I’m curious to see how the film turns out – and Ridley Scott’s version. It’s pretty risky to rely on the random people with different kinds of cameras to create all your content for you without interfering somehow. I wonder what percentage of the footage they used and what kind of story it tells, if any.  Not to mention the big question: Will these videos really show us what our world looks?

Check out some submissions:

Anyone But Me, a popular teen web series on Blip.tv, came up with a bold new take on crowd-funding in order to produce a third season. For the past few days the cast and crew of the show have hosted a Web-A-Thon featuring original videos  (behind-the-scenes, interviews, etc.) and a live online auction featuring items like “a walk-on role” during a future episode. With 5 million viewers to reach out to for support, it seems like this influential experiment has a great shot at success. (via Fast Company)

Remember LonelyGirl15? YouTube’s 5th birthday was last week and I’ve finally gotten around to watching the “YouTube Stories” series they produced– 2 minute interviews with select creators about their successes with the medium. The stories, and this interview with the director, contain interesting little insights about creating for YouTube that are worth checking out–

What kinds of techniques do you use to make these videos look so good and feel emotional?
When we all make YouTube videos, we’re creating for a screen size of about 630 by 350 pixels, so go in close. Use eyes, use foreheads, look at the way people move their mouths when they talk…all that says a lot, beyond just the words. Use that emotional power of the face to amplify what they are saying. Shoot as close to the face as possible, because we’re trained by thousand of years of evolution to respond to those movements of the face. And don’t forget hands, which can speak in the opposite way…or in sync…and reveal much. In the end, we want viewers to feel they’ve had a chance to meet these subjects over a cheeseburger or a beer and really feel them viscerally.

What is something about YouTube users you didn’t know before you started this project?
What I didn’t fully understand was how much the content creators have given their lives over to communicating with others. They’ve found their mission. Sharing their talent or passion with the world. Despite realities of family obligations, old jobs, the need to learn a bit more about technology, the people who shine come through because of sheer passion and faith. They believe that what they are doing on YouTube will change the world, and the effort that belief inspires in them usually gets to a positive outcome.

– Inside the Making Of “My YouTube Story,” interview with documentary filmmaker Stephen Higgins

The story behind LonelyGirl15

“Build momentum by making the initiative part crowdsourcing, part education and part competitive game like. Many of us grew up playing lego and to this day are amateur designers and builders. We’re also inquisitive people. Tap into that by educating (in fun and light ways) participants about the product that they are designing. And not only provide them with ways to contribute but with ways to share their ideas with each other, participate in game type experiences around the core crowdsourcing initiative and gain points for every idea that’s used.”

Whole post is worth a read to anyone executing any kind of call for crowd participation in the future.

What I like  about this is the fact that it’s not a Poptent(or Tongal, or Mofilm, or Filmmaka, et. al)- powered “make-us-a-viral-video campaign. It’s just an open call, from the social media department, for new ways to engage audiences online. It was announced at TechCrunh disrupt, so I have to imagine there will be tons of attention for this initiative.

What I also like about it is the fact that the director of advertising said it was open to amateurs, on the idea tip AND agencies on the campaign tip, meaning, if your professional team needs a creative team-building project this week, GE has you covered. It’s just cool that such a giant company would open themselves up to ideas from creatives everywhere.

Submissions go here.

(via TC)

Everyone will find something to love in this treasure trove: voyeurs will enjoy peering into the luscious, hyper-intimate moments of others; travelers will relish in the whimsical journey across cities and landscapes; thinkers will find inspiration in the historical and philosophical aspects of the experiment–all the photos on the site were taken in a single day by individuals, then stacked according to geographic location.

The result is a monumental collection at once important and utterly fleeting.  I am, admittedly, a dreamer, but to me it is a unique artistic demonstration of power of the world wide web and its ability power to harness a wealth of information that is emotional, dynamic, populist, and individualistic.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, this exhibit speaks volumes about global experience as we know it.

In an evermore complicated internet landscape of blogs, vlogs, networks, and languages, these sites will actually simplify your life.  Amen.

Check them out for yourself:

5. FreshDV

A nice cross-section of expert opinions, tutorials, tech news, etc.

4. IndieGoGo

A crowdfunding website for independent film and art projects.  Allows you to create a profile, upload content, and build a community around your film while letting the cash flow directly to your bank account.

3. Reboot.FCC.gov

We were all wondering the same thing–when will Obama finally grace the FCC with his magic political touch?  The time is now.  To enhance your government-regulated communications experience, check out the new FCC beta site: keep up with policy and news on the official blog, or get involved in one of the FCC’s important new initiatives: Broadband.gov, OpenInternet.gov, the Future of Media Project, and more.

2. Massify.com

Massify is the ideal social network for filmmakers wanting to move their online creative community offline.  Job listings meet content management meet production opps.  Start a project, upload a script, reach out to collaborators, and build your film’s community all on one site.

1. F.A.T.

According to its site/blog/webspace: The Free Art and Technology (F.A.T.) Lab is an organization dedicated to enriching the public domain through the research and development of creative technologies and media.

They run an open-source microblogging service called FuckTwitter, and are basically all about making art and technology as free and fun as possible.

The usual considerations that go into this decision hinge on the amount of money players will be offered, along with whether they will be on a playoff contending team. However, Bosh, whose tweets normally consist of what the weather in Toronto is like, and where he is at that exact moment, has asked his 100k followers to suggest where he should go and why. Whether tapping the unbridled sportsfan fervor of the crowd will actually affect his decision remains to be seen, but it’s very cool to look into the mindset of player as they make such a major decision.