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

And once again we are back in Park 220 for FLEFF Lab Friday. Kelly Matheson from WITNESS is here and Dr. Patricia Zimmermann is moderating this hour. Come on by!

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Kelly begins with the well-known video of Rodney King. It was the catalyst for witness and proved that video could enact social action and change. So, they got together and got video cameras all over to record stories all around. And for 20 years, after working through many issues, they are working to create many international videos and tell compelling stories.

QUESTION: Who is Oscar Grant?

How do you get your video seen when there is an absurd saturation of digital media out there? That is an issue that Kelly and others like her deal with constantly.

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Informed consent is the current topic of Kelly's. She is screening clips from a huge variety of projects. Including a short from her TRUST series about youths fighting climate change.

An new take is how to take perpetrator shot video and turn it back onto the perpetrators, as opposed to the humiliation to the victim intended by the original video.

Verification is another thing that needs to be analyzed. Kelly cites the website storyful.com as a source for validation of video for news. Here is the fireball example that Kelly cites.

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"Technology is always a double-edged sword."

QUESTION: What do you do when your documentary or video risks the well-being of your subject?

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The question of reconciliation is a major talking point during the discussion. And it may bery well be added to Kelly's list of major things to think about when dealing with video. We need to determine how citizen-shot footage will allow usage in things like court cases and how they can be verified.

What does it mean when that image is recorded, circulates, or as evidence?

The ethics behind the usage of a video as evidence requires it to have a much more intense method of verification.

"Give the archive love. They are the unsung heroes."

Blog post written by Sarah Lockwood, Cinema & Photography '15, FLEFF Intern, Blairstown, NJ

As a FLEFF Intern for the 2012 season, I have had the pleasure of attending class weekly with two brilliant and inspiring internship coordinators - one of whom is Philip Wilde. Phil was kind enough to spend an extra ten minutes of his evening discussing his background in film, his involvement in FLEFF, and some advice for festival goers this year:

On His Journey to Video

Phil began his college career as a science major at Cornell University, here in Ithaca, NY. However, his true calling began in 1971, the year in which he first picked up a video camera, and "never looked back." Phil operates a production company with his wife - and fellow internship coordinator - Ann Michel. Together they create videos, mostly scientific in nature.

On His Involvement With FLEFF

Seven years ago Phil joined the FLEFF staff, due mostly to his good friend Dr. Patricia Zimmerman, co-director of the film festival. Also based in Ithaca, Dr. Zimmerman knew of Phil and his interest in all subjects technical theatre and video related, and asked him to join the process of running the festival.

Over the years, Phil noted that the most noticeable change in the festival is that it has become "more intellectual", a noticeable evaluation of film and the film environment.

On the Perks of FLEFF

To put it simply, the "excitement of possibilities", that "anything is possible". FLEFF is not limited by the academic world or the real world - it is a place to "make experiments", and revel in the results (in successes and mistakes).

Phil's Advice

"Go to everything you can possibly go to. Talk to everyone you can possibly talk to."

Plain and simple, a film festival is about involvement and communication. Equal interaction with all people present at a festival - interns, directors, guests, crew members, audience members - is crucial. 

And most importantly - "Don't talk too much, listen."