomorrow but we went on to create series 2 and 3 in HD. Series 1 got picked up by ITVlocal and was shown on their internet channel to 80,000 plus viewers. Series 2 got shown on Sky channel, Venus TV and series 3 was shown at Hyde Park picture house on the big cinema and is still available to watch on our InView platform.

I am disappointed that we are no longer involved in creative native App store productions but we do still turn out web Apps which are easier to produce at much lower cost. However, SIV is our core.

As creators we now specialise in SIV productions for business and entertainment. SIV is defining a new future for videos and currently our work is focused on getting others to recognise what SIV can really do. There is no point in continuing our push forward if it’s going to take ten years for people to really get behind us. Without mainstream acceptance we will fail to deliver on our primary goal. We want what we do to create paid work opportunities for actors. For that to happen SIV has to be let loose. So, for you to understand 2b Acting I need to say more about SIV.

Next: The road to SIV

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Subject: A digital fusion

Date, Nov 20, 2022

Digital media has provided 2b Acting with real flexibility which kept the company alive during the pandemic. It has allowed us to develop SIV and effectively fuse computing with video enabling us to push the boundaries of video productions.

We are the first to produce a 360 Interactive Sitcom, ‘Gym BS’. We are the first to create a human video interface to play a game of chess. We are the first to use SIV to create an interactive motion comic. We are first in so many areas that we are having to slow down to give time for the things we have done to be understood and accepted. Our enemy is time. We know this and this is why I’ve been taken off productions to take time to better explain our work and stop coming up with new stuff. But it is so difficult to stop having ideas.

Next: What next?

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Subject: Things change

Date, Nov 19, 2022

Sadly, the digital world moves very very quickly. The constant change of mobile phones and the updates to the Apps meant it became impossible to keep up. Plus, the competition in the App market meant it was no longer viable for us to remain and the last of our Apps left the stores in 2019.

Was it the end for 2b Acting in digital media? Again, absolutely not! We put our App knowledge into creating Selective Interactive Videos (SIV) and that has led to some exciting projects like projectorgrams which we showcased using two Comedy Monologue tours which we took around bars in Leeds and Manchester. We had 16 talented actors perform and although the idea did not sell well it proved the technology and it has opened the door to other applications such as our Automated Concierge System (ACS) for hotels and Interactive Public Video (IPV) for interactive advertising/information in public spaces. You know those street video displays...If they let us we can make them communicate with your phone – That’s IPV.

Next: A digital fusion

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Subject: Where is the money?

Date, Nov 18, 2022

Where is the money? After the hard work of setting up 2b Acting TV and launching our soap drama Today and Tomorrow we struggled to make it bring in enough money to pay for productions.

Youtube’s launch in December 2005 had gained popularity and with them offering their online videos for free our pay to watch channel became an impossible sell. Plus, more and more companies were picking up cameras crowding the online market. Was it the end for 2b Acting in digital media? Absolutely not! Steve Jobs and his Apple iStore, where you could sell Apps, came on the scene. It wasn’t an easy transfer to Apps as we were not allowed to just use an App to show our productions. The App guideline, at the time, said we had to add something other than just a video on the App, so we combined our videos with a game. In the end we released 30 plus Apps on the App stores bringing in a steady income and also offered an App development service which helped established 2b Acting’s independence. We were finally a stand alone creative company.

Next: Things change

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Subject: Filming is hard work

Date, Nov 17, 2022

Creating what we found out was one of the first webseries, was not easy. Our early problem was technical stuff which was difficult to navigate, for most advisors came from a broadcasting or movie making background and had no idea that a simple internet production had nothing like the budget, resource or equipment that they expected and instead had to understand that we just wanted to make a lot happen for little or nothing. However, the real challenge was production logistic.

Fortunately, we did the first series of Today and Tomorrow in one location. My home. Yet, securing actors, writing scripts, setting up and taking down lights, sound and camera equipment, directing, capturing and labelling tapes (no digital transfers in those days), editing, compressing then distributing every week for 16 weeks non-stop was an eye opener and a test of how much we were willing to literally bleed (fake blood) for our art.
That said, we did it and went on to create series 2 and 3 and numerous other productions over the years.

Next: Where is the money?

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Subject: Even more to learn

Date, Nov 16, 2022

Even more to learn Today we have a simple to use high quality camera on every smart phone so it may be hard to believe how primitive cameras were back in 2006. Websites that supported video had different players for Windows and Macs so we had to compile two files which could be no more than 600 x 400 pixels in size. Really small compared to 4K today.

