Teams at the Irish Film Institute and Axonista are working together on a project to preserve our film heritage using modern technology, which is the winner of the Best Creative Staff Engagement Award at the Allianz Business to Arts Awards.
“One of Axonista’s core values is collaboration and we care deeply about filmmaking and the preservation of film and our heritage. Our team of 30 actively participated in this project and are very proud of the impact they have helped the IFI to achieve globally. The film archive enables such a tangible connection to history and it’s a privilege to be part of how this story continues to be told globally using modern technology.” – Claire McHugh, CEO, Axonista.
“Axonista’s expertise and vision have created opportunities for the IFI team to add context and depth to our collections with new functionality such as playlists and timelines. It has inspired us to look at how we present our collections on the IFI Player by allowing us to incorporate expert opinions around the subject matter and show never-seen-before outtakes. Our ongoing conversations will also result in exciting new functionality such as interactive storylines, which will dramatically change the digital landscape for Irish heritage and culture.” – Shauna Lyons, public affairs and marketing director, Irish Film Institute.
In 2017, the Irish Film Institute (IFI) partnered with Axonista to bring IFI Irish Film Archive collections to phone, tablet and TV-connected devices for the first time, following the IFI Player’s launch as a web platform the previous year. With over 150,000 unique users from around the world, this virtual viewing room is a free dedicated platform for Irish culture and a major public access initiative to a national collection.
The partnership started out with Axonista giving the IFI free access to the reference apps and content management system of its interactive video platform Ediflo, alongside design and technical support and additional feature design. Since then, additional bespoke features have been co-created by the partners, adding layers of interactivity and cultural context and improving the user experience. For example, there is a timeline scrolling function and playlist functionality for the Irish Independence Film Collection.
The nature of this project means that the teams on both sides work symbiotically and passionately together to realise a shared vision of interactivity and heritage.
For Axonista, IFI Player is now has a case study and sales collateral, which has opened up film festivals and cultural bodies as a potential new target market. The Axonista team have presented their work with the IFI in pitches and at TV conferences and brand awareness for its suite of reference apps has been greatly boosted by the IFI’s network and global reach.
The collaboration connects the Axonista team with film and heritage in a very special way. Axonista also enjoys the benefits of being an IFI corporate member, which provides client entertainment opportunities, IFI memberships for staff, business development opportunities and bespoke events.
Both organisations are keen to expand the partnership and are developing a roadmap of in-kind technical support for 2019/2020 that will upgrade the apps and provide engaging audience experiences and benefit to both organisations.