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It's that time of year again when people from across the US travel to the land of make-believe for Digital Hollywood (yes, the site needs a design update, pronto) to see what's happening in new media.
This isn't your regular tech event... actually it's not techy at all. And perhaps that's a blessing and a curse. For years many independent new media producers have been attempting to bridge the entertainment gap and get the developers and coders talking to the directors and the actors. The problem is that they speak two totally different languages, live in totally different worlds, and most of the time seem like they don't want to know each other anyway.
This wouldn't normally be an issue, except we're entering a dangerous stage in development where it's integral for these two camps to get on the same digital page, or else we're headed for some serious disfunction. Web content creators need to know what they're creating on, how it's different, and how much power they really have.
On Monday morning I attended a meeting for members of the International Academy of Web Television. The first thing I realized as I entered the room filling up with eager participants was that I was completely underdressed. Jeans and a lazy t-shirt is probably not the best fashion foot forward, but hey. The second thing I noticed was that there was a lack of developers, coders, or any tech people at all. Maybe I missed them somehow. (Please raise your hand). The third thing I noticed was that the room could use a little bit more color and just a little bit more women, but that it was a start.
So okay, I'm still excited because this is an opportunity to be at the ground floor of a place where changes can be made. As we all settled in, we sat down to hear what the plan was. We were obviously at the very early stages of development so there were many questions by many opinionated individuals... yes, including myself.
Some members shared ambitious visions for an organization to tackle the big issues in web content. Epic Fu creator Zadi Diaz and The Guild creator Felicia Day said they’d favor an IAWTV that was truly international and independent, advocated for causes like net neutrality, and deviated from a Hollywood-centered model.
-- newteevee
My main question was "Hey, if we're calling this an international academy there should be some international representation, no?" Why yes... and now I'm involved in the effort to make sure the organization's name holds its promise. That's the way it works, right? Don't ask a question unless you're willing to fix it. I'm up for making sure this organization really pays attention to what is so special about the web. To make sure that we are seriously considering issues like independence, interactivity, Creative Commons, content created in underrepresented countries, languages and translation, geo-locking (which Felicia Day made a strong point of), etc..
It may be a foolhardy task, but I think the point of being involved is so you can fight for what you think is right. And to the credit of the IAWTV, they did select many members who really care about the web, who understand what's at stake, are willing to teach others what the implications of losing our rights may be, and who want to celebrate diversity and what makes the web special. Tonight we have the Open Entertainment Alliance meeting, where the main topic of discussion will be net neutrality... and requires more of that fighting spirit. I'll let you know how that goes.
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