Now in its third year, The Pixel Lab is PttP’s unique cross-media workshop, a residential training event at which participants from 16 different European countries come together to develop and exchange skills and ideas to create, produce and finance cross-media properties.

Of the 35 participants confirmed, 18 are producers bringing projects to the Lab. These projects can span any combination of film, interactive, live event, mobile, gaming, TV, publishing or online. Each project producer will be partnered with a participant not bringing a project, which includes screenwriters, commissioning editors, financiers, story architects, cross-media and interactive producers. In the Lab’s intensive, energetic and collaborative environment they receive expert guidance, in-depth attention and valuable feedback from a team of cross-media tutors — producers, writers, funders and legal experts who are all international leaders in their field.

The residential week in July is the beginning of a four-month process. From July to September, producers will continue their work with Power to the Pixel heads, Liz Rosenthal and Tishna Molla, on project strategy. The Pixel Lab culminates at PttP’s Cross-Media Forum in London in October, when one producer will be awarded The Pixel Lab Prize, after a presentation of the projects to a jury of industry leaders. In addition, up to three producers will be selected to present their project at TorinoFilmLab's Final Meeting Event held during the Turin Film Festival in November.

The Pixel Lab tutors this year include Michel Reilhac, executive director of ARTE France Cinéma (FR); Sean Coleman, cross-media writer and producer (UK); Ben Grass, managing director of Pure Grass Films (UK); and Michelle Kass, film and literary agent of Michelle Kass Associates (UK). Other experts taking part include Nuno Bernardo, CEO and producer of beActive Media (PORT); Loc Dao, head of digital content and strategy, National Film Board of Canada (CAN); Adam Sigel, content strategist, writer and producer (US); Inga von Staden, media architect and educator (GERM); Timo Vuorensola, director of Iron Sky (FIN); and Lance Weiler, founder of Workbook Project.

The Lab seeks to increase competitiveness in the international marketplace, advance business acumen and create new collaborative and networking opportunities for participants through focused, project-driven work. Once again, it will receive generous backing from European funders who share these aims. For the third year running, the MEDIA Programme of the European Union, TorinoFilmLab, and Creative Skillset’s Film Skills Fund are supporting The Pixel Lab. Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg are supporting the event for the second time, ARTE France have this year awarded bursaries to three French participants, Camille Duvelleroy, Chloé Jarry and Guillaume Podrovnik.

The Pixel Lab 2012 will run from 1 to 7 July at the Resort Schwielowsee, Potsdam, Germany. Producers attending with a project attend a second workshop run in London in tandem with PttP’s Cross-Media Forum, from 16 to 19 October held in association with the BFI London Film Festival.

The following producer participants are bringing projects to The Pixel Lab 2012:

Nicole Ackermann, Mouna GmbH with Mindville (GERM)
Benjamin Cölle, INDI Film GmbH with The Builders Challenge (GERM)
Alexandre Cornu, Les Films du Tambour de Soie with 13 Twins (FR)
Mads Damsbo, Makropol with Department Q (DEN)
Teddy Goitom, Soeasy with Stocktown X Africa (SWE)
David Grumbach, Juliette Films with Initio (LUX)
Djina Jakir, Studio Dim with My Grandpa is an Alien (CRO)
Judith Katzeff, Illusion Film with Hurricane (SWE)
Lilian Klages, Parka Pictures ApS with JONALU (DEN)
Aneta Lesnikovska, AKA Film / mediaZOO with LOUD (MACE/NETH)
Laurent Nègre, Bord Cadre Films with ZERU (FR/SWIT)
Christof Neracher, Hugofilm Productions GmbH with SENTIR / RESSENTIR (SWIT)
Andrew Pawlby, The London Quest Company with A Tale of Two Johns (UK)
Martin Percy, unit9 with The KnowYourself Machine (UK)
Maria Laura Piaggio Fonterosa, Piaggiodematei with Cuentos de Viejos /Old Folks’ Tales (SP)
Patrick Rau, kunst-stoff GmbH with The Great Jitters Crossmedia (GERM)
Georg Tschurtschenthaler, Gebrüder Beetz Filmproduktion Berlin GmbH & Co KG with The Wagner File – Interactive Graphic Novel (ITA)
Anna Wydra, Otter Films with Six Degrees (POL)

