Shout out to Kurt for the bumper. Much appreciated. Fifty-two percent of the state of New Mexico is now in what is considered to be “exceptional” drought. I begin to compile footage, stills, and copy in an attempt to tell this story. These films are nothing more than visual sketches of projects ranging from the well-worked, mostly flush to the random and yet unknown. Although this film is only four and a half minutes long, the footage required four trips over four weekends and still only begins to scratch the surface of the scratch on the surface.
My job as a fledgling filmmaker is to record, everything. Sound, sight, form, and shape hoping that something cohesive emerges. The idea behind the films in this series has nothing to do with perfection or final say. This series is about going, taking a look no matter what kind of time or resources you have to offer. (In my case, random weekend shoots.) The world is full of information, data, and perspective but there is nothing like seeing something for yourself. Squatting down and feeling the Earth while trying to make sense of the shelled remains. Being in the field is the juice. When the bell rings and the first steps toward full contact are taken I want be there, in front.
Comments 22
Great video, Dan. Really like that LOC audio. Climate change is the main topic in my documentary photography / video aspirations. Unlike you, my projects are stuck closer to aspirational. Your work is inspirational, and if I ever get my act together, there’s definitely going to be a “thanks to DM for helping me get my ass out the door”.
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Scott,
We need all of it. I think it’s too late for much of what we desire, but might as well keep trying.
You may also inspire me to take this drone out. It’s a Mavic something or other, bought it a couple of years ago and have never really used it. I need to revisit all the apps and FAA requirements.
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Scott,
You should. Just learn a new skill. Be careful not to fly around people. Drones can send normal people off a cliff.
The use of archive sound is a clever device to take the viewer into the domain of recent history when water was less scarce and folk were more connected to the land.
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Darren,
One of my goals this year is to REALLY record more. A lot more and a lot better. The sound is really what carries these films, and the script.
This was terrific!
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Thanks Paul!
Very creative and innovative!
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Thanks Jim….fun making.
Bloody powerful
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Thanks Rick…
Nicely done. Wish I could send you some of our rain. Our Fall and Winter so far have been very wet. We have solar panels which are way behind on their usual generation of power due to excess gray and rainy days, extremes everywhere seem to be the new normal.
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Chuck,
Feast or famine.
Nice work! Great start, looking forward to seeing more of these about New Mexico’s ongoing issues with water.
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AK,
I don’t think these issues are going anywhere.
Okayama has many dams in the small mountains that surround the prefecture and when I came here almost 12 years ago they were all full. Now most of them are bone dry and are being filled in and houses are being built in their place. We are not in drought but nobody here seems to be talking about it. I worry but everybody else doesn’t seem to care or even notice.
Amazing movie this time, it was worth the wait!
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Kurt,
Water is almost entirely taken for granted. You turn on the tap, there it is.
Very eye opening Dan. The way you did this really makes you see and feel the story you are telling.
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Thanks Evan. I’m just stumbling around in the dark most of the time, staring at my watch wondering if I have time to do…….something.
Keep at it, it takes people like you to show things as they are. You know, free of hidden or political agendas. Did you have the chance to reach out to Peter Neill or read his book?
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MC,
No, not yet. I’ve got a massive list I’m grinding through.