The Golden Compass

[Mrs H]

Any marketing potential in this do you suppose? It's a pity the Oxford City Race wasn't after the premiere.

[graeme]

I believe the golden compass is acknowledged in the books as a cunning device introduced by a well known orienteer to help readers know where they were.

Or something like that.

[Jon Brooke]

You've not read the books then?

[graeme]

Yes. And I looked at the pictures too.

[Scott]

It's a pity the Oxford City Race wasn't after the premiere.

I'm not sure Jordan College would have given us permission anyway.

[Mrs H]

Not even for going over the roofs and through the cellars - quite a mapping challenge.

I still think there could be some mileage in something which glamorises navigation and it's tools - could make orienteering look a bit cool among the critical age group (interpret the word critical as you wish)

OKay I'm beginning to catch Graeme's drift now - look at the acknowledgements in book 2 - this could be a bigger opportunity than even I imagined. C'mon BOF pull your finger out (I'd do it myself but have been told off for offering in the past :"if we thought it was worth doing we'd get someone in". )

[candyman]

Obviously I can see the link, and the benefit in creating interest at the grass roots level, however I'm not creative enough to think of any practical national level initiatives which would make good use of this.

Would anybody have any ideas?

[Mrs H]

Ha ha ha. Well off the top of my head if someone at BOF Central asked me I would suggest this as their first line of attack:

Contact the lady concerned and ask her if she would consider approaching the author and asking him if he in turn would consider presenting a trophy - or having one presented in his name (The Golden Compass) for a National Navigational Challenge open to all young people aged, say, 11 to 15. If you get that far say he obviously understands young people, respects navigation as a skill and admires the qualities of self-reliance and courage. He's provided the age group with a mental and spiritual adventure and perhaps he'd like to make that a physical adventure too.

The worse that can happen is they say no - and I know for a fact that it's surprising what you can do with enthusiasm, motivation and a sheer bloody conviction that it'll work - shall we call it passion? I'm sure BOF Central is full of it.

With this Trophy I would contact all the clubs and tell them if they do nothing else next year they should put on a series of 5 events. They should go through (not to) the schools to all the families with kids in the right age group (lower school) and invite them to come to the events and try their hand at the Navigational Challenge which will lead to a national final to win The Golden Compass. Clubs may have to put on several of the series in differnt locations to meet demand - they will not be schools events, schools will merely be the mechanism (among possible others) to deliver the invitation. Parents must bring the children. As well as the Navigational Challenge, the events will include a few simple orienteering courses (W-LG) as well, and families will be encourage to take part in these too (for which end of season prizes will be given.) BOF will make it financially attractive to put on these events - no levy, no insurance premium and cash back for every O course run.

Someone cleverer than me will devise the Navigational Challenge - i'm sure there must be someone at Matlock Central - or perhaps they could 'get someone in". BOF will suggest that the clubs put on some more follow on orienteering courses for the families who enjoyed their outings. (because of course the Navigational challenge was never the main reason for the whole exercise).

All national papers and local papers will be told about the compettion and the wonderful prize.

The final will be held in Oxford and the man himself will be invited to present The Golden Compass to the winner. It will be a one off.

How's that for starters?

[candyman]

Next you'll suggest that that these events should be held somewhere that is easily accessable or that has changing facilities or a cafe....

I think it is a really good idea, I'm sure there are plenty of others out there as well? I think the same model could be successful at a regional level as well as the national level? Possibly even at a local level?

What would be the minimum requirements for it to work, permission from whoever owns the rights to use 'the golden compass' to promote physical activity in children?

[Guest88]

Ok, so I haven't read the story - but I think that if I was a kid going to the "Golden Compass Orienteering Experience", having watched the film, I would be looking forward to meeting some of the characters from the film. So maybe each character would be a control of the orienteering course - either in an exact location or a slightly vague location that involves an element of searching. I would probably hire actors to play these parts. I guess having hired actors, you might want some interaction between the actor and the kids, so you might want to set a task at each "control" to hold the children in the vicinity of the actor for a while and allow the actor to act the part - a bit like a juvenile version of the rat race maybe.

I guess then that the context for this suggestion might be a touring thing that attached on to other major non-orienteering events.

[Scott]

If nothing else, there's a new set of string course pictures to be had out of this

[Jon Brooke]

Don't get me wrong - I'm all for jumping on bandwaggons (but in the words of someone I can't remember "when you see a bandwaggon, you've probably missed it"), widening the appeal, marketing etc. etc. BUT...

A - the "Golden Compass" isn't a compass.

B - people in PR / marketing companies all over the country will be trying to think of ways to tie news of their product/event into this (but not the good ones as they will have been tied in months ago).

C - the next film will probably actually be called "The Subtle Knife" and the next one "The Amber Spy Glass" as it's only the first title that sounds out of sync with the others - so unlike "The Lord of the Rings" say, which is the overall title that runs through 3 films, "The Golden Compass" will not hang around as a strapline.

D - trademark/copyright issues - do you thing think the rights holders give this stuff away?

On the other hand, good luck, lets hope you're right and I'm wrong.

[greywolf]

"when you see a bandwagon, it's too late" - James Goldsmith, billionaire, corporate raider, Euroseptic, David Mellor-heckler, etc, who also said "When you marry your mistress, you create a job vacancy."

For an explanation of the name: http://www.bridgetothestars.net/index.php?p=FAQ#4

[gg]

So why is the book/film called the Golden Compass in America then? Why can't they call it The Northern Lights like everyone else? There isn't even a compass in it... (it's an alethiometer - nerd alert)

[graeme]

It's not called Northern Lights ... because that's the name of a long-established Scottish Orienteering weekend.

Like Jon Brooke said...
"do you think the rights holders give this stuff away?"