As envisioned, VidCamp turned out to be an exciting day of smart, curious and bold thought-leaders brainstorming and sharing their knowledge and passions about where media 2.0 is headed. There were 25 thought-leaders who were able to attend. Unfortunately, many others were unable to attend either due to sickness or professional duties. But, most people who could not be present still expressed great interest in hearing about the day and the outcomes. In part, this overview is written to share what happened at VidCamp with those who could not be there, but also to showcase and to capture the great ideas and opportunities discussed by those who participated. (more…)
February 25th, 2006
I am still working on transcribing the notes from last week’s VidCamp event and hope to have them completed in the next couple of days.
In the meantime, I thought I would pass along a interesting entry from Mark Evans’ blog where he throws out the idea of a Toronto-based unconference “where people can get a better understanding of the impact the blogosphere is having on the media, P.R./marketing, business/finance and politics/society.” Much like VidCamp, Mark and friends are looking to make it happen quickly — in this case in May.
If you are interested, do let Mark know. This is a great opportunity to help shape what this yet-unnamed unconference could be!
February 23rd, 2006
I also received an email from Roland mentioning that he will be attending the Podcast Hotel Event in Seattle, which starts tonight and continues until Saturday, February 25th. Roland mentioned that he “hopes to see some of the VidCamp peeps there!” Do let Roland know if you plan on attending!
February 23rd, 2006
What an amazing and inspiring day!
VidCamp was a full day of phenomenal discussions, ideas, thoughts, potential opportunities and laughs! I was glad to see so many new connections made, as well as some re-connections! I look forward to future conversations (virtual and non-virtual) and to continuing to develop the VidCamp network.
Many, many thanks to all the VidCampers for gifting a full day of their time to this process and for making today a truly dynamic and thought-provoking one! It could not have happened without their enthusiasm, wisdom and most importantly, their willingness to share with others!
I am thrilled to have met so many insightful, smart, bold and curious people! The day was much more than I had anticipated!
For those of you interested, here are some photos (care of Rob) and more photos (care of Roland)! Feel free to add your own photos to Roland’s on Flickr. I will write up a full report next week, but I’m off to Seattle for a long weekend, returning on Tuesday.
Have a great weekend and thanks again for all the magnificent brainstorming!
February 17th, 2006
Since we are only a week away from VidCamp, I thought I would update you on how VidCamp is progressing and how things are currently planned. I have met with some of you to brainstorm about VidCamp and as a result of these conversations, the structure of the day has evolved into a something I feel will be quite dynamic, enjoyable and insightful 
! So, on to the details…
COST
We were quite fortunate to receive some sponsorship funding from Heenan Blaikie! However, their sponsorship does not cover all of the event costs. So, we will have to charge $20/person to cover the remaining costs. We will be providing Coffee, Tea and snacks throughout the day. We will break for one hour to allow everyone to grab lunch and will provide a list of restaurants and nearby eating options.
ATTENDEES
I am often asked who will be attending VidCamp. Since I respect everyone’s right to privacy, I have created an online (Wiki) web page where anyone attending can voluntarily add his/her name (or initials ) to the list. However, if you give me your permission, I will gladly do this for you. I ask that you tell me exactly what information you would like to publicly publish, e.g. title, web page, email, etc. I would also like to know what you hope to gain from this experience and/or what expectations you might have for VidCamp.
AGENDA
Here is the current plan:
| 9:00 – 9:30 |
Registration |
| 9:30 – 9:45 |
Welcome and Introduction |
| 9:45 – 10:15 |
Speed Networking (in small groups) |
| 10:15 – 10:45 |
Defining “What is Media 2.0″ |
| 10:45 – 11:00 |
Coffee Break |
| 11:00 – 11:30 |
Speed Networking (new groups) |
| 11:30 – 12:00 |
Identifying the Top 5 Media 2.0 Challenges & Hurdles |
| 12:00 – 1:00 |
Lunch Break |
| 1:00 – 2:00 |
Ideas and Solutions to Identified Challenges |
| 2:00 – 2:30 |
Participant-Led Discussion(s) |
| 2:30 – 2:45 |
Break |
| 2:45 – 3:15 |
Participant-Led Discussion(s) |
| 3:15 – 4:00 |
Participant-Led Discussion(s) |
| 4:00 – 4:15 |
Break |
| 4:15 – 5:00 |
Opportunities & Next Steps for Vancouver |
| 5:00 – 5:30 |
Wrap-Up |
Since we are still a week away, some tweaking might occur. But, I hope this will give you a sense of what we are envisioning.
