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NDSA Outreach Storytellers Project - Save Your Bits Video Campaign

Overview and description by Peter Krough Author, The DAM Book, Digital Asset Management for Photographers Second Edition May, 2009 NDSA:www.theDAMbook.com

This effort from the NDSA seeks to produce a public awareness campaign highlighting the fragility of personal digital data, and simple methods that can be used to preserve born-digital works. This outreach effort will be centered around a handful of “cautionary tale” videos that present real-life stories of data-loss or near-data-loss. Each story will include a demonstration of simple and cost-effective techniques for protection of digital data.

Objective The campaign will serve to highlight the value and fragility of digital data, as well as to outline simple techniques to preserve the data. Since most born-digital work resides on the personal computers of the creator, our objective here aligns with a broad national effort to preserve all born-digital creative work.

Description The campaign will feature a series of real-life stories highlighting the fragility of digital data and the means by which it can be protected. Each story will outline the personal, artistic or professional importance of some type of digital data, and some kind of hazard that was encountered. The videos will be tied together by a common theme, typography, visual style, etc.

In choosing stories to highlight, we will aim to find a mix of the following:

Data types: photos, video, research/writing, music Loss types: theft, fire, media failure Preservation methods: drive backup, offsite backup, 3-2-1, online backup service Storytellers: These first person stories will require a demographic mix of main subjects Story Arc: These stories can be chosen with a varying degree of data loss as the end result. In some cases, data may be lost entirely. In some cases, data may be recovered with an expensive service. And in some cases, data may be recovered cheaply and easily by use of good backup techniques.

Distribution All videos will be licensed for free distribution, and will be uploaded to online video sharing services such as Youtube, Vimeo and Viddler. The Library of Congress can promote these as part of DPOE programs and other outlets.

Terms These videos will be distributed under the Library of Congress/ NDSA banner under a Creative Commons By-NC-SA license. It can be used to promote efforts of the LOC, NDSA, NDIIPP, IMLS, partners and others. Credit will be given to active participants in the funding and creation of the videos, including government agencies, private companies, institutions and individuals.

Team We are looking to put a creative team together to make these videos as compelling as possible. Ideally, this will include experienced participants to handle creative direction, story collection and script development, videography, editing, and promotion. Some of this can come directly from NDSA or LOC participants. Some may come from pro bono outside service providers, and some may be provided by paid vendors, if funding can be secured.

Next Steps Listed below are the steps toward production.

  1. Agree on the scope and terms of this document
  2. Memorialize the terms for use of the Library of Congress/NDSA/NDIIPP name with respect to the product of this project
  3. Agree on budget/funding feasibility and terms
  4. Assemble team members
  5. Create Campaign name, theme, terms, schedule, budget
  6. Collect and approve stories
  7. Shoot and edit videos.
  8. Distribute videos