Digital Arts Service Corps - digital distribution

NYMAP update

gariet cowin — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 22:05:19 +0000

I almost forgot!

Andrew Lynn, who is spearheading the NYMAP/YVXN thingamajig flew to Portland last week for a visit.

For those of you who aren't "in the know", NYMAP stand for the National Youth Media Access Project. I guess somebody didn't like the acronym though, because now I think it is being changed to YVXN, which stands for Youth Video eXchange Network. The idea is that cable access centers around the country will be able to digitally swap youth-produced videos. So far, it is still in the testing stages, with only a handful of access centers being involved, but the hopes are to eventually include many more.

Anyway, things are going really well for the YVXN. In the few months that it's been going on, YVXN has already amassed a bazillion hours of youth-produced video. You can't actually watch any of it at this point, but you can at least read descriptions of all the cool content that is being shared.

There are still a few kinks to work out, especially relating to the many different playback systems that are being used across the country (VHS, D9, digital Mpeg-2, DVD, etc.), but we are getting there. The end.

Introduction to Distribution

Colleen Kelly — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 15:55:37 +0000

So far, digital distribution (or digital delivery) discussions among VISTAs have been focused on video sharing, mostly among cable access stations (such as the NYMAP or Digital Bicycle projects). With the explosion of video sharing sites such as YouTube, Google Video, and Blip.tv, the ability to share video content has become almost second-hand to young web users. Factor in the ease of peer-to-peer network technology and we have an environment where youth could certainly be sharing all sorts of their own digital content.

Inherent in this area too are stumbling blocks such as copyright (see Creative Commons), digital rights management, and loss of video quality.

How can VISTAs tap into these trends and resources to support their efforts?

Here's some topics identified around this area:

-outreach to local community organizations to share content
-Podcasting
-Videoblogging
-issues around distribution of youth content

Moving right along

lauren bratslavsky — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 21:04:46 +0000

Hi. Just an intro for the new vistas, I've been working on developing and starting a youth media program at the public access center in Cincinnati. It started off slow and bit discouraging but it's starting to gain speed and so on.

Last Wed, I started teaching a video production/media literacy class for a group of high school students from a charter school. This week would have been week number two, but Cincinnati had a snow emergency on Tues and Wed which also meant a snow day! (the city shut down early, if that's possible because of six inches of snow, people freak out with even the mention of snow around here....). Anyways, I'm basing this class off the Youth Channel's PSA/documentary curriculum, available on their website www.youthchannel.org . It's my first real teaching experience. And it's not so bad so far, though I did accidentally say shit, which they thought was a riot.

I've been getting calls from YMCA, afterschool programs, and youth-job training programs about doing some workshops. I guess it's just been a matter of talking to people about what I do here and accomodating to their needs, times, and desired outcomes.

Also recently established is our 'youth channel' called the Youth Media Block, shown on our educational access channel tuesdays and thursdays in three blocks of time - 4-6 (for the afterschool crowd), 8-10 (primetime for the university's broadcast of their news and now we're getting cinci schools to submit their highschool games) and an afterhours block midnight-2am for the 'adultish' content. I've signed up for the NYMAP- youth video exchange network that Danielle has mentioned so that I can get a stream of content from other access centers. We'll be making and sharing some productions out of the 'nati soon.

Oh - here's 2 tutorials I put together for my Saturday program - Youth Media Lab. Ummm. yah. One tutorial is a brief intro to the mac, about the desktop, where to find applications and and different view modes. It's pretty basic. I'll be expanding it soon. The other one is an activity using Photoshop Elements, or you can use Photoshop. If you have the newest macs with photobooth, it encorporates that but is not necessary. Feel free to alter as you see fit. I'm working on an iMovie tutorial... . It seems i can only upload the photoshop one right now. the other one is too large because of the pictures. if you're interested in the other one, email me.

News from MNN/NYMAP Video Exchange

danielle martin — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 16:29:08 +0000

From the Youth Channel newsletter:

News from the NYMAP Video Exchange: Over the next few weeks, MNN Youth Channel and the other NYMAP (National Youth Media Access Partners) will be officially launching the new Youth Video Exchange website out to the world and bringing in new partners. The website www.nymapexchange.net is a networking hub for youth-serving community media centers and youth media sites, which aims to build the infrastructure to make better sharing of youth-produced media possible. The Core Partners in this project are: People TV in Atlanta, Grand Rapids Community Media Center, St. Paul Neighborhood Network, and Portland Community Media in Oregon. Check out the website www.nymapexchange.net , or email andrew@youthchannel.org to learn more or to find out how you could get involved.

NYMAP computer is here!

gariet cowin — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 18:14:15 +0000

We finally got our super-sweet computer that we will be using for the NYMAP youth video exchange. Unfortunately, I got it about 5 minutes before I left for vacation, so it has just been sitting around for the last week. But now I am back, and ready to put it to good use. Youth media swapping, here I come!

I'll post another entry when I actually have a chance to try it out, and learn more about the whole exchange process.

Video Distribution - Digital Media Group call 12/15

danielle martin — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:01:26 +0000

Just a note that we have our fourth CTC VISTA Digital Media group call on Friday December 12th at 2pm EST. (Email Danielle for the call in #s.)

