(BBtv) BB Gadgets' Joel at Outside Lands: Crowdfire deconstructed
Boing Boing Gadgets editor Joel Johnson checks out Crowdfire, a sort of real-life social media experiment at the Outside Lands Music fest. The experiment allows concertgoers to upload, share, remix, and "favorite" photos, audio and video they shot themselves... during the event. Some of that media was projected on the stage while bands played, and all of it was made available online.
Crowdfire (with Windows) is Boing Boing tv's sponsor this month, and the project was the brainchild of BB partner and FM founder/CEO John Battelle and Rick Farman, the festival developer who created Outside Lands.
Crowdfire is sort of like an event-centric Flickr or videosharing site, but on a very large scale -- some 60K+ people attended the concert each day, and as Battelle said, probably 59,000 of them were carrying cameraphones.
Link to Boing Boing tv blog post with downloadable video, discussion, and BBtv video podcast subscription instructions.
Related Boing Boing tv episodes:
* Primus: Xeni interviews Les and Ler (music)
* Kaki King, guitar hero: performance, interview with Xeni (music)
* Carney at Outside Lands - a "Boing Boing tv Bus Session." (music)
* Steel Pulse founder David Hinds at Outside Lands (music)
* Boing Boing tv backstage at Outside Lands: (Xeni + Russell Porter)
(Special thanks to Bre and Wayne for the bus; to Virgin America for generously providing air transportation)
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How about a disclaimer: BBTV is supported by Crowdfire advertisement?
Ummm, like this one that's already in the post?
"Crowdfire (with Windows) is Boing Boing tv's sponsor this month, and the project was the brainchild of BB partner and FM founder/CEO John Battelle and Rick Farman, the festival developer who created Outside Lands."
I don't get it... we're against surveillance from one group of people, but FOR it from others?
I know, the intention is different. But is it the intention that matters?
Honestly, I think the whole Crowdfire thing is silly (sorry). To get into SF OutsideLands, I had to agree that anyone else there who wanted could get a picture/video/audio of me and throw it up online, could.
I know we all love our computers and our internet, but with security cameras in most every building I enter, I'd have been much happier to go and experience music I love without the feeling that my presence there was going to be inevitably published.
If I went (and knew about it) I'd upload photos of people leaving trash around.
That and girls with rockin' tits.
BANKSYNERGY @3, I hear your point. That said, Crowdfire is more of an application of what people already seem to be doing. (I haven't been to very many big festivals though, so that's just my take from limited experience.)
Hi @ #3 Banksynergy:
So, if you spend some time on the Crowdfire site (I've been playing around a lot with it) or saw IRL how folks used it at the event, it seems pretty clear to me that this was not "grim meathook future," or people narqing out on average-joe fellow concertgoers for thoughtcrimes... but rather, people shooting clips of their fave bands, and of themselves and their own friends enjoying the experience. Kinda like what ppl already do on Flickr and the like when they go to big festivals, only instead of being able to access the media via metadata, it's all presented in the context of the event -- and it's available *at* the event.
I think that's pretty cool, and I was amazed at how well it worked. I was (truth squad here) prepared to be underwhelmed, and I totally dug it, during and after. It made sense, it was very usable, organic, and it brought more to my experience of the event.
This was not Microsoft doing retinal scans at the entrance gate, Thom Yorke being forced to praise Windows during "Karma Police," or John Battelle performing stripsearches on innocent, bebirkenstocked 20 yo hippiechicks, or remixes of footage from invisible CCTV cameras placed all over the site. Though, THAT would all have made a far better BBtv episode, DAMN THEM.
It *was* a cool experiment, and regarding this:
without the feeling that my presence there was going to be inevitably published.
Wait, was it? I doubt there's any footage of you personally in the media set, unless you or a close pal put it there -- spying on neighbors is not the point. People were shooting stuff of bands and themselves and their pals.
And if there was identifiable footage of you in the data set, and you were upset, I also bet they'd gladly remove it.
With regard to the sign...
To get into SF OutsideLands, I had to agree that anyone else there who wanted could get a picture/video/audio of me and throw it up online, could.
Those kinds of photo/video blanket releases are totally standard at conferences and live events. When I used to produce tech conferences back in the late 90s and early 00s, we did this, and any concert where there's "official" videotaping going on will do this as a matter of routine. Only difference here is the explicit purpose of people being to share as social media with each other.
@#1 Robert, yeah that's why I disclosed this right in the body of the post. BTW, Crowdfire, Battelle, Outside Lands, Windows -- none of these individuals or entities asked us to cover Crowdfire on BBtv as part of the sponsorship. We did so because we thought it was an interesting thing, and merited coverage. They did not guide or control the creative or editorial process in any way. Still, *obviously* the responsible thing for us to do is to disclose the sponsorship front and center, which I did right there and in the video. If you'd have done this differently I'd be open to hearing how that could have been improved.
Xeni, I agree with your comment above. While I thought it was a neat idea, I too was skeptical that the audience would get into it. But damn, I was pretty blown away when I walked into the tent during the show and saw so many people lounging in there watching the images stream in. I just checked and there are around 15,000 photos on the Crowdfire site now. It was a pretty huge risk for JBat and the team to take and I think they should be proud of how it turned out.
I just want to find out who cut Joel's hair.
@8 RATMONKEY
Hah, I just had to chime in by pasting Joel's post on the BBtv comment thread:
"#1 posted by Joel Johnson, September 12, 2008 8:19 AM
I will never get over the shape of the back of my head. It's like a shelf. Maybe I could hang hair from underneath it."
Cheers,
Derek Bledsoe
Segment Producer, BBtv
Remember that episode of BBtv where I got drunk and cut my own hair? I've been doing so ever since. Which is why I continue to have the Worst Hair in Blogging. I actually love the front, but the back needs some love, I see.
Which is why I continue to have the Worst Hair in Blogging.
Did you just open Pandora's Box?
@10 Joel
I do remember that episode where you cut your own hair. I was confused though because I saw you doing a segment on the Green Channel a few weeks ago and I just thought, "Wow, they must have used CGI to fix his hair!"
Any thoughts on the Flowbee? I've always wanted one, but never known anyone who's actually used it.
Hmmm. I'm not sure about this. Stand at the mixing position at any gig and all you'll see is the glow of mobile phone screens held above the heads of the audience. They don't need encouraging. I can see that this is somehow trying to do something with this phenomenon, but it doesn't seem to be sure what.
I've tried live blogging events before, but it tends to be too intrusive of my enjoyment of the event. I've mostly given up after a while and just got on with enjoying myself.
I can see it being slightly useful as a place to bring together all your Tweets, Flikr, etc. but I tend to use the various services for different reasons. I'm not sure I want them all brought together.
Maybe I just don't get it. I have friends who don't 'get' Twitter (It's less useful now we don't get SMS updates in the UK)
@joel Why not just take a picture of the back of your head with your camera phone if you want a hi-tech way to check the back of your head. I just tend to use another mirror to make sure I've done the back properly :)
@Antinous #11
I heard Pandora's Box was waxed ;)
again, why not just enjoy the realtime experience ?
why must everything be hyper-documented ?
see previous comments regarding the initial crowdfire post. all those cameras held aloft really detracts from the concert experience for a lot of other people.
use your eyes and your ears. let the rest of us enjoy the show without having to find a clear view between cheap glowing cameras. it's a sad day for reality when everybody wants to turn it into reality tv. sorry, that's how i feel.