it's lonely in the middle
Last night Chris and I went to the first Rad.Art (a group of local art farts loosely connected with U of M, less loosely connected with the 555 space) event of the season, a Rooftop Films screening and readings from Found Magazine and Clamor. It was supposed to be a positive and informative pep rally sort of experience, but it was frustrating and disappointing. We left at intermission. I don't know how I got to be "the liberal in the middle" or, even worse, "the voice of practicality and reason," but that's how it seems to be these days and it really sucks.
I wish everyone who made "activist" or "underground" documentaries heavily considered their work's ability to convey information, especially to anyone unfamiliar with the subject of their film or story. Last night's program included a short on the Cincinnati chapter of Cop Watch that was just fucking painful. I totally support Cop Watch; some of my Portland acquaintences are involved in the chapter out there. This documentary was crap. I am not dissing their shaking camera, poor video transfer, or anything that is perfectly justifiable, even unavoidable, when working on a very limited budget and in an environment that allows no time for planning shots, etc (like running away from riot police!). I'm pissed off by their disregard for clarity.
If you are going to provide an address for people who want more info, do not post it in yellow text over a moving backdrop of brick, concrete, trees, and sky. Black text on a white backdrop, or the reverse, is efficient and effective - YOU CAN READ IT.
Constant soundtracks are unnecessary, especially when it doesn't change for the 15-min. duration of the film and can distract your audience from the people on screen who are speaking - if your audience doesn't like the music, it gets annoying.
If you are promoting an activist organization in hopes of gaining support rather than preaching to the choir (and preaching to the choir is ok sometimes - I'll get to that shortly), don't assume your audience is informed or sympathetic. The first few minutes of the Cop Watch short focused on the fatal shooting of a young black man by a white police officer; the young man was wanted for several misdemeanors and fled when approached by the cops. If he was unarmed and made no attempt to harm the police, the documentary should have stressed this. If he was shot in the back, this should have been stated. Details of other excessive force or inappropriate behavior from the cops should have been CLEARLY described shortly thereafter - again, black text on a white background can work wonders. Similarly, title cards that provide introductory questions or factoids to your 10- to 30-sec. interviews can help the film stay focused and cohesive.
The other short that irritated me was one that was definitely preaching to the choir, but at least doing so blatantly and in a comedic way. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring of Free Trade is a cheeky reframing of LotR as an anti-capitalist/-globalization struggle. It has a couple really funny bits in it (Gandalf as Noam Chomsky!? HAW!), whether or not you agree with its hardline stance (I don't). But the very last gag made me retch; a "coming soon" splash for the sequel, The Twin Towers, with footage of a plane crashing into the World Trade Center. It's tasteless, even mean, barely relevant. Even if its intended audience doesn't find it offensive, it does reinforce the perception of some people outside the anti-globalization movement that activists are terrorists. Thanks, guys. Thanks a lot.
I wish everyone who made "activist" or "underground" documentaries heavily considered their work's ability to convey information, especially to anyone unfamiliar with the subject of their film or story. Last night's program included a short on the Cincinnati chapter of Cop Watch that was just fucking painful. I totally support Cop Watch; some of my Portland acquaintences are involved in the chapter out there. This documentary was crap. I am not dissing their shaking camera, poor video transfer, or anything that is perfectly justifiable, even unavoidable, when working on a very limited budget and in an environment that allows no time for planning shots, etc (like running away from riot police!). I'm pissed off by their disregard for clarity.
The other short that irritated me was one that was definitely preaching to the choir, but at least doing so blatantly and in a comedic way. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring of Free Trade is a cheeky reframing of LotR as an anti-capitalist/-globalization struggle. It has a couple really funny bits in it (Gandalf as Noam Chomsky!? HAW!), whether or not you agree with its hardline stance (I don't). But the very last gag made me retch; a "coming soon" splash for the sequel, The Twin Towers, with footage of a plane crashing into the World Trade Center. It's tasteless, even mean, barely relevant. Even if its intended audience doesn't find it offensive, it does reinforce the perception of some people outside the anti-globalization movement that activists are terrorists. Thanks, guys. Thanks a lot.