In an effort to make the calls more useful, we're going to focus on a topic and keep the individual updates to the first 15 minutes. So any other CTC VISTAs that are interested in participating in a Video Distribution discussion, please call in!

Agenda

QUICK Introductions for new VISTA, Daniel Chen (2pm)
QUICK Project news (Updates to CTCVISTA.org, the Digest, etc) (2:10pm)

Discussion: Digital Video Distribution (2:15pm)

Video Blogging (Gariet?)
Other techniques?
Youth Video Sharing - Concerns for youth safety?
YouTube vs. Google Video vs. Blip.tv
Youth Video Exchange Network (2:30pm)- http://www.nymapexchange.net

(possible guest, Andrew from MNN)
Digital Bicycle / Torrents

Future discussion ideas?

(smaller groups?) (2:50pm)

IDEAS:

Youth Development
Volunteer Recruitment/Management
MySpace as an organizing tool?
Media Literacy

My conference expereince and some classic blogging

lauren bratslavsky — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 17:13:27 +0000

well well. I went to a conference about 3 weeks ago now and haven't blogggged about it yet. So here it is with some other content thrown in.

I went up to East Lansing, MI (seems like an odd sorta town) for a conference. It was the Alliance for Community Media - Central States Region. It's basically a chance for all of the partcipating public, education, and government access stations from Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky to get together and hang out. The highlight of the weekend was the Philo T. Farnsworth Video Awards, awarded to the best public access programming the region. (some fun trivia, Philo is the inventor of television. the professor on Futurama is named after him and also the wierd tech guy in UHF.... if any one has even seen that).

The event was supposed to be semi-formal ( we protested and wore those shirts with the painted on tux) and it took place on a boat on the river that runs through Lansing. So the event was on this grand Princess Boat with a nice set up inside and a disco ball and fake palm trees and little sailor caps . The joke was that this awards ceremony will be long and boring and have cheesy dancing so if we're on a moving boat, no one can get off. ha. well, joke on them. the boat never moved, so bunch of people left after the raffle. The captain said the waters were to perilous. Funny, he said this after he informed us that the boat is 30 feet high and the deepest part of the river is 10 feet and we have nothing to worry about. Well well, rough waters? Uh uh. A local gent said that he's been on this boat at least 20 times. It has only moved twice. Apparently the fuel costs way too much so the captain says rough waters and ends up busing the tables. Ahh. good times.

There were some great workshops on community media, making media, and fundraising and sessions about public policy (if you didn't know, the FCC and congress (aka special interests peddling their fancy money) are planning on eliminating mandatory funding for public//education/government access television, or something like that. in any case, it's not good for the average public access station). I found out how fricking amazing Grand Rapids Community Media Center and their executive director are. Absolutely incredible how far their outreach goes and their place in the community (good job Rich).

The evenings were spent at a local roadhouse where college kids dared not enter since the might of the public access alliance of drinkers took up a better part of the bar. Geez was there drinking. And cigars. Me and my fellow VISTA (there are two of us at Media Bridges, me and a vista from the Ohio Community Computing Network) met up with a former ctc vista, Daniell K who is not attending trade shows to sell fancy media servers. He told us of all his adventures and woes and ups and downs working at Grand Rapids and then Lowell Community Television. He's the one that helped start Digital Bicycle. He's very inspiring and comes with load of advice. If you're ever feeling bogged down by the vista post at your organization, I suggest you email him for some advice or at least a pep talk on coping.

Speaking of which --- I talked to him about jumping back into digital distributing of media in some way or another. I guess the original site is not really in use anymore. I'm pretty sure I have the resources here to ask for more bandwith and set up a server. I know a little bit about setting up torrents and all that. If you have gotten to this point of the post---- anyone interested in turning your digital projects, storytelling, PSAs, docs, etc etc into torrents and sharing? I have found some great videos from Media Bridges that I can share around. I was thinking about setting up a blog with links to the torrents. We can all download and upload as needed. And share! Nothing fancy, just some digital distribution.......

Anyways. I've been putting together dvds of youth-produced content from here and placed other videos like from the Media that Matters Film fest and things I've downloaded with permission from archive.org. Once I get the little flash animation intros and transitions together, it will be ready for airtime.

Other than that, not much else going on. Kinda slow around here this time of the year. Things will kick up in January and the youth media initiative program super delux raz a mataz tastic channel digital space and so on will be up and running. this is my new years resolution. or something like that.

Digital Distribution

danielle martin — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 22:08:39 +0000

So far, digital distribution (or digital delivery) discussions among CTC VISTAs have been focused on video sharing, mostly among cable access stations (such as the NYMAP or Digital Bicycle projects). With the explosion of video sharing sites such as YouTube, Google Video, and Blip.tv, the ability to share video content has become almost second-hand to young web users. Factor in the ease of peer-to-peer network technology and we have an environment where youth could certainly be sharing all sorts of their own digital content.

Inherent in this area too are stumbling blocks such as copyright (see Creative Commons), digital rights management, and loss of video quality.

How can CTC VISTAs tap into these trends and resources to support their efforts? Blog your ideas, lessons learned, and questions and tag it "digital distribution."

Here's some other topics identified at the PSO around this area:

-outreach to local community organizations to share content
-Podcasting
-Videoblogging
-issues around distribution of youth content