Digital media and alternative distribution models August 30, 2006
Posted by James G. Milles in Digital distribution, Documentary.1 comment so far
From the blog if:book (Institute for the Future of the Book): documentary licensed through creative commons to play in second life:
Route 66: An American Bad Dream is an independent documentary film starring three Germans road tripping across the legendary US highway. What makes this film notable is that they released the film under the Creative commons license. Also, it had its premiere in the virtual world of Second Life on Aug 10th. The success of that showing prompted them to host an additional viewing this Thursday August 31 at 4PM SL in Kula 4, which will be presented by its creator Gonzo Oxberger. In the Open Source spirit of this project, they are making the video and audio project files available to anyone with a serious interest in remixing the film.
The entire film can be downloaded from the VEB Film Leipzig website.
One of the aspects of digital media that can work to empower new voices is the development of alternative means of distribution. YouTube does more than allow anyone in the world to upload pirated TV shows and funny videos of their cats taken on a cell phone. New York City-based advocacy organization The Opportunity Agenda has created a YouTube Channel, complete with RSS feed, including:
Video clips that show the state of opportunity – or lack of opportunity – in America. We feature man on the street interviews, produced video spots, mini documentaries, and other videos that we encourage people to share with their friends, and hope that social justice advocates will use in their work.
Taking advantage of existing virtual social spaces like Second Life and YouTube makes it possible to deliver audio and video content to new audiences where they are, rather than expecting the audience to come to you.
Podcasting as Public Legal Education August 29, 2006
Posted by James G. Milles in Podcasting.add a comment
California Western School of Law has posted the first episode of what is intended to be a weekly podcast (or “Internet radio show”) on current legal news:
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 28, 2006 – Law professors at California Western are now taking their expertise from the classroom to the iPod. On Law in 10, California Western’s weekly podcast, professors will provide legal analysis on current news topics, all in 10 minutes or less.
“Although a handful of other law schools use podcasts for lectures and speaker events, we believe California Western is the first law school to offer a weekly news commentary,” said David Bowers, assistant dean for external affairs. “Our purpose in launching this effort is to introduce our faculty members to ‘Gen iPod,’ the 19-24 year old college student with an interest in legal issues. We believe others will develop an interest as well.”
The show is divided into two segments, each featuring a different legal expert and topic of interest. Listeners are able to receive a free weekly subscription using RSS feeds, with aggregators such as iTunes, Google, and Yahoo. Listeners may also listen to podcasts directly from the California Western Web site at http://www.cwsl.edu/Lawin10.
The first podcast debuted on Aug. 24, 2006 and featured criminal law Professor Justin Brooks and constitutional law Professor Marilyn Ireland. Brooks – also director of the California Innocence Project – discussed media coverage, false confessions, and DNA testing concerning the 10-year-old JonBenet Ramsey murder. Ireland – a long-time San Diego resident and First Amendment specialist – talked about the ongoing San Diego Mt. Soledad Cross controversy.
“Our podcast will showcase the great variety of legal experts we have here at the law school,” said Franki Fitterer, associate director for marketing and communications and host of Law in 10. “We are thrilled to launch this project, and believe it will prove to be an informative and useful tool for a myriad of audiences.”
CLICK HERE to go to official Law in 10 Web site.
While the growth of course-related podcasting has been remarkable, largely thanks to the efforts and support of John Mayer and CALI’s Legal Education Podcasting Project, podcasting to the public has been slow to catch on. A few individual law professors have been podcasting outside of the classroom–most notably Audible Althouse, although Ann Althouse herself claims to be neither a law blogger nor a law podcaster. The potential of podcasting as a form of public legal education and community service seems enormous. It will be interesting to see if CWSL can maintain the commitment –from a group as notoriously hard to manage as law faculty–necessary to keep to a regular production schedule, and thereby build an audience and public awareness.
Welcome to Projecting Law August 23, 2006
Posted by James G. Milles in Uncategorized.1 comment so far
Watch this space for further developments shortly.
Projecting Law 