While the ideas were compelling and the numbers sobering, I struggled to find aesthetic beauty in many of the compositions (although, maybe that’s part of the point), and I couldn’t help but feel a bit irritated. Maybe it’s the result of living in a relatively aware culture in Austin, but I feel like this information isn’t new. Yes, we’re too enthralled with the latest and greatest and we waste too much chasing those desires. Yes, cigarettes are bad for you and landfills suck. Yes, we’re assholes. So what’s the solution? How, as one person with one small recycling bin and one meager budget, change the rest of the world’s habits?

So I was excited to hear thoughts from architects––those who might have practical, creative suggestions that don’t ignore the fact that, by nature, we are consumers.

David Webber of Webber + Studio, Jay Hargrave of Cottom-Hargrave, and Stan Haas of Nelson Partners, all responded to the work, and gave thoughts on the practicality of sustainability.

Two compelling points stuck out to me: one, that a suburban culture is a wasteful one. Hargrave mentioned that cities like New York, Chicago, San Francisco, are some of the most energy-efficient, because people in urban communities share resources. Seems obvious, but it’s something I hadn’t thought of before. Granted, we’d need to reinvent the American dream so people wouldn’t crave giant yards, long driveways, and enormous residences, but it’s an interesting thought, and another that’s cementing my aversion to the ‘burbs.

Secondly, one of the most sustainable forms of architecture is restoration work. Haas talked of the Long Center, among other projects, which essentially recycled 90% of the materials it removed from the site, reinventing roof materials as walls, and supportive structures as design elements. I had no idea! Put a little damper on my deep-held need for a modern ‘green’ pre-fab, but whatever. I still want one.

Other notes: convert all your lights to LED (they’re great!), collect rainwater (it’s free!), and for heavens’ sake, recycle that Schlitz can after you’re finished shotgunning it.

Looking forward to more talks on Art and Architecture talks at the AMOA.

Above: Plastic Bottles, 60×120″, 2007. Depicts two million plastic beverage bottles, the number used in the US every five minutes.

www.webberstudio.com
www.cottamhargrave.com
www.nelsenpartners.com
www.chrisjordan.com
www.amoa.org

I feel like I was just served a jolt of musical java. Or more that it was placed before my nose like a tease, since we have three more months to wait until November 5th rolls around. However, early bird tickets are on sale NOW. Speaking from experience, I wouldn’t bank on discounted tickets still being available whenever you finally feel like getting around to a purchase. There are only 1,000 tickets at this price.

This will most likely be the last year FFFFest is hosted at its original site of Waterloo Park, owing to the expansion it’s undergone year-over-year. Still, you can expect all of the usual fixings, if not more.

Without further ado, here’s the 2010 line-up:

ORANGE STAGE:
Weird Al Yankovic
MGMT
Devo
Dirty Projectors
The Hold Steady
Man Man
Cap’n Jazz
Os Mutantes
Deerhunter
Wavves
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti
Polvo
Kaki King
Dum Dum Girls
Best Coast
Crocodiles
Magic Kids
Indian Jewelry
Appleseed Cast
Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos
Toro Y Moi
Junius
Woven Bones
Royal Forest
Mother Falcon

BLACK STAGE:
Bad Religion
GWAR
The Vandals
Dwarves
The Gories
Municipal Waste
Strike Anywhere
The Casualties
Valient Thorr
Jeff The Brotherhood
The Briggs
Power Trip
Eagle Claw
Mastodon
Suicidal Tendencies
High On Fire
Snapcase
Floor
The Bronx
Ringworm
Kylesa
OFF!
Peelander Z
Hatred Surge
Black Congress

BLUE STAGE:
RJD2
Slick Rick (performing “Great Adventures Of”)
Deakin (of Animal Collective)
Delorean
Big Freedia
Designer Drugs
Devin The Dude
Invincible
Butcher Bear and Charlie
League of Extraordinary Gz
DJ Nick Nack
A-trak
Yelle
Pharoahe Monch
Jean Grae
POS
Dam-Funk
Dominique Young Unique
Black Nasty
DJ Bird Peterson
Crew 54

