I’m at the Netsquared conference today and tomorrow, which has the goal of bringing nonprofit orgs and technology providers in the same room to figure out how to work together. The lineup is pretty damn good (listening to Ethan Zuckerman right now rant about Bob Geldolf’s Live 8 concernt that raised “awareness” but not money for Africa). I’ll be doing a session tomorrow with Jay Dedman and Schlomo titled How to Videoblog and Change the World. That might be a lot to cover in 2 hours, but we’ll definitely get you videoblogging. The change the world part is up to you.

Tag: net2

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Originally uploaded by nchim.

This Memorial day weekend I escaped to the foothills of the Sierras for WineCamp, the latest iteration of BarCamp. These events normally involve lots of wifi and laptops with a minimal of “camping” in the tent & woods sense of the word. This was different. Friday and Saturday were spent 2000 feet up on a pimp ridgeline overlooking vineyards and a sprawling resevoir on the property of winemaker Andrew Ferriere.

Several adhoc self organizing sessions came together to warm brains and foster project collaboration on Saturday. I decided to sit in on one focused on storytelling and the use of video. I learn PixelCorps might be a good resource for video projects and people with skills for projects. I learn of StoryCorps, an interesting project where people are given audio gear and encouraged to document their lives. NPR has aired some of the more compelling pieces.

After the brain warming ended on Saturday, it was time for yummy eats and band provided beats. And wine. Much, much wine. When darkness arrived, chill came too and the firepits were the place to be. Sticks were whittled and smores were made.

Sunday morning, the consumate Sarah Pullman from Vancouver grounded 20+ geeks with a Yoga for Geeks session. Soon after it was time to pack up and take it down the hill to the Stevenot Winery which had brunch and wifi waiting for us, thanks to the lovelies at France Telecom. It was really hard to stay inside the dark cool wine cellar working the wifi when the surrounding green vineyard was photosynthesizing up a storm.

Lunch came and went, projects were wrapped up and the final hour was filled with report backs of lessons learned, things liked and things that could change. Thanks to Tara, Chris and the other organizers who put on this magical weekend getaway. It’s times like this that make it great to be a human.

My good pal Ryan’s SLOMO Video project is finally done and ready for the big public hairy eye. He’s put together 100 one-minute slow-motion videos by 85 artists. 64 of the 100 videos are Creative Commons licensed including my submission. This Saturday night in Oaktown. Check it!

Saturday, May 20, 2006 // $5 // FREE BEER // B.Y.O.Robutissin
Lobot Gallery, 1800 Campbell Street, Oakland, California
Doors at 8pm // Screening at 9pm // Slowdance Party til Late!!!
Sizzurupy slowjAmz by OonceOonce (tigerbeat) and DJ Ray Liotta (sneakmove)

SLOMO Video is a unique compilation of 100 one minute slow motion videos by 85 video artists and filmmakers from the bay area and beyond. This festival will stretch you through a molasses-tinged warp of catastrophic visual and audio beauty. See what your mind usually misses!

featuring notable slowness from artists such as:
LoVid // Matmos // Bec Stupak // Mudboy // Pea Hicks
Scott Arford // Lew Baldwin // Wiley Wiggins // Yoshi Sodeoka
Keith Fullerton Whitman // and many dozens more!

With SurvivaBall, Halliburton innovates a solution to global warming for the important mid-level to senior manager. Be sure to check out the pictures and video.

HALLIBURTON SOLVES GLOBAL WARMING
SurvivaBalls save managers from abrupt climate change

An advanced new technology will keep corporate managers safe even
when climate change makes life as we know it impossible.

“The SurvivaBall is designed to protect the corporate manager no
matter what Mother Nature throws his or her way,” said Fred Wolf, a
Halliburton representative who spoke today at the Catastrophic Loss
conference held at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Amelia Island, Florida.
“This technology is the only rational response to abrupt climate
change,” he said to an attentive and appreciative audience.

“The SurvivaBall builds on Halliburton’s reputation as a disaster and
conflict industry innovator,” said Wolf. “Just as the Black Plague
led to the Renaissance and the Great Deluge gave Noah a monopoly of
the animals, so tomorrow’s catastrophes could well lead to good - and
industry must be ready to seize that good.”

It turned out that the SFiFF is mostly about docs for me. The Bridge is one that I had really been looking forward to ever since the it became public what the camera crews stationed on either end of the Golden Gate Bridge were up to over the course of 2004. Director Eric Steele takes on the story of those whose final destination is the world’s most favorite suicide location.

The result is an incredibly moving set of very personal accounts of suicidal bridge jumpers as told by family, friends and in one case a survivor. Yes, there is some very shaky and very real footage of a few jumps. They serve to punctuate the personal narratives and quite honestly, the film would be just as moving without them. The real story is what we hear from family, friends and survivors. The footage of jumps are shown once each, there is no slow motion or any cinematic effects that over-dramatize the reality we witness. We do see the Coast Guard boat with two white hazmat suited rescuers circling around for a jumper.

The documentary to be quite honest, is a bit of a downer. It’s a retelling of the sad states of emotion that led the jumpers to take the plunge. We learn about the lives of the jumpers, in some cases their incessant casing of the bridge prior to their final moment, the back story of what brings them to the brink. We do see one rescue as a passing tourist pulls a would-be jumper by her collar which elicits applause from the audience.

There is more, but I don’t want to spoil so go see it for yourself. The Bridge is a rare look into the lives of people who find no reason to go on. Prepare yourself as you’ll probably experience a wide range of emotions that will leave you drained. It is a necessary film, one that can only help to understand mental illness and the dark realities behind suicide.

Great article on videoblogging in the SF Chronicle today, despite the headline. GETV gets a mention. They’ve got an accompanying podcast that we’re featured on as well.