Sampling Culture http://samplingculture.posterous.com Most recent posts at Sampling Culture posterous.com Sun, 23 Jan 2011 21:59:00 -0800 Björk Voltaic Movie http://samplingculture.posterous.com/bjork-voltaic-movie http://samplingculture.posterous.com/bjork-voltaic-movie

While this movie is a few years old, and I saw it a couple years ago, it is truly inspiring. Check out the trailer here: 

As you can see, the energy captured in the video is electric, as in its subject, Björk. For music technology fans out there, you've got to watch, as she has used a lemur and other then state-of-the-art equipment on stage with her to trigger musical and visual effects. 

Photos from the Voltaic tour can be seen here.

Permalink

]]>
http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1547055/somethingnice.jpg http://posterous.com/users/he6h5y5Q4XfM6 Samplingculture.com amandatoronto Samplingculture.com
Sun, 10 Oct 2010 21:15:36 -0700 B-boy culture resonates around the world http://samplingculture.posterous.com/2010/10/10/b-boy-culture-resonates-around-the-world http://samplingculture.posterous.com/2010/10/10/b-boy-culture-resonates-around-the-world Bouncing Cats is a powerful documentary that tells the inspiring story of Abraham "Abramz" Tekya, an AIDS orphan and b-boy who started Breakdance Project Uganda in order to create opportunities for artistic expression and friendship for children in Uganda. He helps them to use hip hop breakdancing as a means to regain their own sense of identity. Having suffered greatly in the North of the country under the Lord's Resistance Army (L.R.A.), many children suffer from being separated from their families and being displaced or mutilated as a result of brutal abductions. The film is a powerful testament to the spirit of resilience that many of the b-boys and b-girls have. Narration for the film was done by Common and there are interviews with Will.I.Am, K'Naan and Mos Def.

BOUNCING CATS film trailer from nabil elderkin on Vimeo.

Further information about the film and details about how to get involved on youth issues in Uganda can be found at bouncingcats.com.

Permalink

]]>
http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1547055/somethingnice.jpg http://posterous.com/users/he6h5y5Q4XfM6 Samplingculture.com amandatoronto Samplingculture.com
Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:23:35 -0800 Speaking in Code http://samplingculture.posterous.com/2009/11/13/speaking-in-code http://samplingculture.posterous.com/2009/11/13/speaking-in-code Here's my interview with the director of a new film called Speaking in Code: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x92cKU-oLB4&hl=en_US&fs=1&] Documentary film director Amy Grill has just completed a new film called Speaking in Code. It's a documentary about the world of techno music that follows a series of characters over a few years. The film audience gets a cinema  vérité slice-of-life perspective of what it is to be a participant in the music industry. While Grill does not portray the typical electronic music fan's experience - and could thus be charged as portraying techno's elite – she does capture an authentic energy in her film. What really connects the music producers she profiles (Monolake, Tobias Thomas, Wighnomy Brothers), the music journalist DJ (Philip Sherburne), and the event promoter and music section editor (David Day) is their love for music. With a background in broadcast, Grill is a Producer-in-Residence at Emerson College in Boston. At the same time, she had a very personal connection with the subculture and the musicians she portrays. She's a long-time fan of electronic music and used to throw events in Boston with her ex-husband. She and her then-husband became characters in their own film. As a result of the film, Grill's own life journey has changed immensely. Now she's touring the new documentary film. This video interview was done prior to a Speaking in Code screening in Toronto at the Royal Cinema in November 2009. For more information  about the film you can visit: www.speakingincode.com/

Permalink

]]>
http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1547055/somethingnice.jpg http://posterous.com/users/he6h5y5Q4XfM6 Samplingculture.com amandatoronto Samplingculture.com
Wed, 14 Oct 2009 03:43:03 -0700 The art of VJing http://samplingculture.posterous.com/2009/10/13/the-art-of-vjing http://samplingculture.posterous.com/2009/10/13/the-art-of-vjing

Exploring the art of veejaying, a new trend in the live concert experience

Excerpt of my article from the CBC Arts website:

