Grants/The 96-Hour Remix Jam
Describe the project you are proposing as clearly as possible in just five sentences.
The inaugural 96-Hour Remix Jam consists of two 48-Hour components. During the first two days of the project, participants will engage in a Creative Commons Speaker and Panel Series, featuring industry professionals with experience as creators, theorists, transmedia writers/artists and legal experts. Workshops and mini-production pipelines will fill the final two days, as students of Tribeca Flashpoint use pre-created CC assets to create original films, games, animations and new media pieces. The whole event will close with a master showcase to celebrate the new works and emphasize the importance of Creative Commons in the modern media world. All assets, including a “Making of the 96-Hour Remix Jam” documentary filmed using Tribeca Flashpoint resources, will remain accessible to students and the general public indefinitely.
Detail the tangible project output (e.g., paper, blog post, written materials, video/film, etc.; this would be in addition to the final written report that successful grant recipients will be expected to deliver to CC at the conclusion of the project).
The speakers and panels would be documented and available for streaming through our website. The 96 hour Remix Jam projects will be showcased in an exhibition on the final day of the event, and after, viewable on our website. A “Making Of” film will provide a blueprint for other institutions showing how the project was implemented. Assets created from the event will also be made available for public use under CC licensing.
Describe the community you are targeting. How would the project benefit the community?
The 96-Hour Remix Jam project will provide a platform for a critical re-thinking of issues around intellectual property rights targeting future media creators. This community is often woefully un- or under-educated about the legal issues, as well as alternatives like Creative Commons licensing. The event will provide a solid groundwork to help them more intelligently navigate the thicket of rights issues they will be facing as content creators, as well as demonstrating the power of collaborative content creation.br />
The project will be co-organized by a member of Tribeca Flashpoint’s faculty, and the director of research and instructional services. Part of their role is to introduce students to basic notions of intellectual property law, discuss challenges, and dispel common misconceptions. They will be supported by Tribeca Flashpoint’s marketing and events department who will help with web and event logistics and promotion, and faculty. The event will utilize Tribeca Flashpoint’s facility, which is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment- computer labs, editing suites, and software. The curriculum is hands-on and collaborative, and faculty and staff alike are experienced in taking student projects from pre-production through to a final project on tight deadlines, and hosting guest speakers and events.
How will you measure and evaluate your project’s impact - on your main participants? Other contributors? On the larger community?
The event’s primary impact will be to educate budding media professionals about the power of creating within alternative frameworks to conventional rights licensing. The 96 hour Remix Jam then translates that theory into practice so that participants will develop a deep understanding of the interplay between law and creative output. Showcasing both 96 hour Remix Jam projects and panel discussions at an exhibition and on the web brings the message of collaborative content creation to a worldwide audience. Audience and participants alike will leave with a greater understanding of how CC licensing can liberate media creators to experiment with new, collaborative forms of creation without fear of rights infringement.
How many participants do you expect to be involved in your project? How will you seek and sustain their involvement?
In addition to a panel of 5 participants consisting of writers, artists, and legal experts, Tribeca Flashpoint’s community- students, staff, and faculty- will be involved in the panel, the Remix Jam, and the final exhibition. Tribeca Flashpoint has a long reach into the digital arts community, and we will seek their involvement through our institutional network and sustain that engagement by offering a highly educational and rewarding experience.
Describe how your project will benefit Creative Commons' mission to increase the amount of creativity (cultural, educational, and scientific content) in "the commons".
The project will showcase the collaborative content creation that CC licensing enables by directly linking information and discussion about both conventional and CC licensing, then applying the CC model to the Remix Jam workshop and project exhibition. The newly created assets will then be made available under CC licensing to the community.
Describe what technologies and tools your project will use. What kinds of technical skills and expertise do you bring to the project? What are your technical needs?
Students will work with pre-created assets already under CC licenses to “remix” new music, short films, animations, and games. Tribeca Flashpoint will provide all hardware and software. Students and instructors will guide participants through the production process. In-house producers will film and edit the panel, and the event for upload to our website. Event and marketing team will promote the event and coordinate guest speakers.
What challenges do you expect to face, and how do you plan to overcome them?
Facilities, faculty, and guest scheduling may be challenging; the short duration of the project (Thursday-Sunday), and scheduling during off-hours will offset scheduling challenges, and facilitate project implementation. Ample lead time to confirm guest speakers will also offset potential scheduling issues.
How do you plan to sustain your project after the Creative Commons funding has ended? Detail specific plans. How do you plan to raise revenue to continue your efforts in the future?
Today’s student-participants are the media creators of tomorrow. They will take away from the event valuable learning experiences that will help them successfully navigate the thicket of intellectual property law and successfully seek out, advocate for, and utilize alternative models. The project component will help them deeply understand the critical interplay between legal issues and creativity. It is hoped that the project will also seed awareness and spur curriculum or special project development at Tribeca Flashpoint and beyond. Furthermore, the project will have released new CC assets that can continue to be repurposed by the larger digital arts community.
How can this project be scalable, or have a scalable impact?
The four day project will result in an edited film of the panel discussion; a “Making Of” film that will articulate the methods and goals of the project; and a collection of the Remix Jam projects themselves. These assets will provide a model and a blueprint for other educational institutions, as well as assets others use.
What resources and support do you expect Creative Commons to provide to your project to ensure its success (if any)?
Tribeca Flashpoint needs assistance with speaker fees, lodging, and per diem. Any additional guidance or support CC has provided for similar events would also be greatly appreciated.
Describe how your organization currently communicates with its community members and network partners. (100 words)
Tribeca Flashpoint aggressively uses an array of community building tools; social networking tools such as Twitter, Facebook, Vimeo, and blogs; Tribeca Flashpoint’s website, which will include a broadcast news component by Fall 2010; and email.
Legal
Yes
