Blog posting written by Shawn Steiner, Film, Photography, and Visual Arts ’13, FLEFF Intern, Elkridge, MD 

I’m not the only person coming back to FLEFF this year!

Evan Meaney is a professor of transmedia design at the University of Tennessee. And, he is both an Ithaca College graduate and FLEFF alum. He will be returning this year due to his involvement with Null_Sets, winner of the Distributed Microtopias jury prize.

First, what is transmedia?

Meaney described transmedia as the communication of ideas through different forms. It has a lot to do with everything. It includes the science behind the work, the math in the program, and anything else that may be involved.

An interesting definition. Now, what is the big deal with Null_Sets?

He said that people are obsessed with ordered sets. Which makes sense, we like being able to understand information. But, this takes that data and converts it over to a new form (this time a jpeg image file). Now, we can look at and compare two things in a new way. Or we can simply look at the image created by a text file of Moby Dick and be intrigued with how pink is turned out.

And being familiar with the idea of FLEFF themes, Meaney has his own take on Mobilities.

Meaney was immediately reminded that there are so many systems in place to keep people from moving. 

What immobilities can you think of?

Update: Profile: Amy Szczepanski written by Erica Moriarty. Stay tuned for a joint post on Null_Sets.

Blog posting written by Shawn Steiner, Film, Photography, and Visual Arts ’13, FLEFF Intern, Elkridge, Maryland

Have you ever geotagged a photograph?

I do it all the time! 

Some artists even do the opposite. Nate Larson and Marin Shindelman took photos to go with the location of the tweets that caption the photographs. Geolocation is an incredible “tribute to the data stream,” as they call it.

It calls into question the idea of place and movement.

Movement today is different. Smoother. Less physical. In one second we can receive a message from the other side of the world. We can actually be in another place in real time.

But, what does all this mean?

It means that we can go wherever we want at any time. We can go to Flickr and travel to a beach in Costa Rica. All from the comfort of our bedrooms. And, if you close the curtains, you may be able to forget that it is snowing here in Ithaca, NY.

Mobilities explores this idea. FLEFF brings people and ideas from all around the world to transport the attendees to all around the world. The Distributed Microtopias Exhibition brings together work from India, Ethiopia, the United States, Iraq, and plenty others. And that’s just one thing.

I hope I can make it to Latin America with a little help from FLEFF.

Where do you want to travel? 

Blog posting written by Chloe Wilson, Television-Radio '14, FLEFF Blogger, Ashland, Massachusetts.

Hello, FLEFFers!

My name is Chloe Wilson, and I'm excited to be back blogging with FLEFF for the second year in a row!

I'm a junior television-radio major with a concentration in scriptwriting.  I also have a triple minor in history, legal studies, and the honors program.

I grew up in Ashland, Massachusetts - the original home of the Boston Marathon!  I'm not athletic by any means, but I live close enough to the marathon route that I can walk outside of my house, set up a lawn chair, and cheer for all the marathoners running by.

Even though I grew up just outside of Boston, I'm a New Yorker at heart.  I spent my last summer interning at Viacom in NYC while simultaneously working with a small non-profit.  As much as I love media, I also love giving back to my community.

I consider the Ithaca area (and the surrounding Finger Lakes) my community.  As a college student, I feel like I'm always mobile - travelling home for break, travelling to Syracuse to visit friends, travelling back to Ithaca for the new semester - and I'm excited to explore the idea of mobility in film and new media.

This year, FLEFF begins with a Kick-Off Screening on March 3rd.  It's an Upstate Filmmakers showcase, featuring artists such as Carol Jennings, John Scott, and Jason Harrington. (Seeing as my birthday is March 2nd, it's like a belated present for me!)

The FLEFF schedule hasn't been announced yet, but I can't wait for the Kick-Off Screening.  What are you excited about for this year's FLEFF?