Critical Commons: Fair Use for Media Educators

Creative Director, Erik Loyer, has completed an interactive schematic of the Critical Commons website, mapping out the full functionality of the project. Click here to view a set of clickable wireframes:

While the site is not yet functional, these wireframes give a good sense of the depth and navigational structure of the site. We are currently trying to find developers to handle the programming of the site. The backend will most likely be built in a free open source programming environment called Plumi, which is a video-enabled variation of the content management system Plone. The developers we have been talking to, EngageMedia, are actually the ones who created Plumi, so we are very hopeful that they will be able to take this project on in time to meet our launch schedule in the Spring.

In addition, our graphic designer, Alex Louie, has completed a set of look-and-feel design comps for the site. We now have a logo, text treatment and color scheme for the site.

In conjunction with the Institute for Multimedia Literacy, Critical Commons is also sponsoring a Fair Use Day event to be held at USC on October 27th. Confirmed participants include Peter Jaszi, from the Center for Social Media (CSM) at American University and Jennifer Urban, who directs the Intellectual Property Clinic at USC law school. The goal of this event will be to build awareness about copyright and fair use and facilitate high-level conversation about the future of fair use for media and learning. We will also be strategizing ways to work with key institutions and parallel efforts such as the CSM's Best Practices Guidelines for documentary filmmakers and online video creators. The day will conclude with a planning session on how to best market and launch Critical Commons.

Holly Willis and I have also proposed a presentation to the Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS) conference to discuss fair use for media educators and to present Critical Commons (which will have recently launched) to this key constituency. SCMS is a crucial collaborator for us in thinking through best practices for media studies and we intend to make sure Critical Commons will have high visibility at this year's conference in Tokyo.