I have an idea.
Over time I have kicked around many suggestions for increasing my output of shorts. But none of them have come to much fruition, for very obvious reasons…they are a lot of work. Every time I get psyched up to work more and produce more (e.g. coming back from the 3rd Int’l VJ Awards in Berlin two weeks ago), I find myself bogged down by day to day tedium, and I end up creating excuses not to do the work I want to do.
And so we are clear, “the work I want to do” has the following qualities:
It is innovative.
It is journalistic.
It is short-form.
It is entertaining.
One thing I know is that, in addition to the fact that it is just hard work, one of my biggest reasons for not producing material (either video or print) is the concern that I don’t have any venue to show the work. I have nobody to show it to, no audience to which I can communicate, except maybe an online audience (which is pretty lame; let’s face it: you can’t see them laugh, or nod, or worse, fall asleep).
Now in the last few weeks I have had a few good ideas for stories, but as I said before, I find it hard to get the motivation going to go out and shoot this stuff. I’ve taken to carrying around one of our small cameras and shooting footage of subways to maybe recreate Pennebaker’s “Sunshine Express” or to reimagine the city symphonies of yore. But this method is very noncommittal, and avoids all the strengths of videojournalism (i.e. it isn’t character driven work). I have thought about stories in shanty towns, in bike shops. In my mind, I have shot a slew of great shorts. But very little tape has rolled.
I am right now sitting in Vbar, one of my favorite watering holes. On the way here I passed the Chess gallery where Mic Powell plays chess. I recognized it from the White House Hotel footage and because his work is on the walls and in the windows. I recall hearing that, when that scene was shot, everyone perked up, hoping that someone was shooting a piece about the gallery. Walking by, the urge struck me. But it is not my story. It is Graham’s. So I want him to shoot it. That’s an assignment. And that is what got me to thinking…
Let’s get each other to start working…
1) I want to start assigning each other shorts. I want to create a list of ideas for shorts for other people to shoot. Maybe they will be specific (such as, Graham: shoot a short on the chess venue), maybe they will be open assignments. And I want people to give me assignments. I want someone to give me an idea that inspires me and makes me want to work hard to realize it. I want to be challenged. Otherwise I think I may be bored by my own suggestions.
2) I want to start working like a little output factory. I want to create a roster of producers, maybe open a blog, and have a forum for us people to talk to each other and get on each others’ cases. I want to work hard and I want encouragement and for people to encourage me
3) I want to create deadlines (maybe monthly) and every month I want to screen the pieces. Maybe we will just screen at the 50th street office.
4) I want to build a stronger collective. Already we know people, friends, students, mentors, who do this work, but are dying for a story, or for a venue. If we make this a regular event, where the price of admission is a contribution, then we will have a group of great people in the same room, sharing ideas, pushing each other. Maybe we can grow a website and screen at bigger venues over time. Maybe at next year’s VJ Awards we overwhelm them with our work.
Right now that’s all I have. I’m curious to hear your reaction.
Tell me if you’d be interested. And if so, I want an idea for a story, and I will send you one in reply. Consider it a VJ grab bag.