PARTICIPANT-LED DISCUSSIONS (replaces “Presentations)
As you see on the Agenda, the afternoon is largely driven by participant-led discussions. These “in-the-round” discussions will be led by VidCamp participants who would like to present a question or topic of interest and then talk for 1-5 minutes about what their thoughts are. The question/topic will then be thrown out to the group to discuss and debate. Please note that depending on the interest and number of topics, we may talk about these issues in one large group or break into smaller groups. I do not anticipate that each topic will fill up 45 minutes; we will probably discuss several topics in each of these time slots. So, short discussions are quite welcomed. Also, since not everyone present will be an expert on every topic, I ask that you focus on high-level issues and not delve too much into specific technology details. Introducing the appropriate technology issues to the discussion is important, however, keep in mind that the group is diverse and ideally, we want everyone to be able to contribute and ask thought-provoking questions.
TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT
Although we will be discussing cutting-edge business models and new media ideas, I have decided to take a somewhat low-tech approach to VidCamp . I want this day to be about discussions, debates, and conversation. In other words, I want this to be about people’s ideas and thoughts and less about fiddling with technology to make PowerPoint presentations. We will have limited wireless access should people want to showcase examples of their projects or check email. But, the day will be much more about using our physical brains rather than the virtual ones in our computers .
WIKI
For those of you who are interested, we have added a Wiki to the VidCamp web site! (Many, many thanks to Geoff for his hard work on integration and design!) Once you sign-up for an account, you can contribute and edit any and all content on the wiki. I envision that this will become an online resource where we can publicly highlight the expertise and knowledge base here in Vancouver. After VidCamp, I plan to summarize and transcribe all of the ideas, thoughts and results discussed and allow others to see and comment on them, especially those who were not able to attend VidCamp.
READING/LISTENING MATERIALS
I have been adding articles and podcasts that I have found interesting to the VidCamp Resource page. I recommend that you read some of these articles and see what is being discussed and debated in the digital entertainment and new media worlds. If you have any specific resources, feel free to add them to the wiki resource page or send me the link/information and I’d be more than happy to add them myself.
I believe that is everything for now. If I you have any other questions, comments or suggestions, please do let me know. As I said, there may be some tweaking happening in the next week and often these changes are based on recommendations from you — the participants!
Also, don’t forget to either send me your contact information or add your name to the Attendees web page.
I look forward to seeing (and meeting) all of you next week and thank you in advance for your contribution to VidCamp!
Rochelle
February 10th, 2006
I am thrilled to announce that Heenan Blaikie has generously offered to become a VidCamp Sponsor! Heenan Blaikie is one of the leading law firms in Canada with an outstanding track record in business law, entertainment law, labour and employment, litigation, taxation and intellectual property.
Given the complexity of copyright and distribution issues related to media convergence, comprehensive legal advice is absolutely critical. Heenan Blaikie is a law firm that can provide you with the innovative and solid legal guidance you need to navigate these waters.
Many thanks to the entire Heenan Blaikie team for their generous support of VidCamp!
February 1st, 2006
Since I am constantly coming across new articles and podcasts that discuss media 2.0 and media convergence, I wanted to share a few recent ones that might be of interest:
Media Revolution: Podcasting Part I
In part one of a two-part article, learn about the who, what, why and how behind the newest form of media information and entertainment — podcasting.
Media Revolution: Video Podcasting Part II
In part two of this two-part article Steve Garfield and David Tames focus on video podcasting.
Captain Crunchberry Gang
Another interesting podcast discussion where Mike Arrington of TechCrunch fame joins Dan Farber, Mike Vizard, Doc Searls, and Dana Gardner for a rowdy trip down the Yellow Brick Road to OZ, where Mickey and Goofy are caught smoking dope with Steve Jobs on the iTunes back lot. Or something like that. (Warning: this description bears no actual resemblance to the show contents.)
Web threatens TV:Â report
Canadian broadcasters are among the most vulnerable to an onslaught of new technology that is changing how people watch TV, warns an IBM report titled “The End of Television as We Know It: A Future Industry Perspective”. For another report on the study, read BackStage’s article.
Digital Rights Management (DRM): Media Companies’ Next Flop?
Big media players are accustomed to watching the ratings for the most popular music, video and book content, but perhaps they should pay more attention to how consumers feel about three letters at the bottom of most charts — DRM, which stands for digital rights management.
I’ve also added these to the Resources web page. If you know of other resources that provide an interesting or different perspective, please send me an email.
Enjoy!
January 31st, 2006
As I mentioned in my previous post, we are asking participants to prepare a 10-minute presentation. I know that we all like suggestions. So, here is my wish list of some of the presentations I’d love to see:
- How Is Digital Content Delivered – An overview of some technology, tools, bandwidth requirements, etc.
- Bit Torrent - Is it inherently evil? What is it and how does it work?
- Streaming vs. Download-and-Play - What are the pros and cons to these video distribution models?
- Video Formats and Standardization - Will there be a universal video format? How do we best deal with competing formats/codecs in the interim?
- Video Resolutions and Their Impact on Bandwidth Costs - Will we have different resolutions for different programs, e.g. talk shows vs. movies.