YELLOW STAGE:
Cold Cave (doing a live visual projection show)
Monotonix
Mariachi El Bronx
Live Action Wrestling
Veggie Hot Dog Eating Contest
Punk Rock Story Time with Joe Sib (spoken word)
New Movement (live sketch comedy)
Air Sex Contest (presented by Alamo Draft House)
Live Stunt Show
Video Shows
Stand Up Comedy with: Matt Bearden, Altercation Punk Rock Comedy tour and many more tba

www.funfunfunfest.com

PGi Studios is the creative arm of PGi, an innovative communications technology company (formerly known as Premiere Global). They’re responsible for groundbreaking tech tools that make audio, web and video conferencing accessible, and even fun to use. The global corporation is headquartered in Atlanta, but chose to anchor their creative endeavors—web, writing and video—right here in Austin.

In 2009, PGi Studios produced 104 videos, from tutorials and product demos to customer testimonials and artful takes on the benefits of effortless global communication. Their hard work has certainly paid off: In June, PGi took home 7 Telly awards in a national competition dedicated to finding the best in national film and video production.

The studio’s success is largely a product of their people-first philosophy, as evidenced by the story of its origin: When a young girl from Kentucky went missing and one of PGi’s communications tools played a large part in her rescue, Chief People and Creative Officer Erik Petrik was inspired to make a short film documenting the ordeal. The resulting video was a massive hit among PGi employees—and especially with CEO Boland Jones, who saw the opportunity for the company to strengthen their connections with their customers and raise awareness of the far-reaching, and often unexpected, benefits of conferencing technology.

“My personal opinion is that story is the very fabric of how we are who we are,” says Petrik. “People live in corporations just like they live in life, their life moves and flows from one to the other now more than any other time in our history, so why not be a corporation that reflects that in the way it treats its people in the way that it promotes its products and the way that it runs its organization?”

PGi’s videos have always emphasized the importance of individual experience, which is why they’ve created a YouTube channel encouraging customers to tell and hear stories about who is using PGi products. “It’s about being connected, it’s about developing the notion of community and being relevant and practical to the people that you’re trying to serve with your products. We want the people to understand and see the heart of who we are as a company,” explains Petrik.

In line with that philosophy, PGi Studios is proud to scout locally for cast and crew talent. Additionally, they’ve featured several Austin-based design firms in recent videos, most notably animation gurus Shiny Object. Past clips have included work from Brazilian director Nando Costa and California creatives muh-tay-zik, proving that corporate collateral doesn’t always have to be dense.

Video Producer Austen Menges is proud to promote an environment that draws strength from the unique perspectives of local, established filmmakers. “One of the great things about the studio is it’s not only a think tank for coming up with creative ideas, but we get to hire people all around Austin who I worked with on a commercial, or worked with on an independent film, and we get to bring them in to make our corporate videos, which are hopefully as far from corporate as possible. So a lot of the same people who producing Sundance features and short films that are playing at Cannes, who have 5 million viral hits on YouTube, are working for us to make our videos.”

Keep an eye on PGi’s creative efforts on their site, and get ready for the launch of the company’s groundbreaking iMeet software, set to launch on desktops everywhere this fall.

Drawing from an unexpected array of influences from New York City to Miami and other destinations abroad, is how. Together, Nichole Wright and Jessica Rae Anderson have been making waves in the event arena as an attention-garnering new team that is bringing to Austin its inaugural Fashion in Flight event, which will take place on August 19th during Austin’s second annual Fashion Week.

The two ferociously driven women met in New York City, where they each found themselves in well-established positions within the city’s social and philanthropic circuit–Jessica being named by the New York Post as a designer and “fashionistsa to watch” and Nichole lauded as a high-profile event producer (with a financial background, to boot) who worked on such events as GQ’s Men of the Year and the Grammy’s industry after-parties.

