Adventures in International Collaboration: Facilitating Globally-Created Student-Generated Mobile Movies Using a Blend of Online Tools

Abstract

The burgeoning of international connectivity has, in the last few short years, opened up new arenas of artistic collaboration. The next generation of filmmakers will certainly engage with an ever-greater degree of remote collaboration, as more teams work together on projects across the planet. There are now many choices of tools and platforms available to link the world through connected devices. How these tools are strategically employed can mean the difference between a smooth, successful collaboration and one that’s fallen short of its potential for full member involvement. So Iis there such thing as a perfect recipe for an engaging international collaboration?

This paper examines one evolving case study in international collaboration within an educational context, parsing the choices made and measuring them against student uptake and involvement. Entertainment Lab for the Very Small Screen (ELVSS) is an evolving experiment in remote collaboration by international student teams collectively making movies on their mobile phones. As the ELVSS project has expanded and grown more complex since its inception in 2011, so have the lessons to be learned from it. What light can this globally collaborative effort shed on all future international collaborations, particularly ones involving mobile moviemaking?

To what extent did the combination of smart phones and Web 2.0 platforms assist or impede fluid communication, seamless workflow and creative contribution amongst the huge cohort? What were its successes, what were its lessons? How can we continue to improve the pedagogy of collaborative practice with mobile moviemaking to best prepare students to become productive contributing members of the new synergic world.