Posts Tagged ‘Liverpool’

email: info@onteca.com

tel: 0151 709 5443

Onteca,
Toxteth TV,
37-45 Windsor Street,
Liverpool,
L8 1XE

is a graphic designer with experience in both printed media and digital multimedia graphics, including photography, animation and video. Maintains a distinctive style, often using unconventional and re-cycled materials. He is also a keen Musician regularly performing his mix of electronic and percussive instrumentation live in and around Liverpool. Over 10 years experience of Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, MM Director and Flash, and has recently added to that 3D modelling and rendering using Alias Studio Maya. BA Hons Graphic Design Liverpool John Moore’s University (G. 1996).

Prior to working for Onteca:

client:Richard lloyd Jones – Design (London) On-screen Graphics and properties for BBC productions, (inc. “My Dad’s The P.M.” and “Chiller”) and for Sky TV Production, “Dream Team” (2004)

client: Clare Gabbot – Video Production (Liverpool) Filming of various live comedy productions (Rawhide Comedy Club) for archive and promotional video. Filming of annual performances by Anfield Detached Youth Project. (2003 – 04)

client: Maguffin Ltd. (London) Artwork, design and effects for filming of music video (“John Lennon – Working Class Hero” Music Video DVD, properties and runner.(2003)

client: GS Records – 2003 Music IT Course (Liverpool) Course Co-ordinator, audio engineer, tuition of digital (2003)

client: ADS UK – Web Development (London) Design, animations for web projects. (2001 – 02)

client: Hype Design (Liverpool) Multimedia, web design, (inc. promotional CD Rom for Luxor Lighting) (2001)

client: Moorfields Digital Printers & Finishers (Liverpool) Designer and print-technician, P.O.S. graphics, advertising and company literature, exhibition, large format, floor graphics and special media. (1998 – 2000)

client: Connect (Liverpool) Web designer for “Merseyworld” project, (sites inc. Liverpool Airport & Laver Publishing) (1997)

client: Hillsborough Survivors and Families for Justice Campaign (Liverpool) Design of Logotype to represent the JUSTICE group, used on all stationary and merchandise (1997)

client: Littlewoods Home Shopping (Liverpool) Catalogue design and marketing for menswear department, new-product marketing, stationary and publicity material.

Dan has been working at Onteca for the last two years, developing mobile Internet applications including a GPS based locatative tracking system, dynamic web based systems including video blogging systems, Geotagging systems, and rich media content management systems.

Dan also provides network administration skills, and hardware troubleshooting and maintenance. Before that he worked for the Merseyside Disability Federation developing an active web site system.

Dan also worked at LSCA developing a human resources organisation and scheduling database management system. Prior to that worked for Treefrog Software developing a TPM business management methodology based manufacturing plant equipment management and scheduling system.

Overall a total of 14 years software development and programming experience in many different programming languages and variants including several active web development systems such as PHP, Perl, MySQL, and many application and database languages, including C++, Object Pascal, COBOL, assembler and MS-SQL.

BSc Honours level for applied computer technology at Liverpool John Moores. Before that for A levels in Computer Science, and Maths, and AS levels in Psychology, Statistics, and Accounting at Carmel 6th Form College.

Jon Wetherall is currently Managing Director at Onteca where he has worked at the intersection of Arts, Technology and Training.

Recently Jon has run a number of projects which involve uploading and downloading mobile phone content. These include working with Kensington Vision to create a Ringtone Billing Platform for Reverse SMS and a facility for communities submitting photos from their mobile phones. Jon is also lead technologist on ‘Landlines’ a major arts research project funded by the Arts Council and Nesta which uses mobile phones to upload locations of multiple users. Jon has run a number of community lead animation projects, is a key trainer on our Wirral ESF project where he runs the HTML training and for his sins has become good at ESF paperwork.

Jon co-foundered the award winning International Centre for Digital Content where he co-developed the first Digital Games Masters programme in the UK. His experience as a senior computer game programmer at Sony taught him that the most interesting work occurs when Artists and Technologist collaborate.

Jon has a First Class B.Sc Hons degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from Liverpool University.

An artistic project that allowed Onteca to work for three years on cutting edge applications involving GPS through mobile phones, geographically sensitive upload of data from mobile phones, and the combination of all of this with map systems on the Internet.

Landlines is a multi-user drawing tool for mobile phone and Bluetooth GPS, that allows users to draw by moving in real space. As you walk through the city with Landlines your latitude and longitude is periodically sent via mobile phone to a database. A website then displays your live tracks.

Landlines was designed for use in exhibitions, websites and artists projects.

As new routes are drawn, old ones decay and fade and thus the city is written and rewritten daily in the actions of its population.

Developed initially through the ITEM programme, which was designed to create and maintain collaborations between artists and technologists. ITEM as a programme was formulated and facilitated by FACT, the UK’s leading organisation for the development, support and exhibition of film, video and new and emerging media. ITEM was funded by NESTA and the Arts Council of England and was being co-produced in association with the FACT Centre. ONTECA worked together with artist Jen Southern to create this dynamic multi-user GPS as collaborative drawing tool application.

Technologists working on this project on behalf of Onteca included Jon Wetherall, Dan Davies and Chris Orton. Jen Southern’s artistic collaborator was Jen Hamilton. Work on the initial ITEM element of the project occurred between 2004 and 2006.

