VIRTUAL SOUND AND VISION Festival - Call for Performers

1. VIRTUAL SOUND AND VISION - A Description:

A two-day long festival on video stream services of performers playing from their home to yours. A very long webstream gig with performers from all over the world - your input and ideas are very welcome.

Virtual Sound and Vision ("VSV" for short) is the first international video streaming music festival, presenting music with visual content to a virtual audience via the world wide web. Using contemporary services for free video streaming, the art is transmitted from the individual artists' performance spaces via the festival site (a truly virtual entity) to the audience, watching and listening from virtually everywhere.

The selection of acts will focus on artists making creative use of combination of audio/video (e.g. live video processing, music played to silent films) and/or internet technology for music art (e.g. realtime internet collaboration).

VSV is scheduled for the weekend of Sat 3rd/Sun 4th of October 2009 in the time span from 16:00 UTC (http://tinyurl.com/ne6hts) to 23:00 UTC (http://tinyurl.com/nkagrl) each. (Please check links for local time conversions).

INFO FOR FESTIVAL GUESTS:

The entire festival will be streamed via the internet, there will be no actual and "physical" festival location. Watching the festival requires the use of a contemporary computer of almost any kind (e.g. desktop, notebook, netbook) and OS, a web browser and an acceptable internet connection (e.g. slow DSL link or faster).

The festival is provided free of charge. Signup is not necessary. A bill of performers and running order will be published on Sunday September 13th of 2009 on the festival website and via a festival newsgroup.

INFO FOR ASPIRING ARTISTS:

This is the call for performers for this festival, and we'd like you, prospective festival artist, to understand how and where to apply. Application is open until Sat 5th of September 2009, 23:59 UTC. To make life easier for both of us, please read the following information carefully.

2. WHO CAN APPLY ?

  1. The festival focuses on acts which make creative use of the combination of audio and video and/or internet technology for music art. This may include (without any claim of completeness):
    1. live video processing of the performing artist
    2. performing live music to (silent) films
    3. realtime internet collaborations
    4. streams from unusual places (e.g. playing on the north pole)
    5. ....
  2. The hard requirements are:

    "Acts" in our context can be solo artists, groups of musicians, (groups of) musicians collaborating with (groups of) video artists etc.

  3. The act must be technically equipped to provide a audio/video stream based on flash technology of his performance in quasi-realtime. This includes as minimum a contemporary computer (Windows and Mac OSes are reported to work fine, but there are also reports of Linux users fulfilling the requirements), a DSL connection and a webcam.
  4. The act must be ready to grant to the festival a non-exclusive license to broadcast the work of art to the festival audience.

Note that while we need you to be able to fulfil all of this requirements, we do explicitly not limit the stilistic diversity. In other words, no matter if you're a death metal band performing to dadaistic short films or a string quartet playing together with a rugby match, you can, and are encouraged to apply!

3. APPLICATION PROCESS:

For your application, please follow the process described below to avoid any confusion or delay. In case of questions, check the F.A.Q. list at http://moinlabs.de/vsv/faq.htm.

  1. check your eligibility Please go through item 2 above and make sure you are able to fulfil all of the points a)-d). Please note that an affiliation with some performing rights organisations may hinder you from fulfilling 2.d).
  2. execute a tech "proof of concept" As much as we'd like to, we won't be able to give you technical support using the streaming service. So please check whether your tech setup allows you to really fulfil item 2.c). More specifically: go to http://ustream.tv. sign up for a (free) account. try if you're able to transmit an uninterrupted stream of audio and video to another computer viewing the feed on ustream.
  3. prepare your application and send to virtualfestival ÄTT moinlabs DOT de: An email message made up of the following items:
    1. application form:
      A filled out copy of the application form found at http://moinlabs.de/vsv/af.pdf. This form must contain the following:
      • contact information.
      • listing of members of the act with their roles.
      • short description of the act.
      • link to 2-3 representative audio/video works by the artist for online viewing.
      • List of possible time slots for your performance in the festival.
    2. cover letter:
      This is where you tell us about the act. How many people are there, what do you do, what is your aim, past successes, and why you want to be in the festival. Include links to website if and where applicable. Do note however that a link to a website can not replace the info in this cover letter. This is the main part of the application! Be creative! (but text only, please).

    3. a scan of a printed and signed copy of the following declaration regarding ancillary copyright http://moinlabs.de/vsv/drc.pdf.
      Please do print the linked document, fill out, have it signed by all members of the act, scan and attach to the mail. Formats: PDF, EPS, JPG, 200dpi.

      To simplify and streamline the process, please include items i-iii in one single email message. This is best accomplished by filling out the application form first, then adding the cover letter and scan of the document to the resulting email.

  4. submission deadline:
    Please note that the application deadline is Sat 5th of September 2009, 23:59 UTC. To this point, the entire information as described under 3.c) must have been submitted as described in one email.

4. NEXT STEPS:

Immediately following the reception of your applications, we'll make up our mind regarding the running order. We will inform you no later than Sunday September 13th of 2009.

In the time before the festival, we will offer at least one non-public test run, for which participation is highly recommended.
Any interest from your side in supporting the marketing process of bringing this event to the viewers (which, after all, are your worldwide audience) is greatly appreciated. Use your twitter! Use your newsletter! Use your blog! Use forums!

5. IMPORTANT POINTS:

In unordered fashion:

6. MASTHEAD:

The VIRTUAL SOUND AND VISION Festival