| Publication Type | Miscellaneous |
| Source | (undated) |
| Keywords | groups |
- Formative Meetings, 1979
- Annual Media Alliance Conference 1983
- Media Alliance Programs
-
Introduction to "Beyond Video: The Media Alliance Directory I" Robin White, 1984
THE MEDIA ALLIANCE
New York is a haven for the independent video community. There is a greater concentration of video artists and producers, and a more highly developed support system for the independent electronic communication arts here than in any other state in the Union. The Media Alliance, established in 1979, is an association of 33 organizations and many individuals in New York State who have helped to define this field and who share their concern for its future.
The Alliance is also a bridge between the independent video community and the general public. It was designed to promote members' resources - the video productions, programs and services - to new audiences of viewers and video makers, to new markets within and outside the commercial video industry, to the press and to corporate, public and private supporters of the arts and education.
Members: We have titled this directory Beyond Video to draw your attention to the video services offered by our members, and to suggest the larger context within which these activities occur. For the field has developed from diverse efforts to support artistic endeavors, to provide access to video production training, to study media and to encourage cultural pluralism. Though the members of the Alliance have in common their dedication to independent video and video art, they are far from a homogenous group. Our members include museums, educational institutions, libraries, foundations and public television as well as alternative spaces and media centers. Approximately two thirds of our members are located in New York City; one third are scattered throughout the western and northern parts of the state.
Individual members of the Media Alliance are producers, curators and those who write about video.
Programs: The Media Alliance is perhaps best known for its annual meetings and series of panel discussions focusing on topics of concern to the independent video field. The 1983-84 meetings will address these subjects: how alternative media educators can affect the development of national policy and curricula for media education; how to improve non-profit organization management; how to provide management advice to independent producers; how to provide more access to production equipment; and how to expand the exhibition and distribution systems for non-commercial video production.
Since its inception, the Alliance has been instrumental in developing new public exhibition spaces for video tapes and installations; has guided cable television programmers and foreign television networks to independent producers' work; has introduced video art and independent documentaries to the commercial industry at program marketplaces and software conferences; has represented members and their funding needs to the State legislature and the State Cable Commission; and has provided information about the independent video field to thousands of people throughout the country.
On-Line is a new program for the Media Alliance, and is an example of the way the commercial and the non-profit sectors can work together for mutual benefit. Through this program, video artist producers working on non-commercial projects can gain access to state-of-the-art video post-production equipment at a fraction of the commercial hourly rates. The producers learn to work with the most sophisticated video technology; they can stretch their grant dollars farther than ever; and they can produce video tapes of the highest professional quality. Commercial post-production houses develop new clients through On-Line, earn income, and provide their editors and engineers with an opportunity to learn about the cutting edge of video and new approaches to production.
Beyond Video is the Media Alliance's first publication. We hope you will find it to be a valuable reference book on the independent electronic communication arts field in New York. Please contact the Media Alliance for further information about our programs and membership.THE DIRECTORY
The Directory is organized as a collection of single page profiles of each member organization. Each page provides a general description of the member's services and programs offered to producers, viewers, students and the interested public. The format of the information has been designed to facilitate a comparison and evaluation of the various approaches and programs according to your needs, schedule and location. Specific questions can be directed to the organizations themselves. A glance at the chart on the following page will show you how the resources of the field are spread within the five major categories of activity: production, post-production; exhibition, both on television and on closed circuit screenings; distribution; and education, which includes archives and publications as well as courses and seminars.
Most of the descriptions and terms used in these pages are self-explanatory. However, production and post-production facilities and equipment have been categorized according to a specific formula which is described here. These sections of the profile page briefly describe the type of video systems available for use at a media center. The information has been organized into areas of production, post-production, dubbing and screening facilities, availability and the unique qualities of the systems offered. It is generally understood in the professional video industry that video systems are differentiated from one another by the technical capabilities of the camera, VTR (video tape recorder), and editing decks available. They are labeled "consumer," "industrial," and 'broadcast" quality. Work produced on any of the three systems can, technically, be broadcast. These labels have been used here to inform inquiring producers about what types of systems are available for their use. Production accessories are indicated wherever they are provided. They can include the following equipments lights, tripods, mics, mixers, cables, batteries, monitors and carrying cases.