Landlines went on to receive further support from the Arts Council, be an integral part of several exhibitions and interventions and is now live as a separate project with its own site. Its history as a means of constructing aesthetic experiences is elaborated in more detail there.

Onteca has continued to develop the range of technologies created for this project and adapt them to new purposes and platforms. Initially, the application required a separate GPS unit which then linked with mobile phones through a Bluetooth. With the new generation of phones, such as the Nokia N95, having GPS installed as standard, this IP currently has a more universal appeal.

Further Details of ITEM.
Research ? The Itemisation of creative knowledge. Ed: Clive Gillman. 2006. FACT and Liverpool University Press. ISBN 1-84631-038-5
http://www.fact.co.uk/main/services/artistdevelopment/item

I Am Here is a project created by the International Centre for Digital Content (ICDC), part of Liverpool John Moores University.

The project is part of the Liverpool Culture Company’s ‘4 Corners of the City’ programme, through which cultural organisations are working creatively with Liverpool neighbourhoods which are experiencing rapid change, upheaval, and high rates of residential turnover.

Through collaboration and creative partnership, ‘4 Corners of the City’ encourages Liverpool residents to be active in cultural regeneration at a time when a sense of community is disappearing and memories and aspirations are fading.
Through the creative process, the programme seeks to answer the question ‘What makes a neighbourhood?’

ICDC is working in partnership with East Liverpool Neighbourhood to create an interactive map of the community. Members of the community will participate in the project by using their mobile phones to document their heritage, hopes and experiences.
The project will use an application created by Onteca Ltd, which uses mobile and GPS technology, and Google Maps, to upload multimedia content to an interactive map. ICDC will train residents to use digital technologies such as video cameras and mobile phones to capture and create content and upload it to the map.

The project is open to all community members and workshops will begin in January 2007. Click here for more details on how to be involved.

‘4 Corners of the City 2007’ will culminate in a two week exhibition featuring all the participating projects, beginning on 29th May 2007, to celebrate European Neighbours Day on 30th May 2007. The project is also available online at http://iamhere4corners.blogspot.com/

I Am Here is a project running from January to May 2007. It’s open to all residents of the East Liverpool Neighbourhood Area. We would like people from all over the community to get involved with the project so that the map represents as much of the Neighbourhood as possible.

How does I Am Here work?

I Am Here is an interactive mapping toolkit which enables you to upload content to a map of your community – content such as text, a picture, a film or an audio recording. The content could be based around a theme and a location that is of importance to you or the wider community.

The project will use GPS (Global Positioning Systems) so that you can take us on your favourite walks and record what you see along the way. The map contains ‘hotspots’ to geographical locations specified by you, which, when triggered, will present digital media content which has been created by you and other community members.

What can I do?

If you have a story about your community, for example, telling us about your favourite place, a ‘hidden history’ that not many people know about, or just what you would like to see happen in your area then we’d like to work with you!

How can I tell my story?

The mapping toolkit is very easy to use.  You can find out how to use it at one of our workshops, which will be taking place at community venues and at ICDC between January and May 2007.  We will show you how to use mobile phones, cameras and computers to help you create and publish your story.

If you or your community group are interested in taking part please contact us:

iamhere.me.uk/

John Arne Riise

Onteca made this stop-motion animation as part of Toxteth TV’s Youth and Migration project. It focuses on the experiences of the Liverpool FC footballer, and the life journey that took him from Norway to Liverpool. A charming short film, made with the help of local school-children and the animator Alice Kuchemann, and based around a filmed interview with the man himself. Animators for Onteca were Pauline Wong and Richard Alston. Edited by Richard Alston with assistance from Max Zadow. Produced by Jon Wetherall.Made between April and May 2007.

HeaL8, a charity working in public health in the Toxteth area of Liverpool, approached Onteca about the possibility of the creation of an educational animation. They wanted an innovative animated film that warned about the dangers of excessive marijuana use, especially the risk of cannabis psychosis.

As Onteca’s lead video games illustrator, Pauline Wong, had experience in animation, we agreed the project. It was an interesting experiment in constructing an entertaining narrative with the purpose of involving and influencing young people. Abi Atkinson directed the piece, as well as editing it and contributing towards the script. Initially, the script was written by Michelle Richards based on the life story of Cathy Cuthbertson. This script was used to create the short film, Blowing Our Minds.

Later, a re-edit of the film introduced a new voice-over, written and voiced by Cathy Cuthbertson, the woman whose personal experience had inspired the film

Blowing Our Minds is now used by HeaL8 as part of its work in Schools throughout Merseyside.

• Onteca has deliverd a range of animation workshops to young people from a range of communities.
  These include:
• Capital of Culture Youth and Migration project featuring John Arne Riise
• young people from Toxteth Community Animation workshops from 2004 to the present
• young people from Toxteth and surrounding areas
• Wargrave School for children on the autistic spectrum
• Over 500 young people who attended the Wallace and Gromnit exhibition at World Museum Liverpool.

These involved teaching the young people a variety of techniques, such as stop motion animation involving ‘claymation’ and paper cut-outs, as well as digital animation techniques using applications such as Flash and Premiere.

Examples