[ecrea] Cfp - Crowdsourcing and crowdfunding in contemporary audiovisual economies - CINERGIE

CALL FOR PAPERS

Crowdsourcing and crowdfunding in contemporary audiovisual economies

Cinergie – Il cinema e le altre arti

<http://www.cinergie.it/>

<http://www.cinergie.it/?cat=32>

Special issue fall 2013.

Edited by: Marta Martina (University of Bologna) and Nicolò Gallio 
(University of Bologna)

The special section of the fourth issue of Cinergie would like to 
explore the practices of crowdsourcing and crowdfunding. Application of 
these practices is on the increase in today's creative industries, where 
significant changes in production, distribution and economics can be traced.

Specifically, in the production area, the affirmation of the role of the 
prosumer and pro-am, is reshaping the dialogue between producer and 
consumer in an ever more marked way. In the distribution industry, the 
disintermediation of the supply chain is gradually altering the way in 
which consumers stock up on their favorite media content. Finally, in 
the economic sphere, the frame of a non-monetary and emotional economy 
has urged a movement towards participation in many projects. Given this 
scenario, we would like to propose a tripartite reading of these 
phenomena, to highlight how the frame of participatory culture does not 
suffice in giving an account of the heterogeneity of crowdsourcing and 
crowdfunding. For a more detailed analysis, each project that addresses 
the "crowd", has three distinct aspects, which we will maintain as 
guidelines in the structure of this special issue: a perspective related 
to participation, one linked to the financing, and a third related to 
sharing.

1. The first line of investigation aims to highlight the different 
"intensities” of participation, and tries to understand what kind of 
contribution the curator of the project looks for in a community. (For 
example, Aaron Koblin's early works show low intensity of collaboration, 
while newer ones have a more structured call to action). The 
"participation" phase welcomes proposals that analyze the different ways 
in which one can take part in a collaborative audiovisual project. In 
addition, the proposals in this phase can investigate how the frame of 
participation is changing, especially when it is a form of "creative 
labor- force". The issues that emerge and upon which we invite you to 
contribute are: how important is the complex area of reputation economy 
in taking part in structured collaborative projects like Life in A Day, 
in which the top-down and bottom-up thrusts give rise to complex 
interactions? What role does the name of the curator play in attracting 
contributors? How important is the concept of cult in stimulating the 
high level of participation?

2. In recent years, we have witnessed the proliferation of crowdfunding 
platforms that support any audiovisual product (videos, films, serial 
contents...). The second line of inquiry focuses on the "finance" phase, 
and contributors are solicited to consider, for example, the following 
aspects: in which ways do rewards affect the way people take part in 
crowdfunding? How is crowdfunding changing, since, more and more 
frequently projects linked to well- known directors and actors (e.g. 
Matthew Modine, Zach Braff) or known titles (e.g. Veronica Mars) are 
asking for support? Moreover, within the "finance" stage, a debate about 
profit-sharing is emerging. In a time when the legislation on the topic 
is still in progress, projects that rely on crowds are well aware of 
operating in the frame of the expectation economy, which makes the 
pre-launch phase a form of entertainment in itself. With this in mind, 
in which ways are promotion and audience engagement being redefined?

3. The "sharing" phase, deliberately kept apart from the participation 
stage, welcomes papers focused on the dynamics of diffusion. Most of the 
projects developed in crowdsourcing and funded through crowdfunding, in 
fact, get visibility by users' sharing activities, although they do not 
fund them nor take part in the production in a direct way. These 
dynamics are difficult to predict or map, but require a deeper analysis 
in order to offer new perspectives on the circulation of contents as a 
way to promote them and as a way to overcome the too generic frame of 
virality. This will also lead to a reconfiguration of the relationship 
between the promoter and the public, in the shape of a more 
sophisticated construction of audiences. Finally, how do audience 
building strategies impact on the life cycle of a crowdsourced and 
crowdfunded project?

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Further information

Potential contributors can send a 2000 character proposal (in Italian or 
in English) together with a brief biography by 25th

May 2013 to (marta.martina2 /at/ unibo.it) and (nico.gallio /at/ gmail.com).

Communications of acceptance will be sent by 31st May 2013.

The final paper (in Italian or in English) is due on 20th July 2013 
(20.000 characters, spaces included).

The special issue will be published in November 2013.

Since the journal uses the blind peer-review, between September and 
October 2013, changes may be required.


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