Grant Strategy for Future of New Media Video

Another reason why I'm cutting together a short video featuring many leaders of the new media movement is because my film advisor Brian Newman suggested that I reach out to the film world with what I'm doing.

I don't think the film industry understands folksonomy, Drupal, wikis, open source & non-hierarchical grassroots collaboration. Brian informs me that they understand short videos or audio pieces that are incorporated into the site. It's hard for film folks to digest a lot of the other stuff that I've been writing about.

So I'm working on a short film that can provide some metaphors for what I'm trying to accomplish with this site that can appeal to a broader audience. I've had a number of people tell me, "I read your blog, but I can't understand what you're talking about." Having other people say what I've been writing about should provide some useful metaphors.

I've been targeting the technologists up to this point because they can help provide a lot of the open source infrastructure and tools that I need to pull off a collaborative production and techniques for distributed grassroots investigative reporting.

Technologists also have a lot of sway in the online attention economy. If this site hits the radar screen of http://del.icio.us/popular, then it will be a lot easier to tap into the cultural capital held by the online pioneers and folks in the broader blogosphere.

Inviting volunteers to participate in the production of my film will make it a better film -- since collectively my readers will know more than I do.

This participation also helps build an audience for the film -- If a lot of the marketing for my film takes place before the film is finished and released, then this gives me all types of freedom for experimenting with alternative distribution methods. I want to get the film and message out there as broadly as I possibly can while at the same time not loosing my shirt.

Anyway, I think that a short video on the future of New Media would also help out a lot with whatever grants I go after.