Problem

Worldwide, over 33 million people are living with HIV/AIDS and 25 million people have died from the illnesses associated with AIDS since 1981. It is estimated that over a third of those infected do not know their HIV status. Over half of the new HIV infections worldwide are in young people under the age of 25 (UNAIDS/WHO).

Worldwide, over 3.9 million people have mobile phones. And that number is expected to rise to 5.6 billion by 2013.By 2010, it is estimated that over half of the world's population will have at least one mobile phone (Strategy Analytics).

Proposition

In the Global AIDS Personal Public Service Announcement Project (GAPPSA), ten student teams on six continents will use cell phones to fight AIDS. In one day, student teams using only cell phones and laptop computers will plan, script, shoot, edit and premiere video messages encouraging their friends to be tested for HIV. Through the GAPPSA young people will use their most cherished technology to live longer, healthier lives.

In the 30 years since the launch of the first cellular networks, mobile phones have gone from purely interpersonal communication devices to media devices. Not only are people watching video on phones, they are creating their own videos. Unlike the shared medium of television, its small screen size and communication uses make the cellphone a uniquely personal media device. The personal nature of the cellphone gives it a unparalleled potential to influence personal change. Watching a video about HIV testing on the same device that a young person uses to communicate with his or her friends and family will have a different impact than watching the same PSA on a television in a room with other people.

In addition, the personal nature of the device facilitates customization of the messages to fit the demographics and media consumption patterns of the user. And, perhaps most importantly, the cell phone offers an "action outlet" to the user after watching a message. After a user watches a video encouraging HIV testing, the user can request a list (via SMS) of the HIV testing locations nearby. By creating videos that can be distributed directly to cell phones, the GAPPSA project will explore important pro-social uses for the fastest growing communication technology, mobile phones. In addition to being used to view video, cell phones now have powerful media creation capabilities. The ability to quickly shoot video on a device routinely carried in a pocket, purse, or pack opens new opportunities for rapid-response, low cost media production. And using videoconferencing technology to guide cell-phone "shooters" remotely allows talented producers to work on important social topics without expensive and time-consuming travel. Without leaving their offices, the GAPPSA will allow professional videographers to collaborate with highly mobile cell phone equipped student production teams all over the globe to create fresh messages encouraging young people to make good health choices.

The GAPPSA expands upon the success of the previous two AIDS PPSA projects to explore the global potential for new types of mobile media messages and production models. In AIDS PPSA events in both Philadelphia in 2007 and Atlanta in 2008, mobile teams were able to create a series of high quality PPSAs in a single day. The Global AIDS PPSA will add two new technological challenges to the mix. First, teams will use powerful new video conferencing technology to interact with producers on different continents. In the Global AIDS PPSA project, a producer in New York might work with a team of students in Tanzania. Or a producer in Hong Kong might collaborate with with a student team in Copenhagen. The second technological challenge will be that the only equipment used in the field to shoot video will be a cell phone, the Apple iPhone 3G(S). In the Atlanta AIDS PPSA, all the video was shot with a cellphone but the remote teams had to transfer the video to a computer they carried with them in the field to transmit the video. Now with the new iPhone 3G(S), teams will shoot and transmit their videos directly to the producer working with them in another part of the world.

Players

Several different teams will collaborate in the GAPPSA: Project Producers, Student Production Teams, Remote Producers, AIDS/HIV Experts, Mobile Media Experts, and the Pitch Review Committee. Project Producers. The Project Producers will coordinate all aspects of the GAPPSA project. These producers are in charge of all administrative tasks involved in the planning and execution of the project.

Student Production Teams. Ten student teams at universities around the world will be selected to participate. The GAPPSA project will include one student team from each of the following locations: Europe, Africa, Asia, Austrailia, and South America. North America will be represented by teams from Mexico, Canada, and three regions within the United States. Each student team will consist of 3 - 5 students and a faculty adviser. These student teams will be charged with scouting locations, recruiting actors, assisting in planning the production, shooting the video for the production, and transmitting raw video to the remote producer.

Remote Producers. The GAPPSA will enlist ten video producers from a variety of different locations to collaborate with and guide the student production teams. These remote producers will be be charged with planning the production, supervising the student production team, and editing the final production.

AIDS/HIV Experts. The GAPPSA will utilize a variety of experts on several facets of HIV/AIDS and testing. In addition to international experts, local experts will provide information on the local context for HIV/AIDS.

Mobile Media Experts. The teams will receive basic training on the mobile media equipment and techniques used in the project from professionals knowledgeable about mobile media technology.

Pitch Review Committee. A panel of HIV/AIDS and media experts will serve as the review committee to evaluate each teams "pitch" for their PPSAs. This committee must approve the project proposals before the production can begin.

