Comic book writer Greg Pak will give out free copies of his “Vision Machine” graphic novel and speak at the “Open Wide: New Models for Public Media” panel at SXSW Interactive on March 12 at 12:30 pm.
For the full scoop, visit the official SXSW website.

If you’re going to be in Park City this weekend, please come to the “Vision Machine” panel on Saturday at the Slamdance Filmmaker Summit, pick up a free copy of the trade paperback, and hear Greg Pak and Orlando Bagwell discuss the project with New York Times film writer John Anderson.
Read on for more details from the official Slamdance press release:

Today, Tomorrow and the Next 50 Years
Saturday, January 22nd
Treasure Mountain Inn
Technicolor Gallery
Free with registration: http://x.co/Ljfr
Last year at the first Slamdance’s Filmmaker Summit – produced with the WorkBook Project, Open Video Alliance together with the support of the good folks at IndieFlix – we started a discus- sion that centered around how we, as a film community, could help support and encourage the release of independent film. Since then, Slamdance and its partners have made big strides in this endeavor, teaming up with independent curators and micro-cinemas to support and in some cases instigate distribution. These organizations have remained firmly committed to helping filmmakers survive economically, brokering partnerships with big distributors both in theatres and on alternate platforms such as video game consoles and online. But, the truth nonetheless remains: Most people in the independent film community are having a hard time just sustaining a living and livelihood, much less thriving.
With this in mind, this year’s Filmmaker Summit will take a long hard look at the realities behind the buzzwords, as well as focusing on an examination of the future of storytelling. Crowdsourc- ing, transmedia, branded content, social media… What do these things really mean for the inde- pendent filmmaker? Do we just need to learn how to better use our new internet-era tools? Can they help us create a realistic model for a self-sustaining independent community? Or are we lost in buzz?
Slamdance, the Ford Foundation, IndieFlix and Banyan Branch are teaming up to present a day of real conversation with innovative leaders, discussing the current state of our community, next steps and how each and every independent filmmaker can take better control of their creative destiny.
1:30 to 3 > Banyan Branch & IndieFlix present the panel:
Plz Retweet: How Social Media Is Changing The Way We Make And Market Movies.
Panelists Include: Scilla Andreen (IndieFlix), Tiffany Shlain (Dir. Connected, Yelp), Brian Newman (subgenre media), Jenny Samppala (Banyan Branch), John Anderson (journalist), Lance Weiler (Pandemic 1.0)
3 to 4:30 > The Ford Foundation presents a discussion moderated by journalist John Anderson with Orlando Bagwell of the Ford Foundation and comic book scribe and filmmaker Greg Pak, whose Vision Machine graphic novel imagines the social, political, and technological changes that will transform media creation and distribution over the next fifty years.
Copies of the Vision Machine trade paperback will be given to attendees. Vision Machine can also be downloaded for free at http://visionmachine.net.
4:30 to 7 > Join us for the Ford Foundation Happy Hour reception, where our summit partners will be having one-on-one discussions with filmmakers over sponsored drinks courtesy of Dos Equis and ONE BAR.

“Vision Machine” #3, the final issue of the sci fi comic book miniseries written by Greg Pak with pencils by R.B. Silva, will be released for FREE tomorrow at VisionMachine.net and at Comixology.com.
In the meantime, check out these advance rave reviews:

“… Vision Machine is an excellent ride, a superbly crafter hi-tech thriller that gushes with Pak’s love of dialog and sense of humor.”
— Iann Robinson, CraveOnline.com
“More than just a cautionary tale, Pak writes an entertaining and thrilling story as three friends face this new digital frontier together.”
— Scott Cederlund, Newsarama
“This is top-notch comics, and I can’t recommend the entire project enough.”
— Gary M. Miller, Delusional Honesty
“… a good piece of speculative fiction…. Throughout the series, the writing has been engaging and slick, and that doesn’t stop.”
— Andrea Speed, cxPulp
“The artwork of the book is top notch, and the writing is great. It’s the kind of story that speaks to what every conspiracy theorist has discussed including government monitoring and tracking. But it’s done so in an entertaining way with a quality story, and great artwork.”
— ComicBooksBoard.com

“Vision Machine” #2, written by Greg Pak with pencils by R.B. Silva, is now available for download! Don’t miss the comic that MTVGeek calls “”a fascinating look at a hypothetical future where access to information becomes the highest commodity.”
Read it at Comixology
Download the PDF
Special bonus! “Vision Machine” #2 contains a MAJOR TYPO! Tell @gregpak what that typo is on Twitter and you’ll be added to the list to receive an ADVANCE PDF of “Vision Machine” #3 in a few weeks!
Finally, if you missed “Vision Machine” #1, don’t worry — it’s also downloadable for free!