[spectre] VS: VIDEO ART\e-monitor 27

[Torben Søborg]

     VIDEO ART \ e-monitor No. 27 - THE DANISH VIDEO ART DATA BANK
       November 22, 2004

Content:
1.      The Future of the Media Art Preservation Website
2.      NEWSgrist - where spin is art
3.      LUX Distribution Guide
4.      Top Ten Tips to Indie Film & ideo Distribution



    

    



1. The Future of the Media Art Preservation Website

In VIDEO ART\e-monitor No. 26 we announced that THE DANISH VIDEO ART 
DATA BANK had to cut
down and reducing its activities - in the first hand by stopping to 
distribute independent Danish video art:: "A
difficult decision which primarily has something to do with age (I 
just turned 74 this August), but also with the
fact, that we have not been able to receive any public funding or 
support to help with the work".

We also announced that we were still considering what was going to 
happen with the 
website  <http://www.mediaart-preservation.dk>www.mediaart-preservation.dk 
.

Of coure I somehow hoped the website could continue as a DANISH 
contribution to the discussion of 
preservation of video art and other forms of immaterial variable 
media art as part of our cultural heritage.

  We got no resonse from Danish quarters but an almost instant 
reaction from Nederlands Institut voor
Mediakunst / Netherlands Media Art Institute / Montevideo!

Gaby Wijers wrote to us:
"We are sorry to hear that because of lack of public funding or 
support to help with the work www.mediaart-
preservation.dk  could disappear.

As the European expert centre for preservation of media-art 
Montevideo would be interested in cooperation
on the topic. If you are interested to we should discuss it soon"

I take this as a cadeau to and recognition of our work in this field. 
I am thankful for the offer from Gaby
Wijers. The result of our discussions will hopefully be that 
Montevideo will take over our media art preservation website
in the beginning of next year. More details in the nex VIDEO ART\e-monitor.






2. NEWSgrist - where spin is art

In VIDEO ART\e-monitor No. 26 I commented on some of the newsletters 
you recive through e-mail. This
time I will draw your attention to the newsletter NEWSgrist - where 
spin is art. It is not a newsletter specific
about video/media art but "An e-zine covering the arts since 2000" - 
and  "devoted to the politics of art and
culture in the digital age; dedicated to bridging gaps between the 
digital and the non-technical, art and
activism, the diverse blog and non-blog worlds of readers and subscribers."

It based in New York City, edited by Joy Garnett and published 
through First Pulse Projects, Inc.

KEYWORDS : art, media, digital, new media, net.art, web art, culture, 
creative property, fair use, public
domain, electronic, tactical, virtual, news, spin...

You can subscribe at 
<http://newsgrist.net/subscribe.html>http://newsgrist.net/subscribe.html 
 - and you might "read it on the blog" at
<http://newsgrist.typepad.com>http://newsgrist.typepad.com  , where 
you also will fin an archive of old issues.






3. LUX Distribution Guide

Since THE DANISH VIDEO ART DATA BANK is stopping to distribute Danish 
video art some of the Danish
artists have asked: How can we then get our video art works distributed?

Now LUX Centre in London has published a new " LUX beginner's guide 
to distribution and self-promotion
for artists working with the moving image ...": 
<http://www.lux.org.uk/distributionguide>www.lux.org.uk/distributionguide


It is, to quote "a beginner's guide to distributing and promoting 
artists' film and video work. It will take you
through marketing and materials that you will need, organisations 
that may be able to assist, to possible
exhibition channels. Much of the information may seem quite obvious 
but it is often this kind of thing that can
make all the difference. This is a starting point rather than an 
exhaustive guide and will hopefully give you
some ideas which you can then use to explore further."


The sections in this guide take up problems around: Promotional 
materials - Distributors - Festivals - Cinema
Exhibition - Galleries - Agencies - Television - Internet - Tips  - Resources.


I find it a very useful guide - and I am of course pleased to see 
that they in the section "Resources" refer to
our Global Calendar  - 
<http://www.videoart.suite.dk/videofestivals>www.videoart.suite.dk/videofestivals 
- as a "Good searchable database of
international events and festivals that show artists' film and video 
produced by the Danish Video Art Data
Bank".




    
4. Top Ten Tips to Indie Film (and Video) Distribution


Yet another distribution guide found on the Internet. It is free, but 
you have to sign up to get all parts.
This is - to quote - a "guide to help you better understand some of 
the most important steps to
successfully land a traditional distribution deal or self-distribute 
your own film. In today's world, self-
distribution is a viable - and potentially lucrative - alternative 
that should absolutely be considered".
This goes of course also for video works..

The tips are selected by Mark Steven Bosko for CustomFlix. He states 
that "As filmmakers, we often
focus on making our film and worry about distribution later. But not 
understanding what it takes to
bring a film to market can ruin your chances of success for even the 
finest crafted production. This
mini-course in distribution gives you the information you need to 
properly design a marketable,
profitable film. Understanding these details before you begin making 
your film is the key to success."

Here are a list of the the Ten Tips. You have to sign up at 
<http://www.customflix.com>www.customflix.com  to get them:
Tip 1 - A Stranger is Watching...Your Film!
Tip 2 - It's a Big World. Learn how to find the folks that want your film! 
Tip 3 - Getting Your Film Prepared for Its Markets 
Tip 4 - Getting Ink: Secrets on Gaining Media Coverage for Your Film 
Tip 5 - Negotiating the festival gauntlet: picking events and shows 
that are right for your film 
Tip 6 - It's a Big World - Part II: Learn how to find an audience of 
millions online 
Tip 7 - Staying Independent: How to Find Buyers in a 
Self-Distribution Scenario 
Tip 8 - Distributors Speak Out: A Roundtable Discussion on Securing 
Distribution 
Tip 9 - Handling the Sale: Making the Goods and Getting Them Shipped 
Tip 10 - The Rolodex. A must-have list to get you on the fast track 
to the people, places, and
organizations you need to contact 




THE DANISH VIDEO ART DATA BANK is a non-profit agency for promoting 
Danish video art outside Denmark

  The VIDEO ART\e-monitor is an e-mail newsletter published with 
irrugular intervals. Editor: Torben Soeborg 
(<mailto:soeborg at inet-uni2.dk>soeborg at inet-uni2.dk  )

  You can find the earlier editions of VIDEO ART\e-monitor on 
www.videoart.dk/e-monitor  . If you want to  receive VIDEO 
ART\e-monitor (free) send an e-mail to 
<mailto:soeborg at inet.uni2>soeborg at inet.uni2  


THE DANISH VIDEO ART DATA BANK
Themstrupvej 36DK-4690 Haslev
Denmark
tel: +45-56.31.21.21
soeborg at inet.uni2.dk
<http://www.videoart.suite.dk>http://www.videoart.suite.dk
<http://www.videoart-archives.dk>http://www.videoart-archives.dk
<http://www.mediaart-preservation.dk>http://www.mediaart-preservation.dk