Community Media - Interactive World

The International Community Film Festival (ICFF) has announced its intention to branch out in 2012 with selected screenings of the best films to be made available through key partners worldwide. 2012 will be the Fourth Festival organized by Dr Ian McCormick. If you're interested in looking at the work of ICFF in the recent past, click here . Are you able to help? How can you participate in free ICFF film screenings in your part of the world ? 1. Please send me an email or message if you are interested in screening a selection of the best films from ICFF 2012 in your home town or city during September-October 2012. (You will be able to set your own specific date) 2. You will need access to a free cinema space, or to a school, college, community centre, public building, or university space that is equipped with a suitable DVD player/laptop , projector, and a screen. 3. Ideally, you will want to organise your own events and speakers around the screening and - crucial...

Adonis - Poet of Syria [It's three years since I wrote this blog and the situation continues to deteriorate in Syria] Every day we hear about more atrocities committed in Syria in the name of a Tyrant against his long-suffering people. The Arab League inspectors appear unable to support the will of the Syrian people and their  democratic right to freedom from oppression. One commentator has declared that their mission is a farce. My thoughts turned to the great Syrian poet Ali Ahmad Said Esber (called Adonis), who was born in 1930. His life has been one of exile, but his words resonate with beauty, spirit, nobility, suffering and elegance. Decades later his words are inspiring and resonant for all oppressed peoples seeking a decent life, basic rights, and self-expression. In tribute to the true and brave people of Syria; the imprisoned Syrians and the exiled Syrians; may I quote from Adonis's 1957 poem "The Banished": Stay here, our hearts, do not leave u...

There's quite a lot that nonprofits, activists, community workers and creative people can learn from corporate media and advertising in order to make a well-meaning video "go viral."  Much of the advice on viral video is common sense. Follow these simple steps in order to promote your viral video: include a link or preview of your viral video in all your emails; find out where your supporters and communities of interest are; learn about the social and ethical preferences of your viewers; take part in relevant social media conversations and mention your viral video; respond to popular and relevant videos with similar themes; choose an eye-catching thumbnail - remember that this is what will show up in search results; link to a popular event - and release your video to 'correspond' with news items; use keywords from popular events to help people to 'stumble upon' your viral video; post a personalized thought-provoking message ...

Viral videos are short films that reach hundreds of thousands of viewings and attract thousands of comments in a period of days, weeks, or months. Some viral videos are products of creative individuals; others spring from the corporate advertising machine which is worth $700 billion annually. Some are just fun and others aim to influence us in an open, or in a more covert, or secret fashion. A few viral videos have been products of chance, chaos theory scenarios, or a tipping point. Their sudden transnational popularity comes as a shock to their makers. But there are many common features and many unexpected success stories. I have recently made a study of the subject. Here are my findings 11 Laws of Viral Video: 1. Law of Shortness . Most people switch off after 3 minutes. Brevity is the soul of wit. People want to watch something that they can get through while drinking a cup of tea or coffee. However, some of the longer running conspiracy theory or environmental films hav...

“The biggest challenge in the present crisis [2008] is whether we can recover some sense of the connection between money and material reality — the production of specific things, the achievement of recognisably human goals that have something to do with a shared sense of what is good for the human community in the widest sense.” Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, writing in The Spectator (23 September 2008.) "The economic stimulus and the bailouts will not bring back our casino capitalism. And as the meltdown shows no signs of abating, and the bailouts show no sign of working, the recklessness and desperation of our capitalist overlords have increased." (187) "When money becomes worthless, so does government. All traditional standards and beliefs are shattered in a severe economic crisis. The moral order is turned upside down." (188) "They descended into orgies of self indulgence, surrendered their civic and emotional lives to the glitter...

Last night the camp was cleared by the police. If you are interested in these issues you can read my short essay discussing "Faith, Space and Occupation" here . Some time ago, the BBC published a selection of comments on the situation outside St Paul's cathedral in London, where a tented village had been established by "Occupy." Legal notice has just been served on the "Occupiers" who may be forced to leave in 48 hours' time.   George Pitcher, an Anglican priest and former Archbishop of Canterbury's Public Affairs Secretary comments "Talking about these camps cropping up like boils across our city, and indeed the mayor of London shouting at the protesters, "In the name of God and Mammon go!" I think that's really pantomime material and I'm glad that the Church is dissociating itself from it."

Why are so many low-budget and community films let down by poor attention to sound? What do we need to do to make our films a resounding success? The obvious answer is that we live in a world where the visual takes priority. We don't really listen to the sounds around us. In fact we often - without realizing - block out sounds that may be distracting. But when we play back a recording the wrong sounds leap out and obstruct the message. Our golden rules and tips for success with sound are Accept that manufacturers of budget camcorders often cut costs by using a poor microphone device. A small investment of $150 will make a big difference to your recordings. Practise listening to the world around you. How many sounds can you hear? Traffic? The computer's fan? Birdsong? The rustle of your clothes? Your keyboard as you type? A chair creaking? Your breathing? Your heartbeat? (Try to count twenty environmental sounds as a listening exercise with your film crew.) Some back...