Notes on 'The Conversation'

This weekend a few members of the IndieGoGo team gathered in Berkeley with other pioneers at the forefront of change in cinema, video, games, media and technology. The event was called "The Conversation" and was intended to foster an open dialogue in which all participants could share ideas, insights and innovations. The focus of the conference was on "new tools, new distribution channels and new rules."

The conference covered everything from the technical aspects of production to new schools of promotional strategy. The tools that IndieGoGo offers were definitely relevant.

During a panel on "The New Rules of Film Financing," Diana Barrett, founder of The Fledgling Fund (http://www.thefledglingfund.org/) expressed her regret that grant providing organizations, such as The Fledgling Fund, simply do not have the monetary means to fund all films they feel are worthy. As the economy suffers and the landscape of media changes, traditional methods of film financing are losing their relevance.

The solution? As the landscape changes, our methods have to change as well.

Throughout The Conversation, panelists related their experiences with crowdfunding, crowdsourcing and internet based community building. These were their methods for handling the shifting media landscape, and these methods led to their ultimate success.

Luckily, these are the same methods that IndieGoGo uses. Ultimately, The Conversation served as a welcome reaffirmation that IndieGoGo is enthusiastically embracing change in our media climate and handling it in the most dynamic and relevant ways.