Intrigued by their unique, professional backgrounds and genuine interest in bringing global fashion to Austin, Rare sat down with the two behind Fashion in Flight in order to learn more about their vision and the unique blend of grandeur that event attendees can expect during the night of runway, international DJ’s, libations, and–most importantly–donations.

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How did you two connect in New York?

Jessica: We were both in a very social scene in NYC, and had a lot of mutual friends

Nichole: Ditto, very social, very diverse, very philanthropic.

Tell us the inspiration behind branding the event as “Fashion in Flight.”

J: [It's] due to the fact, most major cities across the globe have fashion weeks. I wanted to have an event that could promote up & coming designers from city to city, which led to how I designed the actual logo and theme.

N: I love the idea of merging designers, cultures, guests, food & drink, as well as entertainment. The theme is edgy, unique and can move around.

I imagine you’ve seen the gamut of events in NY. What is different about this fashion event than others you’ve seen produced?

J: Our event is very thought-out, and no corners have been cut, most events these days are very low budget due to the economic circumstances. We both have very high expectations for creating a memorable experience both emotionally and visually

N: in addition to throwing a really killer party, the objective of this event, is to produce a fashion show, which promotes emerging designers, cutting edge style, evolving entertainment, while putting Austin on the international state.

Are there any designers you’re particularly excited about?

J: I am really excited about Dora Mojzes, I did a lot of research scouting her, I think she is extremely talented and has a unique look, and very cohesive collection. I also love Ana Reign’s high-end Jewelry line; she already has a nice celebrity following.

N: The dogs, obviously, will “steal the show” – it will be really fun to see the glamour dog line on our pet models. On a more serious note, I love Karina Sanchez’s story (Davie clothing) who is back In Texas after design school and many years in LA. Her line is more contemporary, everyday. She has sold to anthropologie and specialty boutiques.

What are they (the designers) anticipating about showing their collections in Austin, of all places?

J: They are receiving a one-on-one customized experience, having me style each look catered to their season specific collections. Therefore, They are very excited to receive “front and center” stage attention putting them on the map as recognized designers specifically in the Texas marketplace.

Do they have any preconceived notions, good or bad?

J: Being that Austin is somewhat new to Fashion week some designers are wondering about the exposure they would receive and asked how it compared to NY Fashion Week.

N: Most are pretty excited about what we are bringing to the table. PR for our designers, sponsors and participants is something we are really pushing. We have an expansive list of editors, buyers, guests and talent.

How did you decide to tie in the philanthropy, and specifically for pups?

J: We love animals, and both adopted dogs in the last year. I also am partial to shelters that are “no kill.”

N: Before I moved back to my native state of Texas this year, I adopted a Dog and took her (Tess) with me. Austin Pets Alive is a growing non-profit and does not have a major annual fundraiser, so the desire and need was there.

Lastly, what can a ticket holder expect from the night spent “in flight”?

J: We have created a stellar shopping party within a Fashion Show at an upscale venue for the ultimate experience, our attendees will be fully entertained tastefully, visually, socially, musically and walk away feeling good about donating to a charitable cause fashionably!

N: The event will be very “Experiential” – The Mexican American Cultural Center is a very cool venue. The Dogwood, where our after-party is, just opened in late July. So the venues were very carefully chosen. As well as the DJ’s, Terry Casey (NY/London) and Manolo Black (ATX.)

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Click for tickets!

More information on Fashion in Flight

“Our unique event will bring a collaborative edge to Austin’s 2nd year of Fashion week merging designers from Austin, D.C.,Miami, Europe, and New York. Nichole Wright, President of Bon Vivant Events, PR, Fundraising, & Austinite, will be co-producing the event with, Jessica Rae Anderson, Lifestyle Stylist, who will be styling models from Wilhelmina Brown for each designer. It will be the perfect infusion of style from these three cities. Equally important, the event will support the animal charity, “Austin Pets Alive,” which is a local organization that is working to make Austin a “No kill” city. Select apparel, jewelry, and accessory designers will be showcasing Spring/Summer collections for  2011 in-store.”

