NPR story: "Local Mini-Documentaries Are Attracting a Global Audience"

Click HERE to listen to, read, or download today's NPR story on The Amerikans, by David C. Barnett - a journalist and producer at WCPN: ideastream  / Northeast Ohio Public Radio.

"Locally produced goods are all the rage, these days, from the craft beers at area bars, to the fresh produce grown in the soil of Northeast Ohio. Some Oberlin filmmakers are growing their own version of localism by turning their cameras on ordinary people. ideastream’s David C. Barnett reports that these mini documentaries are developing a global following."

Photo of Tom Tomes: star of "Cowboy Action" - episode #1 of The Amerikans

David C. Barnett came to 90.3 WCPN in 1990 with an armful of taped interviews and an idea about producing a story about the 1970 Kent State shootings - the compelling program “Emily’s Diary” was the result. David has subsequently produced many award-winning programs and is a semi-regular contributor to National Public Radio news magazines. His documentary productions about American musical pioneers Woody Guthrie, Hank Williams and Sam Cooke have been nationally syndicated by Public Radio International.

Art+Practice releases "These Are Mysteries"

Art+Practice is proud to release "These Are Mysteries", episode 15 of The Amerikans. This episode presents Parnell Necklace, a Native American drum maker, musician and storyteller who shares his vividly recreated tales of changelings, UFO sightings, the message that Bigfoot is sending and much more.

Also named Wanapin Gagà Hoksina, of the Ihanktonwan Nakota (Yankton Sioux), Parnell’s stories slyly entice his audience to venture along the Chanku Iuta (the “Red Road”), a path of deep alignment with spiritual energy, nature and others. While we hear of and see real owls, water, hawks, fire and bucks, there are sacred patterns suggested (they can be read, if you learn how, in the natural beauty of feathers) that are both specific to one cultural tradition and also accessible to all. As Parnell says, “Every culture has their own version of Big Foot and UFOs.” Parnell’s stories are charming guides, for his family, the Yankton, all who will listen, reminding us that mystery surrounds all human experience, and we are made more alive when we awaken to the sound of a human voice, telling us something extraordinary. While life is always, for all of us, a series of surprises: “These stories are old.”

Art + Practice especially wishes to thank the Necklace family, Richard Johnson and the South Dakota-based musical group Lakota Thunder, who permitted the use of original recordings for the soundtrack. "These Are Mysteries" also features original music and sound design by Charles Glanders, a student of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

World Premiere of "These Are Mysteries"

On March 1st, 2014, Parnell and Grace Necklace hosted the world premier of "These Are Mysteries", episode #15 of The Amerikans, at their home in Peebles, Ohio. The film, which stars Lakota Elder and drum-maker Parnell Necklace, followed an Inipi - or sacred sweat lodge ceremony - and was attended by Art+Practice members Jeffrey Pence and Mika Johnson. Art+Practice will premier "These Are Mysteries" online, on Wednesday, March 5th.

 

Whenever possible, Art+Practice has world premiered each episode in the community it was made, in accordance to the subjects' wishes and tailored to their community. While some have chosen to premiere their episode in public spaces, with introductions and Q&As, others have opted for a private party or event. This practice has made each screening as diverse as the stories that give the series meaning. The spaces have included a gay, lesbian, bi and straight friendly bar, an outdoor pop-up theater, two town halls, a house party, the Akron Art Museum, the Akron Summit Artspace, two movie theaters, and more. The end result, however, has always been the same: community + films = JOY.

See photos from past premieres on our Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/art-practice/

"The Amerikans" just got better

This month The Amerikans turns three. To help us celebrate, please help us share our two new websites, one in English, which features all new photos of The Amerikans, and one in Chinese,  recently launched in collaboration with youku.com: a Chinese video hosting service based in the People's Republic of China. 

The new English website was made possible thanks to Kaori Mitsushima, who designed the site, and multi-media artist, Maciej Toporwicz, who helped perfect the photos taken by Mika Johnson and Micha Hilliard. Check back in spring to see more new photos along with a gallery of original posters from past screenings.

The youku site, which is now a featured channel, was made possible thanks to The Amerikans in China: a group of Oberlin College students, from China, who were contacted by the video hosting service  after they uploaded four episodes, in translation, that went viral within twenty-four hours.

Art+Practice is proud to release a new photo series of all The Amerikans, including this photo of Danilo Vujacic, star of episode #5: Space Man. Here Danilo is no longer a young boy but a young man contemplating real space travel.

