Live Blogging at iDMAa: The Positive Power of Mobile Media

This was a presentation on the The AIDS Personal PSA Project

Host
Scott Shamp: New Media Institute at the University of Georgia http://nmiupdate.blogspot.com/2007/10/1-smokey-and-cell-video-personal-public.html

The project was to create PSAs for mobile devices to help make a difference. According to Scott, the question was how to use tech expertise to move beyond entertainment to making a difference. And now you have people with cell phones -- more cell phone usage..how do you marry the two to create PSAs that can go mobile and help educate?

Here's what they did over the past two days here in Philly:

Handed three student teams a mobile production pack. Low end camera. Laptop computer and Verizon connectivity. Sent students to produce a PSA encouraging young people to get tested for HIV -- then send video to producers who were locked in the hotel room and had to get it pulled together. "Thought we might get ONE good one. We got TEN of them!! Got it done in 7 hours!"

They had a group of experts educate the student teams and off they went. PSAs in a very short period of time!

Technology Used
iMacs and Cell phones and Camera -- recorded directly into mac. Used iChat. Always connected via the web! (Thanks to Verizon -- gee...wish we had that in VERMONT!!). FTPd the clips up and it was available to work on by the producers. Verizon is the big sponsor.

Lots of talk at this session...but here was the highlight: the videos

University of Georgia and Temple University
Temple
USC

Faculty Reflections

1. If you are going to target young people -- you need to use young people to be able to reach them. You need people from that group as part of that project.
2. How do you do this differently from print? How do you do this differently on the small screen? Mix sound and visual together for the small screen.
3. Making a documentary of this. What was it like working with students you don't know and coming together to complete the project this quickly? It's what happens in the professional world! The experts really helped to provide us with so much information? Using IM really helped!
4. Technology will take you so far...but it takes the passion to make it come together!!

What's really great about this?

A terrific tie-in to my Non-profit and Social Marketing class in the spring! I can use this as a great example of how students in programs have made a difference already.

Based on what Scott said, Verizon and other foundations are looking to distribute these nation wide via the VCast network.

Now how's that for project-based work?

Sweet!