Featured Designers:

YS Couture – Yordanos Stefanos, NYC

Dora Mojzes – Hungary, Budapest

Ana Reign – Austin, TX

My Green Pillow – Ami Brogan, AZ

Tenielle –Tenielle, Franklin, Canada

Davie Clothing – Karina Sanchez, San Antonio, TX

Margot Wolf – Austin, Texas

NYC CHIC, Shereen Koshnoodi, NYC

Tashia Senn – Wash D.C.

Glamour Dog – Dallas, TX

It all began when David was at the American Cancer Society, about nine years ago, starting in the film department. He came up with the idea when he recognized he had all of this film content and figured something should be done with it. He decided to put it out on the web, and it had a bigger impact than he was expecting. David stated his thought…“How cool would it be to get it in front of a film audience?” It didn’t take long for things to start rolling and this idea to come in play. The project quickly snowballed to 104 films within the first year, involving 3 different countries and 2 nights of screenings.

“The main thing I want to achieve with this festival is an awakening of peoples minds to what non-profits can accomplish,” David stated, and “‘Lights. Camera. Help.’ is a place where people can enjoy super compelling stories across the world, and can watch a compelling video instead of reading something like a brochure.” Not only does it provide an awakening for other people, but the festival also flips a switch in his own mind as to where he wants to volunteer. “My hope for this festival is to flip switches in peoples minds to want to donate to the causes, and for people to get out of their every day routine and discover new ways to donate and help,” David explains.

Knowing that “Lights. Camera. Help.” is only a three-day event, it can leave only curiosity as to what happens from there on out. With high hopes for people to leave changed, it is left to the people themselves. David implies that his desires are that “People come away a little bit changed and inspired – all over the country. That people have a desire to get involved with non-profit organizations.” He also made it a point to mention that he would like to see more people signing up for the education classes that they offer to teach volunteers and board members about film and how they can contribute. David states, “I want people to realize we are a volunteer matching organization. We are here to take film-makers and partner them up with non-profits.”

With such an inspiring story and compelling non-profit organization, David most certainly makes an impact on his community. In fact, he believes in this cause so much that all of the money that gets donated, and the money from ticket sales, actually go to the winning film. It’s obvious that David Neff has a desire to impact his community, and through doing so, he impacts himself.

A striking duality exists within both William Hundley and his art. There’s who he is, and who we think he is; there’s what his art is, and what we think it says. He’s a guy who likes to rock the boat, but you wouldn’t necessarily know it. His art is wacky, weird, and confusing, but invites you to stare. It’s whatever you want it to be. And so is he.

Our interaction begins like most: each a little withheld, sitting an unnatural distance across a table from one another. We joke about how I Googled him–a verb now formally recognized by the Merriam Webster dictionary–in attempt to familiarize myself with his personality based on his online persona. William Hundley is eager to hear my thoughts.

I couldn’t unearth anything personal about Hundley, truth be told. And for some reason,  this lack of information led me to conjure up an image of a reserved, scrawny, glasses-wearing blonde, for whom the subject of his own art was painful to discuss. Accordingly, I’d arrived to the interview fully prepared to pull teeth with my probing, inquisitive tool-kit.

Come to find out, Hundley wields self-deprecating, deflective humor like a shield, and looks more like the prototypical all-American guy–pearly whites, baby blues, and all–than your stereotypical tortured artist.

Street art, the genre in which Hundley first found inspiration, generally to carries with it a bag full of “anti” sentiments. Yet not one fiber in Hundley’s body seems to represent discontent, disagreement, or dissatisfaction. His foray into the art industry simply began by being flabbergasted that someone could earn a BFA in painting in college. Though he had no more than a habit of sketching during school classes, he decided to go for the degree. I asked, didn’t that giant leap scare him?