Media_httptsvimeocoms_gxcda
"[VJing] was an open system, and it was accepted as an experimental thing," says Greg Hermanovic, a long-time software designer and visualist. Johnny DeKam, who has his own live-visuals company in Los Angeles, remembers VJing at electronic music festivals in the 1990s. "It took some years for that to really start in the pop world," he says. In the '90s, avant-garde electronic artists like Coldcut, Hexstatic and Emergency Broadcast Network began experimenting with improvised visuals, a practice that was picked up by more mainstream bands like Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails. On their current Lights in the Sky tour, Nine Inch Nails employ live 3-D rendering tools and an interactive touch screen device that frontman Trent Reznor can use to trigger visual and audio effects. The idea behind VJing is that the images are live and constantly evolving. As a result, each show is a unique experience. "I have to constantly react, and I am improvising with the live band. I have to push pads, to trigger effects," says CPU, the VJ moniker of Bryant Davis Place, who has toured with the Black Eyed Peas. CPU alters the colours on a touch screen, creates patterns and remixes the live video feed of the show, as well as the Black Eyed Peas' logo. He can "scrub" the video — which is like scratching a record — and manipulate the visuals in many ways. "I keep the energy level going on stage during and in between songs," he says. "What makes a good visualist is someone who has a mastery over their technology but also an inherent talent or a formal background in creating visual images," explains DeKam. "The art [of VJing] is in the kind of relationships you create." Modern VJing came into its own in the 1990s, with the emergence of more affordable laptop computers that were capable of faster processing. Read more at:  http://www.cbc.ca/arts/artdesign/story/2009/10/13/f-rise-of-the-veejay-concerts.html

Derivative's VJ Mixxa - TouchDesigner 077 software from Amanda C-U on Vimeo.

Permalink

]]>
http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1547055/somethingnice.jpg http://posterous.com/users/he6h5y5Q4XfM6 Samplingculture.com amandatoronto Samplingculture.com
Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:09:55 -0700 Enlighten Up! the movie http://samplingculture.posterous.com/2009/09/05/enlighten-up http://samplingculture.posterous.com/2009/09/05/enlighten-up

Is Yoga the way to enlightenment?

When experienced documentary filmmaker Kate Churchill set out on her latest project, Enlighten Up!, she was determined to prove that yoga can transform anyone. Fortunately for her audience, the result was a lot more realistic and less definitive than any kind of film objective can be. Yoga, as it is portrayed, turns out to be something a lot more complex and multifaceted than many yoga enthusiasts may have at first thought.
Media_httpenlightenup_jrigt
Churchill’s film rapidly unveils that yoga is a million dollar industry and she is quick to reveal some of the main contrasts between Western society and yoga practice there. A preliminary tour of yoga studios through Boston reveals that many of the yogis and teachers do not even know how old the practice is or why it started. But they are firm believers in yoga’s transformational power and they know it feels good. Still the duo encounters other yogis who say that they see yoga as nothing more than a workout. The film nicely highlights the visual and spiritual contrast between the East and West, as it takes the pair from overcast Boston, to busy New York, then relaxed Hawaii, and finally to colourful India. Viewers can witness a collective spiritual awareness versus an intense individualism on the other hand. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKQw0-IlJiY&hl=en&fs=1&] Q&A with director Kate Churchill ACU: Can you explain more about why you wanted to know whether yoga could lead a person to spiritual transformation? Kate Churchill (KC): Well, in the beginning I would have used the word enlightenment, which could mean spiritual transformation, but what I was intrigued with was more what happens when a person focuses on yoga. I wanted to know what changes? How could one become more aware? What changes could occur by solely focusing on yoga? ACU: Had you considered going to India for your own spiritual discovery or was it more justifiable while you were making this film? KC: It was my first trip to India. I’ve working in a lot of different places. …South America. Brazil, Nepal, Alaska , Iceland – while producing and directing For PBS and National Geographic. So, I had a lot of curiosity about it and when u decide to make a film it behooves you to have curiosity on your subject on all different levels. The film took five years and eventually you may get sick of it. Some of the most peaceful moments of my life happened through intense practice of yoga. I thought ‘Wow – six months and go anywhere in the world and meet teachers,’ and I was really intrigued by the idea. ACU: It struck me that you and Nick had some things in common – both seeking information (he as a journalist and you as a filmmaker). At what point if ever were you aware of the similar challenges or view points you both shared? KC: From the outset I was aware of our similarities. If anything our dissimilarities emerged through the journey. Our conflicts were unexpected. I never intended to include that in the film. One reason I picked him was because he was seeking information as a journalist and he was curious about yoga and change. Even though skeptical he still had a level of curiosity that I found quite hopeful. ACU: What was the most challenging thing about making this film? KC: It was the editing which took 3 years. ACU: There were a few pieces in the film where you mentioned getting tired of yoga. Can you explain what you felt more? KC: We wanted to shift the focus from Nick to include me as a character in the film. There were three characters: yoga, Nick and me. Going into the filmmaking process my expectations were so high and that put pressure on Nick. That got him to dig in his heels and to resist. We ended up in a different place. We lost sight of what we were doing. All day long we met amazing yoga teachers and then we would go and interview about it, and I would ask him “How is it going to change you?” The tension got to be so much and then we just both let go of everything. The point where I say I am tired of yoga – would normally never be included. But, part of it was to show was that we were on the wrong journey. It’s a turning point in the film when we both let go of the other person and the tone of the film shifts and we are two people each on our own journey. That is what ultimately leads both of us to learn a lot. Enlighten Up! Opens on Friday August 28th at Cumberland Cinemas in Toronto.

