The great folks over at the Oakland Museum of California recently uploaded a bunch of video mashups into our Year of the Bay project which you can now check out. The videos, in conjunction with the museum’s Bay Motion exhibit, are contest entries asking members of the public to submit a video interpretation of their relationship to the San Francisco Bay. Those entering the “Bay Motion Contest” had the option to use their own home videos, or to remix footage from the wonderful Prelinger Archives, a collection of over 60,000 “ephemeral” (advertising, educational, industrial, and amateur) films.

“A Trip Down Market Street Before the Fire,” 1906. Archival footage from the Prelinger Archives.

The Bay Motion mashup contest continues the theme of the the exhibit itself, exploring how the San Francisco Bay and the surrounding region “was captured by amateur, professional and industrial camera people.” The museum received entries from a wide range of locals, from middle school students to working individuals. Here are some observations from the contest screening a few weeks ago, from the Oakland Museum’s champion Historypinner Robert Fahey:

“…it was a great atmosphere and everyone enjoyed the many different types of videos screened. The judges also greatly enjoyed each video and loved the experience of having them all screened and enjoyed/watched together. Rick Prelinger also made an appearance since his wife, Megan, was one of the judges. They both expressed how much it meant to them to see people creatively taking from the Prelinger Archives and and turn it into something of their own.”

These videos are great creative materials for our Year of the Bay project, and an an example of the ways you can contribute your San Francisco Bay story to Historypin. Watch the rest of these great contest entries on the Oakland Museum’s Channel, and click “Add a Pin” here to submit your own photos or videos of how you experience the Bay.