The real magic of the movies happens inside the powerful computers of digital effects houses today — where the weather, interfering studio suits and the limitations of real-world physics can't hold up the shoot or ruin million dollar sets.

The device promised by the dotcom age, which we'd use for everything from watching TV, reading books and making phone calls to browsing the web, working and playing games is now a cliché, both technology vendors and consumers now realising we want different experiences from different tools.

Moderated by Austrade chief economist Tim Harcourt, science reporter Robyn Williams, Perth Lord Mayer Lisa Scaffidi and notables from the government, resources and planning sectors played the roles of future Prime Ministers, Premiers, Planning Ministers, Economic and Science Advisors and more.