We've been shortlisted for our work on the First Light Movies site for a prestigious "Webby" Award".

We're really happy about it - more info on Stef's blog

3form's work on the 4Tips system for Channel 4 in collaboration with Maverick TV was chosen as one of three finalists for a prestigious Royal Television Society Innovation Award in the User Generated Content Category.

The system allows us to put run user generated 'tips' websites for Channel 4 shows. To date we have rolled it out for two programmes - "How Clean is your House?" and "Jamie at Home" - Jamie Oliver's recent series.

The scalability and 'skinnability' of the system make it straight forward for us to produce areas of the site that can be contributed to by website visitors with a significantly lower budget than it would take to build each one from scratch.

Unfortunately, we didn't win the award itself - Sky TV picked it up, so congratulations to them! But being shortlisted for the award was fantastic and we're looking forward to developing more sites on the platform.

Stef Lewandowski, MD of 3form will be at this year's South by South West in Austin, Texas.

SXSW is one of the key events in the Interactive Film and Music industry calendars and is the place to be to find out about the future of web technology and digital media.

He'll be blogging about the trip on his personal blog - steflewandowski.com

If you're attending and you'd like to meet up please get in touch using the SXSW registrants area.

Stef Lewandowski has been chosen as one of three creative entrepreneurs to represent the UK in the international mentorship programme Digital Pioneers.

Stef was chosen by the British Council after showing great innovation in his use of technology and demonstrating an international vision to create and distribute digital content.

The Digital Pioneers programme is set to run annually and aims to identify and nurture a new generation of creative entrepreneurs in the digital media industry via two ten-day cross-cultural exchanges with Hong Kong.

Following the strengthened relationship between Birmingham and Guangzhou in China, Stef says he is looking forward to finding out how Birmingham and the West Midlands can establish international links for the creative sector:

"With China on its doorstep currently producing a third of all World economic growth it's the perfect time to look at how these markets can be targeted by enterprising UK digital media companies", Stef said.

"I intend to find out first hand how Hong Kong ticks and learn lessons on how British creative industries can get involved in one of the hotspots for the coming 'knowledge economy'".

Stef and the other two UK winners are scheduled to fly off to Hong Kong in March this year for the official award ceremony and to take part in the Digital Entertainment Leadership Forum at Cyberport. The six Digital Pioneers will also become part of the growing network under British Council's creative entrepreneurs' programmes.

Film Birmingham and Screen WM launch brand new film locations service – the first of its kind in the West Midlands .

Screen WM, the regional screen agency for the West Midlands , and Film Birmingham , Birmingham City Council's film office, are putting the West Midlands on the map as the region for film locations.

The two organisations have teamed up to create the ultimate online locations service – locations: west midlands & birmingham. The service will provide filmmakers and location scouts with comprehensive listings of locations, crew and facility services in the West Midlands region.

3form produced the identity for the project as a whole as well as designing the front end interface to the MovieSite database system which runs the website.

Giving creative businesses a vital leg-up to the next level

By Jean Eaglesham

Financial Times - Page 3 - Published: January 4 2007

A creative business is seen "as an oxymoron - either you're creative and sit around in a beret or you're a business person and sit around in a suit".

That is how Stef Lewandowski sums up the central dilemma facing small but rapidly growing creative companies such as his own. The 28-year-old runs 3form, a Birmingham-based agency specialising in web design, online gaming and interactive tools, with clients including Vivienne Westwood and lastminute.com.

Formed by Mr Lewandowski shortly after he had graduated in computer sciences, the company was initially based on a "bit of a killer idea at the time" - a piece of software that enabled people to update their website themselves. Now that such software is commonplace, the company is "onto the next big thing".

This need to constantly refresh product ranges, driven by the fast pace of technology, is accepted by online entrepreneurs as an integral part of doing business. "Within five years, your unique selling point is obsolete," he said. The rapid rate of change, allied to the small size of many creative companies, can make the sector appear unduly risky to banks and other lenders.

But Mr Lewandowski ar-gued that a better mutual understanding between companies and the finance sector would help both realise the potential gains from that high level of risk. "There needs to be a brokerage between the two," he said. "We are seen as a high risk proposition but risk is exciting - that's why we do it."

Mr Lewandowski said that his experience as a member of the business support for creative industries working group, set up by the government, suggested there was reasonable access to finance and advice for entrepreneurs with good ideas. But small businesses then faced a barrier getting support for growth beyond that initial period. "There's not enough attention paid to companies and businesses past that start-up phase," he said.

Companies in sectors such as online gambling are operating in an increasingly global industry. But small- to medium-sized businesses can struggle to extend their marketing beyond the UK. "They find they don't have the contacts or skills to take them from level A to level B," he said. "The message put to me, both regionally and nationally, was the need to be giving business at that level a serious leg-up to reach that next level."

Ending 2006 on a high note, Stef Lewandowski, co-founder and MD of 3form has been awarded the prestigious title of "Alumnus of the Year" by Birmingham University.

Stef graduated in 1999 with a BSC in Computer Science and Software Engineering and has, over the last few years, been re-forging links through projects around entrepreneurship, innovation and new technology.

Stef is also one of the youngest members of the 1900 Society, the philanthropic group of Birmingham University alumni who support its high profile projects through regular donations.

Stef was delighted to receive the award and said "It's a great way to end the year - only last week I became a father for the first time and this really is the icing on the cake of a great year!"

3form is looking for an intelligent, committed and confident professional to become PA to our Managing Director.

You will be highly presentable with excellent organisational skills and an ability to manage information, time, people and projects.

If want to work within a creative, dynamic and forward thinking organisation then please email a CV to jobs@3form.net.

Email enquiries only please. ]]> 3form- info@3form.net Tue, 19 Sep 2006 23:00:00 +0100 http://www.3form.net/news/full.php?id=34 http://www.3form.net/news/full.php?id=33 3form are looking to add to our talented team.