[VBbuilders] production patterns (Jakub)

[Franz Nahrada]

Thank you Jabub for another great contribution!

This mail has three parts:

1. about the mailinglist
2. about the way we migrate content to the NING and the Wiki
3. comments to your paper

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1. About the new mailinglist

I send my reply to your mail about production patterns now to our new
mailinglist 

videobridgebuilders at globalvillages.org

Everyone who receives this mail is now member of that list and can reach
all participants with one single email address.

Please handle this mail address with responsibility!

more information about the list (plus archive)  here: 

http://ose.runtux.com/mailman/listinfo/videobridgebuilders
or equally
http://globalvillages.org/mailman/listinfo/videobridgebuilders

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2. Storing our content

Also, for the sake of useability and sustainability, all contributions
that might be sent via email are meant also to be stored in the discussion
area of the NING. (Sorry that we hardly can keep up with the pace of
contributions! Help is greatly appreciated.)

The discussion area (Forum)  is structured specifically for our pattern
work as you can see when you go to the overview page:

http://videobridge.ning.com/forum

The advantage of the forum is that we can document original contributions
in chronological order, and that we can even attach files to discussions.

example would be this discussion at: 

http://videobridge.ning.com/forum/categories/productionpatterns-1/listForCategory
http://videobridge.ning.com/forum/topics/initial-thoughts-by-jakub

Please note: the "additive" workstyle in the forum is different to the
wiki, where we do not primarily keep contributions in their original form
but constantly seek to modify and improve them and to have wikipages
assigned to pattern groups and single patterns:

http://www.dorfwiki.org/wiki.cgi?VideoBridge/PatternLanguage/ProductionPatterns

(and eventually a Videobook)

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3. Specifically on Jakubs paper regarding "Production Patterns"

Thanks again Jakub, for that opening statement.

I summarise the word file from Jakubs mail (see also as downloadable
attachment here :
http://videobridge.ning.com/forum/topics/initial-thoughts-by-jakub)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* educational content similar to film production or PC game
* three main phases: Preproduction, Production and Postprioduction
* Preproduction:
- assurance of financial, technical and human resources
- planning for target and scripting
- breakdown of script to understand all requirements (devil in the details)
- presence of experts in the preparation is crucial as welöl as
- consensus building between different "expert" perspectives (technical,
economical, psychological)
* Production (depends on preparation and also on skill of director)
* Postproduction
- cutting ("grammar" of medium film makes transitions important)
- special effects
* Application in VideoBridging creates some new roles
- main teacher or speake
- local tutors
* Application in Videobridging requires additional tools
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So what is my response? I think its a very good starting point to compare
the production of Videobridges with a traditional film. In my
understanding although these are two very distinct patterns, they still
have some kinship. We need good preparation, we need a script, we need a
director who is capable to make some very quick and effective decicions.

But we could also analyze from TV what is needed to do a successful "life
report" or life transmission. In Kirchbach, a two-camera technique with
constant interplay of perspectives proved very efficient. Of course we had
a professional video producer with equipment (mixer, headsets to direct
camerapeople).

In our experience with VideoBridging, another crucial thing is that we
need to have some sensitivity and feedback during the "lesson" or the
"speech" or the "presentation" or the "performance" to keep up energy and
attention. We have learned the hard way what all could go wrong during an
event called "The Long Night of The Languages" - a highly interactive six
- hour videobridge between two locations, Vienna and Kirchbach, which we
have now well documented on DVD (not all six hours though ;-)) and which
be given to all of you and discussed during the Workshop as as a learning
example.

During a VideoBridge we connect learning communities which might be
different in response and acceptance of the main presentation. To balance
that, we need probably at least two different teams connected by
"backchannels": We need a audiovisual perspective that directly is linked
to capturing patterns, kind of technical feedback process to the event
director (like the one with the mixer), focussing largely on the moment,
the here and now of perception and impression. We equally do need a
content perspective, focussing on understanding and learning dynamics, the
sequence of explanations, the feeling of what is expected, accepted and
enjoyed by the viewers, feel their open questions and needs, and therefore
more focussed on the content, the next thing that needs to happen and to
be prepared or improvised. That group was missing so we all the time had
to confuse two lines of communication. These "backchannels" couldm work
via Skype chat or something similar.

So for me a "Production Pattern" "Videobridge Setup" needs to explain
these roles in particular, and of course it is important to think also
about recording and postproduction as aspect of production - because later
on you can only work with what you have captured.

In terms of "Video Service Provider" we can really mean many things, and
all these might be patterns to name and to explore:
- an ISP (Internet Service Provider) capable of easily working with
Videostreams (the absolute exception nowadays). 
- a provider of technical equipment and personell for high quality
production and postproduction.

We can look at what you can do with Skype (recording, high speed
conferencing with more reliable bandwidth) and what you can do with other
tools partly in the "ChannelPatterns" section so maybe it would be good to
have some interaction with Matz.

Another good beginning has been made and I hope we soon will dive deeper
into this!

Franz