Week Ten: ABC Media Report

Article from: ABC Media Report
Title: Mankind is no Island
Presenter: Anthony Funnell
Date: October 9, 2008

Link: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2384099.htm

In this segment, Anthony Funnell speaks to the director of the winner of the New York Tropfest short film festival. The director and his producer shot the whole three and a half minute film on their mobile phones and edited it on a budget of $57 on their computer.

I found this concept quite interesting when reading the transcript for this article. I think it is incredibly inspiring and creative to see directors and producers embrace such a low-scale medium and make something artistic and creative. It just goes to show the direction we are heading in where we are truly embracing the 'anyone can do it' attitude. I think that gives scope for people to try new things and find new talents in ways which were in the past seen as just for the professionals.

I don't agree with critics when they say that this kind of participatory creativity will make professionals obsolete. Instead I think it provides people with another direction to go and another space in which to enjoy and express their creativity. I think the world would not accept an amature-only film industry - or any other for that matter. I think there needs to be professionals and amatures and they can co-exist. It offers the population more choice, and inspires them to do something they thought they couldn't do.

After watching this film (link below) I felt so inspired to go out and make my own on my mobile phone just for the fun of it and I think that's a positive thing, that I am motivated by this to do more with my time than sit in front of the TV and kill brain cells. I'm all for alternative art and new technologies, the more choice the better! Without it, I wouldn't be sharing my thoughts with the rest of the world through this blog and would therefore have no mode of expression.

Watch the award winning film at: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrDxe9gK8Gk or go to www.youtube.com and search 'Mankind is no island'.