Most people had dial-up computers so speeds were very slow and videos often froze during play back. It was a nightmare getting the 2b Acting TV channel up and running but we did and started to earn a small income. However, the real learning was in film production. Fortunately for the internet we did not need broadcast quality cameras (which were very expensive) but even Standard Definition (SD) cameras were quiet costly if you didn’t know what you were buying. This was complicated by the change to High Definition (HD) cameras which meant a year after starting we had to buy cameras again. Then we learnt about pre-production, production and post production requirements. Then the difference between plays and screenplays. Then filming styles, formats, lighting, sound, crew, locations and permissions. A lot of red tape just to capture a single frame. All this before we got to casting actors and working on set.

Next: Filming is hard work

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Subject: Going digital

Date, Nov 15, 2022

We had no idea we were going digital when we decided to pick up a camera back in 2006. When we submitted our first filmed webseries production to a film festival they didn’t have a suitable category as it was not for TV or cinema and so they classed it as digital media.

So we create digital media. Why? Aside from showing off our creativity, doing theatre was very expensive. It took us a lot of time to gain funding and when we did, after it was spent on a production and the play ended, we had nothing to show for it. Our first digital media attempt was creating video resources for schools, which again with the support of Thomas Danby College, we did. Problem was our distribution was via DVD and we found selling to schools is a closed shop, only available to those on the educational suppliers list. Getting on the list was not easy and took us too far away from what we enjoyed. It was then I had my light bulb moment. To use the internet as a TV channel and like the TV, start with an ongoing soap drama. The soap would allow us to continually offer opportunities to actors and by selling memberships to watch the channel we would no longer be reliant on funding for our art. Simple. Except, filming is nothing like stage. Once again, I knew nothing.

Next: Even more to learn

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Subject: Other ways to skin a cat

Date, Nov 14, 2022

Having a theatre space is not the only way to perform live plays, as we found out when we took projectorgrams to bars. Fortunately, the merge of digital media with theatre happened at the right time and I am excited by what we are planning with our next play, hopefully in 2023.

We would like the next production to be in our own space but having learnt lessons from the COVID shutdowns we are ensuring that all performances can go ahead without a physical space by including online 360 interactive viewing. (See our `Talk About` production on InView to see what 360 stage viewing can look like).

Mixing live stage work with digital media is an important step forward. How did we arrive at that way of thinking? Well. Time to take a walk on the digital side of life.

Next: Going digital

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Subject: Selective Interactive Theatre

Date, Nov 13, 2022

I said in an earlier post that `The Big Guys` have a strong hold on who can access and use theatre space in the UK. When you are an experimental company, like 2b Acting, attempting to perform something that cannot guarantee an audience makes booking space difficult.

In 2019, after developing projectorgrams we decided to create Selective Interactive Theatre and invested all we had in hiring a studio space in the center of Leeds (The basement) to create what we see as theatre of the future. I for one am tired of theatre looking identical to how it looked back when Shakespeare wrote and performed plays. We tested the use of mobiles phones as part of our play `For the Love of Oranges`, that performed at Seven Arts Theatre in 2017 and so we were excited by the possibility of bringing our future style of plays to life. Sadly, COVID restrictions in 2020 halted our progress. In 2021, we had to give up our studio, although we applied, we were not considered vital enough to the creative industry to receive Arts Council recovery funding. - What does it take?

Next: Other ways to skin a cat

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Subject: A lot to learn

Date, Nov 12, 2022

A lot to learn. Being creatively different is good, having no clue what you are doing, is bad! That is where I was after 2b Acting’s first stage play “A woman’s choice”, with five performances at Hoxton Hall Theatre in London.

After realising I had a lot to learn, undaunted, I went back to college for another three years to find out about producing. Again, being different worked and I managed to secure a small Art’s Council writer’s development grant and a grant from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable trust to produce a different style of play. It was an issue based verse play. The subject, illegal immigrants. The play was called Pimlico. In collaboration with Thomas Danby College and a professional Director we turned out an amazing production that filled the small studio theatre three nights in a row. That success went on to us producing further plays, ‘The Cleaner’, ‘Full English’, ‘Spike’ and ‘For the Love of Oranges’. All with creative differences that have brought us to where we are today and gave us the tools to take us to where we want to be tomorrow.

Next: Selective Interactive Theatre

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Subject: A little support goes a long way

Date, Nov 11, 2022

I can’t remember the name of the Hoxton Hall production director at the time but his support in pushing forward with something perceived as different by others is perhaps the reason why 2b Acting is in business today.

