Proposal for Sarai FLOSS fellowship

Objective: To explore the feasibility of using only FLOSS tools for video production

Background: 

Even though Linux has been heavily used in commercial film production for a long time (albeit with proprietary software), most film makers do not consider it a feasible platform for video production. Others are not even aware of the possibility.
Although for a long time there were no high quality open source programs for video production, several promising new projects address different stages of the process. Unfortunately, this appears to be a largely unexplored and undocumented area.

Few film makers have the time or inclination to experiment with open source software--they use the tools they know will work. Editors, cinematographers, sound designers, and other practitioners use whatever software will fetch them work; and so people trying to break into the industry end up using the same proprietary programs that everyone else is used to. This preference is reinforced by--and, in turn, reinforces--the fact that most institutes provide relevant training only in the same proprietary software.

Thus, the perception that Linux is unsuitable for serious multimedia work is locked in a self-preserving cycle, even though the reality may be changing. This is particularly regrettable, given that many documentary film makers would stand to benefit from using open source software, given their tight budgets.

For open source tools to become a viable alternative, their development must be focused towards meeting the needs of film professionals, but the current situation separates developers from the potential users they most need feedback from. This also means that the direction that development takes is based on the interests and experience of individual developers, and some actual needs are never realised. This furthers the impression that open source tools can't do the job.

Proposal:

The way to break both these cycles is to create a space for meaningful dialogue between the two largely disparate communities of film professionals and open source developers. One step towards this goal would be to demonstrate that it is possible to create a finished film using only open source software. Such a demonstration would also highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the existing toolchain, which would be invaluable to guide further development.

I propose to make a short digital film using only only open source software, and document the entire process. I will augment this with relevant feedback drawn from my interactions with active film makers at every stage of the production.

I will start with some research on currently available software and its capabilities, while speaking to film makers about the software they use, and their expectations from it. Next, I will shoot footage on a mini-DV camera, import it and edit it on a Linux workstation. 

I will also document this process in detail, including the choices of software available, their suitability to the task, the process of using each one and potential areas of improvement.

Timeline:

Research: Two months
Pre production: One month
Shooting: One month
Post-production and documentation review: Two months

Follow up:

1. I will follow up by speaking to the film makers I interviewed, to tell them what I learnt about video production under linux, as well as to collect technical feedback about the finished film.
2. I will share a summary of this feedback with the developers of the programs that I reviewed.
3. If suitable, some involved groups may be able to use the film and document as advocacy tools with institutes and colleges offering mass communication and film making courses to promote the use of FLOSS tools.

Hassath <h@hassath.org>