Tactical Media Minutes March 28, 2007

Notes=Steve; Facilitator=Angela

Agenda
-Video Production Update
-Collaborative Media Group Update
-Strategic Media Planning and Campaigning Presentation

Video Production Update
-Workshops are planned for April 3rd and 5th (this coming week) @ 5:30pm on both evenings.
-Prof. Johnson will be leading the workshops on Basic Camera skills
-please respond to Jay Cleary via Meeting Wizard which was sent out on the list to specify if you will be attending either workshop. You may have to first send him your e-mail so that you can be invited through Meeting Wizard.

Collaborative Media Update
-community media entry for Wikipedia is actively in the making.
-workshop on social media with emphasis on VLOG demonstration is in the works for later in April (confirmed date to come)

Strategic Media Planning and Campaigning Presentation (Angela and Jean Donohue)
-check out these two websites if you have yet to do so
Active Voice: http://activevoice.net
Media Working Group/Gender Chip: http://www.mwg.org

Major points of Strategic Planning that Angela elaborated upon
-Goals and Objectives
-Target Audience
-relevance to the community
-determines planning to a large degree
-messages, materials, and activities are important to establish here
-Communication/Distribution Partners
-outsource specialized skills
-network/disseminate product
-Coalition Partners
-funding partners
-source partners
-crucial to planning goals
-Evaluation Plans
-measure results and data
-civic engagement aspect
-Create a Timeline
-delegation of responsibility
-important to show budgetary constraints and cost efficiency
-Staffing/Management
-roles and responsibilities
-Create a Budget
-critical to commit strategic plan to paper to have a visual tool to refer to
for many reasons
-some great websites that Angela used as visuals to contextualize strategic planning

-Brave New Films: http://www.bravenewfilms.org/
from their site: "A pioneer in 21st century activism, Brave New Films are the centerpieces for guerilla campaigns designed to break through noisy news cycles. Utilizing the latest technologies, unique distribution strategies, and a growing network of dedicated volunteer field producers, we are producing entertaining and engaging films, blogs, television shows, and short videos while building the essential distribution infrastructure needed for long-term social change."

Brave New Theaters: http://bravenewtheaters.com
this sister site focuses on their interactive distribution infrastructure - find screenings, host screenings, rate and share film reviews, etc.
The films (click here and scroll down for current titles, there's a bunch) address a range of social and political issues --global warming, walmart working conditions, heroin addiction, immigrants rights movement-building, war profiteering in Iraq, black voter disenfranchisement, 9/11 journalism, Katrina relief, homelessness among young veterans, and more... and most are connected to a grassroots distribution and action campaign -- here's a list of some of the many nonprofits, churches, unions, schools and community groups who are involved.

The Ground Truth: http://www.TheGroundTruth.net
(about young vets and GIs speaking out about their experiences going to -- and coming back from -- Iraq)

Iraq for Sale -- The War Profiteers: http://IraqforSale.org/
(about US corporations and the dangers/exploitation faced by civilian contractors in Iraq)

Sir! No Sir! http://www.SirNoSir.com
(about the GI resistance movement to the Vietnam War, including a lot about the alternative media created by returning vets and GIs to connect to one another, campuses and the peace movement -- was produced last spring and has become a resource for this generation's growing movement of Iraq Veterans Against the War -- includes a nifty flash film that connects the movie's historical content with contemporary anti-war campaigns and issues around military recruitment of youth)

-terms to note
-paid media=media that you create and publish
-earned media=the buzz and reaction (positive or negative) around the media that
you created

(after Angela presented a handout was distributed entitled Developing a Media/Technology Strategy (be sure to get one)

The Gender Chip Project-Jean Donohue
-you can learn all about this project on the website listed above. Here are some other important tidbits that Jean Donohue described
-a documentary often takes on a life of its own and blazes its own path in terms
of its focus and target audience.
-distribution of a documentary is often linked to groups like Active Voice which
create a dilemma for the film maker as far as artistic independence is
concerned.
-foudations are often more inclined to fund a distribution organization
than an independent documentary film maker.
-Active Voice defines itself as a "community engagement organization but is more and more becoming like a production house getting in the middle of artist and distribution.

-check out this link
Eyes on the Prize
this documentary is the antithesis of artistic control!
Thank you Jean and Angela for a wonderful presentation of interesting material!!