“I wasn’t scared at all,” Hundley answers. “Art is whatever the fuck you want it to be.”

“[Art] wasn’t something that I could beat anybody in,” he continues of his initial attraction, “but it was the hardest puzzle I’ve ever had to put together, piece by piece… a beautiful, confusing enigma.”

A few beers deep, inhibitions are down and informality up. More than anything, Hundley tells me, he wants his art to make people smile. His admits that his photographic series are not driven by skill and goes so far as to say that his eyes “start to glaze over” when the word “aperture” is brought into  conversation. His method of creation for Entoptic Phenomenon was so unconventional (consisting of a good background, good piece of fabric, and a good friend to repeatedly jump while swathed in said fabric), he’s been told by other photographers that “he doesn’t know what hes doing.”

However in Hundley’s opinion, what he is making can be defined as art because it’s driven by pure feelings and a fresh idea.

Inspired by absurd artists like Austria’s Erwin Wurm, Hundley’s own “guerrilla-style approach to art” catches people off-guard. Regardless of the medium–painting, sculpting, and photography–his art is so mechanically raw and conceptually imaginative that people are unable to append to it a nice, clean categorization.

A prime example of this inability to define what Hundley does comes in the form of Charlotte Gainsbourg and Beck’s “Heaven Can Wait” music video in France. The unauthorized appearance of his Entoptic Phenomenon and w/cheeseburger series’ concepts in the video (a floating piece of fabric and skateboard resting on cheeseburgers are seen) sent Hundley’s Internet fandom in an uproar. Someone was ripping him off without giving due credit, and they were pissed. Hundley was taken aback, but didn’t pursue any legal action after receiving an apology from the director saying that he hadn’t realized what Hundley created was art rather than another Internet meme.

Personally, Hundley is hesitant to let anyone know too much about him; he finds the mystery of trying to pin down his image much more alluring and would rather people get a kick and visual bang out of what he creates. He wants his art to be what the viewer perceives it to be and shys away from delivering an artist’s statement.

What’s most unique about Hundley is the duality he straddles. Not everyone knows about his artistic side, and not everyone knows about his professional side. The more we talk, the more there is that slips out: he’s a jokester who reveals he had considered sending a friend in his place for this interview; he used to direct music videos for Austin area DJs; he’s worked some fashion jobs; he’s no stranger to middle management; someone in college once told him to “get his scientific ass outta their face” during a fight (he was, indeed, a “nerdier” version of himself back then); he says “fuck” a lot, and quickly apologizes for saying “fuck” so much.

His connection as artist to the art is just as disarming as the art itself, but there’s something really refreshing about seeing it’s place of origin. The same sort of wacky positivity that his art exudes seeps right out of the guy’s skin.

“If you think you can’t, you’re right,” Hundley paraphrases a famous Henry Ford quote as a source of inspiration.

“I love that relieving, freeing sort of thing.” He pauses and laughs, “What am I, quote guy?”

After seeing the 2007 documentary “The Hip-Hop Project” about a New York City nonprofit agency led by a formerly homeless youth who guided a large group of teens to write, produce, and release a hip-hop album, we were inspired to re-create the project in Austin. Together, we created The Cipher—Austin’s Hip-Hop Project—an award-winning non-profit organization that engages youth (16 – 21 years old) to promote social change through their love of hip-hop culture. We formed a coalition of community partners including interdisciplinary theater artist Zell Miller III, the group’s current Artistic Director, and developed a teaching curriculum based on the tenets of old-school hip-hop culture. Creative writing, spoken word, elements of hip-hop culture, performance, civil rights, and activism are some of the topics we address in our twice-weekly confidential meetings. Since its inception in 2007, The Cipher has been building a strong community of East Austin youth by helping them transform their life stories into powerful works of art.

