IDPF Workshop on Sequential Art (Comics, Manga, Bandes dessinées, and new form)

IDPF members and other interested parties are invited to participate in an International Workshop on Sequential Art (Comics, Manga, Bandes dessinées, and new form) on March 26, 2014 from 9:00 until 16:00 CET (UTC+1), at bpifrance (6-8 boulevard Haussmann 75009, Parisand via Web meeting (NOTE: new location).
 
Background and Overall Goals
 
EPUB 3 is a next-generation portable document format based on HTML5 and other Web Standards. EPUB supports fixed-layout in addition to reflowable (dynamically paginated) content and is already being used as a delivery format for comics and manga. In November, 2012 an IDPF Working Group on Advanced-Hybrid Layout (AHL) was chartered [1] to address more advanced requirements for fixed-layout content, and has produced drafts of modular specifications for EPUB Multiple Renditions [2] and EPUB Region-Based Navigation [3], as well as two other specifications not specifically related to fixed-layout content (EPUB Previews and a Magazine Structural Vocabulary for EPUB).
 
Additional requirements for next-generation comics and manga content have been surfaced that were not in scope in the original AHL charter, including the desire to be able to interoperably and declaratively define interactive cutscenes and other advanced inter- and intra-page transition effects. 
 
It is desired by IDPF and stakeholders that EPUB be a complete foundation for rich, interactive digital comics and manga on a global basis. Therefore, despite the initial AHL specifications not yet being completely finalized, IDPF and a number of its members and stakeholders have organized this workshop to begin the process of EPUB's further evolution in this important area of digital content.
 
Workshop Objectives
 
The overall objective of this technical workshop is to surface any critical "gaps" remaining in EPUB support for digital comics and manga, including Bandes dessinées and new form sequential art, and reach consensus on an action plan for addressing these gaps. This may include amending the AHL WG charter, chartering one or more new working groups, and/or creating a industry-segment-specific community group focused on comics and mange. Publishers, authors, and solution providers are strongly encouraged to present concepts in progress or realized for a rigorous assessment of needs. A background on recurrent productions in the history of digital comics will also be shown during the workshop.
 
Agenda
 
 8:30   Registration and coffee
 9:00   Welcome: Pierre Danet (Hachette and Cap Digital Board Member)
 9:10   Introduction to IDPF: Bill McCoy, Executive Director, IDPF
 9:20   Overall EPUB roadmap: Markus Gylling, CTO IDPF/DAISY
 9:50.  Overview of Advanced-Hybrid Layout results: Matthieu Kopp, Aquafadas
10:05. History of Digital Comics and Concept Proposal: Samuel Petit, ActiaLuna
10:50  Coffee break
11:00: 'Turbo Media' a new design vocabulary for visual narrative: Balak
11:25. "Infinite Comics" storytelling: Marvel authors
11:50: Exploration of narration in a modern comics magazine: Professeur Cyclope
12:15. Lunch (on your own)
13:45 Technical gaps between requirements and EPUB3/AHL
     (panel discussion - Matthieu Kopp, Minhea Tufis, Markus Gylling)
14:15 Open discussion
15:15  Coffee break
15:30 Conclusions and next steps
16:30 Finish
 
Proposals for additional talks / demos / position papers on the topic area are solicited by March 10, please email proposals to workshop_rsvp@idpf.org (UPDATE: the agenda is complete). These need not be formal in nature. Out of scope for this workshop due to time constraints are a) issues relating to DRM technologies  b) issues relating to video-centric content.
 
A significant proportion of remote attendance is expected for this meeting, so voice conference facilities, screen sharing via Web conferencing, and real-time chat will be provided. Physical attendance will be limited due to space constraints. RSVPs for physical attendance and for non-IDPF member attendance are requested by March 17, to workshop_rsvp@idpf.org. It is not necessary for IDPF members to RSVP for remote attendance.
 
Thanks to Cap Digital (tech cluster for Paris Region), bpifrance (La Banque publique d'investissement) and other sponsors for arranging the event facilities and logistics. Video recording, provided by Cap Digital, will be posted to idpf.org after the workshop.
 
Program Committee
Pierre Danet (Chief Digital Officer, Hachette-Livre, IDPF Board Member)
Markus Gylling (CTO, IDPF & DAISY)
Matthieu Kopp (Founder & CTO, Aquafadas, co-chair IDPF AHL WG)
Samuel Petit (Co-founder, Actialuna)
Hiroshi Yoshimura (Executive Director Digital Business,  Kodansha & Director, Japan Digital Comic Association)
 

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