If anything could persuade the ICA of the "cultural urgency" of new media (see earlier post), the just happened Power to the Pixel conference could. There was a LOT to take in...and for the very first time, I think I will be checking out the conference archive...
Most presentations confirmed that the only thing we can really predict about change is that it will happen, and if you were hoping for fail-safe models, you'd have gone home disappointed. Even utterly charming UK Film Council distribution supremo Pete Buckingham was engagingly frank about not having any answers just yet..and it's encouraging that he's working with Power to the Pixel's unassumingly brilliant founder/director Liz Rosenthal to at least try and work out what the questions are. Pete mentioned Chris 'Long Tail' Anderson's Why $0.00 is the Future article.
M dot Strange - was an experience. And if there was a preponderance of Young Americans, then that's probably a question of cultural difference. Their initiative and strategic thinking was nevertheless provocative.
Matt Hanson was his usual inspiring self, and one of the few presentations that offered some content - making astute connections across film, visual arts and commercial practice, and cinemas, galleries, online and public sites.
And I learned was sideloading means. And it's not rude.
Image: M dot Strange - We are the Strange
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I was at the event too, and I agree with your conclusion: there are no ready answers yet. But I came away disappointed that there weren't even any firm indicators about what a workable online distribution business model might look like. I couldn't afford the fee for the second day of the event, so it's possible I missed out on the opportunity for such enlightenment. Fortunately I'll be able to see the sessions online for free (some time soon, I hope). As Jamie King noted on the day, you can't compete with free!
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