FEE3 2020: The post-mortem thread. Learnings & opportunities as we head into 2021

[zahlman]

@Shrimperor

@Vesly

If we do decide to use the channel year round, we should wait a few weeks for now as a post-FEE3 breather. Thoughts?

I think something like a biweekly video series on hacks/fanprojects could work. Something like ‘‘Fanproject of the week/Month’’ etc. but biweekly.

@Clendo

However, and I’m going to be hated for saying this, I think that the barrier to entry for future events needs to be set wayyy higher. Hacking is easier than ever these days, and when more and more people are submitting projects to be shown off, I honestly think the organizers just need to be more strict on what gets through. But what about inclusiveness? I’m all for being inclusive.

@Clendo

One more thing. Now that the FEU Youtube channel is a thing, I definitely think that we should figure out something to do during the rest of the year when this event isn’t going on. Since it’s the hub for FE hacking, why not get community members to post some educational videos on hacking topics, art tips, other livestreams, competitions, etc?

(And then, from the old thread:)

@Vesly

Project of the Week (PotW)

Make PotW an all-encompassing entity. A grotesque amalgamation of features - the good projects and the bad. Same time, every week, release a video & feature the project on feuniverse. Put the youtube video at the top of the featured project’s OP.

I broadly agree with all of the above, and I think these ideas dovetail neatly together. Specifically: we could use the channel to highlight whatever is the current Project of the Week, picking up everything that wouldn’t otherwise make the cut for the main annual show, where a higher standard is expected. And then, you know, actually do them at something resembling weekly frequency, subject to availability. New hackers can get exposure throughout the year and see a constant drip-feed of their fellow community members creating cool new stuff, and wouldn’t feel constrained by the deadline - but we’d still get to showcase the community’s biggest and most spectacular efforts.

The main challenge I see here is drama and hurt feelings over what goes where. To some extent, that’s unavoidable any time you have to apply a quality standard; but I think there are some objective-ish measures we can apply. Please note that the following is complete spitballing and I’m not trying to overrule anyone else about this.

• Animation and other art-asset showcases by people who qualify for pingable roles on the Discord should get in.

• Any project that has been worked on more or less continuously for at least a year, and has either active participation on the forum and/or its own Discord server, and doesn’t have any obvious major strike against it (i.e. inappropriate content) should get in.

• New tech demos should get in as long as they’re actually new tech in addition to being new projects, and not just expansions of existing ideas (i.e.“look at all these skills I made”; to me those are more like art assets, and they don’t make for good video content).

• You should also probably be able to get in if you’re able and willing to make your own trailer (<10 min) and it actually sells the project as something that belongs on the stage with the others.

So how about it?