Emerging Media (PPS)

Program Basics

• Program Name: Media Geek
• Program Description: The Media Geek project is designed to teach student volunteers how to create digital media projects and learn professional production skills in a cooperative environment.
• What best describes this program? An opportunity for community members to gain a voice using new media tools.
• Primarily meets program needs (expected to cost more money than it makes)
• Why does Free Geek need this program?
  • We need the world to know how brilliant a solution we have created to digital divide and E-waste. We will help document and provide info to other aspiring Free Geek orgs as they continue to spring up accross the planet.

Job Position Basics

• Would there be a dedicated staff position associated with this program? YES though it would not be a collective position
• Position Title: Special Projects Coordinator
• Job Description: responsible for performing the tasks related to receiving the Mt Hood Cable Regulatory Commission grant. Helps coordinate, create and document Free Geek procedure and aspects of geek culture for dissemination.

Costs and potential costs

• What are the expected financial staffing costs of the program? (Include all costs to the organization such as salary, payroll taxes, and benefits.)

• • Project is mostly funded by an already approved grant. Free Geeks portion of the budget is approx: $15,000.

• What other costs are associated with the program? (Include costs of materials needed, etc.)

• • See above

• If there will be a dedicated staff position, how much time would be needed for training? Zero
  • How much time would existing staff need to put in? _____________ hours @
  • How time would existing volunteers need to put in? _____________ hours @
• Once the program is up and running how many staff how many hours per week would it take?
  • In paid staff time? _____________ hours/week @
  • In volunteer time? _____________ hours/week @
• Outline the intangible costs for the position and program:

@

• Are there any possible negative impacts on Free Geek's mission, and if so what?
  • No.
• How will this program affect other programs and staff positions currently in effect?
  • Indepent program, does not affect other programs direcgtly, though other programs may enjoy the fruits ot the project by getting their stuff video documented.
• How will this program affect other programs and staff positions being considered?
  • 2 years

Benefits

• Would the program generate income? YES / NO @
  • If yes, how much income would be expected once the program is up and running? $ @ / month
  • If yes, how long would it take for the program to get to that point? @
• How does the program support the mission of Free Geek?

@

Measuring Success

• How can the success of the program be measured?

A regular film screening and discussion of the student's works as well as an exit survey and evaluation

Survey Questions:

• Do you think you will use these types of media in the future, if you are hesitant what are the barriors?
• has this course made it easier for you to access this media?
• Do you feel more expressive? How so?
• what forms of expression do you see yourself utilizing in the future?
• What did you expect to learn from this course
• How was the course different from your expectations
• Which Phase was your favorite/ least fav? Why?

Self Evaluation

• What were your goals for yourself? Evaluate

• For most income generating positions, the costs initially outweigh the benefits. If this is an income generating program, how long until it is expected to break even?

@

• Outline a plan for implementing the program:

The 12 week course will be offered three times to 6 new students over the course of one year. The course consists of 4 phases from a basic introduction to digital video to helping produce a 1 hour episode of a cable access show, showcasing their work. Final projects for each series of students will consist of documenting education courses that are currently happening at Free Geek. The classes will be free for the students, in exchange for either helping to teach future classes or working on additional content for other projects outside of and in addition to the class projects assigned.

Phase I

Introduction to digital video using open mediacasting.

Week 1 – 2

Students will learn the basics of composition, lighting and in-camera editing. Using inexpensive, mid-resolution digital cameras they will produce short personal video and publish them on the web. Instructors Will Luers, Chris Dawson and Ed Stansty will teach them simple techniques to create high quality, short, 2 minute video projects. Students will learn to use Free and Open Source Software (F/OSS) for post-production, editing and mediacasting of their individual projects.

Phase II

Introduction to documentation

Week 3 – 5

Students learn the basics of documenting a single subject. Instructors Phil Sano, Chris Dawson and Jeff Johnson will guide students in creating a short nonfictional video segment. These 5-10 minute videos will demonstrate training of Free Geek methods and practices. Focus on how it is best to convey the necessary information for the audience at hand. Presenting technical info can be a challenge. If the producer uses too much jargon, the viewer can be confused, but if s/he spends too much time explaining the content, the viewer may be bored. Students will use a F/OSS software basic editor (Kino), with an introduction to iMovie.

Phase III

Class projects

Week 6- 11

Students assemble the content created in phase two into complete, broadcast ready educational video segments. Instructors Phil Sano, Will Luers and Blank will break the stuendents into two groups each with the goal of documenting the education process at Free Geek. Teachers guide the students in working on this collabertive project, creating, editing and producing the video. Students will use professional editing software, using both F/OSS (Cinellera) and proprietary editing software (Final Cut Pro).

Phase IV

FreekTV Show

Week 12

Students help produce a one hour segment of FreekTV, a cable access showcase of samples of the students videos from various phases of the project as well as original content. Instructors Phil Sano, Ed Stansty and Dave Slay, working alongside volunteers from Portland Community Media will train students in the various tasks associated with producing a cable access show. The students will focus on studio production and final assebly into a complete piece. Students will also contribute or work on content to inform the public of the Free Geek mission and other computer technology and recycling interviews, news, opinion and educational feature segments.

http://wiki.freegeek.org/index.php/Mt_hood_narrative