Digital is either Global or Hyperlocal

(This is an excerpt from an essay for the Community Media Expert Meeting's whitelabel)

Filtering is not a new phenomenon as news agencies have done this since the beginning of media. The difference is that now “we all can be small news agencies” and curate the most intersting content we find. Content is global and there is infinite amount of it, enabling easy cross-referencing and such.

This development requires media to look at their operations as global. National level is diminishing and readers are increasingly gaining influences from the global community through the networked societies. This will obviously be a long transition, but when national borders used to regulate the flow of cultural phenomenoms, today’s flow of information has no borders. Therefore cultures are most likely going to go global, and media will as well as an important mediator of it.

However, as the media will go global beyond national borders, it is fragmenting into niches. As the post modern society tends to categories everything in order to be functional, so will the cultural interests be categoriest. For example teenagers will listen a certain kind of music of their niche, not just from the national level, but from the certain niche on the global level. The media that will be able to focus on these niches will gain most viewerships from the fans. More than from the general focused media, because of the stronger community ties, feeling of belonging and enjoyment through sharing of similar ideas.

Beside cultural, this feeling of belonging on communities can be seen in the idea of hyperlocal. Media that focuses on cities, on the neighbourhoods or on the certain streets, will most likely gain interest of the locals regardles of their cultural interest. Locals are a part a community that is not bound by culture, but by physical location. News of what happens on your street is always interesting.

So, media organisations will face options to choose global niches, where viewers are bound by cultural interests, or hyperlocal communities, where viewers are bound by interest of their physical location. Communities, cultural or physical, are the most important aspect as no viewer will be interested of information on which they cannot relate to.

Why is dreaming so important?

Philosophy

...because people crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones that do!
Steve Jobs, 1997

Zeitgeist Addendum

Philosophy + Thoughts

Tonight I watched the hyped film Zeitgeist Addendum (watch it here). It is a very eye opening and thoughtful film. I must say, I am very pro capitalism ideas of motivating people from inside and giving them incentives to work to make their life better. I don't believe that state managed world would never survive because of the sloth people will endure eventually.

Zeitgeist Addendum argues "there should be no states"

The internet is opening the world to mash up culturally and economically. We are opening our world to new information. In addition, as we speak the monetary system is about to collapse. I believe, within the next couple of years, the world will start to accelerate away from the monetary system, where the system is for the profit. Not for the people. I think it could be for both. Monetary system worked in the old world where technology could not take away scarcity. Today it is outdated, because of the still emerging information and technology revolution.

Is the solution towards the ideas the Venus Project states in Zeitgeist Addendum? Maybe, maybe not. That does not matter. The film's strength is that is makes you think.

However, the film does have its weakness. One issue it does not cover is power. Ultimately, people do not look for money or easy living, they look for power. And we should not be naive to believe, that even with all needs provided, people would live in harmony with no power hungry individuals emerging.

Still, the point of the film is that it is time for a new system. I agree. We are no longer living in a world where scarcity is an issue. Human society has means to provide everything for everybody, from energy to transportation and food. if we just could take away the power hunger.

Could we live in a world where cultures mash up to produce individual opinions and little notions about places, people, behaviors. About the good and positive issues human mind truly wishes to have. In a world where no war is fought because there is no scarcity?

Free your mind.

Leave Steve Jobs Alone

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/v/JyKe8iJ9-Jo&hl=en&fs=1]

This is disturbing and mostly wrong...

Returning to Helsinki

Thoughts

It was time to return to the land of fathers. This comes from the deluxe room at a design hotel Glo in the heart of Helsinki. The reason is work, filming two features for MoSTV. Feelings run deep and philosophically this is a well meaningful journey.

Just after one day, I'm seriously enjoying this city. Quality of life is so much better, but would have the same opportunities if living here? They say traveling is meaningless without a place to return. The question is am I traveling or simply rooting myselfto London?

More interestingly the skills, experiences and all the shit that has been poured over have changed me inside. Cliché but in this case very much applicable. How will Helsinki treat me during this trip might change course of this journey. Will it be better to have been away or will it just feel like utopia of days gone by? One thing is for sure, Helsinki has changed as well. I am the one to catch up.

The History of Visual Communication

Academic + Philosophy

An amazing study and insight on the history of visual communication gives a good look on the development of this human endeavor. Please read it when you have some time.

