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BridgeThink News - Issue 5
February 2010


    WELCOME to Issue Five!

      Greetings!

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This era of "new media" offers endless tools for reaching new audiences. From iPhones enhancing the way universities connect with their students and alumni to Facebook providing social networks, the model of information flow has shifted. We now have more people in contact with each other than ever before. Be it a Twitter coordinated snowball fight in Washington DC or a full blown podcast about the folkloric dance of Mexico, creators of all kinds have begun to compete in meaningful ways with globally reaching news organizations, studio marketing machines and influential arts publications. In addition to our regular reporting, our next few issues will include articles examining the converging worlds of film, art and technology as the "new media" convergence paves the way for creators to connect with new audiences in exciting ways.  Enjoy!

          - The BridgeThink Team
SHORT CUTS
NEW TO BRIDGETHINK?
MEET THE TEAM!
NEXT GLOBAL DIALOGUES
ART AS BUSINESS AS ART
PROJECT NATAL at TPS
MASS TAX CREDIT DEBATE
NEIGHBORHOOD EARTH
FOLLOW UP NEWS
PARTNER EVENTS
OUR NEW LOOK
THAT'S A WRAP!
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     NEW TO BRIDGETHINK?
PlaceHolder_32009_RECAP_aBridgeThink.org is a new media resource connecting filmmakers, artists and business across creative communities. We host global dialogues, provide forums to post resources, publish a monthly newsletter and much more! At the root of our thinking is the crazy idea that when more people connect, the more they accomplish. So, if you have something shaking in your hometown, let us know! All it takes is two people to connect for an idea to ignite.

We invite you to become a Bridge-thinker.
                                                                         
       Conceive, Connect, Create...                      
Connect with us on:   twitteremailfacebook


     MEET THE TEAM!
PlaceHolder_2RonScopelliti_3Ron Scopelliti Technical Coordinator & Public Relations Advisor

Team profiles continue this month with BridgeThink's Technology Coordinator and Public Relations Advisor, Ron Scopelliti. A writer from Smithfield, Rhode Island, Ron is co-owner, co-publisher, and co-editor of Your Smithfield Magazine as well as a former technologist, technical writer, and writing instructor. In addition to his diverse experience and an uncanny ability to hold a conversation about almost any topic on earth, Ron helped set up our first Global Dialogue, "SoCo to SoCal." His sense of humor and ability to keep it together when madness is bringing the house down around us makes him a balancing force for the BridgeThink team. Go ahead... click
                                                       on Ron's picture for a complete bio.
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     CALL FOR QUESTIONS!
       Our next 2 Global Dialogues will be with two very different guests who are both using technology in creative ways.
      AND, we're taking YOUR questions with us!

      February 24th JÜRGEN SCHULZE, Research Scientist working with virtual reality environments at Calit2.
      March 20th (9 pm Eastern) JON RUBIN,
Multi-Disciplinary Artist and creator of The Waffle Shop - Live!

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     "ART AS BUSINESS AS ART" PODCAST

PlaceHolder_15_337PXArt_As_Business_as_ArtAre you a creator (of any kind) trying to make a living while making your work? Are you a business person looking for creative ways to keep your enterprise afloat? Check out this phenomenal Podcast!

Hosted by Andrew Taylor, Director of the Bolz Center for Arts Administration at the University of Wisconsin  School of Business and Stephanie Jutt from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, this series of conversations is broken into easily listened to segments that relate to their course, "Art as Business as Art." With guests such as Lisa Sonora Beam (track 2), discussing her book, The Creative Entrepreneur or Douglas McLennan (track 13), founder and editor of ArtsJournal.com on creating a conversation with your audience, arts and business-minded folks alike will find useful gems to bridge the worlds of creating and as Stephanie Jutt puts it, "creating their career." There are just SO MANY unique perspectives in these podcasts that we can't endorse this one strongly enough. Who said artists can't be good at business and business people can't be creative?

Find the entire Podcast on iTunes HERE
And the course website with additional resources here: http://www.uw-artsenterprise.com/
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     PROJECT NATAL AT THE POST STUDIO
NATAL_8PlaceHolder_14_668PXRecently ThePostStudio, one of BridgeThink's partners in Los Angeles, was commissioned to edit a case study for Time Warner's "Connect A Million Minds." Aimed at connecting kids with afterschool STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) programs, the case study spotlit XBox 360's Project Natal, a completely controllerless video game interface.  Check out the video to the right.

