AliaK's blog

Sponsored by backstage.bbc.co.uk, Open Tech 2005 is an informal one-day conference about technologies that anyone can have a go at, from "Open Source"-style ways of working to repurposing everyday everyday electronics hardware. read more or visit http://www.ukuug.org/events/opentech2005/ for details

Compiled, produced and mixed by Groovescooter in collaboration with the Sonic Arcana label, comes the first ever companion CD for the Sydney Film Festival - now in it's 52nd year. This is unlike any soundtrack compendium you've heard before. A seamless journey through various moods and styles, it's more like the eclectic 'Back To Mine' series, than those heavily orchestrated, emotionally manipulative soundtrack collections of yesteryear. Subtitled 'cults classics curios', the album traverses almost four decades of Australian film music; from the most up-to-date post-rock and electronic producers (Decoder Ring and Severed Heads) to the long overlooked vice-funk of cult-classic 'The Box' alongside masters like the late Brian May ('Mad Max'). As for curios, there are plenty, but how about the soundtrack that was originally commissioned for pioneering gritty Aus-Hellinic film 'Head On' starring Alex Dimitriades and Paul Capsis? The version here wasn't used in the film's final cut after Melbourne shlock-horror filmmaker, composer and author Philip Brophy was replaced by Ollie Olsen (Psy-harmonics / Max Q). read more for further details or visit http://www.groovescooter.com

"Thoughts and words ran in me that words and writing were all nothing, and must die, for action is the life of all, and if thou dost not act, thou dost nothing"
-- Gerrard Winstanley, one of the English Diggers - who through exlemparary direct action demanded the abolishment of private property and encouraged the poor to reclaim the commons. (1649)

The Resurgence Carbon Calculator is designed to calculate you personal annual carbon-dioxide emissions. The aim of the calculator is to aid in reducing emissions. Simply being aware of CO2 factors associated with industrial products should help toward this end. visit
http://www.resurgence.org/carboncalculator/index.htm to work out your levels.

The Program and triple j have joined forces and are calling across the country for all young folk, 25 and under, with some previous radio/ media experience, to join the J Arts Crew and become a paid part-time Arts Reporter! A reporter will be appointed from each State and Territory, to be mentored by a producer at triple j. Once appointed reporters will come together to undergo intensive broadcast training before being sent out to taste-test the arts far and wide. visit http://www.theprogram.net.au/jArtsCrewECard/ for more details

At this session, Film Victoria's Documentary Manager, Steve Warne, will provide up to date information on documentary funding available from Film Victoria, how the fund operates and how to apply. The session will also include case-studies presented by documentary filmmakers who have previously received Film Victoria funding. Documentary filmmakers Jasmin Tarasin McGee (Pure Pictures Pty Ltd) and Sharyn Prentice (Flaming Star Films Pty Ltd) will present a case study of their documentary projects and their experience in submitting a successful funding application. visit http://www.openchannel.org.au for more info

Get tips and strategies to help you effectively market your film and reach your target audience. visit http://www.openchannel.org.au for more info

OPENChannel, in partnership with the Arts Law Centre of Australia, is pleased to present a FREE seminar on legal issues relevant to film and new media makers, as part of Victorian Arts Law Week on Tuesday May 17th, 2005. The seminar, presented by Katherine Giles (Arts Law) and entertainment law specialists, will include current information on copyright, contracts, film festival requirements and will inform participants about legal issues they should consider before they start shooting. visit http://www.openchannel.org.au for more details

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3568505.stm today mentions the new Sony Librie, an electronic book reader. Apparrently the screen resolution is very good, but it's only available in Japan at the moment and the books self destruct in 60 days! It's all a buzz in the blogging world..

TV is Good For You, and Interactive Art is Irritating - ...according to the the New York Times. Specifically, two articles you'll probably either love or hate: from last weekend's magazine, a preview / excerpt of Steven Johnson's upcoming book Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter, on how the complex narratives ... [via ::: grand text auto]

A hybrid of film festival and music festival, Optronica is a brand new five day event focusing on the convergence of visuals and music. Starting on Wednesday July 20th 2005, Optronica opens with 3 nights of live audiovisual performances at the bfi London IMAX; the World premiere of Plaid & Bob Jaroc's Greedy Baby AV spectacular, the UK premiere of DJ Spooky's solo film remix Rebirth of a Nation and a stunning AV show from ex-Kraftwerk star Karl Bartos. Packed Friday and Saturday schedules follow, with cinema screenings, talks, panel discussions and live performances at the National Film Theatre, where audiovisual acts including Skoltz_Kolgen and People Like Us play at Optronica Lab. On the Friday night, there will be a special live audiovisual performance by Addictive TV on the fly-tower of the National Theatre, with projections visible across the Thames, and a club night Optronica @ The Spitz on the Saturday night with a line-up of DJs and VJs from France, Holland, Poland, the UK and Japan. visit http://www.optronica.org/ for more info

d:Art.O5 is the eighth edition of dLux media arts acclaimed annual showcase of recent Australian and International single channel, short experimental digital film and video, web and sound art. d:Art.O5 will consist of an exhibition of sound, web, and mobile phone art and a screening program of experimental film and video art. The exhibition will take place at the Sydney Opera House Exhibition Hall in August/September 2005. The screening program will be presented during this same period. For more information and to make a submission to d:Art.O5, please visit http://www.dlux.org.au/dart05

The Ethics of E-Games, Call for Papers - IRIE, Vol. 2/2005 International Review of Information Ethics. Computer-based or e-games, in both standalone and networked incarnations (including 'Massive Multiplayer Online Games' or MMOGs), represent one of the most popular and an economically profitable uses of ICTs and CMC in the contemporary world. Such games not only simulate a range of human social interactions, from building (perhaps utopian) societies to historical and fantasy warfare of every age: the games further occasion and catalyze a range of human interactions that rightly inspire research from a variety of disciplines and specialties. Especially violent games (e.g., Quake, Doom, Grand Theft Auto III, and others) have generated some critical discussion, ranging from 'moral panics' in popular media to social science investigations into possible effects and consequences of participating in such games. But e-games represent a relatively neglected subject in Information Ethics. At the same time, however, if broader discussion of e-games is to include responsible and informed ethical reflection, much more critical reflection from the various perspectives of Information Ethics upon the multiple dimensions of e-games and game-playing is needed. Hence this special issue of IRIE calls for such critical ethical reflection. For more information about the journal see: http://www.ijie.org

The Phonos Foundation, the Pompeu Fabra University of Barcelona, and the Higher School of Music of Catalonia in conjunction with the International Computer Music Association, is proud to announce ICMC 2005. The conference will take place in Barcelona, Spain, from the 5th to 9th of September 2005, with pre-conference workshops on September the 4th. ICMC is the pre-eminent annual gathering of computer music practitioners from around the world. Its unique interleaving of professional paper presentations and concerts of new computer music compositions creates a vital synthesis of science, technology, and the art of music. Visit http://www.icmc2005.org or http://www.computermusic.org/ for more information

DROP in close association with Logic, Ampt Productions, ITM, BluePrint Recordings and Third Storey Artist Management bring to you our first INTERNATIONAL artist event! On Sat 21 May we are all proud to present three of ours and yours favourite producers of the finest twisted dance music around... HABERSHAM (USA), NUMINOUS (USA), JONO FERNANDEZ - LIVE (MELB) plus 4 of the dirtiest locals who will be right in their element warming up for the lads and closing the night out in true DROP style.... DAMIAN WHEELER aka MAGOO, SCOTT WALKER, MIKE REDFERN, & B.P.M. read more for details