Video Vortex Reader II: moving images beyond YouTube

118 Video Vortex Reader II Moving Images Beyond Youtubecollection case studies119Business Models: Memberships and MicropaymentsIn the meantime, the Culture Vortex research has generated a lively discussion about businessmodels for video art and for online cultural heritage in general. New business modelshave become an important topic, both for commercial parties and for non-profit institutions.This is due to the fact that online media are challenging ‘older’, non-networked incomemodels; yet this development is also informed by an economic and political climate in whichpublic and private funding for non-profit institutions is dwindling. NIMk is also consideringstrengthening its distribution activities and finding new formats for presentation and incomegeneration.For NIMk, it has been very helpful to look for inspiration elsewhere. Many suggestions foralternative income models emerged from the Culture Vortex expert meeting held on June 32010. 28 This expert meeting, with participants from a variety of organizations in the Dutchcultural sector, was especially fruitful in generating creative ideas for features and businessmodels for NIMk’s collection. One participant, Jaromil Rojo, who is very active in opensource development, presented a list of typical business models that exist for open sourcesoftware, many of which can be translated to other fields. 29 For example, the main businessmodel for open source software is so-called ‘supportware’: users don’t pay for the softwareitself, but they do pay for technical support. In a similar way, an organization like NIMkcould think about more creative ways to monetize its expertise – the specialized knowledgeand service from its staff and network – rather than its assets, the collection itself.Another spark of inspiration came from the popularity and acceptance of micropayments foronline digital content. The use of micropayments has increased significantly in the past fewyears, especially for mobile applications, music and ebooks. In a similar manner, NIMk couldthink about producing and presenting specific, exclusive content online – partly with worksfrom the NIMk collection, partly beyond – and to make these specially curated shows availablefor a small fee or micropayment. 30Membership models were also mentioned. According to this model, people who pay fora yearly NIMk membership would be granted access to a selection of exclusive activities,both online and offline. This is a strategy which might hold a lot of promise, but which alsoneeds quite a bit of experimentation and fine-tuning. Are people willing to pay for onlinecontent in the long term? Even when an immediate benefit and connection to the makersis made clear (for instance, when renters or buyers are informed that a large percentageof their payment goes to the artists directly), it is not clear that people are willing to pay.However, a membership model would be a logical step for a networked organization likeNIMk to take. Until a few years ago, a system of membership that provided discounts fortechnical assistance and the use of post-production facilities was already in place. Artistsin NIMk’s distribution collection automatically became members for free; others had topay a small yearly subscription fee. Such a model is probably quite logically translatableto the current situation and to online programs and services. 31 NIMk and other media artorganizations distinguish themselves by the high level of technical and practical expertisethey offer to artists and other professionals in the field. This expertise applies to other areas,such as scouting for new work by interesting artists, and curating programs about currenttopics or for targeted audiences.Context and MediationThe idea of creating more specially curated online programs and activities points to a specialquality that many cultural institutions and initiatives share: they are often specialized, andpossess a tremendous expertise, in one particular area. For example, some members ofNIMk’s staff keep a close eye on interesting new developments and promising young artistsin the field of media art in the Netherlands. Other staff members – including the author ofthis article – possess a sound art historical background and are good at explaining media artto a non-professional audience, connecting it to contemporary art, technical developmentsand to emerging social phenomena. NIMk also has employees who are specialized in boththeoretical and practical aspects of video post-production, open source software, video editingand preservation. In those instances in which NIMk lacks expertise in a specific area,the organization can count on its vast network of partner institutions and friendly individuals.The strength provided by these two assets – expertise and a great network – might becomeeven more important in the future. NIMk might come to think of its collection as an opportunityto inform and teach people about media art and specific topics, and as a vehicle forsocial networking in the media art field.Recently, NIMk has developed ‘guided tours’ through its collection. In the online catalogue,users can find specially curated selections of works about specific topics. Sometours were created on the occasion of a current exhibition at NIMk. 32 These tours are afirst, experimental step towards developing more diverse ways to use NIMk’s expertise andnetwork to make its collection more interesting and visible.In the near future, NIMk has plans to develop online resources, including a collection of articlesand guided tours with and through its collection; and perhaps some educational texts orvideos that introduce media art to a non-professional audience. With the Media Art Platform,an online social networking site for the field of media art field, 33 NIMk has experimented witha platform for the exchange of expertise and for networking. At this point, the attempt hasbeen only partly successful, but many lessons can be drawn from the difficulties we haveencountered. A renewed online strategy for NIMk’s collection will ideally include both functionsin a useful way.28. Kamp and Zevedei, Culture Vortex Program Line Public 2.0, pp. 34-49.29. Kamp and Zevedei, Culture Vortex Program Line Public 2.0, p. 51 for an overview of all opensource business models listed by Jaromil.30. Kamp and Zevedei, Culture Vortex Program Line Public 2.0, pp. 34-49.31. Rhizome, http://www.rhizome.org, is a New York-based nonprofit media art website which hasbeen working with a membership model for many years already – quite successfully apparently.32. Netherlands Media Art Institute, Catalogue: Tours, http://catalogue.nimk.nl/site/tours.php.33. Media Art Platform, http://www.mediaartplatform.org.