Much like the virtual previs-lab in Steven Spielberg's "Minority Report," Natal works on infrared sensors that recognize body motion and even facial expressions. But unlike Nintendo's "Wii," there is no controller whatsoever. With the flick of a wrist, you can play a game, access a movie, video conference with your friends and potentially surf the internet from your living room.

"Gaming creators are at the forefront of moving an entire computer industry from a world where people had to understand the language of machines to a world where machines understand the language of humans," says Alex Kipman, Director of Incubation for Natal, who named the project after the capital of his home state in Brazil.

Natal's position at the convergence of internet and television also provides tremendous educational and storytelling potential for teachers, filmmakers and artists. Imagine someone accessing your portfolio, lesson plan or pitch package through their widescreen TV and being able to move around inside it without using a mouse! Whether it's a sculptural installation, a piece of video art or traditional movie, technology like Natal's is changing the future of storytelling by almost demanding a two-way interactive experience.

In editing this case study for Connect a Million Minds, The Post Studio was asked to link the benefits of learning STEM subjects with the creative enthusiasm associated with the arts.      

"If you can get past the beginning boring part, I can guarantee you that as you start understanding it more, it becomes incredibly fun!" says Kipman of Natal, "A whole new world opens in front of you." Check out the possibilities in the video and let The Post Studio know what you think.
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     MASSACHUSETTS FILM TAX CREDITS UNDER DEBATE

PlaceHolder_17_356PXMASS_TAXES_2Since 2006 Massachusetts has maintained a tax credit for film productions. The credit is responsible for attracting numerous Hollywood productions to the state and has allowed countless independent films to bring their productions to the region as well. Presently the legislature is debating a cap on the tax credit. Because the film industry is in its infancy in the state and there isn't a long established network of non-tax incentives yet to keep the industry in state, we feel that a limit on credit opportunities at this stage will easily drive film production to other locations. How do you stand on this issue? Has your production or business benefited from film tax credits? Let us know at our blog. Whatever your stance is and wherever you may be located, we encourage you to read up on the discussion and become aware of how dialogues like this can effect your corner of the world. Here are some great resources on the issue from both sides.

UMass Boston Film & Television Production in MA: Industry Overview & Analysis
February 11, 2010
PDF Format

Ernst & Young: Estimated Impacts of the New York State Film Credit - February 2009
PDF Format

Federal Reserve Bank of Boston - New England Public Policy Center: Ernst & Young  Analysis of New Mexico and New York Film Tax Credits - April 2, 2009
PDF Format

Center for Economic Analysis Michigan State University: The Economic Impact of Michigan's Motion Picture Production Industry & the Michigan Motion Picture Production Credit - February 6, 2009
PDF Format
 
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     Neighborhood Earth By Leila Kaas
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PlaceHolder_12_929PX_THINreTHINK in 2010...

reThink_NE_5Happy New Year, BridgeThinkers! I wish you all a 2010 full of passion and openness to see things differently. Since we're exploring the connections between art and technology this month, Neighborhood Earth brings you to a series of art exhibitions presented during the Climate Change Conference (COP15) in Copenhagen this past December. The audience in the Danish capital those two weeks came from all over the world and it seemed there were just as many films, performances and exhibits encouraging audiences to discover new ways of seeing things.

On a cold, rainy day, I too had the opportunity to visit these inspiring works of art. I began at the exhibition "RETHINK- Contemporary Art & Climate Change" which expressed reinterpretations of climate change in an effort to help viewers notice the often, unnoticed phenomena happening around them. With works from Nordic artists and beyond, the show was comprised of four parts: RETHINK the Implicit, RETHINK Relations, RETHINK Kakotopia, and RETHINK Information.

"RETHINK Kakotopia" at the Nikolaj Contemporary Art Center (a huge church turned into an art space), focused on visions of the future. Wow! Can you imagine the "future" displayed inside the nostalgic architecture of a former church? Instead of an altar, a screen showed a film by Icelandic Love Corporation relating to the show's theme, "Kakotopia," an anti-utopia or chaos and dissolution. Find more works from this venue at our blog.

