What Makes for Compelling Educational Video, and Predictions for 2009

I have two recent columns on educational media posted over at Streaming Media Magazine. The most recent one is the “Futurewatch” for education in 2009, which will be published in the upcoming Industry Sourcebook 2009 issue. I’m predicting a greater emphasis on mobile-accessible media along with greater convergence between communication platforms like videoconferencing with streaming and downloaded/pocasted media. I also have some hopes for a more open and interoperable future.

The other is my regular “Class Act” column from the Dec. 2008/Jan. 2009 issue, “What Makes for Compelling Video?” In it I take up some thoughts I had while picking up a video production project here at NU, and what I learned by trying to view the product as a regular websurfer. I think there should be something of interest for anyone producing video, educational or otherwise.

Saturday Is Home Movie Day

Dig into your closets, attics and garages and rescue your old home movies. They deserve better than that. They need to be preserved, archived and seen!

Home Movie Day is an annual event in service of celebrating and educating people about the cultural and historical value of their old home movies, especially ones on film. With a little bit of care and proper storage analog film home movies can last generations, possibly outlasting the digital photos, VHS videotapes and web movies that have come to supplant this medium.

The day is celebrated with viewing and educational events in cities around the world. Here in Chicago the Chicago Film Archives are hosting three hours of home movie inspection–where you can get your old films assessed for damage and preservability–followed by a viewing program with live musical accompaniment at 6 PM.

My pal Jimi Jones organizes the Home Movie Day in my old home base of Champaign-Urbana, IL. This year it will be held at the Urbana Free Library. Beginning at 10 AM they’re having a film clinic, where you can get your film looked at and learn how to preserve it, with screenings beginning at 11 AM.

Jimi has made two appearances on the radioshow to talk about Home Movie Day and the important value of preserving these cultural records.

I can’t stress how critical I believe it is to invest just a little time and effort into preserving the media we create, both to honor the act of creation, and for the sake of history and record. As an educational media technologist I have worked with too many faculty, students and researchers who have lost forever important media works that could have easily been preserved with a little bit of planning and time. Don’t let you memories fade away.

A New Chapter for the Radioshow

In the best blogger style, I’m remembering to post this only hours in advance…

Beginning tonight at 9 PM CDT the mediageek radioshow begins a new chapter with a new station. Tonight is the debut of the mediageek radioshow on WNUR 89.3 FM, the radio station of Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, serving the north side of Chicago and the North Shore suburbs. As I’ve mentioned on the blog and radioshow, I moved to Chicago back in April, saying a teary goodbye to the studios of community radio WEFT in Champaign, IL where the show got its start. Since then I’ve been producing the show at home, while it continues to air on WEFT and a dozen other stations.

Besides the change to a new station and city the show now moves to an hour-long format. Because the current mediageek affiliates only have a half-hour set aside for the program I’ll be doing the show in two segments. The first half-hour will be much like the current show, with news headlines and feature interviews.

With the second half-hour I’m planning to take a looser approach. When there are live guests who are willing to stick around the full hour I’d like to take live listener phone calls. WNUR has a live web stream, so this opportunity will be available not just to folks listening in the Chicago area. I’d also like to spice things up by featuring more audio collage, sonic art and broadcast things that have less to do with policy and regulation. I’ll post the second half-hour for podcast and online listening, too.

So, tonight’s the first trial balloon in the new approach. I’m glad that my pal and frequent guest John Anderson will be along for the ride via phone from Champaign.

Tune in tonight, Sept. 25, from 9 – 10 PM to WNUR 89.3 FM, Evanston, IL, and online at WNUR.org.