Below is Wikipedia's definition for visual communication. The translation of ideas, stories and concepts that are largely textual and/or word based into a visual format, i.e. visual communication.

"Visual communication is the communication of ideas through the visual display of information. Primarily associated with two dimensional images, it includes: art, signs, photography, typography, drawing fundamentals, colour and electronic resources. Recent research in the field has focused on web design and graphically oriented usability. It is part of what a graphic designer does to communicate visually with the audience".

The primary tool by which man has visualised ideas is through the usage of writing and, by extension, type: Writing/type is the visual manifestation of the spoken word. And words are what we communicate with. Thus it is no overstatement when we say that type is the essence of visual communication and by extension of visual communication design. Type, where it is present, is simply the single most important element that you put on a page, since it inherently carries the essence of communication and communication is what our subject of study as graphic/multimedia designers is all about. Thus, the history of visual communication, i.e. the history of the visualisation of the spoken word, will largely follow the development of typographic systems, with a special focus on the Latin typographic system, given that this is the one that we are operating under. Although the primary focus will be on typographic elements and methodologies, the course will, of course, also cover pictorial aspects of visual communication, such as illustration, illumination, photography, shapes, colour etc as and where they pertain to the essence of the subject.

By reading the study, I developed some ideas on the visualisaton of music as parallel form of communication. If word on paper are communication, I think music can be seen as communication as well. However, maybe a bit more abstract and targeting emotions, rather than practical words. In addition, music often uses words in poem form, further emphasising the abstract aspect of communication.

PhD study for "The History of Visualisation of Music" anyone?

Viral World

Philosophy + Business

The new Cadbury chocolate advert with the gorilla. It has created a turmoil within the advertising industry, many top level people saying that the advertisement future is changing. Might be true, and the interview with Laurence Green, the creative director of the company behind the Cadbury's Gorilla (Fallon London), made me think about the issue.

"...there is a product message in there too. In fact, the entire commercial is a product metaphor. "Chocolate is about joy and pleasure. For years Cadbury has told us that it was generous, through the glass and a half strap line. We thought, don't tell us how generous you are; show us. Don't tell us about joy; show us joy."

What is important in this quote is the last bit. Society is changing, and the media has to change with it. We are so bombarded with advertisements and choice that sometimes it feels that we are anymore free to do the choice between products. This leads to the fact that audience / consumers (which ever way you want to call them) do not want someone to tell them. They want someone to show them.

This is a television broadcast spot that actually feels like a viral. There’s something intrinsically wonderful about seeing this weird little bit of film unceremoniously crop up between Big Brother commercial breaks.

Brilliant, memorable, left-field way to engage people with a famous brand that needs no introduction and has traditionally suggested that the most important thing about chocolate is a glass and a half of milk. Respects my intelligence and is prepared to spend some of my ‘hard earned chocolate budget’ on giving me a laugh.

For the Love of Dance

Philosophy


Another week over, and I'm recovering from long weekend giving away parties in a top superclub, Ministry of Sound. My relationship with the club is a rather relentless love/hate. So often there are colleagues, one off tenders, punters and other people in the top of the clubbing industry coming to me telling how lucky I am to work at the MoS. Or, the one preferred by me, girls coming to me to tell how hot I am managing the Lounge of the club....well, that is a very nice bonus.

Last Saturday night was a good example of this. We had Erick Morillo playing and the house was packed with 2000 people. First of all, I met couple of odd acquintants at my bar. I met them in a professional manner, changing the "oh so predictable" small talks of "how is it going?". Followed by the offering of some drinks. Made them their same old brandy and cokes. Finally, only reason they are familiar with me and even say 'hello' is those drinks. They don't believe this dude has no potential because he is working in a club.

Few hours later a colleague of mine, lets call her "Julia", seemed to have her eye on me. Well, she is amazingly beautiful girl and very sexy in her moves. But when she opens her mouth, its like needles stinging inside, due to the most uninteresting topics. So she asks me out to a very posh bar on Wednesday, offering a guestlist entrance. Me, being so nice as always, accepts the offer. 5min later I'm thinking, what the fuck I'm going to in these posh parties, where the only thing the person next to you cares is his next line of coke. Yeah, sure I could have an awesome night out with her that would end up with good sex. Do I want that? Yes surely, but I still feel like a whore, because I recently saw the real beauty with a soulmate in Barcelona. Its not your body, its you mind that makes it beautiful.

