New subject: [OT, kind of] Re: Wikimedia Foundation filming in Gdansk

7 Jul 2010

Hi folks,

For those who might not know me - I manage communications for the Foundation, here for my
third Wikimania!

Some of you may be aware that the Wikimedia Foundation is undertaking a small production
here at Gdansk this year, largely to coincide with the presence of so many of our project
representatives from around the world.  The intention of this filming is to produce a bank
of footage of our project participants, and more specifically to produce a series of short
videos that will help show the faces and personalities behind our projects. Much
photography and video exists of our community, but this is the first time we're
working to produce something of significant, studio-style quality that everyone will be
able to use. We'll be asking some basic questions about how the projects work,
particularly Wikipedia, so we can have interesting perspectives and practical knowledge -
first hand from the contributors - to use for a variety of purposes.

The final videos will be CCBYSA, of course, and the timing of their release (late August,
early Sept) should help us with some major upcoming milestones, specifically the 10th
anniversary of Wikipedia, our next major fundraiser, and efforts to both bring in new
editors and to provide a short, simple, and very good video that portrays some of the
people behind our movement. We hope the videos can also be subtitled and localized by and
for chapters and other groups interested in supporting the Wikimedia projects.

Over the three days of Wikimania you might be approached by me or one of a few staff or
volunteers to share 10-15 mins of your time to tell us about yourself and your involvement
with the projects on camera.  The questions will be very simple - no special prep needed,
just your honest answers and enthusiasm.

This is of course 100% voluntary, and because we're filming just off-site of the main
venue (we've set up a small studio at the adjacent Maritime Museum), it will only
involve those who wish to be filmed. This isn't a video project focussed on Wikimania
specifically, rather on the people of the projects, and why and how you participate. A few
other visiting video/media crews may be shooting Wikimania itself (besides the many
videographers amongst the contributors), but this project is completely studio-based.
Obviously if you are not comfortable having your likeness, username/name, and nationality
used in a public work like this, it probably isn't something you would want to
participate in. The final videos will be hosted on Commons and other video sites.

Because we have limited time over three days, we won't be able to film everyone, but
we'll try to film as many as possible.  We're trying to cover a spectrum of
people, projects, personalities, and nationalities.  We'll shoot mostly in English,
but you'll be encouraged to add responses in native or other languages as well. 

Jelly Helm, who was working with the Foundation at last year's Wikimania as well, will
be back to oversee and direct this production alongside the Foundation. We're also
working with a small film crew from Hamburg who has done some work on the topic of
Wikimedia's projects before.

You can get a sense of the kind of production that we're envisioning by seeing some of
the earlier work Jelly has done with a non profit in the US called Oregon Humanities:
http://www.youtube.com/user/oregonhumanities#

I'm really confident that the final videos and footage will be very good, and
highlight the people and passion of our projects.  No one is better at telling the story
of why 'you' contribute than you - and without a doubt (obviously!) Wikimedians
know and speak about their movement better than anyone else.  

The filming will take place Friday, Saturday, and Sunday starting at about 11AM and
running through 7 or 8 PM. If you'd like to participate you can reach out to me
off-list, or you'll probably meet or hear from me or some of the other folks helping
out with this project during Wikimania. Again, we won't be able to film everyone, but
we'll try to get lots.  If this proves successful we may try again next year as well -
particularly for the big 10 year anniversary.

Please let me know if you have any questions! Thanks in advance for your interest - hope
to see you take part.

Best,
jay

-- 
Jay Walsh
Head of Communications
WikimediaFoundation.org
blog.wikimedia.org
+1 (415) 839 6885 x 609, @jansonw