There are a couple of interesting examples of the emergence of Twitter as a tool for creative collaboration.
Mike Skinner- a UK musician and the man behind The Streets, is actively using Twitter as a tool for song ideas and inspiration as The Guardian reports.
"The new Streets website - which is more of a blog, really - principally contains odd videos of swans dying and badly edited pieces about why Skinner doesn't like owning a phone. But it's also become a dumping ground for ideas - many of which have started out in the minds of Streets fans, not Skinner's.
Skinner, you see, has taken to replying to his followers' tweets in the form of a video blog. Some of these tweets have become songs, the most recent being Cinema Barz, which was posted last Tuesday, the result of Skinner answering followers @shetlandshaun, @bec_brough and @glory55, and incorporating their call and responses into the song.
It's likely just a way to pass the time, but it shows Skinner isn't using Twitter as an extension of ye olde subscription list, a platform from which to shout information. Skinner isn't just telling fans what he's up to; he's effectively writing music with them, including them in the creative process and creating an ephemeral rehearsal room of sorts. Admittedly, he's the keyholder - but it's an open-door policy. It's obvious the internet is what really excites him these days - on Sunday, when @clairethornhill asked if he thought he should be included in the "walk of stars" in Birmingham, he replied, "yes, but I want one in cyberspace first"."
Then there's Tim Burton, who's encouraging Twitter followers to contribute and add story ideas that build on each other. It's a technique favored by artists and called-"Exquisite Corpse". This is an idea that's designed to support his art show, rather than lead to the creation of an entirely new Burton product.
Twitter clearly has a "plasticine" like property which is it's appeal- it allows users to configure and construct ideas around the parameters of the technology.
This is the stuff that makes great brands, but one critical component here is that the brand gets out there and showcases this stuff and in so doing, encourages others to participate.
The opportunity for Twitter to become a very interesting creative platform, but it's going to require awareness and understanding.
The industry has carved out an impressive place in the entertainment space, but never seems to get the love or respect it feels it deserves.
With computing power advancing at a rapid rate and consoles being at the forefront of this, we are now starting to see games and the gaming industry being taken seriously.
One of the first examples was Folding@Home on the PS3, which allows console owners to band together to help medical science.
The latest manifestation is the amazing collaboration between Citroen and Polyphony Digital, the makers of the hit driving simulation game, Gran Turismo.
The Citroen GT unveiled at last week's Paris Auto Show was created in Polyphony's computers and then rendered into a live concept at Citroen.
The car therefore has been designed to perfection for both the real and virtual/digital worlds.
Posted by Ed Cotton
There are signs that the next wave of interesting stuff on the web will be all about collaboration.
Some examples;
Kluster: A collaborative networking site that allows people to come together around ideas. They recently completed an interesting capabilities demonstration at TED.
Kaltura: Lets users develop a collaborative video project by uploading video clips, photos, or audio tracks to a wiki. Users edit collaboratively using Kaltura’s browser-based video editor. They then import their video creations into Kaltura’s library of legally remixable content.
Collaborative Playlists: Edit and share playlists with others- like with Spotify.
This new collaboration movement will allow things to happen faster, allow the end results to be better and make the process more engaging and fun for all involved.
Posted by Ed Cotton