Well, I am the last one to judge, after having done my share of one nights and sucking for a drink. It's quite inevitable. I do enjoy a good night out and the clubbing world. In most cases, Ministry of Sound does have the inner beauty in creation. 7am, the meat market has closed, the ones left are the ones with their sunglasses on. And they are there for the love of dance. That is why we DJs and VJs want to throw our sets. For that love.

I am often asked why I don't get a normal job. Why I am still working in the club. I do it because I see the opportunity arising from it and, beside, what it the glamour of an cubical 9-5? For me, there is no weekday, no early mornings. Just the beautiful freedom to push the boundaries of live visuals. And what a better place than Ministry of Sound. Sounds very cliche, but it's maybe more important now than ever: Do it for your heart, not for the needs of others.

Dream of Barcelona

Philosophy + Travel


Barcelona is the place to be, though now I'm back at home in London. Tired from the exhausting trip back after less than 2 hours of sleep. Numbness inside, mainly due to the tiredness, and partly from the extremely emotional week behind me. The illusion is broken.

One reason was the fact of reuniting with two very important friends from my past. After the loneliness one feels in massive metropolies such as London, it was somehow a striking contrast to live your live with a days and nights filled with laughter. And those regular bottles of red wine.

It was startling for my drive to get the VJ world organised. I have always enjoyed the silence, to sit beside a lake and just think. However, the energy you get from close collaboration is something amazing that beats the easiness of loneliness. The problem is the creation of the momemtum for the collaboration. Creation of rewards and motivation. In other words, not far from basic project management. That is my next challenge.

Retrospect

Thoughts + Philosophy



This blog has been running since Sept. 2006. However, I've been a global nomad sometime now, living away from my home country. Basically I took the step on 5th September 2003, a day after playing my last ever show in Finland with Velcra. See the photo attached. Tours around Europe followed, but I have not stepped on stage in Finland ever since. Ironic, isn't it?

Yes it is, for the reason that this adventure has completely overhauled my course in life. Most likely I will never play music anymore, not at least with a professional pursuit in mind. The University degree in 2003-2006, which concentrated on Visual Arts, made me realise my strenghts in visual perception, visual composing and visual interpretation.

Although the 2003-2006 were the toughest years in my life, the shit that was unloaded on me carved out the best. Not that I know everything now, but those years washed away the blind spots that I was pursuiting. Like dear Marcella said: Open your eyes and you will see.

So the result of these years was ignited in June 2006 in the form of Moradi Hudson Management. First off with a hellish video production in Las Vegas, which was a good school. I was quite naive with my leadership, and so take some blame on the mistakes (which are too numerous to go through here). These experiences combined with Team leader skills with Ministry of Sound and about 20 business plans in a year, have made me very sure of myself. We see if it is all rewarded soon. At the moment it looks good.

The Greatest Day Of Your Life

Philosophy



Lets face it, some days are more meaningful than others. Or at least more memorable. We all have personal meaningful days, ones that meant more to us than any other one. I do something that most people don't do, I keep a top 5 best days of my life list. Lately it's been filling up, and spots are harder to come by, but it's awesome to keep the list and I suggest you all do the same.

1. Velcra gig at Provinssirock festival 2003, playing in front of thousands of people, followed by Massiva Attack's VJ gig in the middle of the beautiful northern nightless summer. The magic of the night was far beyond this world. My first touch on VJing. (see the attached photo).

2. Food poisoning myself and Partyboy the Cat, June 2006. Three days of hallucinations, no food and near death experiences. Result: my heart literally nearly stopped (at a ripe age of 27), and I will always check the 'best before' date from now on. Thanks to Shara for taking care of me.

3. Second night in New York on January 2007 partying with completely ramdom people from my guesthouse Chelsea Star. We went around lower east side, ending up in this smallish bar. The spontanious was awesome, with a total guys night out. At the I danced the night away with a Texas girl, who was very fascinated by my MoS "tattoo"...hmmm.