Him and his team gave their support by helping with publicity and the difference led to an article in a major newspapers about the play. Over the five performances we got an audience that came out despite the opening night being on the day after 911, when terrorists bombed New York and London went into a virtual lockdown. The highlight I remember most was overhearing two women leaving the theatre expressing how pleased they were to have caught the play. We stood out enough for the director to advise us to continue to do more which, having failed to cover a fraction of the cost of the production with ticket sales, I was not too keen to do again. That’s when a surprised look appeared on his face. Surely, I got funding for the play. Funding? “What’s funding?” I asked having covered all the cost from my own, not so deep, pockets.

Next: A lot to learn

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Subject: No one likes different?

Date, Nov 10, 2022

The actors found the verse play difficult and I was only saved by the fact that this was the first time on stage for half of the cast that were more open to experimenting. They thankfully encouraged the other more seasoned actors to focus. That said, they still gave the poor director a really hard time and so I had to travel from York to London more times than I wanted to keep the production moving.

Then I discovered that the press don’t like things to be different as a verse style play didn’t fit any known genre category when I try to list it in ‘What’s On’ publications. The tech found it strange and nearly everyone I spoke to didn’t understand why I would want to make a verse play at all. The only one that liked it was the Theatre and that’s when I knew that support can make a difference to how you handle being different.

Next: A little support goes a long way

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Subject: How little I knew then

Date, Nov 09, 2022

Way back in 2001, I lived in York and had to produce a play for a London stage having never produced before. Where to start? This was made difficult as I’d agreed performance dates with the Theatre that gave us just 10 weeks.

From the 2b Acting website I found a Director that lived in Brighton, 150 miles closer to London than York. We then held open auditions to fill roles for a play that I had not yet written (Remember, I had no idea what I was doing), as I wanted to give roles to actors that are usually overlooked by casting directors. Then after writing the play I discovered things like set design, costumes, lighting and sound were needed along with administration duties – Contracts, allowances, pay, getting scripts printed, distributed and tech. Then where and when to rehearse plus working out a rehearsal schedule with the actors was a nightmare (Tip: don’t ask actors when is good for them!). All that and remember, we had to be different. That led to the first time and not the last time that I learnt that no one likes different!

Next: No one likes different?

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: Changing the world through creativity

Date, Nov 08, 2022

In our battle against the time it takes for the acting industry, general public and come to think of it the business industry to accept something different we have arrived at the conclusion that doing things differently has to be the center to our core. We have to embed it in everything we touch in order to speed up change. It was this creativity that got us on stage at the start of our journey and is perhaps the reason why we are still in business. Let me explain.

Back in 2001, I was a young playwright with a mission to produce 2b Acting’s first stage production. Back then, no theatre in Leeds or York would allow an unknown company to use its stage. I couldn’t even get rehearsal space. Naively, I approached Hoxton Hall Theatre in London that took a chance on us on the basis that I would be performing a different type of play. Panicking, I said we did verse only plays. I tell you it is not easy writing verse when you have never done it before and to make matters worse I was discovering what producing a verse play actually involved. Believe me, being creative can get you in trouble but it worked.

Next: How little I knew then

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: The battle with Time!

Date, Nov 07, 2022

In 2009, I thought of the idea of using Apps as a new platform to create new work for actors. The iphone had just been released and iStore had less than 10,000 Apps on it. We released 30 Apps on the iStore and faced the non-stop problem for the first two years of everyone asking us ‘what’s an App?’

It took almost 10 years for Apps to become a household word. 10 years with Apple’s and Microsoft marketing budgets behind it. We couldn’t wait 10 years so we gave up on Apps and the platform is so swamped now that it would be almost impossible to standout from the crowd. It takes so long to communicate a new idea that unless you have very deep pockets time can kill it. We had this same problem with our idea of using the Internet like a TV channel before Youtube was launched and got told then that people would never watch anything on a screen as small as a mobile phone. Time. How do we get people to change faster? That’s perhaps where the real 2b Acting story begins.

Next: Changing the world through creativity

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: Endless possibilities

Date, Nov 06, 2022

2b Acting’s success in moving forward with the currently available SIV services paints a rosy picture of endless possibilities. For example:
- Projectorgrams can lead to actors being used as human video interfaces for all sorts of Apps – With millions of Apps that can be converted that’s a lot of work;

- Our Automated Concierge System (ACS) for hotels may see every hotel having its own on-demand interactive entertainment network – New acting roles;
- Interactive Public Videos (IPV) could result in interactive advertising/entertainment services in all public spaces – New acting roles;
- Endless adventure productions like Space Vorilex and Today and Tomorrow Interactive can keep Actors employed indefinitely.
And then there are the top secret stuff that the company have yet to reveal. I won’t say more to keep them away from ‘The Big Guys’. However, for the story to continue there is one major enemy. Time!