The Cipher puts respect for women front and center in their guiding philosophy. The creative expression and performances encouraged through The Cipher create confident and engaged youth eager to work for social justice. Because The Cipher youth are so credible with their peers, they are an effective catalyst for social change. They are empowered, authentic, and connected to the local music, poetry, and communities.

The Cipher youth perform all over Austin—they have performed everywhere, from major citywide music festivals and community events to to the awareness-raising events of other non-profit organizations. The Cipher serves as a blueprint for culturally relevant youth organizing and empowerment. The Cipher is committed to producing a new album this summer to replicate the success we created last year with our first album, “From Soldiers to Warriors.” Last year, The Cipher performed at 50 events, provided 106 meals and 240 bus passes, and met 110 times. The youth have become aware of what Austin has to offer and Austin has gotten the chance to listen to them. We thank CharityBash for putting the spotlight on our mission and on these young voices.

A portrait of a single day in late-80’s Austin, Slacker lacks traditional linear narrative—the camera wanders listlessly across the city, documenting snippets of conversation but never lingering long enough for the viewer to grow too invested in any one character’s fate. This structure allows Linklater to sketch the city primarily as a place where a few thousand people have simply opted to hang out for a while, a middle ground between college and adulthood proper that some choose never to leave.

Before moving to Austin, I imagined a city similar to Linklater’s portrayal—lots of coffee, a relaxed approach to personal hygiene, an emphasis on creativity over productivity. That sketch of Austin is still valid, but it’s also incomplete. Austin will always attract and cultivate creativity, but it now embraces and promotes new and offbeat endeavors like Alamo Drafthouse in a professional and effective way. Austin in 2010 is cleaner, more organized, safer, and more motivated. The 1989 Austin skyline—shown only once in the film—has little in common with downtown’s current silhouette. High-rises abound, and the campus area where much of the film was shot has been cleaned up and gentrified. While the film’s characters would probably wince at what Downtown and the Drag have become, the aesthetic and attitude of those characters still dominates in the East Side and can be found in scattered pockets throughout the city.

In some ways, Slacker is partly responsible for attracting those elements that have “sanitized” the city; Austin has emerged as a popular destination for young people and business start-ups largely because the city is known as laid-back, open-minded, and authentic. They’re the features of the city that drew me here. Even though those adjectives might feel a little compromised now, Slacker irrevocably attached them to Austin, and they still fit the bill. I can’t pretend that this is the city I expected to find, but I also can’t ignore the fact that the differences between what I expected and what I found are all positive.

What the movie doesn’t show in 1989 is a version of Austinite who is willing and motivated to follow through on his or her ventures. Businesses, co-ops, and collectives are born and thrive here. Progressive corporations like BookPeople, Waterloo Records and Whole Foods have evolved and now flourish in a city that Slacker represents as directionless and adrift.

Austin is now comprised by a host of projects as well as ideas, where curiosity and innovation find quarter unlike they would anywhere else. The city that hosts the rest of the country’s creative talent for one week in March every year does so for a reason: Linklater’s Austin is nothing if not very cool, and that’s one thing that hasn’t changed.

Super 8 was developed in 1965, when Kodak modified standard 8mm film into a cartridge format. The cartridges, which hold a 50-foot reel (a little over three minutes of film at 18 frames per second), reduced loading time to mere seconds, and Super 8 cameras became the weapon of choice for amateur filmmakers and home movie enthusiasts. Super 8 has since become a professional production medium, and is still used throughout the film community as an inexpensive alternative to high-definition video.

Phil Vigeant, Owner of Pro88mm in Los Angeles, credits Super 8 as is the original high-definition medium, with a warm, organic feel that can’t be replicated by even the most advanced digital cameras. Plus, at about $30 a roll for the film and processing, it’s an affordable medium. Uniquely, Super 8 film isn’t subjected to the hardcore tech-refresh that feeds filmmakers’ constant need to upgrade. If it looked great in the 70s, and looks great today, it will probably look just as great 30 years from now. Super 8 film is archival, classic, and lasts forever.