Permalink

]]>
http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1547055/somethingnice.jpg http://posterous.com/users/he6h5y5Q4XfM6 Samplingculture.com amandatoronto Samplingculture.com
Fri, 31 Jul 2009 04:47:43 -0700 First film inspired by twitter http://samplingculture.posterous.com/2009/07/30/first-film-inspired-by-twitter http://samplingculture.posterous.com/2009/07/30/first-film-inspired-by-twitter
Media_httpamandaconno_zrjvq
“at location, here we go, 140 of use get ready, 5 minutes till Action!!!” 11:57 AM June 21st from mobile web What happens when a large number of people from around the world participate in a social experiment? How does knowing that we share similar experiences of using online technology shape our identities? In the making of a new film entitled 140, 140 independent amateur and professional filmmakers from around the world synchronized their actions around twitter in order to explore themes of home and questions about how people are connected. Directed by Frank Kelly in London, UK, the yet-to-be created film promises to examine how twitter can be used as a positive tool rather than as a distraction. The film is timely in its inception, with the rise of the micro-blogging site twitter.com and when it is completed by 2010 it will likely be the first film inspired by twitter to surface. In conversation in May from London by phone, Frank Kelly said with his film he plans to reveal from a distance, with a birds’ eye view, how we can look at social patterns and specifically how humans construct their connections to home. Kelly explained he got the idea for his film through using twitter. He said he first signed up in January 2009 after hearing of it through actor, Stephen Frye, who he wanted to ‘follow.’ He said he first thought twitter would be yet another distraction, but soon he found himself wanting to follow more people. He said, “I wanted to know if it can help me and if I can use it as a tool.” Kelly explained what still strikes him most is that, “It’s all about instant connection and immediacy with other people. It’s fast too. People all around the world can see what everyone else is doing, at once.” Kelly said, “I thought it would be neat to use twitter to… synchronize a hundred and forty filmmakers… So they all film at the same time.” He said, “All a hundred and forty filmmakers will shoot on the same day and time for approximately a hundred and forty seconds.” In May, Kelly said his plan was to “send a message out for free on twitter and everyone will see it at the same time on their phones or the net. That will be the ‘Go’ signal to start shooting simultaneously around the world… I’d like some filmmakers from Africa and Alaska to get on board to broaden the geographic scope of footage we get.” So, that’s just what Kelly orchestrated. On June 21 via twitter, Kelly sent the ‘Action’ message to the recruited volunteering filmmakers and they all shot for approximately 140 seconds. Now the filmmakers are finished shooting, and they’re sending their footage to Kelly from countries all around the world, including Brazil, Costa Rica, China, Mexico, Germany, London, Scotland, New Zealand, Portugal and Australia. Once Kelly receives all 140 clips of submitted footage he says he’ll edit them and incorporate music. Kelly said he first pitched his film idea to friends who liked it and then he sent out press releases to media outlets. He got personal contacts on board, and soon the project had snowballed. To date the project has been written up about in the popular Paste Magazine (online), Metro Newspaper (UK), The Salt Lake Tribute (USA), The Irish Film and Television Network and Wired.com. On Kelly’s website, the names of the 140 filmmakers are listed. On the list are several Toronto area residents: 134. Paul Gitschner; 126. Simone Fried; 99. Stephen Clark; and 22. Jill Carter. Kelly said he’d like to promote the film by the end of the year and have the feature length film ready for festivals, broadcast and online sometime after January. As an experienced filmmaker Kelly is confident of landing a distribution deal and having a DVD release as well. The film will be produced by Kelly’s own company: Pale Stone Productions Ltd. which he co-founded with Thomas A. Kennedy in 2005 while producing their debut short film called Emily’s Song. That film went on to screen at 25 festivals and on television and it won the Crystal Heart and Unicef awards. As for 140, Kelly thinks the film will encompass a very broad range of footage from the filmmakers. He said, “I might cut it chronologically – From time zones, starting in China, around the world, and back. Or I might splice into continents or around the themes that come out. I think I’m going to see a lot of landscapes and cityscapes.” When asked in May how he was going to choose the filmmakers for the project he explained, “I don’t want to say ‘No’ to anybody. I wanted to give anyone who’s interested a chance. I have 17-year-old students and professionals involved. We have two professional feature filmmakers working with us: Adam Abel & Ryan Little, who co-directed Forever Strong last year.” Kelly explained, “I think it’s a really wide concept and what people’s connection is to home can have so many manifestations. I think it’s a lot for people to grasp: ‘How do I connect to my home?’” Kelly expects the footage to come to him in many formats. He said, “Some people were concerned they didn’t have professional equipment. I said they can shoot on their phones or digital cameras if they don’t have video cameras. Others are using professional high definition cameras and 16 mm film.” He continued, “Another filmmaker in Australia reminded me it will be night time when he has to film and he asked about taking lights to shoot with. I think other people are going to head out into the wilderness and drive out to somewhere special. So, people are putting a lot of thought into it.” To follow the filmmaking process and learn more about Frank Kelly’s 140, check this out or on twitter @frankwkelly.