On my way to the second venue, "RETHINK Relations" at the National Gallery of Denmark, it occurred to me how the city's art was "talking" with its guests! In fact, all kinds of creations were on the street to greet me. The exhibit, "Cool Globes: Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet" was one of them in which 25 super-sized globes were placed in public spaces and transformed by different artists using various materials. One of them entitled, "Get Involved" had a representation of Munch's "The Scream" on one side and the US "Uncle Sam" on the other pointing at me. In the words of the exhibit's program, each globe conveys, "a different message about what ordinary citizens can do to combat global warming."

By presenting these exhibitions during the Climate Change Conference, curators and artists elevated the power of creative expression right into the heart of the Climate Summit's compelling global dialogue. For an audience who came here to debate science and the politics of the crisis, the art works, films and performances truly promoted interdisciplinary dialogue.

There is much more to see on our blog where you can find pictures of the Cool Globes and images from the first three venues of RETHINK. Check out these fun and thought provoking artworks that invite us to look around creatively, be aware of our reality and express ourselves openly.

"RETHINK - Contemporary Art and Climate Change" will be on tour throughout 2010 starting in Stockholm from Feb 20th - April 4th. Official Website for the Exhibition: http://www.rethinkclimate.org/

Cool Globes: http://www.coolglobes.com/

Visit Copenhagen:
http://www.visitcopenhagen.com/press
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     FOLLOW UP NEWS
Placeholder 7"Whaling City" feature film launches updated website, Twitter and Facebook pages - Check 'em out!
Rab Studios launches website for their short film "Workaholics Anonymous" starting production soon - Take a look!
"Busted Balls" complete rough edit and launches new website - Find out more!
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     PARTNER EVENTS CALENDARS

PlaceHolder_18_448PXPlaceHolder_18_448PXNew Bedford Economic Development Council & AHA!
Gateway Cities Creative Economy Roundtable - Engaging Diverse Cultural Communities in the Gateway Cities Through Creative Economy Initiatives.
February 26th, 12pm - 3pm.
http://www.massinc.org/Events/2010/02/Gateway-Cities-Creative-Economy-Roundtable.aspx

AHA! New Bedford.
March 11th Theme is "All Sewn Up"
Thursday, March 11, 2010 (Activities from 5-9 pm. "AHA! After 9" partner restaurants open late serving music, food and fun!)
http://www.ahanewbedford.org/calendar.html#themes

Artworks!
Vacation Week Workshops
February 16-19.
http://www.artworksforyou.org/programs/
 
Gallery X
L.O.R.E. Lounge - Live Soul Jazz & Spoken Word.
February 26th. 7-9pm.
http://www.galleryx.org/cgi-bin/calendar.pl?calendar=default

Echo Park Film Center
Over 10 Events listed for this month already!  Check out the full Schedule at:
http://www.echoparkfilmcenter.org/cinema/schedule.html
 
Filmmakers Alliance
www.filmmakersalliance.org
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     OUR NEW LOOK
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Noticed our new suit? Soon you'll see the new design extend to our website too. What do you think?  Send us your thoughts...
we're listening.

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     THAT'S A WRAP!

PlaceHolder_3PlaceHolder_3Thanks for reading this far! Remember to send in your questions for research scientist Jürgen Schulze and multi-disciplinary artist Jon Rubin. And if you've got something cool going on and want to share it, send us an email at: [email protected] or post it at www.bridgethink.org/forum  We're looking forward to hearing from you!

- The BridgeThink Team

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BridgeThink.org is a film and arts initiative dedicated to connecting filmmakers, artists and business across communities worldwide.

BridgeThink.org pursues this mission by building programs and hosting events that highlight interdisciplinary projects. By selectively partnering with like-minded organizations, we build programs which foster dialogue and interaction.  BridgeThink.org also maintains a website designed to further this interaction through public forums and posting opportunities.

Although some of our members are filmmakers and artists themselves, our core team is comprised of professionals from various industries. Therefore, we are not a collaborative designed to promote our members' work.  While some team members projects may be mentioned in our mailings and web material, they are selected alongside the efforts of all our partners with the express goal of promoting the organization's mission of fostering connection and dialogue. For a complete profile of BridgeThink.org team members and their roles please visit:  www.bridgethink.org/team
         

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