by Rona Mackay
The public will be able to upload video, audio and photo content setting out their vision of Scotland ahead of the May election with the launch of SNP Studios, the party’s latest innovation in online campaigning.
The initiative comes a week after the launch of a new campaign website and the successful pilot project where real world Facebook “like buttons” were used at the SNP conference. This helped deliver over 30,000 SNP messages to people through the Facebook platform; as delegates “liked” events which updated their Facebook statuses with details of the event and provided link back to a live webstream of the party conference.
Built in house by the SNP New Media Team, SNP Studios will allow people to use their talents in film, photography, graphic design and podcasting to help demonstrate how the SNP’s vision for Scotland resonates with them and their local community.
Submissions and stories uploaded to www.SNPstudios.com will be featured on the SNP’s official YouTube, Audioboo and Picassa channels – hosting video, audio and images respectively – as members of the public, candidates and party members are encouraged to highlight key issues in their communities and to share their vision of a better Scotland.
SNP Campaign Director Angus Robertson said: “Across the country every household has someone who loves taking pictures or making home movies on their phone or digital camera. What SNP Studios does is allow those passionate about Scotland, their communities and our country’s future to document the conversations and aims and then submit that content for consideration to be published on SNP websites.
“Scotland has a rich history of creativity and a wealth of talented individuals creating wonderful, world-class content. SNP Studios will give those who are passionate about making Scotland better the opportunity to showcase their abilities while contributing to the SNP’s positive and ambitious vision for 21st Century Scotland.
“For our activists and candidates it is an opportunity to set out the kind of Scotland we all want to see while highlighting and addressing the concerns of communities we hope to represent.
“Alongside the “myStory” section of the new SNP.org website – where people are able to express what they would like a re-elected SNP government to do in the next four years – SNP Studios adds an entirely new and innovative dimension to the SNP’s positive and inclusive Holyrood election campaign.
“’Soft launched’ across Twitter and Facebook on Thursday, we have been surprised at the number and quality of the clips and images we have already received and will begin publishing the best submissions next week as the campaign really kicks off.
“With content being submitted across the country through SNP Studios and original programming being produced in house and from those submissions, we will be able to provide an informative and entertaining perspective of the campaign across our network of Facebook pages and at www.SNPLive.tv.”