It seems that the web as a dumb network for video distribution is inevitable. If the entire Facets catalog were downloadable, I for one would certainly pay to see a lot of animations I can't get anywhere else.

Right now I don't know if there is a way to put video on the web so that it can be watched once and not downloaded to someone's hard drive. This would be a very good solution to the issue of copyright infringement that Napster brings up.

I know college students that put DVD movies on their harddrives and then use them as servers so their friends can see them on their computers through their ethernet connections! I don't even have broadband, so this is all speculative for me. But I do think that I would be happier putting my animations online if I knew they couldn't be copied and used by every VJ.

I'd be interested to know what other media artists think about these issues? Is anyone streaming their work now?

-- Beu Leit (bleuleit@hotmail.com), September 20, 2000

Answers

In response to your question about putting our work on the web: If the venue is appropriate and the connection is good, the answer is yes. If the above criterion is not met, the answer is no. I'd like to know more about the proposed connection. Thanks for asking.

Am I streaming my work now? No, but I know some people who are doing it with relative success and SUCKsess. Some pieces will be easier than others. If the work goes on the web, I think we need to be sensitive to the needs of each individual artist, depending on the work.

It's a noble idea for us to get in on this web-streaming together, but things may be more complicated because we are working in a group. Sometimes it is easier/better for each of us artists to fend for him or herself.

-- Laura Blereau (lblereau@iname.com), September 28, 2000.