Julianna Yau’s blog

My studio is very close to completion, and I’m struggling to catch up on my emails and blogs. Here are some things that have been sitting around for weeks (with, according to Google Reader, 1000+ posts to be read):

Conferences

• Presentations from the conference on Education, Culture and the Knowledge Economy are available online (my notes are still sitting on my EeePC)
• Session materials from the Technology in the Arts Conference are also available (my notes here)

Copyright – Canada

• Not all sides are represented in debate on copyright bill
• Canadian Coalition for Electronic Rights Letter Wizard for C-61 Updated To Include Hardcopies & Personalization, plus their summary of media reactions
• CBC’s Search Engine Copyright Quiz: “what if I ________: is that illegal?”

Orphan Works bill in the US

• The Art Newspaper on the Orphan Works bill
• Counterfeit Chic on the Orphan Works bill

C-10

• Alberta considers tax credits for film production

• Arts subsidies ­– Why do we need them?

Tech

• NDP calls for net neutrality

• Bill C-555

Overall, this was a great conference. I think I’ve finally attended enough conferences to get the hang of them, and how I need to attend them.

Some things I learnt in general:

• don’t attend all the sessions for the sake of attending all of the sessions; better to sit out than to be bored
• photoblogging: although I loved multitasking, the uploads via MMS were unreliable and the quality of pictures from my phone were poor; will take a real camera next time and upload en mass afterwards
• bring a longer extension cord, preferably with multiple outlets (as Russell was smart enough to do at CopyCamp)
• get to know the area beforehand, if possible; schedule is tight, and I’m too prone to getting lost
• work with organizers to ensure there is open WiFi

This afternoon, there was a workshop presented by Rowley Mossop: When Virtual Worlds Collide – Challenges for the Arts in the Hypermedia Age. It was a much more focused presentation and discussion on some of the things discussed by Eli and John this morning, but with a much stronger marketing slant (comments with ~ are mine):

-songza.com

-new media –> impact on:
–concept of rarity
–production, distribution, etc
–behaviour & expectation

-the experience –> the emotional investment
-price/value of distribution & experience is shifting

-incumbent media are innovating to protect the value of their existing experience & products
-entrant media are innovating to build new businesses from new experiences & products
-innovations will impact how audiences expect to experience culture

-how can we use emerging technology to create something of value to attract and retain users/buyers?
-what is valuable to users? buyers? advertisers? funders?

-concept of RARITY
-emerging technology combinations are replacing rarity with ubiquity
–songza
–youtube
–the real news (broadcast out of Bathurst St in Toronto; technology has made it possible to reach a wide audience with a small budget)
-being able to find things
–rarity used to be a value because things were hard to find; ubiquity now more prevalent and effective
~~> but, again, what about Barney?

-”we all know now that intellectual property doesn’t mean much”
~~> what?!?!

-asking why people would go to concerts which were formerly sold on rarity if everything is available online
-need another strategy if your work is based on rarity (again, what about Barney’s success at forcing rarity?)

-market definitions based on geography
–no longer apply
–used to NEED to have geographic footprint & monopoly due to technological restraints
–because of reach, loss of local ads & personalities as value
–also loss of value for scheduled programming to reach specific audience

-users don’t pay content creators for access
~~> no, they pay the companies who provide access to the content, which is causing a whole host of problems between creators and those companies

-cost of content creation & distribution dropping
-boundaries of IP are dissolving
-offline, the cost of production is often higher than the price people are willing to pay for it

-new tarrifs, new ways to pay, new products
-ad-supported content

~it’s easy for people to make money by creating content in new formats and media, but what about people who are offering traditional things? how do we bridge the two? esp with physical objects?

-it’s all about “the experience”
-how to make live experience valuable rather than simply a replacement
-people find there is a higher engagement level online
-incorporate audience into the art!
-sampling ~~> not just for beauty products and food!

