<videovortex> Open Video Conference: call for proposals

[Geert Lovink]

From: benrito at gmail.com

Open Video Conference: call for proposals
** Submission deadline: March 19 **

We are now accepting proposals for panels, workshop sessions, demo  
sessions, and other programming for the inaugural Open Video  
Conference in New York. Join us and over 400 participants during our  
groundbreaking two-day conference and make your imprint on the online  
video space.

Visit http://openvideoalliance.org/proposals/  to make a submission.

Open Video Conference
June 19-20, 2009
New York City
40 Washington Square South (NYU Law School)

The Open Video Conference

The conference will feature talks from internet luminaries, panels and  
discussions, screenings of video art, and demonstrations of the newest  
internet video technology. We expect more than 400 participants. Here  
are some goals for the gathering:

  1. Bring together stakeholders in the online video space for cross- 
pollination and development of the Open Video movement.
  2. Raise public interest and awareness around the Principles for an  
Open Video Ecosystem, a community effort to define best practices in  
online video.
  3. Raise the public profile of video creators and artists working in  
the online space.

What Types of Proposals are You Seeking?

We are requesting proposals and ideas for panels, presentations,  
workshops, and other sessions that will address how we can shape  
online video and the public debates around the medium. Proposals may  
be intended for the main conference track, or for more focused  
unconference-style sessions. Proposal topics may be legal, technical,  
or cultural in focus, though we encourage proposals in all relevant  
areas. The more complete and fleshed out a proposal, the more likely  
it will be accepted—but we welcome the submission of all good ideas.

We are also seeking submissions of video art to showcase the creative  
potential of artists in the open video space.

To submit a proposal or idea for Open Video, please visit http://openvideoalliance.org/proposals/ 
. The deadline for submissions is March 19, 2009. If you have any  
questions about the Alliance, the conference, or the submission  
process, please contact Ben Moskowitz  
atconference at openvideoalliance.org .

Why is Open Video Important?

YouTube and other online video applications are rightly celebrated for  
empowering end-users; however, online video lacks some of the  
essential qualities that make text and images on the web such powerful  
tools for free speech and technical innovation. Email, blogs, and  
other staples of the open web rely on ubiquitous and interoperable  
technologies that have low barriers to entry; they are massively  
decentralized and resistant to censorship or regulation. Video,  
meanwhile, relies on centralized distribution and proprietary  
technologies which can threaten cultural discourse and innovation.

Open Video is the growing movement for transparency, interoperability,  
and participation in online video. These qualities provide more  
fertile ground for bottom-up innovation and greater protection for  
free speech online. Many organizations are already taking steps to  
change the nature of video on the web: Mozilla is moving to support  
open video formats in Firefox, the Participatory Culture Foundation  
promotes open source and standards in video publishing and  
distribution, and Wikipedia has increased its focus on the open Theora  
codec.

About the Open Video Alliance

The Open Video Alliance is a coalition of leading organizations  
dedicated to fostering the growth of open infrastructure, tools, and  
standards for the online video medium. Yale Law School's Information  
Society Project hosted a stakeholder meeting on October 31st, 2008;  
representatives from nearly 30 organizations convened to discuss  
common goals for technologists, maker communities, and legal experts.

For more information, see http://openvideoalliance.org.