Tristan Log

This Weeks Tasks

• Develop system for video footage to be edited remotely.
• Promote Focus Forward Film (goes live 11/7/12).
• Make trencher video for posting 11/11/12.

Ongoing Tasks

• Update Facebook page with all new compelling OSE material.
• Update minimum 7 Instagram photos per weekly.
• Devise future videos.

Daily Log

Nov.7

Continued OSEdit Proposal

• Created system diagram for video transfer.

Conducted FTP testing for OSEdit

• Investigated FTP client and server programs.
• Installed 'FireFTP client' and 'CrossFTP server'
• Successfully transferred small files between folder on computer.
• Tried but unable to transfer files to separate computer on network.
• Emailed Elifarley Cruz for assistance - awaiting response.

Nov.6

Promoted 'Build Yourself' Social Media : https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151501703026562.595958.66469461561&type=1

• Took screenshots from the Focus Forward submitted 'Build Yourself'.
• Edited images so they really pop.
• Combined them into a collage.
• Added text: "FROM TOMORROW (Nov.6th) OSE needs your vote for our 3min video! Check our FB page tomorrow or sign up for OSEmail to help us win the Focus Forward film competition and spread the word about our work."
• Shared on Facebook / Twitter.

Emailed

• Corey Doctorow - BoingBoing.com editor asking him to share our video tomorrow.
• Annaliza Savage - Wired Video Executive asking her to share our video tomorrow.
• Emily James - UK documentary filmmaker will share video on her network.
• FORCED TO RETRACT ALL THIS WORK DUE TO YET ANOTHER LAST MINUTE DELAY FROM FOCUS FORWARD.

Developed OSEdit Proposal

• See 'OSEdit' below.

OSEdit

Outline
OSEdit is a system that aims to connect open source projects (OSP's) with remote video editors. The system enables both parties to collaborate in creating promotional and documentation material for the benefit of all OSP's who can utilize the service. Additionally, the system advises / enables the transfer of large video files between the OSP's and their remote editors. The system aims to foster and grow a community of video editing collaborators, interested in sharpening their craft while helping open source projects grow, and gaining 'kudos' within the OSEdit community.

The need for OSEdit is based around several factors:

• Video editors / programs are expensive.
• OS start-ups typically don't generate much income.
• OS projects / innovations can be documented / communicated very effectively with video.
• OSP's can gain online exposure / donations more effectively with video promotion.
• Shooting HD video is now cheap / easy, whereas editing is relatively complex / expensive.
• There are many young editors / film students looking for ways to practice their editing skills.
• Transferring large amounts of footage over the Internet can be complex / confusing.
• There is no open source 'video middle man' currently providing this service.

OSEdit aims to help both start-up and established OSP's. To start-ups, the service offers the ability to create superior video products than might otherwise be possible. As mentioned, HD video is now relatively cheap and easy with modern mobile devices and compact cameras. Small open source operations are capable of filming their own footage, and specialized editors can offer improved production value to video products remotely. To established OSP's such as OSEcology, remote editors can help to process excess video material into helpful instructional or promotional videos. As an example, OSEcology currently has many hundreds of gigabytes of unused material which could be put to work in this fashion.

How the System Works
Initially, OSEdit will go through a beta stage used only for OSEcology. In preparation for beta testing, we will index all footage acquired over the past years of OSEcology documentation into an easily navigable database of video material. Footage will be organized into appropriate folders and subfolders relating to specific machines / processes / instructionals. Folders containing footage to be remotely edited will be placed into 'packages' consisting of clearly labeled material to enable RE's easy navigation. Each package will also contain a word document describing in brief the content of the material and an outline of the desired video product. This description will focus on the imperative elements that should be communicated (ie. 'show every step of the CEB Press assembly') but will not be so specific as to limit the creativity of the editor.

After a package meets these criteria, it is ready to send to a RE (more on sourcing RE's later). Initially, I would like to use File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to transfer individual packages and see how this works. This can be done simply and freely using a handy Firefox plugin called 'FireFTP'.

The benefits of FTP are that we can work on a case by case basis without needing to upload all of our material and consume precious bandwidth.