4. Deep Dish night at Ministry of Sound in July 2005. 'nuff said. Just memorable.

5. 12 hrs drive from Wasington D.C. to Portland, Maine in June 2000, while my friend was high on all kinda substances, constantly talking and trying to keep me awake. Hilarious I say. Car breaking down evetually and Kym came to rescue us.

--- --- ---

You would be surprised with the things you remember when you start to put everything together, between shady unmoral actions you pull off to moments of magic when everything is perfect and you can give back the love for your fellow human beings. Like Kym said, it is those people who remember your name that counts. So, what's my name again?

What was the greatest day of your life?

Poetry in Motion

Philosophy

I thought to wrote down some lines again. Its been a while since the last update. Lately I have been thinking about my live here in London. I always somehow though that I have to call this city a home. But after four years, I just can't. It is a great city and does give me so much. However, I think I will never call it a home, more as a long overstreched stopover until the next leg on my travels.

That takes me to the point: I am on a long trip, covering ground, learning about myself and hopefully one day able to make it into my art. Yeah, there is the company and long term plans of building a career. But career in what? Not that 9-5 office one, no! Life is journey, so there is no point getting stucked. Keep your options alive.

However, I bet it is a real crack to arrive home oneday and see the familiar faces in scandinavia. It praises the old wisdom that my goold old friend Mikko mentioned: All travelling is meaningless if you have no place to return. As these years roll by I starting to believe more and more that the journey is the destination. The art of movement is like poetry in motion. Try to see thing in a new light and appreciate the little details.

Secrets to Prosperity

Philosophy

1. Contentment; not a bank account.
2. Happiness; for a determination simply to be happy attracts prosperity. Happiness is, at the same time, the best definition of prosperity.
3. Generosity; for by sharing with others the good that life gives us we can open up the well-springs of abundance.
4. Including the good of all in your own quest for abundance.
5. Recognition of the part you play in the great Symphony of Life. For Life will sustain you, if you attune yourself to its harmonics.
6. Working with, not against, life's changing rhythms.
7. Looking behind the obstacles you face in life, to the opportunities they represent.
8. Seeing failure as a corrective, not as a misfortune.
9. To diversify, not your financial investments merely, as monetary counsellors recommend, but more importantly - your investments of energy. Cultivate fresh ideas, fresh interests, fresh relationships, fresh reasons for enjoying your life.
10. Faith; in yourself, in others, in Life's abundance.
11. To break the hypnosis of self-limitation. The heights that any person has attained can be attained again by others - by anyone, each in his or her own way - given enough time, dedication and focused energy.
12. Not to fritter energy away with trivial desires. A leaking tap, drop by drop, wastes many litres.
13. Finding pleasure in simplicity.
14. Holding positive expectations, supported by a dynamic will.
15. Recognising that people can be your best investment. Be a true friend to all.
16. Realising that what you own is held by you in trust. Treat it responsibly. If you squander it, the trust will pass to another.
17. Finding strength in yourself. Don't wait for passing waves to propel you forward.
18. Realising that one cannot truly prosper by the diminshment of others. Bless everyone. An expansion of self-identity is a mark of prosperity, and also a condition for its attainment.
19. Extending a willing hand to the needy, helping them, above all, to help themselves.
20. Common sense; don't depend on luck, but on a realistic assessment of whatever situation you face. Only in practical stages can you transform 'improbables' into realities.
21. To remember - the higher the mountain, the harder the effort needed to conquer it. Success is not for the weak-hearted, It is for those who never rest until they attain their ideals.
22. The willingness to sacrifice non-essentials for essentials.
23. To live in the present - not in past attainment, nor in future victories.
24. The patience to adjust action to reality. In every setback, try to understand what life is trying to teach you.
25. Envying no-one. View others' successes and failures empathically, as your own.
26. Inventiveness; success in any field demands the creative outlook of an artist.
27. To feed it daily with fresh, new ideas - lest, like a still pond, it stagnates.


by J Donald Walters (Swami Kriyananda)
from the book : Secrets Of Prosperity
published by Crystal Clarity Publishers

New York, New York pt.2

Philosophy + Travel

So the aim in during the New York trip is to find the 'Essence of New York'. I've been talking to and trying to find the essence from the lips of the locals and filming them. As you might remember, I believe you have to see it, before your lips can talk about it. So the locals are the best ones to do so.

