One that would have been impossible without the following people... To you... thank you, thank you thank you:
Theo Langason*
Chris Ward*
Dave Damm
Juniper Emmons
Jessica Emmons
Magnolia Emmons
World Whirl 3 (Jessica Emmons & Melissa Blatcher)
Steve Fritz
Kevin Emmons
Sleigh Bells
The Gritty Brits (Kyle Jakubowski)
Brian Biggs
Michael Bleming
Jesse Elder
Sonny Holliday
Pete Gambino
Dave Kain
Kyle Costill
Justin Emmons
The Dirty Projectors
Bon Hernandez
Frankie Gambino
The Rachel's
Allen Woll
Jeffrey Blatcher
Art and Electronic Media Spring 2010 Students
Eric Berry
Stephen McMaster
Gregory Kaminski
Chris Gambino
Frank Gambino
Starla Blatcher
Iris Blatcher
Bart Everts
Anna Matthews
Kent Turtz
Freedy Johnston
Joanna Newsom
John Cage
Marisa Habina
Steve Habina
Mike Phillips
Living Fiction
Sean Grieve
Nora Grieve
James Clark
Cathy Pizzo
Rosell Goldberg
And the viewers who took the time to watch this passion project. Big ups to you all!
* There could never be enough thank yous that I could give to these two gentlemen. Their music has inspired so much of this project.
LARGER VERSION AVAILABLE AT MINICONCEPTDOCS CHANNEL, HERE
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Only one more MINICONCEPTDOC to go... And tears begin to flow... as I sing the whole day through...
I won't waste your time with goodbyes in writing. I use today's MCD to do that. I think it's appropriate that I use this outlet for my adieus and reflections, don't you. I mean, it's how I've been communicating for the last 6 months.
I will say this... This project has been the single best learning experience for me as a documentary filmmaker thus far. Thank you watchers for indulging me.
Next week I will say my formal thank yous to everyone that made this possible.
In this first of the last three MINICONCEPTDOCS, I am pleased and proud to present to you a story by my friend, Dave Damm.
I have long been attracted to his stories. This isn't a revelation, so many people are. They have a rawness, a realness to them. They are, what I can only so obviously describe as, REAL LIFE. Real life. Not contrivance, not "reality television", not persona, no convention, but REAL LIFE. They contain happiness, sadness, triumph, disappointment. They are the DNA of Dave, and us.
In my mission to compile a complete MINICONCEPTDOC alphabet, Dave Damm (Pictured right) stepped up to provide today's word: Kaleidoscope.
Thank you!
At first, I thought I would make something completely poetical. I thought this would be a good opportunity to be experimental, non-narrative. Instead, today's doc is a short history that turned into a small polemic.
As I approach the final MCD's, I am becoming more and more nostalgic and reflective. I think, subconsciously, the kernel for this film came from a favorite place to play as a kid.
Close to my home in Woodlynne there was a small strip of wooded land behind a roofing company and adjacent to the baseball field. We called them, the Manachi Woods. I have absolutely no clue where the name came from. I'm not sure if that's how it's even spelled...
It always felt right to make it a possesive, as if it were someone named Manachi's woods, so we often did.
Example: "Hey! Wanna hang out in the Manachi's, build a fort?"
I don't remember where I even learned the name, or who told it to me. They were just always the Manachi's.
We would climb trees back there, build forts, hang out. I saw Pat's head get split open by a flying roof shingle back there once. I kissed a girl in there. I hid from my mom. I got hurt in there. I revealed secrets. I fought with friends, bonded, and conjured up possible futures in those small woods.
There was a massive boulder at the entrance. It was a favorite to sit on.
I'm sure now it would all seem so much smaller, insignificant. I don't want to go back to them and have the image in my mind changed by the what they may "actually" be, so I have visited them in a long time.
Though, I wouldn't be surprised if they've been razed since then.
Anyway... sometimes, people would pollute those woods. They would come, secretly in the night, and dump their garbage, spoiling our refuge. It was infuriating.
I'm not sure how or why, but as far back as I can remember, I always knew that throwing one's trash on the ground, from a candy wrapper to old tires, was despicable. I just didn't do it. I wouldn't let friends do, and when I saw it, it made me nauseous. LITTERING IS BAD. I still see people do it all the time.
Flashback:
I distinctly recall seeing two boys walking through the Ferry Ave. Speedline Station parking lot, eating from the old Styrofoam McDonald's containers. They passed the old Fotomat Booth (much like the one pictured {which isn't the actual booth, but used to set the mood}) which had a trashcan right outside of it, and threw the empty containers on the ground. It made me feel sick to my stomach. Not figuratively sick, but literally, nauseous in my gut.
I was too scared to say anything for fear they might beat me up. I got so scared I just ran away. Why I didn't wait until they got far away and then threw out the containers myself, I don't know. When you're a kid you do weird things.
A very special thanks this week goes to Kyle Costill (Pictured left). When I was in need of a specific piece of music I could hear in my head, I knew Kyle was the perfect person for the job. I called him and in an instant he was over, ready to record. In fifteen minutes we had a finished track. Thanks!
Getting back to the Manachi's... This MCD is dedicated to them and all the memories they gave to the kids in the neighborhood.
LARGER VERSION AVAILABLE AT MINICONCEPTDOCS CHANNEL, HERE
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Ever since I realized I was close to completing an alphabet's worth of MINICONCEPTDOCS, I've become driven to complete that.
There have been four letters that have consistently eluded the random word generator: K, Q, X, and Y. Criminals!
To keep this as challenging as possible, I ask you to provide the final words for the MCD alphabet. Come on. I need you. Justin? Kyle? Who reads this thing? Who knows??
Whew.... I'm getting worked up over this. Let me calm down... Let's just get back to the mission at hand: MCD ALPHABET.
Actually, X can now be removed, as Allen Woll so graciously provided that challenge, which you can watch here today.
So please... suggestions! K, Q, Y we're coming for you!
On to today's film.
I won't reveal too much about this little documentary. It's a little historical injustice, it's a little tale on reputation, it's a lesson in bad press.
Execution wise, I think it could be tighter. That's on me though. I think it could be written better. But you know, the time constraints are tough!
A lot of people came through in the11th hour and gave their time so I could make this. I want to give extra thanks to those last minute collaborators: Anna Mathews, Pete Gambino, Jeff Blatcher, & Kent Turtz.
And thanks to Allen for the concept!
LARGER VERSION AVAILABLE AT MINICONCEPTDOCS CHANNEL, HERE
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It was Michael and Megahn's wedding last night! So, why not continue to keep Michael in the spotlight he has tried oh so hard to avoid all his life.
So, today's MCD stars MTB.
Here we see Michael masterfully manipulate the famed and mystical Cracklebox. It's inventor, Michel Waisvisz, passed away a short while ago, but STEIM continues to produce the device. Though, they are always on back-order and difficult to acquire, so this video may be your closest brush with the startling sound box!
Read more about STEIM, Waisvisz, and the Cracklebox at the links below.
I am not going to say much here. Draw your own conclusions. What I will say is, I really enjoyed creating and playing this song. Quite frankly, I think it rocked.
The recording of this began in January 2010.
Maybe in the future this song will be posted to this blog in its completed form... but for now, and most likely for always, it will remain incomplete:
LARGER VERSION AVAILABLE AT MINICONCEPTDOCS CHANNEL, HERE
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