The following participants are attending the Lab without a project:

Sara Božanic, Creative Director, Studio PEŠEC (SLO)
Sarah Calderón, CEO, The Film Agency (ITA/COL)
Nadja Dumouchel, Commissioning Editor, ARTE (FR)
Camille Duvelleroy, story architect and transmedia producer, Once Upon (FR)
Jacqui Edenbrow, Producer, Forever Pictures Ltd (UK)
Uros Gorican, CEO and Creative Producer, FilRouge (SLO)
James Harrup, Creative Director, JWH Creative (UK)
Bjarke Hjorth, Games Producer, GearWorks (DEN)
Stéphanie Hugé, Head of Co-Productions, Wallimage (BEL)
Frank Hyde-Antwi, Consultant and Creative Producer, Hugofilm/ twiddlethumbs (SWI)
Chloé Jarry, New Media Producer, Camera Lucida (FR)
Irena Krcelic, Screenwriter, self-employed (Associated with Studio dim) (CRO)
Anne Laurila, Head of Development, POEM Foundation (FIN)
Kristin Lovejoy, Interactive Content Producer, Lovejoy Productions (UK)
Beata Mannheimer, Project Developer and Project Coordinator, Filmregion Stockholm-Mälardalen (SWE)
Guillaume Podrovnik, Producer, Subreal Productions (FR)
Simon Staffans, Cross-Media/ Multiplatform Format and Content Developer, MediaCity (FIN)

Liz Rosenthal, CEO & founder of PttP, said: “We're thrilled to see the growing number, diversity and quality of projects and participants this year. We look forward to nurturing these innovative professionals towards the building of sustainable cross-media businesses and IP with higher awareness for 21st century audiences. Thanks to the longstanding, generous support of the MEDIA Programme, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Creative Skillset, TorinoFilmLab and ARTE, Power to the Pixel is able to gather the world's leading experts to help develop the exchange of skills and ideas, advance competitiveness and business acumen and create new networking opportunities for participants through collaborative project-driven work,”

Costas Daskalakis, head of MEDIA programme unit at EACEA, said: We are happy to support The Pixel Lab as part of MEDIA programme's strategy to help the European industry and professionals seize the opportunities offered by new media to provide new content and connect with audiences.”

Elmar Giglinger, CEO Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg said: "We are very happy Potsdam gets to host the Pixel Lab for the third time in a row. This renowned international cross-media summit is a strong proof of the expertise of Berlin-Brandenburg in the field of professional digital developing and producing. At the same time, it contributes to the capital region's reputation as the secret digital capital of Europe!"

Savina Neirotti, director of TorinoFilmLab, said: "Every time I take part in a Power to the Pixel’s Lab, my head starts spinning, a number of ideas come to me, and the need to explore them further, test them, and make them real. This is what The Pixel Lab is about, transforming brilliant ideas into concrete projects.”

Dan Simmons, head of film at Creative Skillset, said: “It is crucial that UK film businesses continue to be pioneering and entrepreneurial to maintain our competitive edge in this digital age. The Pixel Lab 2012 will give participants the skills to respond to new patterns of consumer behaviour, capture new audiences and enhance their business opportunities. We are delighted to continue our support for a scheme that unites talent from across the creative industries and brings innovative cross-media projects into the marketplace.”

Marianne Lévy-Leblond, head of web productions and transmedia projects, ARTE.tv said: "The Pixel Lab offers a precious - and enjoyable as the rumour goes - framework for getting inspiration, ideas, contacts. We look forward to hearing about new projects borne out of the experience … "