Ether is a Sydney based multimedia consultancy and production company specialising in standards based website design. Ether also offers a range of digital media services including DVD authoring and video production. Please see our Services page for more info about what we do.
Ether in the early days
Established in 1993 by Ingrid Spielman and Thomas Ashelford, Ether is one of Australia’s first web design companies. Ether’s first claim to fame was the legendary Wood & Wire website – an online music magazine, described by the Sydney Morning Herald as ‘Australia’s first popular web site’. (SMH, 8/7/2000).
Around this time, Ether also developed websites for clients including The Sydney Morning Herald, Optus Communications, The British Council (Australia), Macquarie Bank, AMP, The Powerhouse Museum & John Singleton Advertising.
ABC Online 1995 to 2002
In March 1995 Thomas Ashelford was offered a short contract with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to oversee the development of the ABC’s online presence. After the public launch of ABC Online in July 1995, Thomas stayed put and developed systems to automate the production of the ABC’s programs on the website, and built the first (and second) incarnations of ABC News Online. He was appointed Creative Director of ABC Online in 1997, and continued in that role until 1999.
The ABC extended its relationship with Ether, by hiring Ingrid to produce The Playground, the ABC’s award winning children’s web site. In 1999 Ingrid moved to the ABC’s New Services Division to develop new digital media services including multi-channels TV, interactive TV, and broadband internet services. In June 2000 did a short stint at the BBC’s Interactive TV Department in London where she worked on “X-Creatures”, an interactive TV documentary.
On returning to the ABC Ingrid headed a team to build a broadband video on demand service for ABC Online. The ABC Broadband portal won a prestigious AIMIA award in 2001.
From 2001 to 2009
Ether has been working with a wide and diverse bunch of creative professionals including writers, editors, cinematographers, television producers, graphic designers, flash developers, and programmers, and have built up an extensive portfolio of web projects spanning mainly the media, arts and education sectors in Australia.
During this time Thomas Ashelford has also been a part-time lecturer and curriculum consultant for… University of Technology Sydney, AFTRS, and has also been consulting on web projects for Westpac, Radio Australia, and Radio National.
2010
Thomas has joined forces with a group of bright young things, who have set up a new company The Interaction Consortium, working out of offices in Surry Hills. Ether and The Interaction Consortium are co-production partners in many on-going web projects, and have a happy and productive working relationship.
Ingrid continues to work from Ether and continues to offer web producing and consulting services for existing and new clients.
