'RiP: A Remix Manifesto' film

Interview with Brett Gaylor Check out my interview in audio submitted to CKLN for the Word of Mouth show.... and, below, a different version of my original article which appeared in the Ryerson Free Press.
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Many people between the ages of 18 and 25 - that's 'Generation Next' – are downloading music on a frequent basis. For many, it's a no brainer. Even though Napster in its original version was shut down in the USA, our generation goes onto other websites like Soulseek, BitTorrent, lime wire, and countless other obscure blogs, where we find the latest blockbuster movie or hit album and download - for free. Many people have amassed huge collections which they didn't even pay for. These eclectic customized collections provide inspiration for art creations, they entertain, influence, and in some cases they get re-fashioned into DJ mixes, or used as examples for school projects. They become fodder for debate and discussion with peers. We're versed in Web 2.0 and used to having access to large amounts of information, and cultural products at our finger tips and we'd rather support artists directly through attending concerts, than through record sales. For many students downloading is not about being malicious or ripping artists off, but it's about a different business model. We know that artists need to become popular by many people to make money in any case. It's the hype machine that hip young lower-income people can provide. To marketers we've been identified and sometimes used through mutually beneficial relationships as cool hunters, trend-setters and taste makers. This kind of practice today almost goes without saying, but in the USA the consequences for downloading copyrighted movies or music for free can be devastating to individuals if they get caught by the Recording Industry Association of America. Here in Canada, new legislation has been proposed by the government under the pressure of the United States’ government and media’s demands. The Conservatives are trying to pass Bill C-61, which includes elements of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act law that the U.S.A. passed in 1997. It is under this act that they issued subpoenas and lawsuits to a dead grandmother, computer novices, people without any computers at all, and children as young as 12. In Canada of course, to try and prevent this kind of law that would crack down on individuals, activists are united through websites such as faircopyrightforcanada.ca, and others to learn about the proposed bills and the implications for artists and all citizens. 'RiP: A Remix Manifesto' is a hot new documentary film produced by the National Film Board of Canada (the NFB) about these kinds of media copyright law issues that dominate our times. The film is by director and web producer, Brett Gaylor, who lives in Montreal, who created the film. He also created a fun interactive website (nfb.ca/rip) which invites users to take his original footage, download it, and make remixes of the scenes of his movie. Then content generators can upload their remixed videos to his site, and gain recognition and participate in the conversation that is happening on opensourcecinema.org. The main subject of this film – how artists use samples of previous works in music, film and art - is not new. Nor is the way that copyright law tries to put limits on creative expression by restricting what can be constituted as 'fair use' of digital materials. However, the film itself is wonderfully done and truly radical, because it challenges the assumptions that ownership and use needs to be restricted in a democratic society. This film is one of the firsts of its kind – it's open source – free to be remixed by others. The fact that this film has created further expressions and praise as a result is a wake-up call to legislators who would otherwise want to limit creative expression in the name of retaining permissions and rights for the world's largest and most powerful brands and companies. In RiP, Gaylor follows several main characters and events, and viewers gain further insight into the debates surrounding remixing. In addition to featuring Girl Talk, a sample-based mash-up artist from Pittsburgh, on copyright and music, the film also features a touching story about Dan O'Neill who is now in his 60's, who was the cartoonist who made a mockery of Mickey Mouse in the 1970's. O'Neill's work was politically provocative, and he called his movement the Mouse Liberation Front. He was one of the unlucky ones sued by Disney. Another segment of the film follows Lawrence Lessig, Professor at Stanford Law School, to China, where bootlegs and copyright infringements are made left right and centre, and to his lectures, where he espouses on the benefits of open source. In one scene, he so aptly said, to a packed auditorium, “Remixing is the writing of the 21st century, literacy for a new generation. It is building a different democracy and culture where people participate in the creation and the recreation of the culture around them.” The audience applauded loudly and resoundingly clear. Corey Doctorow, a blogger (for his own boingboing.net) and technology activist also had some inspiring words. His view? “Technology given, technology taketh away. What was a business model in 1909 may be the business model in 2009. What was the business model in 1939 may not be the model in 2007. That's how it goes.” Finally, the film takes us to Brazil, to meet the Minister of Culture, Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira. He's a bossa nova musician, social activist, and he sponsored a program called Culture Points which gives grants for music technology and education to people living in poor areas of the country's cities. According to Wikipedia, he is interested in creating an internet database of freely downloadable Brazilian music. The film is really a philosophical one, on some level. Audiences are left asking, where is the future of open source creativity headed? How can we harness legislation in favour of creative expression and the rights of artists, citizens, and idea and culture owners? There is another side to this story, and one that argues for the rights of corporations and individuals to hold ownership of all materials regardless of the potential benefits of sharing – but that film does not tell that story. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oar9glUCL0]
Posted by Samplingculture.com
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