[CIMC-work] 6/21/04 Chicago Indymedia Video Collective Minutes

[Marley]

6/21/04 Chicago Indymedia Video Collective Minutes

Present at meeting:
Thomas Yun
Tom Baker
Chris Geovanis
Fred Hickler
Jon Groot
Katrina Kozarek
Eric Angell
Don Goldhammer
Alloy
Chris Bravo

Members of the Indymedia General Collective were present at this meeting.

1. Katrina Kozarek from Calle Media inquired about screening Venezuela
Bolivariana: People and Struggle of the Fourth World War (70min) at a
Healing Earth screening.  Healing Earth screenings conflict with Sandino
Vive screenings.  Chris & Mitchell will figure out schedule conflict.

2. Katrina also wants to learn how to edit on Final Cut Pro 4 as do others.
At the next show edit we will let some folks watch.  Fred will try to set up
a skill share.

3. Screenings 7/9 - 7/10
Chris G. informed us that Brandon Jordan from the NYC collective wants to
come to Chicago for the Midwest screenings of "Miami Model" about the FTAA
protests in Miami.  We have opportunities to screen at Chicago Filmmakers
and Buddy.  Discussion followed about the schedule at Buddy.
Thomas- Give priority to locally produced shorts.
Groot- We have the FTAA video from Episode 2.
Thomas- Videos from Southwest Youth Collective or Video Machete, Etc.
Thomas will coordinate with Chris.

4 Thomas proposed a Camera Skills Workshop sometime before August.  Those
interested in participating:
Groot- Not on weekends
Eric
Chris G.
Thomas
Katrina
Chris B.

5 Camera Donation
Don Goldhammer has a camera for our collective to use.  Yes we want it.
Mitchell can keep it.  Congratulations Mitchell, you won the Daily Double!

6.  Continuing our Production Schedule
Fred's proposal:
That the Chicago Indymedia Video Collective be subdivided into 2
initiatives (that of course will overlap in many ways) - one will be
the TV show which will be co-ordinated by Jon Groot and the other one
will be everything else a video collective can do - out reach,
education, skill share, workshops, screenings, distribution, one-off
video programs, features, documentaries, long format video, more
experimental programs, etc, etc, which could be co-ordinated by Thomas
Yun or someone else or by a collective entity to be determined.

Thomas's proposal:
We go with Andrew's proposal from a few
months ago where we organize teams for the production of each television
episode, each team being composed of an "experienced" video producer and a
collective member(s) that have little video experience.  I don't think
this is so far from Jon's proposal to assign producers for each episode;
the only difference being that there is a skill-share incorporated into
Andrew's proposal.

Fred- Do we want a regular schedule?

Groot- Yes

Thomas- Block is still in place.  Let's refine the decision making structure
so we don't but heads.

Chris G.- Eric & I are here to facilitate process.  General collective
should be more involved & supportive.  Block occurs when Indymedia
principles are violated.  I think the block is about a creative dispute and
how volunteer labor is tasked.  CAN TV is a very good friend to Chicago
Indymedia.  The general collective gets asked for a TV show all the time.  I
think a regular show on CAN TV is important.  We should try to find a way to
make this work.

Thomas- We are arguing and not accomplishing anything.  We have to figure
out how not to argue and make the next episode.

Alloy- What are the arguments about?

Tom Baker- Let's not go there.  Let's get a production schedule together
now.  He supports Fred's proposal.

Don Goldhammer- Block doesn't promote discussion and resolution. Volunteer
energies & interests should be encouraged and facilitated even with, and
especially if, it is not of interest to others in the collective.  The
process of using a "block" to action or decision should be intended to be
very brief and productive of discussion.

Chris G.- Supports setting a schedule but that doesn't fix the conflict..
Let's put together the mechanics of producing the next show.  The different
visions of the show are not that different.

Fred- Defines the conflict: A regular deadline created a imposed procedure
that resulted in not enough creativity.

Thomas- There is a misrepresentation of the block.

Groot- The collective is split into 2 groups.
One group wants to have regular deadlines beginning with a paper edit
decided upon by the whole collective at a meeting followed by a production
schedule run by a producer with a host shoot and rough edit.  A screening
for final approval and revisions would happen at a regular meeting before
the show goes to CAN.
The other group wants to produce the show similar to the way the open
publishing is run on Indymedia.  Tapes would be dropped off at the office
and someone would edit the show together when all the elements have been
acquired.  There would be a loose adherence to deadlines.

Tom Baker- Fred's proposal is workable

Alloy- We should move on.

Groot- The spine working group was put together so the collective didn't
have to re-invent the whole show every month.  This group would come up with
a new look for the show every 3 months and this could be re-used until a new
spine was ready.  This way you only have to change out the feature segments
each month.  The spine includes the Show Open, Show Close, Credits, Bumpers,
and PSA's.

Chris G.- I want to work on scripting.  Should we set deadlines now?

Fred- Producer should not be able to change spine & schedule.

Thomas- Andrew proposed teams be set up for each episode.  Experienced
producer & novice would do a skill share.  We should be lenient on
deadlines.  Anti-authoritarian.  We should be cordial to each other.

Fred- The choice is between strict deadlines and having a regular show vs.
lenient deadlines and not having a regular show.

Chris G.- Are we ok with some basic deadlines?

Thomas- Deadlines are fine but I don't want to be scolded about them.

Don- Grant proposal example.  If it doesn't get in this episode then it can
go in the next.

Tom Baker- We need more mediums.  Screenings, web, etc.

Eric- There shouldn't be different classes of people in an organization.
Some people get things done and deadlines are ok with them.  If someone
misses a deadline then don't chew them out.

Thomas- NEW PROPOSAL: We create 2 production teams.
1. Schedule Track - hits every deadline.
2 Training Track - gets a show done with loose or no deadlines.
Members of the collective overlap into both teams.

Don- Do we have enough people for both?

Thomas- People can work on both.

Groot- I like this proposal.  Do we keep the spine working group?

Collective- Yes

CONSENSUS REACHED!

Deadlines for the next episode: submit to CAN 8/10,  Begin work at our next
meeting 7/5.

Minutes read aloud and approved by the collective.




Please submit corrections and I'm sorry for any mistakes.  I don't write
very fast and my typing is even worse.
Jon Groot