Permalink

]]>
http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1547055/somethingnice.jpg http://posterous.com/users/he6h5y5Q4XfM6 Samplingculture.com amandatoronto Samplingculture.com
Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:48:12 -0700 'RiP: A Remix Manifesto' film http://samplingculture.posterous.com/2009/03/17/rip-a-remix-manifesto-film http://samplingculture.posterous.com/2009/03/17/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.
Media_httpamandaconno_egehd
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]

Permalink

]]>
http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1547055/somethingnice.jpg http://posterous.com/users/he6h5y5Q4XfM6 Samplingculture.com amandatoronto Samplingculture.com
Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:54:14 -0700 Berlin Calling Screening in Toronto http://samplingculture.posterous.com/2009/03/08/berlin-calling-screening-in-toronto http://samplingculture.posterous.com/2009/03/08/berlin-calling-screening-in-toronto I wrote this article for Beatportal.com in September 2008.
Media_httpwwwbeatport_hhiax
Sunday night in Toronto during the Toronto International Film Festival in the heart of downtown (Little Italy to be exact), Paul Kalkbrenner stood outside of the Royal Theatre as people lined up to go inside. He, as the star actor, along with film director Hannes Stohr of the new film Berlin Calling, waited in anticipation of the North American premiere of their film. The rogue screening organizers, Platform Events and Xanuradio.com were bustling around – promoting, and doing press releases and media outreach - earlier that week up until the last minute to ensure that things went smoothly. That night as people entered the theatre and seats began to fill, the anticipation started to dissipate. It was clear that the screening would be well-attended by electronic music fans in Toronto. As the lights dimmed and the opening credits rolled, the audience cheered as Paul Kalkbrenner’s impressive soundtrack kicked in. After the film, which portrays DJ Ikarus in a journey through drug addiction, the creation of his full-length album, and mental health illness and recovery, the audience clapped and cheered. The lights came up and Paul Kalkbrenner and Hannes Storh walked to the front of the theatre stage and invited everyone to the after-party at the TIFF after-hours hot spot, The Drake Hotel. At the Drake guests were treated to some sets by Greg Gow, Jamie Kidd, and Felix and Gani. In addition, Paul Kalkbrenner’s live set was energetic and full of passion. He dropped some of his hit and recognizable tracks (also featured in Berlin Calling): ‘Sky and Sand’ (which is produced and arranged by Paul Kalkbrenner, written and performed by Fritz Kalkbrenner - and is not yet available on Beatport), and ‘Gebrunn, Gebrunn’. People at the event seemed thrilled to have a chance to hear the man from the film play. Paul’s work as an electronic music artist continues to impress as did his surprisingly good ability to act for cinema! -- People interested in Montreal can see Berlin Calling in the 2nd screening ever in North America. The Montreal screening takes place at Cinema du Parc (3575, av. du Parc) on September 15th at 7pm. Tickets can be obtained at 6pm at the theatre or in advance online at wanttickets.com. -- Photo for this article taken by Jofus (www.thefuss.ca)

Permalink

]]>
http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1547055/somethingnice.jpg http://posterous.com/users/he6h5y5Q4XfM6 Samplingculture.com amandatoronto Samplingculture.com