This project has been in pre-production for so long, tended from behind computer screens, that it’s a little hard to believe we’re already one month into our production tour. Still spending a lot of time behind computer screens, but also some very satisfying time behind rolling cameras.
We left Ypsilanti, MI right after celebrating May Day with our friends and comrades and headed straight to Montreal for our first interview with a street artist and friend. Since then, we’ve slowly been plinko-ing down the northeastern states and have recorded six interviews.
We’d built out an Econoline van over the winter to live in during our tour, and given that we’re such short (cute) people, it’s so far been a comfortable living situation. We’ll be in the south for most of the tour and we’re only now getting our first taste of what 90+ temperatures feel like. It’s warm alright. Our plan is to supplement our route with plenty of dips in creeks and lakes along the way. Parking in big cities is a huge pain. We’ve gotten three tickets so far (whops- forgot to budget for that). We’re dead set on not getting any more though, it’s a matter of principle at this point.
Getting to sit down with the folks we’re interviewing is the most satisfying part of this, of course. We’re really honored to be sharing space and conversation with such brilliant minds and radically oriented souls. Can we name drop some names here? During her interview, Dr. Jessica Gordon Nembhard helped us trace the roots of mutual aid-based organizing and culture in black histories with deep clarity. Justseeds artists have shared the importance of how collective, radical art efforts can shape alternative narratives of our humanity and possibilities. Esteban Kelly has offered his hopeful insight into the ways small, grassroots efforts can bubble up into and rapidly transform more popular practices. Truly, we are so excited for what this project is becoming.
Our film equipment set up is working out wonderfully. We’re just going to squeeze another light into the budget because we need a little extra help in that department. Otherwise, it’s all going smoothly. Audio sounds fantastic.
The budget is feeling a little tight around the edges but if we don’t get anymore parking tickets and learn how to cut each others hair we’ll do ok for the next five months. There’s already late night talk of extending production a little longer so that we can gather a few more interviews at the tail end of this six month trip. We’ll cross the we-need-just-a-little-more-funding bridge a little later down the road.
We made a new, dear friend from Mexico City who’s excited to help us translate the subtitles into Spanish when the time comes.
We’ve started editing small teaser clips of some of our interview to post to our Instagram. We’re going to do our best to keep up with it. Going through our footage as we travel will cut down our post-production/editing phase significantly while also helping us clarify our vision for the final film. Here’s a couple of them for those of you abstaining from social media:
Finally, by request, we’ve set up a Patreon. We don’t have time or interest in making paywall-ed perks for supporters, but if you like to share your money that way, it’s now available here.
Thank y’all again for supporting us and keeping up with this project. Everyone keeps telling us they can’t wait to see the film. We can’t either.