Boston Media Makers

Boston Media Makers get together at Doyle’s in Jamaica Plain on the first Sunday of each month from 10 AM – Noon.

We gather around a big table and answer the question, “What are you doing?”

If you are interested in meeting people who are working with audio and video on the web, this is a great meeting to attend. We get podcasters, videobloggers, filmmakers, artists, writers, PR and social media people. Everyone is welcome.

Sometimes we have a roundtable discussion after we hear from everyone, but there usually isn’t extra time. It’s fun.

Contact Steve Garfield for more info.

Join Media Makers groups that have already formed around the world or start your own:

Existing:
Boston Media Makers – Steve Garfield, Boston, MA
DC Media Makers – Andy Carvin, Washington, DC
NYC Media Makers – Michael Carrasquillo
London – Craig Dwyer
New Hampshire – John Herman and Mike Mooney.

node101::Phoenix – Phoenix, AZ
Denver Media Makers – Denver, CO
Providence Media Makers – First Meeting was: Sunday, March 16, 2008

Forming:
Ottowa Media Makers – Mark Blevis
Nantucket Media Makers – Mark L Palmer, Tim Eril
Los Angeles – Pam Kulik

Affiliated with:
node101, an open source, collaborative project created to teach and spread videoblogging worldwide.

Contact Steve Garfield for info…

How to organize a Media Makers meeting:

Welcome

Welcome
Explain how media makers started so everyone will get a chance to hear from everyone else

Thank the venue
Introduce the server

Explain the check will go around at the end and everyone pays with a nice tip

Give the tag for any content anyone makes any media including blog posts, photos, video ie: NYCMM011109

Ask people to twitter meeting notes and links

There’s no expectation of privacy, your photo, audio and video will be taken.

If you don’t want to be photographed, and that’s ok, let us know.

To start, I do a roll call video and everyone says their name and URL if they have one.

Format
10:00 – 10:30
Mingle first, get everyone chatting and exchanging contacts. No sitting!

10:30 – 12:00
Each person takes about 3 mins to explain what they are doing, are interested in, or asks a question. Also you can do a simple show and tell. Some people bring cameras, accessories, all kinds of things.

Great idea to ask if anyone has any questions at the start. (if folks can only stay for a limited time etc.)

We prefer no sales presentations.

People should stand up when they talk

Towards the end have the bill go around and people contribute.

Venue
Don’t pay for a venue.
Don’t make people pay to attend.

Upcoming
Post future meetings on upcoming.org so prospective attendees can see who’s registered to attend. A Facebook group is a good idea too.

Numbers
Boston Media Makers appears to have a good size – approx. 40 folks at the last meeting – this allows everyone to mingle and really get to know each other.

Timing
Have the meeting in the same place every month, and even the same location if you can arrange it.

Blog
Photos and Video. After each meeting you’ve got to make a blog post with photos from the meeting and some notes, so that people who missed to meeting can see what it’s like. Videos are great too. Little short ones of interesting moments. Artistic videos too. We like to post photos that afternoon.

If users tag connect with the same tag we can find them all on Flickr and in the social web. BMMMMDDYY

Twitter
People twitter notes and links during the meeting and that helps compile meeting notes.