Next: The battle with Time!

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: What are we doing?

Date, Nov 05, 2022

Last time I said that we are almost in a position to offer a limitless number of paid opportunities to Actors and we are confident that with the roll out of our Selective Interactive Videos (SIV) services to businesses and by creating ongoing productions for our Interactive Viewing platform (InVIew) that this claim can be justified.

So why do I feel so confident that this will happen? Well, let’s take one of our SIV services currently available, Projectorgrams. Projectorgrams are full size projections of an Actor that can be controlled using an App to provide the user with a kinder more human response. Imagine the number of applications where this human video interface could be employed. It is a function we think forms the basis for holograms in the future. And this just one area where SIV can be revolutionary.

Next: Endless possibilities

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: Finding the path

Date, Nov 04, 2022

In a previous post I said that 2b Acting started by offering a forum website service that encouraged producers to post job details and gave advice to Actors to help them prepare and apply for roles.
It worked well and became a social platform for sharing. We then got asked to arrange social events for the users of the site. Again, it went well, until at one event I got told that 2b Acting had no right to be giving advice to Actors on how to obtain work as we had no real life experience. We weren’t producers or directors. We accepted the criticism and decided to produce our first stage play at Hoxton Hall Theatre in London and employed 7 Actors, a Director and other support services. We learned a lot from that and over the years have gone on to produce more stage plays; ran workshops; stage events; produce videos; develop Apps; Create SIV, projectorgrams, IPV, ACS and 360 Interactive productions. These activities have given paid acting roles to 200 plus actors, some lasting a day others went on for years. However, it is the potential roles we can now offer that excites us. With the work we are doing we plan on creating a limitless number of paid opportunities.

Next: What are we doing?

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: Making it happen

Date, Nov 03, 2022

Someone once told me that a creative business supporting actors in the UK is not possible without public funding or large investors. That is perhaps the reason why only approximately 10% of actors are able to make a living from their profession. Not enough opportunities.

My solution? Create more paid opportunities. Simple. Not really. There are a limited number of stages, performance spaces, TV channels, Cinema Theatres, etc. The traditional places we expect to employ actors are closely guarded by the people I call ‘The Big Guys’. It took a few years at the start for me to realise that trying to turn our website into a self supporting digital media and theatre company would not be possible by following the traditional routes. For this reason, 2b Acting utilises technology to increase the demand for actors not only in entertainment but to use them in businesses so they can be employed in every day companies. The foundation of 2b Acting had been laid.

Next: Finding the path

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: Who am I, Why and Wai

Date, Nov 02, 2022

The first thing I should share is that I am a Chartered Engineer, MIET with a Honours degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and a Masters degree in Power System Engineering. Why then, with this background, did I start a creative business?

Wai (pronounced Why). It’s because of Wai. Wai was a fellow training actor that I met on a BTEC acting class at the then Thomas Danby College in Leeds. I took the class to help develop my play writing skills. Wai was an amazing actor that, after yet another failed to get audition, explained how difficult it was to land good acting jobs, especially when most roles are written for white actors. He complained that East Asians normally are only offered stereotypical roles. He wanted to perform Shakespeare. The funny thing is he did land a role on national TV playing a Chinese take away delivery boy. Anyway, I wouldn’t believe it was as difficult as he claimed so, as there weren’t any UK acting job websites at the time, I created a forum website to help actors find work. And as they say, after that the rest is history.

Next: Making it happen

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/

Subject: The 2b Acting Story

Date, Nov 01, 2022

It is strange to be using social media posts to tell the 2b Acting story but why not? As promised, even though I dislike sharing personal thoughts, I will be taking you on a journey that covers the past, present and future of a digital media and theatre production company that I founded 24 years ago. I really can’t believe the time has gone so quickly, yet as I think of what to say I am beginning to realise that condensing everything into 70 posts will be a significant challenge. A forum website, plays, a webseries, events, apps, video productions, IPV, magazines, books, projectorgrams and now selective interactive videos. A creative company with a single purpose: ‘To provide paid work opportunities for actors.’ I do hope you find the tale interesting, intriguing and as unbelievable as the journey has, and continues to be.

Next: Who am I, Why and Wai

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Promoting InView: https://2bacting.com/iv/