| | 1 | = Internet Video Distribution Meeting = |
| | 2 | |
| | 3 | On May 7, 2009, MFPL members had a meeting hosted by the Funding Exchange to explore our options for Video Distribution on the Internet. The discussion was initiated with a [wiki:internet-video-distribution-paper paper outlining the issues]. Members represented included the Funding Exchange, Manhattan Neighborhood Network, Paper Tiger TV, Global Action Project, NY Media Alliance/Sanctuary for Independent Media, Indypendent, and Independent Media Center. |
| | 4 | |
| | 5 | Below are the notes from the meeting. |
| | 6 | |
| | 7 | == Venting == |
| | 8 | |
| | 9 | ''Problems with current video distribution'' |
| | 10 | |
| | 11 | * Branded with corporate logos |
| | 12 | * Associated with other videos that we don't want to be associated with |
| | 13 | * Instructions hard to follow, uploaded video looks crappy |
| | 14 | * Missing important features or features hard to find and use (like hit counters) |
| | 15 | * Live streaming is hard |
| | 16 | * Infrastructure unreliable - threat of content disappearing/censorship - fair use |
| | 17 | * Faceless corporate providers |
| | 18 | * Difficult to collaborate with others - hard to engage people |
| | 19 | * Alternate providers even harder to use than corporate providers |
| | 20 | * No universal file format |
| | 21 | * Hard to convey to our allies political critiques of corporate tools |
| | 22 | * No universal play back software that is free |
| | 23 | * Punished for being popular (getting lots of hits) |
| | 24 | * Difficult to attract an audience |
| | 25 | * Hard to have one system that both streams live and archives |
| | 26 | * Difficult to navigate giving videos for free when selling videos is an important source of independent revenue |
| | 27 | * Corporate tools are more ubiquitous than free tools |
| | 28 | * Unsure what kind of video to make - documentary? feature? short? |
| | 29 | * Navigation/searching is bad - hard to find videos |
| | 30 | * We're reducing our thoughts to blips |
| | 31 | * Thinking in terms of distribution is limiting - YouTube is not a distribution platform, it's part of our culture |
| | 32 | * Don't know who is watching our videos |
| | 33 | * Still reliant on video experts |
| | 34 | |
| | 35 | == What we want == |
| | 36 | |
| | 37 | * Alternative ways of production (e.g. cell phones) |
| | 38 | * Easy to search |
| | 39 | * Access at all speeds - not just people with high bandwidth |
| | 40 | * Mass audience |
| | 41 | * Good tools for organizing clips |
| | 42 | * Methods that support community dialogue |
| | 43 | * Non-commercial, unbranded |
| | 44 | * Ability to remix clips |
| | 45 | * Stream live and archive |
| | 46 | * Combine video with other media (photos, audio, etc.) or survey tools, etc. |
| | 47 | * Ability to showcase local content |
| | 48 | * Simple tools - 1-2-3 production |
| | 49 | * Distributed - not centralized |
| | 50 | * Open source/free |
| | 51 | * Ability to customize tools |
| | 52 | * Video conferencing - interactivity |
| | 53 | * Aesthetically pleasing |
| | 54 | * Promoting a culture of collaboration, not just a tool, but building patterns of collaboration |
| | 55 | * Ability to curate |
| | 56 | * Easily embeddable |
| | 57 | * One package that anyone can install any where (or incorporate in an existing web site like one built on Drupal) |
| | 58 | * Training and training centers |
| | 59 | |
| | 60 | == What exists now == |
| | 61 | |
| | 62 | * http://www.archive.org/. The Internet archive is a nonprofit building a library of online artifacts (including video). |
| | 63 | * http://www.getmiro.com/. Miro TV is an effort to combine a free media player with free software that aggregates existing video on the Internet, providing a "TV Guide" for leftist video on the Internet. |
| | 64 | * http://www.engagemedia.org/. Engage Media is an activist video sharing site focused on Asia Pacific (based on Australia). They are an example of a YouTube alternative for activists. |
| | 65 | * http://transmission.cc/. The Transmission Network is an international coalition of groups working on online video distribution tools for social justice and media democracy. |
| | 66 | * http://openvideoalliance.org/. The Open Video Alliance seems similar in scope to the Transmission Network. They are having a conference in July in NYC. |
| | 67 | |
| | 68 | * [http://blip.tv] |
| | 69 | * [http://sesamevault.com/] |
| | 70 | * Democracy Now and Grit TV - building national audiences |
| | 71 | * [http://wsftv.net] |
| | 72 | * [http://groups.drupal.org/open-media-project] |
| | 73 | |
| | 74 | == Where to go from here == |
| | 75 | |
| | 76 | * Educating arts funders and community organizers |
| | 77 | * Ability to send announcements to wide audiences |
| | 78 | * Create tutorials on how to do this stuff |
| | 79 | * Educate our allies about what we're giving up with corporate/proprietary tools |
| | 80 | * Classes on how to do video on the Internet |
| | 81 | * Not just educate people, but organize them around free/open source |
| | 82 | * Tip sheets on the politics of media |
| | 83 | * Better ways to connect with other organizers |
| | 84 | * Ways of jointly promoting and organizing screenings |
