Above: Sketch (2004) and a 3D model (2006) of the planned exhibit. See more images on the installation design page.

Global Lives Project screenings and video installations have taken place all over the world thanks to the efforts of committed partner institutions and volunteers. As a volunteer-driven organization with no full-time staff, we depend on this type of support for everything that we do, from producing our shoots to building this website to getting our work in front of the public. Below are the key steps to organizing your own exhibition:

1. Get the Footage

All of our videos are available under the Creative Commons BY-NC-SA license, which means that as long as your event is free to the public, you don't even have to ask for permission to show the footage! You can order a DVD with 10-minute versions of our completed shoots, or if you want to show the full 24-hour versions of our shoots, you can order a hard disk with all of our footage available to date. We're currently in the process of posting all of our video to the Internet Archive, after which point you will be able to download the full-resoluton videos for free (~3 terrabytes as of 3/15/10).

2. Pick a good Venue

The first step is to decide if you want to do a single-channel screening of shorts from many GLP shoots, or if you want to build a site-specific installation with multiple screens or even take advantage of an existing location with multiple screens. For a single-channel screening, get a copy of our latest DVD and then you're all ready to go.

For either type of showing, you'll want to think about things like accessibility, seating, proximity to public transit, parking, bathrooms, etc. Also extremely important is the existing community or audience that the venue will attract, and what type of PR they will do for you if they agree to be a host. These are the key things that you'll need to consider in evaluating multiple possible venues.

With multiple projection screens, things get a bit more complicated. Basically, you want a really big, dark space. Big because you need to make sure there's enough room for the projectors to make a nice big image. As a general rule, it's good to make the screen at least as tall as the people coming to the installation, and if possible, double or triple their height. For that to work, you need to figure out what projectors you have access to and look them up in the almighty projection distance calculator.

3. Publicize your Event

The key to a successful event is to start planning early — you can make your own publicity materials from scratch or download a flyer from one of our past events (like the flyer from Tokyo at right by Erika Kamogawa) and modify it to make it your own! You should also use the powers of the internet to promote the event and turnout a big crowd. This means using tools like Facebook, Orkut, Evite, or just plain email to get the word out. You can also do postcards, posters, and even try to get print ads donated. You should plan to spend more energy and time on publicity than almost any other aspect of exhibit planning, as it can make or break an event.

4. Building a video installation

We're currently in the process of designing a tutorial for how to build your own installation. For now, check out the pictures of the installations from Tokyo, Sapporo and San Francisco to see what has been done so far and look at the installation design page for sketches and 3D models of prospective future exhibits.

Questions? Write to info [at] globallives [dot] org