There’s a human element to Super 8—it lends a quality of immediacy that makes the person behind the camera feel connected with the actions in front of it. People who take a more DIY approach to filmmaking, like documentary filmmaker Ashley Mawer, and often make use of archival footage and old home movie reels in their work still find the analog medium just as relevant as the digital.

While there may not be a lot of cutting and splicing these days, Super 8 film still has a valid place in the film community. Kodak is still making the cartridges, old cameras are still in great working order, and there are numerous resources for filmmakers to get 8mm film into their digital projects.

Everywhere, people are talking about their involvement in some film. We live in a city of film students and film makers. Austin produces a remarkable quantity of independent films, a special category attractive to many who, like myself, regard popular cinema as a pure object of consumption. Precisely because the so-called “strong model” of American film presupposes a fixed and passive audience, we feel compelled to enter revolutionary impulses into the media discourse.

Remember that most discourse on media is not covered by the media. Still, that discourse surrounds us all. I hear about a public spectacle, whether concerning the activities of Britney Spears, Quentin Tarantino, or Banksy, and I seek it out. I look it over, without buying anything. This important aspect of media discourse is hardly talked about. What defines independent film is that essence that really means the zero degree of ticket-holding audience. The theater exists, but for all intents and purposes, it’s empty. I never know who might fill the theater, or for whom I am making a film. I only know that I must dangle some sort of special lure to draw my audience in.

The door is open to slippery tactics. Regarding original property, the law of the pirate rules. Obviously our independent projects won’t match up against the productions of the big studios. Distribution alone precludes that possibility. We independent filmmakers are the ugly stepchildren in the world of cinema, and we proceed under a banner that reads, “If a film is independent, it is so in a purely aesthetic sense.” The genre, with all of its limitations and quirks—and hypocrisies even—presents the perfect arena to test the premise that independent is not an economic value. Low budget does not equal independent.

For us, an independent film must take an essential point of departure from popular cinema: ‘independent’ film is a technique of action. Writer, producer, director, production designer, etc., meet on the ground as equals. Categories of expertise blur and blend, according to the demands of a given scene. Conditions force us to mobilize the general genius. The set is existential, and the actors are thrown together at incalculably close quarters in their attempts to solve problems in real time, in the moments before, during, and after the camera is rolling.

Similarly sets are discovered, not built. And these discoveries evolve because the participants—cast and crew alike—are tasked to hold themselves in a state of alert, on the lookout for locations, props, costumes, etc., that accentuate the general atmosphere of the film. Limits of time and money demand a high degree of discipline on the part of everyone involved, but authority in independent film is plural, shared, and also extremely delicate in the most elegant sense of the word.

Thus the human story inevitably slips back into the narrative. We get to hear the characters speak as private persons who you or I might know. Ordinary impulses, daily occasions, family history, local legend, are projected over hyperkinetic scenes of violence, pornography, racism, and class war, which seem to so obsess Hollywood. This foregrounding is not political, but more concerned with anchoring a work in relation to the era in which it’s made. Exposed to the constant rallying calls for common feeling (and isn’t that what the seasonal blockbuster is really about?), perhaps we as a culture are losing touch with the practice of listening and directing attention to the life that surrounds us.

Few films these days manage to overwhelm us. The big studios seem incapable of reproducing the social relevance they achieved two and three decades ago; it’s a common complaint. Independent film is very well suited to radical impositions and can execute what the “strong model” would never attempt. Thanks to recent developments in camera technology, the means are within the reach of practically anyone who wants to make a film. Thus the frame is truly blank once again.

Above all else—and this is what’s most important—in the making of an independent film, the course is set for fun. Yes, fun, which is the crystallizing agent that simultaneously opens up the language you see on the screen (as well as the dialogue that goes on behind it), while at the same time providing a kind of dispensation from the blockages that belong to our society as a whole. I’d say that’s reason enough to continue pursuing the medium.