So I've been given diverse comments on my question. It is been the subway, hot dog stands, people, the hue that encloses us all, Times Square etc etc etc.... Everyone has had their opinions on it and its been great to talk to them about it. I thank you all, see you on film.

However, it took the whole week, before I found the best description of the essence. Yesterday at a bar I ended up talking to Ian, the person who took Stuff-lifestyle magazine to USA. I've seen few people with the same inner light of acceptance radiating from people, but Ian was one of them. This is what he said: "The essence is not the normal material objects that make New York feel unique. They are a big part of the city of New York, though they are not the reason why people come here. The essence is the dream of something better".

There it was, like a bolt from the sky it hit me right on the spot. It is the same for London. The reason I moved there few years ago, was the dream of something better. It the reason why people move to the cities and why these cities are seen as gleaming diamonds to be.

Person of the Year

Philosophy

This is so true. Time magazine's annual person of the year is chosen. And it is You, over every "great" powerful men. The internet is starting to show it's awesome potential as a networking and communication tool. It is truly awesome how people can start to communicate person to person round the world, 24/7 and with dimishing costs. This speeds up innovation, creation and brings happiness as people can connect to their loved ones.

That is a true revolution!

For me personally, it is a sign that I'm on a right track bringing artists together, under a creative umbrella. That is how artistic communities have always worked. I'll see you in the future, it will be bright.

Check out the Time magazine's article about the Person of the Year

Enterprise 2.0

Business + Philosophy



The way internet is changing world seems to just getting faster. Old values and methods are being crumbled on the ground by the current generation of enterpreneurs. Currently they are researching and studying the models at universities, where these ideas will eventually emerge.

I am in a blessed position to be one of these people, in one of the alpha cities, London. While building my personal strategy for Moradi Hudson Management, I am increasingly coming accross business theories that are very innovative and does make you think ways to crumbe the old world, where physical place still meant a lot.

Please go and read more at the great blog of Mr. Dion Hinchcliffe . His interesting theory is based on relation to theories Web 2.0. This one is called Enterprise 2.0, the intellectual capital and innovation come from community ideology. The community however is based at the internet, and in the physical world individuals can be situated over the globe. Interestingly this has very much similarities to my personal vision of MHM.

YuppieHippiePunk

Philosophy

Whatever each of us may be looking for, we tend to pursue our desires through images: symbols of the ideas we desire. We buy leather jackets when we want rebellion and danger. We purchase fast cars not for the sake of driving fast, but to recapture our lost youth. When we want world revolution, we buy political pamphlets and bumper tickets.

Somehow we assume that having all the right accesories will get us the perfect lives. And when we construct our lives, we often do it according to an image, a pattern that has been laid out for us in terms of being for example a hippie, businessman, housewife or punk.

Will the construction make you happy?

Are you really what you appear to be? If not does it really matter?

Is punk a businessman and businessman a punk when we strip our constructed images?

Everything Is By Chance

Philosophy

Merce Cunningham (choreographer)
John Cage (composer)

Cunningham has said: "there are no fixed points in space"
-> Everything is by chance

Cage has said: "music can be played without a single note" Even though there is a silence from the instrument we always hear sounds around us
-> Music is created by chance

Stars Are Killers

Philosophy

It has been a month since a great revelation for myself (might one day publish it as well). I feel new. As I mentioned something was born inside, and I see the world in such a different way. All in a positive light.

I also saw a dream last night. I was in a house. The house suddenly turned into a hostage site when a masked man took it by storm. I attacked him fighting for my freedom, and was able to cut his leg with a knive (similar to the "Pet Semetary" film's end when the kid cut his granpa's at the end). This did not help so I turned on for a different tactic. I talked him and showed a friendly love. Turned out that was exactly what he was looking for in the house...hmm...

Finally a quote by Andrew Loog Oldham:

Stars must be killers, always striking first and fast. They have to be totally obsessed and paranoid about this year's vision of themselves that it's beyond obsession - it's reality, logical and natural. There is no remorse when they kill, no regrets when they pimp and no shame when they whore."

Identity Is A New Concept

Philosophy

For any people to try to pin down their identity as though it is a captive butterfly is simply wrong: People are able to have more than one identity and the fact we're returning to trying to limit ourselves to one identity is a sign of a growing insecurity and uncertainty.