-metropera.com/metroperafamily.org
–haven’t changed the core of what they do or offer
–created impression of rarity
~~~>how does that fit with all the talk about rarity disappearing? I think there are two models here…
–redefined their market
–made themselves THE opera house of the world
–multiple formats of broadcasts; many ad-supported

Eli Singer had a great presentation on How is the web transforming the arts?

Here are my notes (Flickr images here):

-memes
-diy culture, share culture
-democracy
-blogs – self publishing
-web breaking down hierarchies
-screen real estate equal for all publishers
-graffiti research lab
-public art and the web
-how to take graffiti to the digital life?
-companies taking grassroots graffiti art and using it for ads
-library of congress
–no histories behind images; put them all on Flickr, and through crowdsourcing, piece together history of the photos
–taking images out of libraries and putting them on the web for everyone
–tags an images
-how to weave yourself into a community or conversation on the web?
–not the same for corporations and arts institutions
–reputation within community
–bringing legitimacy to others by inviting participation
-The Power of the 2×2 Matrix
-casecamp.org –>!!!!!
-focus on the social, not the tool
-how can people connect with each other?
-”the network is the hub”; network can be anything
-strategic use of tools to create experiences for individuals, communities, and brands
-Broadcast model – source: cymfony
-peer to peer model – source: cymfony
-platform ==> community ==> content
-integrate into existing community vs building your own
-when integrating in an existing community, plugging into existing numbers
-who do you want to reach out to and who do
–”head” –> everyone; broadcast
–”tail” –> very specific number of people
–”shoulder” (Eli’s target) –> the mid-ground; not just about broadcast, but dealing with “meaty issues”
-which community are they in?
-word of mouth happening more online (blogs, social networking)
-whippersnapper
-curotatoral podcasting
-whippersnapper also on FB (group)
–art is for dead people show
–whippersnapper also has videos to explain how to participate (feels like Drupal instructional vids)
–uploading photos and tag with gallery name!
-SickKids hospital –> radiothon –> social media
–web is built for storytelling
–radiothon videodiary –> daily video; shot on-site; co-branded; rleased online; drive donations
–content –> how to maximize use of small size of screen and closeness to screen
–syndication!
–SickKids hospital widget; share button, donate button; allows websites to customize look of widget and add their own logo
-MoMA –> everyone else taking photos an videos and posting online… where was MoMA? they joined in when question was posed to them

Questions from audience

-permissions forms for people who were interviewed (esp when children involved)
–with SickKids, they already had an existing process and agreement form; added internet to form; contained location for filming

-what about getting off the internet? (dying communities) how to shut down a FB page?
–data owned by FB/YouTube/etc, not you
–control issues with own vs other community
–recognized of an issue; islands and walled communities are issues; OpenSocial
–whippersnapper –> difference between their own website and their presence on others
–own website is official voice; limited community
–most of the community lives on FB

-how to build a list of bloggers?
–technorati?
–local blog indexes
–flickr –> look for photoblogers in city
–follow linkbacks/trackbacks
–build human relationship first

-street teams for independent music community —> are there incentive-driven activities for online community? offering fans incentive to help? is it happening?
–can happen, but more for companies sending free stuff for reviews
–backstage access for blogging
–TIFF –> blogger for them; site listed on TIFF; on both TIFF website and own
—incentive was the affiliation
—real-time feedback
—connection with related ppl
—community, not volunteers
-incentive without alienation

-performance art; unions; limit of how much can be shared–how to address?
–Andy Warhol show –> no photos allowed; had Cronenberg talk about Warhol
–Shakespeare Theatre, Washington –> backstage access; interiews; gave bloggers access to their own images rather than bloggers’ images
–Stratord’s blog

-authenticity — how to achieve?
–err on the side of community
–flat hierarchy
–don’t just start broadcasting
–PARTICIPATE
–connect with leaders of community

-online prescence overshadowing brick-and-mortar gallery? (whippersnapper)
–their events are always packed
–made it about participation in the real space too

-engagement process, not just advertising
-people helping each other and having conversations with each other
-supporting social networking with staff –> resource intensive –> start small
-change in cultural experience

-some people don’t want to be involved because they don’t want to give away their story; ho to create more content?
–culture of secrecy
–Apple
–mystique
–Steve Job’s product launches!

I attended three sessions today, and am back home temporarily (instead of attending the keynote speech) because I need some down time to collect my thoughts. Tons of information coming at us, and it wasn’t long before I got the hang of sending updates to Twitter and Flickr. I’ll be posting the mostly raw notes I took from the sessions, with some linkage (esp to the Flickr images after they’re tagged and captioned).

It’s been a draining day, and I honestly don’t know whether I’m returning for the networking reception and dinner. Unlike CopyCamp, the TIAC was spread across two buildings and several rooms. The university was not the easiest to navigate (especially for a directionally challenged person like myself), and the construction that was happening didn’t help. Lunch was a bit of a headache for me because I took [myself and some unsuspecting victims] the long way to the university plaza. Even without that, I think I would have felt rushed (despite what another person had mentioned to me)… maybe it’s just because I like to really take my time with meals. At least with CopyCamp, food was provided and lunch was more of a break than an interruption.

