In case you haven’t heard, The Point is a website that uses the power of collective action to “organize, fundraise, or persuade”. I had the pleasure of speaking with Andrew Mason, founder of The Point at Netroots Nation in July. You can see my post and video interview with him on the See3 blog.
Recently, Andrew has been pumping out all kinds of funny and informative videos about The Point (check out his latest video told from the future in 2013). Below is my favorite video which shows how the website can be used to help workers gain benefits through collective action:
The Under-appreciated Employee from The Point on Vimeo.
Check out the The Point’s blog at http://makesomethinghappen.net/
Check out the recently released trailer for Kartemquin Films’ latest documentary Milking the Rhino which will air on Independent Lens, the award winning PBS series, in spring 2009. The film was beautifully shot in HD and tells the story of African tribes who struggle to protect local wildlife while providing for their communities.
From the website:
A ferocious kill on the Serengeti… warnings about endangered species… These clichés of nature documentaries disregard a key part of the landscape: villagers just off-camera who navigate the dangers and costs of living with wildlife. Africa is emerging from a history of “white man conservation” that displaced indigenous people, banned subsistence hunting, and fueled resentment. Now, a revolution in grass-roots wildlife conservation is turning poachers into protectors.
But change doesn’t come easy.
With memorable characters and spectacular locations, MILKING THE RHINO tells joyful, penetrating and heartbreaking stories from Kenya and Namibia — revealing the high stakes obstacles facing Community Conservation today.
For more information visit www.milkingtherhino.org
Photo credit: Jason Longo
Just a little something to spice up your work week. Whereas people in most countries clap on beats 2 and 4 when listening to a song, German people clap on beats 1, 2, 3, and 4! This video offers some proof from popular German television shows (can you say kitsch?)…
What happens to the 705 residents of Crawford, Texas when George W. Bush moves to town?
Though I missed the much-talked-about screening at Netroots Nation in July, the good folks at Live Action Projects were nice enough to send me a preview copy of their excellent new documentary film Crawford.
The film is an wonderfully intimate portrait of a small Texas town as it rides the ups and downs of the Bush presidency. And with represention by Submarine Entertainment (Spellbound, Super Size Me, Control Room), Crawford is sure to get its fair share of attention.
From the website:
Crawford’s characters are by turns bizarre, entertaining and tragic. Shoved into the spotlight for political stagecraft, their insular town explodes, pushing a progressive teacher and her student to the brink — and beyond. Invaded and abandoned, Crawford booms and busts, like the Presidency itself.
Told through the eyes of Crawford’s characters, this is a fun, funny, and ultimately moving story. CRAWFORD is a microcosm of the Bush era — a feature-length documentary that offers a new and colorful way of looking at the last seven years.
For more information visit www.crawfordmovie.com and join the facebook group here.
This just in via the Hollywood Reporter: Intel is working to create an animated short by combining social networking and computer animation. According to Carolyn Giardina’s report,
The Mass Animation project, which begins in the fall, will be produced and directed by Yair Landau, former vice chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment and president of Sony Pictures Digital.
Intel is sponsoring the launch of a Facebook page where animators will be able access a collaboration application built on the platform. Established and aspiring animators will be able to work together to create the animated short.
“You can think about ‘American Idol’ in terms of the process,” Landau said. “Everyone will get a chance to participate and vote. … It is a filtered collaboration so that we will have the best possible work at the end.”
Landau is developing the story. Discussions are under way to get the finished film a theatrical release.
Creative tools will be provided. Participating animators will be able to download an evaluation version of Autodesk’s Maya Unlimited 3-D computer-animation software. Reel FX Entertainment animation studio will use proprietary tools to convert selected videos to final-quality animation frames for posting and sharing on the Facebook page. Aniboom will supply the content management infrastructure.
For more information, including how to receive a notice when collaboration begins, visit www.facebook.com/massanimation and become a fan of the page.