Process

The GAPPSA can be divided into five different phases: Planning, Preparation, Production, Premiere, and Promotion.

Planning. The planning for the GAPPSA will begin in October. From October until December, the locations and participants will be determined. On World AIDS Day (December 1, 2009), the full details of the project will be announced. Site visits will be conducted January through March. Equipment will be shipped to participants no later than April 5.

Preparation. Several weeks of preparation will culminate in the actual production of the PPSAs on April 22. The participants will be prepared in several ways.

• Podcasts. Beginning on 3/22/09, a new podcast for event participants will be made available every week. These podcasts will include information about AIDS/HIV, mobile equipment to be used in the project, and the participants. Each participant must listen to these podcasts each week.
• Location Scouting. Each student production team will scout at least five locations that might be used in their productions. Each location must be within walking distance or accessible via public transportion. Scouting reports on these locations including pictures and a map will be posted on the GAPPSA website. These reports will allow the remote producers to formulate production strategies and schedules. Location reports must be online by April 16.
• Actor Auditions. Each student production team must secure the participation of 15 potential actors. These actors must agree to be available on the GAPPSA production day, 4/22. Video recordings of the each actor audition will be placed on the GAPPSA website so that the producers can make casting decisions. Actor auditions must be posted online by April 16.
• HIV/AIDS -- Global Orientation (4/21/09). Public health and HIV/AIDS experts will provide an overview of the global dimensions of HIV/AIDS including the science of the disease and testing issues. This orientation will be hosted in Atlanta and will be available to all participants via iChat videoconferencing on the provided equipment.
• HIV/AIDS -- Local Testing Challenges (4/21/09). Experts in each of the production locations will provide background information on HIV/AIDS in their location including special challenges their regions face with HIV testing. Each local expert will use iChat videoconferencing technology to make their presentation from the local GAPPSA location.
• Mobile Media Production Training (4/21/09). Participants will receive instruction in the equipment and techniques that will be used in the production. Experts in Atlanta will present the technology via iChat videoconferencing system.
• Idea Generation (4/21/09). The remote producers and the student teams will use collaboration software such as iChat to plan their PPSAs.
• Pitch (4/21/09). Each team will "pitch" their ideas for their production to the Pitch Review Committee via iChat. The Pitch Review Committee will offer suggestions and feedback. Each team will have to have the approval of the Pitch Review Committee before they can begin their production.

Production. Beginning at 8A local time on 4/22/09, each team will begin their production. The student production team will only be allowed to carry their iPhones on the shoot. They will be able to contact the producers via the iPhone. They will also be able to push the remote producers video clips throughout the shooting. All field production must terminate with all files transmitted by 6P. The Remote Producers will have until midnight to finalize and post their PPSAs.
During production, the public will be able to witness and monitor the GAPPSA in real-time through an iPhone app. This app will include interviews with participants, documents used in production, and GPS enabled maps showing the locations of each team.

Premiere. All of the PPSAs will be debuted on 4/23/09 via a live webcast. Each team will introduce their PPSA and explain why they chose their approach. In a webcast panel discussion, participants will review the project and its outcomes. After the premiere event, all of the PPSA will be submitted to the Department of Health and Human Services for clearance. Only those videos which are approved for distribution will be available to the public.

Promotion. The "Global AIDS App" will be released on National HIV Testing Day, June 27. This smartphone app will work on the primary smartphone platforms: the iPhone, Blackberry Storm, and Google G1. The "Global AIDS App" will include all of the cleared PPSAs. Users will be able to watch the PPSAs and then share them with their contacts via text messaging. The app will allow users to learn more about HIV testing including the location and protocol of local HIV testing centers. In addition, this app will provide researchers the opportunity to track how people are accessing HIV/AIDS information.

Equipment

The GAPPSA will utilize two types of equipment:

• iPhone 3G(S). This phone is capable of 30fps VGA quality video recording. The iPhone will be used by the student production team to shoot and transmit their video. The iPhones will also allow the student teams to communicate with the remote producers. Each production team will carry two iPhones -- one as a spare device. Each remote producer will also be equipped with an iPhone to allow constant communication with the production teams in the field via voice and text messaging. With 10 teams participating in this project, 30 iPhone 3G(s) will be required.
• Macbook Pro. The Macbook Pro laptop computer will be used in all stages of production. And it will provide the videoconferencing link via iChat. A total of 20 Macbook Pros will be necessary to equip each student production team and each remote producer with one.

Tentative Budget

• Administrative Assistance (Graduate Research Assistant) = $20,000
• Material Production = $13,000
• Site Visits = $50,000
• Equipment = $65,000
• Connectivity = $5000
• TOTAL = $153,000

Contact

If you are interested in this project in any way, contact:
Scott Shamp
Director
New Media Institute
Journalism
University of Georgia
sshamp@uga.edu
706.542.2857