Strange Effect... Gone Viral

View from the Music Haven Stage.
Left to right: Diego, Sarah, JClowe Experience.
Photo courtesy Bob Fiorini. All rights reserved.

Whoa. I emailed Diego Garcia on Facebook to thank him for playing our wedding song for us last night in Schenectady, and added the link to the video that my friend Margaret shot from the wedding. He went ahead and shared it with his fans, and the blessed thing has gone viral! (well, at least I know he reads his emails)...

Hey, maybe it will get me a spot on the next Dancing With The Stars... or better yet, So You Think You Can Dance. 

It's Monday... back to the grind... back to other business. Moving on up...

Speaking of Activism...

I'm trying to wrap my head around this whole viral video about fugitive African rebel leader Joseph Kony that has been popping up on Facebook and in the media this week. Sarah and I watched the video tonight-- it sure is slickly produced, and there's something about the tone that doesn't set right with me. 


From http://siena-anstis.com/2012/03/07/on-invisible-childrens-kony-2012-campaign/: "The issue with social media is really highlighted by Invisible Children. The number of “likes” on your Facebook page is not necessarily related to the quality of information you share. Social media allows making anything viral, quickly. People often do not look into the substance of the message, or even watch the video you are sending. Once you become a brand, you can do anything. Invisible Children has successfully become a brand, but is sharing information that is far from nuanced and based on emotional reactions. It fails to paint the full picture."


I'm thankful to learn more about the issue, but it's time for more research: about the atrocities of Joseph Kony, the current situation in Uganda, and the background of this group of filmmakers. 


Related Links:


KONY 2012 video

"Kony 2012: The anatomy of a viral campaign," The Washington Post, March 9, 2012


"#Kony2012 and the Warping Logic of Atrocity," Amnesty International USA, March 9, 2012

Video Gone Viral

Following up on yesterday's post: I realize that I have already made the jump into online video promotions. This video was created specifically for a site called Tourism Cares, a non-profit organization based in the travel industry, with a mission to preserve the travel experience for future generations. They have a program called "Save Our Sites," which is supporting Norman Rockwell Museum's conservation efforts. Kind of a unique idea: you can go directly to their site and make a donation, which will be used to help preserve seven of Rockwell's original drawings, which are in need of repair.*

Hopefully the message here was clear, and interested people in helping out the Museum's efforts. I created the video in such a way that it could be used to attract other donations, and so we have also used it on the Museum's website and Facebook pages. So there you go... viral!

Visit Tourism Cares' "Save This Sites" website: http://www.tourismcares.org/save-our-sites

*I have created a couple videos that demonstrate art conservation-- I'll have to share them at a later date!