The Open Video Conference looks like an interesting couple of days for anyone interested in online video and the future of open and participatory culture on the web. From their description: Open Video is more than just open codecs. It’s the growing movement for transparency, interoperability, and further decentralization in online video. These qualities provide more fertile ground for independent producers, bottom-up innovation, and greater protection for free speech online. The conference will showcase awesome cultural works, inspiring talks, and…

The good people at the Center for Social Media have published a Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Online Video. Here’s what they say about it: This document is a code of best practices that helps creators, online providers, copyright holders, and others interested in the making of online video interpret the copyright doctrine of fair use. Fair use is the right to use copyrighted material without permission or payment under some circumstances. This is a guide to…

Listen to these clips from the Adventures in Online Distribution panel from The Media Conference held by Britdoc earlier this year in London. Key Points: Online distribution models remove third party gatekeepers, connect the filmmaker directly with the audience, giving them the freedom to decide when the film is released on a global scale. Partnering with grassroots organisations to access their databases is a great way of connecting with the right audience. These people can be your film’s distributors and…

FourDocs have a series of very useful video guides to shooting, editing and uploading a short doc. While you’re there check out their awesome online archive of classic  docs. I recommend This Is A True Story by Paul Berczeller, The Lift by Marc Isaacs, Divorce Iranian Style by Kim Longinotto, The Dinner Party by Paul Watson . . . oh there are lots of gems in there, too many to name here. Check it out.

If you want to download films from YouTube or other supported sites try KeepVid. Be aware of rights issues but if the films have a Creative Commons license that allows you to use them in your own creative endeavors then go ahead and mix and mash.

TubeMogul is a free service that allows you to upload your film to the top video sharing sites and then track who is watching it. Sounds like a good idea to me. Has anyone tried it? Feedback?