Why this Ashok Kumar, Ashok Kumar, Ashok Kumar, Ashok Kumar di? »
Bear with us here…
Earlier this year, one song from India — “Why This Kolaveri Di?” — spread like wildfire throughout India and in cyberspace.
Not as fortunate was the movie it was made for, called 3 (three).
The dust–up that resulted in the recent blocking in India of websites as different as Vimeo (why??) and the Pirate Bay has only made matters worse (and not just because we use Vimeo). And it raises troubling questions about the delicate relationship between fans and producers (and we wonder if some could in fact be both, in this age of Creative Commons, DIY film making, and yes, Vimeo).
Look at it this way, as per Lawrence Liang:
Apart from the questionable logic of the film makers turning fans and enthusiasts against their own film what we probably need to do for the future is to think of how the investment of ‘excessive energy’ allows us to make claims of ownership and limit the hackneyed argument of a film being the private property of the film maker. This is a domain which necessarily takes us away from the usual focus either on the language of rights or even the language of openness and what we need is a Political language of Passion and Enthusiasm which can supplement the existing languages of denial and access. The excessive response of the film makers in securing this order and in the blocking of the websites is plainly disrespectful of the excess that they thrived on just a few months ago.
Have a read, and feel free to respond. We need to talk about this.
Thinking of breaking down and buying a Blu–Ray player (and thus face the sad matter of region codes, DRM, and other lockdowns all over again)?
Don’t give up the ship. There is hope.
Just listen to Terry Hancock, who’s developing a serious alternative — not on a disk, but on a card.
For real:
In April of last year, after exploring the options for releasing a free culture film project in HD Format and finding it wanting… I started this project to establish a basic standard for HD video that used existing open standards and would give all of the benefits of DVD or Blu–Ray videos (menus, extras, alternate audio tracks, subtitles, and so on) with none of the restrictions. It would also provide some nice features that DVD and Blu–Ray expressly do not provide, such as metadata for easy integration into archival systems (because the old content industry wants to block that kind of use)….
I LOVE this.
And if you love the possibilities, please consider joining Mr. Hancock’s Kickstarter’s campaign.
Because more locked–down discs is not the solution.
Of course, I could include the video that should have accompanied that last post… silly me.
(Source: vimeo.com)
Meanwhile in Manchester…
…a chap named David Tester captured a bit of the St. George’s Day Parade outside the Lomography Gallery Store in Manchester, England.
With a LomoKino.
I’d love to have his reflexes.
Of course, I need to practice using my LomoKino first. Mmmm…
(Source: lomography.com)
Yes, our Android became an Ice Cream Sandwich.
And we love seeing stars…
Beware the Compliance Rod
Effective immediately, Rosegarden Media and Entertainment will assume full responsibility for the maintenance of storyteller Diane Wolkstein’s Monkey King Epic website, as well as her own official site.
Unlike the main site, which is powered by WordPress, the MKE site was created on and will continue to be maintained using Apple’s iWeb® software.
Stay tuned for further details and updates.
Something amusing for you on this Friday afternoon…
Back on Friday, 16 March 2012, I did something not everyone might necessarily desire to do: I assembled a 35MM pinhole camera (a P–Sharan Wide 35, to be exact).
The following Friday (23 March), I did a test run with some expired Fujicolor stock (200 ASA) — a roll that went promptly to a Lomo Lab (as in Lomography, yes). Up until today, I had forgotten to share the results.
I’ve named this first album of efforts “Ghosts of Chinatown: March 2012.” It seemed appropriate.
This one was one of the best. I might actually use it in the opening and/or closing titles of a film I’m developing right now.
Hey, why not?
Image ©2012 Philip David Morgan / Rosegarden Media and Entertainment.
On human spam, digital janitor, silk gatherers, and baby makers (you could be one, too). »
We really like Jim Munroe, and the film projects he produces under his banner, No Media Kings. For those who recall his last flick, Infest Wisely, you may already be aware of Ghosts with Shit Jobs (yes, that’s the title), a mockumentary about people like us, in the not–too–distant future, whose jobs might make you grateful for the one you have (or don’t).
Just have a look at the trailer if you haven’t already (or you find the above hard to believe).
Mr. Munroe wants to take the new flick on the road and start some serious discussion about how worse the North American economy could get (and given recent events, it might not remain a prediction for much longer). You can help by chipping in to his Kickstarter campaign, and get a digital download (720p HD, no DRM) of the film for as little as USD 10.
Do it now. Because the life you save could be your own.
Yes, we now have a Lomokino.
Our first shooting tests will happen in May or June, when we return to New York City.
This is for our friends who speak or are learning Esperanto (no comments from haters, please):
A new documentary movie, La Plejpleja Festivalo, is being made about (and from footage produced at) the 2005 KEF, or Kultura Esperanto–Festivalo. Recently, Ribeirão Preto of Brazil launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds for the film’s completion and distribution.
This means that Esperantists from all over the globe (and I am one of them) can help bankroll the finished film, and score some goodies (such as a DVD Video of the film). Indiegogo uses PayPal to handle all donations, and the last I checked they are past the half-way mark to their goal of USD 2,500 (a modest amount, really).
The first step is to take a look at the video above and then visit the fundraising page (you’ll need to sign up with Indiegogo first) to decide how much you can give towards getting the film made.
Given how movies in the International Language are hard to bankroll and circulate (in a culture of national languages, some enforced by sheer will), I applaud the idea to crowdfund this one in the way Mr. Preto has chosen.
Se vi ŝatus Esperanton, bv. donaci kion vi povas. Elkoran dankon.
(If you like Esperanto, please give what you can. Thank you.)
[UPDATE 2012.4.12: I didn’t notice that this is a “fixed funding” campaign, meaning that it is indeed an “all or nothing” effort. My sincerest apologies. Please do help Mr. Preto reach his goal. If you can upgrade your pledge, don’t hesitate.]
