inspiration to the n-th degree

I just spent the better part of last weekend [and quite a few evenings last week too], watching a wide variety of videos and films and assorted media at the 20th Annual Dallas Video Festival.

Even from the first screening, I got that same old feeling of “Hey, I could do that. I could make a film. A short one of course, but yeah, I could do it.” So now I have burned into my mind a long list of images, sounds and ideas that were are dying to pop up fully formed as the next brilliant video. Or film. Or doc. (That’s inside-lingo-talk for documentary, donchaknow?)

Can I say the 2 pieces that have stuck with my the past few days couldn’t be more opposite. One’s a slow, quiet deep-dive into the making of a Steinway piano [review in local paper] and the other was 3 clips which preview a gritty, down-on-the-ground and terrifying look at the forgotten war in Afghanistan, and the soldiers fighting it. The Forgotten War [(Scott Kesterson)]

I would love to see Note by Note again (the lush, visually stimulating story of pianos) – yes it was that good. In a former life, filmmaker was a graphic designer. >> about the filmmaker

And I am of two minds about Scott’s work – I really do mywant to see the piece when it’s all finished, but I don’t know if I can watch that so-very-up-close-and-personal look at war. Man’s inhumanity to man is more than tough to watch. Not sure that I can stomach it. I feel squeamish even now just thinking about it. >> about the filmmaker

I voted for Jericho

Which show do you think will be cancelled?

I especially enjoyed the thematic interface for signup, login and voting.