Digital relaxation
Hello Outriders!
This week on the podcast we have digital links through more relaxing pursuits. From visiting a museum or art gallery through watching movies or a series to simply reading a book, there are ways in which our experiences can be enhanced with a little digital magic.
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If you are interested in history anywhere, then you might be interested in too. LODLAM is Linked Open Data in Libraries, Archives and Museums. Imagine the world of history all linked up? Amazing!
I spoke to Mia Ridge who is currently a Phd student in Digital Humanities in the Department of History at the Open University and she explained more about LODLAM, what it can do and how we might be able to help us understand and work with global archives and more.
If you would like to attend the forthcoming LODLAM meeting in London - you can find all the details .
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Relaxing in a museum and art gallery is one way to expand your thinking and of course when it comes to relaxing, there's nothing quite like escaping within the pages of a book - paper, digital or otherwise.
But, do you find it hard to pick a new book? Well aim to help. Based on the project, which tries to break books down to their essential features, Booklamp hopes to help you pick that next unputdownable read. Chris Vallance had a chat with Aaron Stanton about Booklamp.
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On my pursuit of things to do to relax - I thought about how much I love watching movies. Now, being strapped to a computer monitor of some sort or another for most of my time, it would not come as a surprise that this is often the way that I consume film. Now of course, those who are impatient with television or cinematic schedules can view on demand and even better - indie film makers are creating their work and releasing entire series online! How exciting!
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But how does this work when in comparison with traditional film making methods and indeed - can you really earn a living?
Lucky for us, Outiders listener on Twitter said " Would you be interested in interviewing a web series creator for your show? "
The answer was "Of course!" This is why we ask you each week to point us at curious things!
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As a result I had a chat with Avi Glijanksy creator of the web series . I asked Avi to tell me about how he came to do this and what it takes to produce high quality web series for mass consumption. Of course Avi's series is lots of fun to watch, please note that it also contains some grown up language so it might not be one for our very young Outriders.
Avi has also very kindly shared a list of some of his favourites and other web series that we might like to watch too. "I'm not the only web series creator online," he pointed out. So if you would like to explore further here's a few tips from Mr Cupid and Eros himself.
Avi says -
"I tried to give you a mix of true indies and some of the digital studio backed ones as well. Although, even "studio backed" in this context is a real far cry from what you'd typically think of as being industry supported.
The Guild
"Felicia' Day's show about MMORPG players. In a lot of ways its success is the bar by which web series are judged. It went from being a true indie to being sponsored by Microsoft and in this seasons it's had cameos buy Nathan Fillion, Brent Spinner and Neil Gaiman!"
Vampire Zombie Werewolf
"One of my favorite shows... so much so that I stalked the creators so they'd act in Silver Lake Badminton and Adventurers club. A parody of hollywood, our current obsession with vampires, and web series all rolled into one." (Contains some strong language in context - JK)
"A sci-fi comedy, about a man sent to mars for the sake of reality TV. Sadly, the creators have decided they can't keep the show going, but what's there is worth checking out a season."
"A very cool sci-fi show about a detective trying to solve the murder of one of his own clones (see, told you it was sci-fi). What really makes this show stand out is its look, a combo of actors and hand drawn, almost comic book like backgrounds."
Anyone But Me
"A teen soap, but one that has gotten acclaim for dealing frankly with family, the aftermath of 911 and sexuality (when we meet the main character she's in a relationship with another girl). Created by professional TV writers Susan Miller and Tina Cesa Ward during the 2008 Writers Strike."
Out With Dad
"An indie series out of Canada that is about a teen girl who comes out to her father and how they navigate their relationship after she does. Another great example of the web being a place for stories and communities that traditional media shy away from."
"There's a lot web series that are spoofs on RPGs or just fantasy in general. Journey Quest happens to be my favorite." (You can pick up if you cannot access the Hulu player - JK)
"This show is structured as a series of interconnected (some more so than others) vignettes about people dealing with the realities of life in the current economic downturn."
"Last but not least, let me suggest www.blip.tv as great place for people to go and see what's out there. Many of the shows above, as well as mine have presence here. Blip carries all sorts of stuff, scripted and un scripted, and their focus is on high production value. No LOL cats here ...unless the story dictates.
... that was probably more than you wanted or needed... but I figured I might as well give you some stuff to choose from. Avi"
Thanks Avi! Plenty to be cracking on with there whether you are looking for something to watch or if you are thinking of making a series yourself. Lots of inspiration.
It's been great getting tips and advice from listeners this week.
If there is a topic that you would like to explore or a web site you'd like to know more about - then I bet you know what to do. Also if you are creating something, I'd love to hear about it.
You can email me at Outriders at bbc dot co dot uk, give me a nudge on Twitter at , or search for Outriders on to find our page there.
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Until next week!
~Jamillah
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