I also did notice a big difference with the networking. Part of the issue was the size of the group. It was somewhere between the number of attendees at the Visual Arts Summit and CopyCamp. I found that with the BarCamp model that CopyCamp followed, and the smaller group, I was able to not merely meet but have more real conversations with the other attendees. I suppose that’s why TIAC is having the networking reception I may not attend ;)

The Technology in the Arts conference starts at 10, and I’ll be heading over soon. I’m hoping to send updates to Twitter, but I’m not sure how well that will work. I miss having a Blackberry, but the plans are still too expensive for me.

I haven’t heard back on whether I’ll have internet access at the conference, but I’m assuming not. I may be pleasantly surprised, but we’re not getting free parking, so free internet may be a stretch. I’ll probably have lunch at home and hopefully intercept my new business cards, which should arrive today or Monday. Of course, Murphy will probably have his way and I’ll not get them until Wednesday.

To cut costs, I enrolled as a volunteer. I have three tasks, and one of them is taking people between buildings for the first session after lunch. I’m a bit apprehensive about that one, because I have a tendency to get lost easily. It’s been years since I’ve been properly on campus, and because of the program I attended, I wasn’t on campus much and when I was it was only to three buildings: the psych building, the library and the student life centre.

Today, I was also sent an invitation to the Education, Culture and the Knowledge Economy Conference hosted by The Centre for Innovation Law and Policy:

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The Centre for Innovation Law and Policy is pleased to announce that we will be hosting an Education, Culture and the Knowledge Economy Conference on Friday, June 6, 2008.

The conference will take place at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law, 78 Queen’s Park, Toronto, Ontario. Further details will be posted to our website at www.innovationlaw.org as available.

The conference is free of charge, and all are welcome. Advance registration is required; you may register by email to centre.ilp@utoronto.ca.

This event is sponsored by the CILP’s Microsoft Law and the Information Society Project.

Centre for Innovation Law & Policy
University of Toronto, Faculty of Law
78 Queen’s Park
Toronto, ON M5S 2C5
(t) 416-978-3724
(f) 416-978-2648
centre.ilp@utoronto.ca
www.innovationlaw.org

Today was Day 1 of CopyCamp 2008. It was mostly a reception/meet-and-greet for us to get to know each other. Misha did a great job of mixing up the crowd, but many of us (including myself) ended up gravitating to people we knew afterwards. In my defence, there were some people (several from Ottawa, like Russell McOrmond, April Britski and Janice Seline) who I see very rarely, and others (like Sam Trosow and Chris Moore) with whom I’ve had mostly online conversations.

Tomorrow, I will try to post my raw notes during CopyCamp. Wireless Toronto has setup a network for us at OISE, so I should be online as long as I can balance being an unintentional wallflower to get to an outlet and not maxing out my battery.

I haven’t been blogging much recently because I’ve got too much going on with my art practice. Not only have I recently finished a sculpture and uploaded about a million pictures of it, but I also sold another sculpture, am moving my studio to an artist co-op and am participating in a studio open house.

Tomorrow is Day 1 of CopyCamp, and I will also be attending the Technology In The Arts Conference next week. I’ll be blogging those events, but probably not much else this month. I’ll leave current events to Michael Geist and the folks over at Digital Copyright Canada.

AN UNCONFERENCE FOR ARTISTS ABOUT THE INTERNET AND THE CHALLENGES TO COPYRIGHT

For Immediate Release

Toronto, April 3rd 2008… COPYCAMP 2008, an “unconference” for artists about the Internet and the challenges to copyright is now open for registration at www.copycamp.ca.

Organized by the Creators’ Rights Alliance and held in Toronto at OISE (The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education), CopyCamp will bring 100 artists, geeks, lawmakers, and copyright activists together to explore issues surrounding new models for making art and making a living on the Internet. It continues the discussion initiated at the first CopyCamp held in September 2006.

The “uconconference” format means the event is focused squarely on conversation between participants. And the participant list is being carefully crafted to ensure a wide selection of viewpoints and perspectives.

The event kicks off on Tuesday, April 29th at 5pm with a welcome reception including a structured “World Café” conversation, to get participants talking and meeting each other. On Wednesday, April 30, the event will run all day (9-5). The day will start with a “Speed Geek” session- lightning-fast presentations on a dizzying array of related topics. The rest of the day will be spent in small self-organized sessions. Participants will collectively create the agenda for the day, and talk about the topics they are most passionate about.

Lots of great sessions are already being proposed. Thus far there are sessions proposed on Reaching an Audience (singer, songwriter Andrew Cash), on Indie labels (Tina Siegel of Fading Way music), on Net Neutrality (open source aficionado Russell McOrmond), on the Songwriters Association proposal for monetizing the Internet (Don Quarles and several others from SAC), on What’s Appropriate in Appropriation (Kristian Clarke of CAR/FAC Ontario), on the art market model, CYBER@ARTS, pioneered by the Playwrights Guild of Canada, and the Association québécoise des auteurs dramatiques (AQAD) (Michel Beauchemin of AQAD), and an “Ask a Techie” demo session hosted by Julianna Yau who will help introduce technophobes to online social media. More sessions will be added up to the day of the event, and on the day itself.

Artists will be attending from Quebec and across the country. In addition the CopyCamp Team is delighted to announce that Maori artists Moana Maniapoto and Toby Mills from New Zealand will be at CopyCamp again this year.

CopyCamp will be facilitated by Misha Glouberman, host and producer of the Trampoline Hall Lectures.

Artists or others who want to take part should visit www.copycamp.ca to register. General admission is $200.00, members of the Creators Rights Alliance pay $100.00, and unsalaried artists pay only $50.

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