Scotlands hottest new news presenter
is ambitious, beautiful ... and a digital image.
She is 28-year old Seonaid from Bellshill. Shell
turn a mind-numbing speech on the Stone of Destiny
into something more readily digested, especially
if you like big green eyes and a curvy female
in a top that looks like its been painted
on.
Dont start zapping the TV because you
wont find her there. Seonaid (pronounced
Shona) stands for Scottish Executive Online
News And Information Distributor and is a character
in cyberspace, created by Digital Animations
Group, the minds behind the worlds first
cyber news anchor, Ananova. Featuring on the
Junior Exec section of the Scottish executive
news website, she might well be the first of
her kind to be employed by a government.
Seonaids task, making politics more fun
and accessible for young people, is certainly
not new. But todays fresh-faced, hi-tech
generation is more likely than any other to
seek their news on the internet. For somebody
who taps into a cyber society to meet old and
new friends, an animated news presenter will
be appealing, goes the logic.
Although physically based on childrens
television presenters, such as Konnie Huq of
Blue Peter and Melanie Sykes from
Big Breakfast, and influenced
by newscasting role models, Seonaid has her
own personality.
Her stated ambitions are: "To do my best and
for people to think that Im the best and
most respected virtual newsreader in the world."
Nice but not very impressive. Shes a please-all
girl - pretty, but not so much as to undermine
her credibility. Young and confident, shes
intended to be a role model for kids.
Among her animated friends, Seonaid is the
first to be capable of reading text that has
just been typed in. She is controlled by a software
that co-ordinates the movement of her lips with
natural facial expressions and body movements.
Research shows that effective teaching is related
to the motivation and enjoyment of students:
interactivity increases learning.
The Junior Exec website has a user-controlled
interactive environment. One can decide whether
to read about a subject or to see Seonaid present
it in her online studio or in various exotic
environments. Theres also a forum to air
opinions on how to run the country, something
that new First Minister Jack McConnell may find
useful. But he should be careful not to spend
too much time staring at Seonaid. Her constant
swaying movements can make you a bit seasick.
Even if the hype of the digital newscaster
is greatly overblown, Seonaid shouldnt
fear unemployment. With her skills and charm,
its almost certain she could work for
The Avastar Agency, an organisation for virtual
characters set up by Glasgow Animation. Stars
in the stable appear in advertising, sign film
deals and interview celebrities. Proof that
there is intelligent life in cyberspace.
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