- High-Definition - How is this new media format affecting content producers and content distribution?
- Commercial vs. Amateur Content Production - There are several topics that can be covered under this topic, for example:
- Blogging
- Podcasting
- Videocasting / VideoBlogging
- The Future of Copyright and Distribution Rights – How will ‘territories’ and ‘media’ formats be monitored/controlled in an increasingly digital world?
- DRM - Is there a DRM system that consumers will accept and be willing to pay for or will consumers only pay for DRM-free content? Here’s an interesting article about this: Digital Rights Management (DRM): Media Companies’ Next Flop?
- Gaming Companies: The Entertainment Studios of the Future? – As gaming companies expand their entertainment offerings to music, films, etc., they are starting to look more like entertainment companies. So, are these companies the ‘Studios’ of the future?
- Mobile Phone Standards and Walled Gardens - How can content-providers gain access to walled gardens and what format standards will be required?
- Games on 3G Next-Gen Mobile Devices – As games move onto Mobile handsets, will this create a new competitive market for mobile revenues?
- Home Theatres and Their Impact on Social Networks – Will home theatres create a new kind of social networking? Will groups get together for “Movie/TV Series Nite”?
- The Long Tail – (This concept can be applied to just about any area of new media development.) In the past, revenues have been focused on the head of the curve, but with new distribution models, the ‘Long Tail’ is looking quite attractive. How will this change organizations’ long-term strategies? Read Why Practically Everyone Is in Dogged Pursuit of the Long Tail.
I am planning a presentation entitled, The Charts – The Entertainment Market Numbers and Opportunity. I will look at the some of the latest market research figures and present a summary of What Is and What Is Projected.
Hopefully, this preliminary list will get you thinking about areas you would like to talk about! Please also note that this list is by no means exhaustive and you are not limited by it. If you have a topic that you are more comfortable discussing, just prepare that. I merely want to get people thinking about some potential discussion points.
I do look forward to hearing some interesting and insightful presentations!Â
January 30th, 2006
I have thought more about the VidCamp Agenda and here is where things stand at the moment.Â
Initially, we will break up into six smaller groups (~12 people each) in the morning and start with Speed Networking. Each person will have 2 minutes to present him/herself to another person. After this, the group will be asked the question, What is Media Convergence? Each person will have 2 minutes to come up with a definition and then the group will have 5 minutes to come up with a group definition of media convergence. After this, each group will be ‘merged’ with another group (of 12) and have 5 minutes to create a new media convergence definition base on the resulting group definitions. This process will be repeated until finally, the whole group (i.e. the 75 people merge and a definition is created for the day. The groups will then be disbursed and new/different groups will be assembled. In these new groups, we will repeat the Speed Networking with 1 minute/person. Then the group process will be repeated with the question, What hurdles and challenges are currently present?, with the final result being the top 5 challenges and hurdles. I anticipate that this will take most of the morning, including brief coffee breaks and some general networking time.
During lunch (or ideally beforehand), I would like for all participants to think about a ‘presentation/talk’ focused on how these challenges and hurdles are affecting their industry and/or what they are doing to address some critical new media issues. (In preparation for VidCamp, IÂ will be putting together a wishlist of ideas/topics I’d like to see, but I do encourage others to share their thoughts, as well!)
After lunch, there will be 15-minute sponsor presentations to the entire group showcasing what they are doing in this industry space and how they can be a beneficial resource/partner to those attending. Following all the sponsor presentations, we will have a 15-minute break for any Q&A and general networking. After the sponsor presentations, we will ask participants to make 10-minute presentations (either previously-prepared or impromptu ones based on the day’s activities). We will plan for ~5 presentations/hour, with a break every hour for participants to ask questions and network. Depending on the number of presentations, this timing may change. However, given this general structure, I envision that we will have approximately 3-5 sponsor presentations and up to 15 participant presentations. To allow for a free-flow of ideas and conversations, I do plan to have several short breaks.
My goal for the day is to create a Vancouver-based ‘brain-trust’ where people understand what various Vancouver companies are doing in the new media space and what challenges they face. I also want to facilitate concrete professional connections, where everyone can meet someone who might be able to augment their area(s) of expertise.Â
My ultimate goal is to get Vancouver organizations working together so that we can become a North American Centre of New Media Excellence. Vancouver has all of the requisite industries present and I strongly believe that we are extremely well-positioned to make it happen. We simply need to join together and support each other as we build this new industry and market.
Those are my latest thoughts on the process and the outcomes. If you have some specific wishes, I’d love to hear them and if there is something specific you would like to see happen, please let me know and I would be more than happy to consider it.
January 30th, 2006
For anyone interested in more information about sponsorship packages and levels, there is now a Sponsorship web page with more detailed information about sponsorship opportunities and benefits, as well as information about who will be attending.
If you need more information or are interested in collaborating in other ways, please contact us. Thank you for your support!
January 25th, 2006
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