geniwate.com

My documentary, Cyclists versus Motorists, has gone live. As usual, I never thought it would take so long. My problem with projects is that I can’t stand doing what I know how to do. I have to try something new. Well, the new thing was the focus on video — I’m not really a video person. Or that used to be the case. But then the new thing about the new thing was I thought I should look into interactive video. Hence, the use of korsakow. I also looked at Popcorn and Klynt. What I wanted to do was combine Twitter with video. You can sort-of do it with Popcorn, but it doesn’t seem to me that it is much better than sticking the vid and the Twitter widget in ordinary old HTML. Now Popcorn is just developing, and combining vids and social media isn’t its only trick, but I do feel there’s a little bit on inventing a new circle going on (and calling it HTML 5). But hey, I’m old.

Other principles that I’ve tried to put into practice are

• the use of domestic technology — all the imagery and some of the audio was created using my mobile phone, I used free of very cheap editing software, and the only semi-professional thing I used was a zoom audio recorder.
• use of social media – both to recruit talent, disseminate the doco, and encourage participation
• A focus on the community. Apart from above, I tried not to editorialise. I wanted the interviewees to speak for themselves.

You can read more about these principles, and how to make your own participatory documentary.