[modfilms-general] SANCTUARY NEWSLETTER > JANUARY 18 > 2006

[Alex Zinzi]

*BIT TORRENTS VIA PRODIGEM
*Michela just published a Bit Torrent of the MOD Films video introduction on
Prodigem. This is the kind of mechanism we will have to employ to allow
distribution to scale. http://www.prodigem.com/torrents/torrent_1193.html

**
*GOOGLE TALK*
Those ubiquitous Web barons at Google have just announced 'Open Federation'
for their Google Talk service, and NO... it has nothing to do with 'Star
Trek' actually! Open federation is tech-speak for when people on different
services can talk to each other, which unfortunately is not the case with
many IM and Internet voice calling services today, where you can only talk
to people on the particular service you have an account on. With open
federation, you get to choose your service provider and you can talk to
people on any other federated service (and vice versa).
http://www.google.com/talk/developer.html#service


*RETRIEVR - SEARCH BY SKETCHING*
Retrievr is a similar interface to flickr which searches the online photo
system using your own scribbles as a reference. Employing colours and shapes
certainly makes for a refreshing break from using keyword tags, though
admittedly initial testing didn't exactly spring back with relevent
responses. It was more like the first round of playing Pictionary with
strangers actually, but the idea is brilliant and you can see how this
little device could be refined over time to be very accurate indeed.
http://labs.systemone.at/retrievr


*NEWSNIGHT IN SECOND LIFE*
Damn, I'm sorry I missed this one!! BBC journalists Jeremy Paxman and Paul
Mason broadcast part of the Newsnight programme from within the MMORPG
'Second Life'.
http://paulmason.typepad.com/newsnig8t/2006/01/i_go_head_to_he.html


*PRO-ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS
*Founded by eBay president, Jeff Skoll, Participant Productions is in the
business of producing political movies. What is most interesting is that the
films to-date, 'Syriana', 'North Country', 'Murderball' and 'Goodnight and
Good Luck' are not simply grassroots productions but heavy-hitting Hollywood
productions with A-list stars like George Clooney and Charlize Theron. The
last line in the credits of 'Syriana' is in fact a URL which reads like an
activist call to arms. So what happens when the majority of film
productions, regardless of country of origin, make this much effort to
establish a social context outside of the cinema you ask? Well, hopefully
the medium evolves.


*ENTERTAINMENT EVOLUTIONARY QUOTE OF THE WEEK*
*"Participant believes in the power of media to create great social change.
Our goal is to deliver compelling entertainment that will inspire audiences
to get involved in the issues that affect us all." *- *Jeff Skoll

*
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://realprogrammers.com/mail/modfilms-general/attachments/20060118/91f29611/attachment.htm