While the photos are credited to Mika Johnson and Micha Hilliard, Art+Practice owes a big thank you to Maciej Toporowicz, a multimedia artist based in New York whose skills in post made many of the photos in this series possible. 

Toporowicz's own work, which we highly recommend for its strange beauty and surreal quality, can be seen here: http://www.maciejtoporowicz.com/Art/home.html 

Ventilation shaft, 2011 - by Maciej Toporowicz

Art+Practice would also like to thank two Oberlin College physics majors, Benjamin Lemberger ('14) and Jocienne Nelson ('14), for their contributions to this photo. Thanks to them, the equations behind Danilo aren't just aesthetically pleasing; instead they include real principles in general relativity and descriptions of orbital patterns, something every Space Man relies on to return safely home.  

Happy Holidays from Art+Practice

Art+Practice prop master, Richard Johnson, holds up a mysterious prop created specifically for "These Are Mysteries": episode #15 of The Amerikans, scheduled to debut in mid-January, 2014. The new episode relates the mystical tale of Parnell Necklace: a Yankton Sioux drum maker, musician and storyteller, who shares stories of extraordinary encounters—with UFOs, shape shifters, Bigfoot—that are vividly recreated. Told in a slyly disarming style, Parnell’s tales make one laugh but also suggest that another level of meaning is available to viewers. Stay tuned in January for the official release.

"The Amerikans in China" goes viral

     Left to right: Yingran Zhang, Lang Xu, Shi Shi, Qianhui Zhou, Yinyu Zhan, Mengchen Xu, Jun Li, Zhou Zhou

"The Amerikans in China" is a collaboration between eight Oberlin College students, all from China, and Art+Practice. The project began several months ago to help spread several episodes of "The Amerikans", in translation, to youku.com and tudou.com, China’s two most popular video hosting services. On Monday morning,  December 9th, the group launched a social media campaign on Sina, China's version of Twitter, and a blog on Douban. Within twelve hours, "The Amerikans" went viral, generating over 50,000 views. As a project, "The Amerikans in China" is part of an ongoing mission, modeled by Art+Practice, that illustrates the ways in which art made locally can generate a worldwide audience. 

    Episode #13, "Love & Venom", featured on the main page of youku.com, China's version of youtube.

Check out "The Amerikans in China" here:

Youku: http://i.youku.com/u/UMTIwNTc2MDM3Ng==

Todou: http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/q0aKOe0Vq_Q/

Douban: http://site.douban.com/224644/

Sina: http://www.weibo.com/u/3933970490

"The Amerikans" family portrait

Art+Practice would like to say a special thank you to Wally Lanci and Consolidated Graphics Group, in Cleveland, Ohio, for donating the printing costs for our beautiful invitation, by illustrator Kaori Mitsushima, for our November 21st event: "Cinema + Conversation = Community". This image appeared on the front and back of our invitation. It includes a giant paw paw, Ohio's state fruit, and all fifteen of The Amerikans.  Yet to be released, episode #15, titled "These Are Mysteries", stars Parnell Necklace of Peebles, Ohio.

Cinema + Conversation = Community

On November 21st, the Community Foundation of Lorain County, Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music and the Nord Family Foundation sponsored a dinner and a movie paired with a community conversation called "Cinema + Conversation = Community".

Moderated by Dan Moulthrop and facilitated by Noelle Celeste, over fifty participants watched six episodes of The Amerikans and engaged in discussions on ways in which each of us can get to know our neighbors. 

"Cinema + Conversation = Community" was an outgrowth of a $30,000 grant, made in 2012, to Art+Practice from the Community Foundation of Lorain County. That grant made possible the last three episodes of The Amerikans - "Walter", "Love & Venom", and "Who Lives There" - and reflected the mutual understanding that local and sustainable media making can contribute to the revitalization of community identity. Art+Practice is proud to be the recipient of the first-ever grant by the foundation for an arts and media project.  

Alana Youssefian, Rachel Iba, Luke Adamson, Carrie Frey

During the event, a quartet from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music performed music by Phillip Glass and Terry Riley.

Art+Practice team: Jeffrey Pence, Micha Hilliard, Mika Johnson

Art+Practice would especially like to thank Brian Frederick, of the Community Foundation of Lorain County, and John Mullaney, of the Nord Family Foundation, for making this event possible. They would also like to thank Dan Moulthrop and Noelle Celeste for making the evening a rewarding experience for all involved. 

LaserBoy

Revisit an Amerikan classic with LaserBoy, episode 11 of The Amerikans. LaserBoy is the story of James Lehman: artist, computer programmer, and inventor from Akron, Ohio. 

James Lehman

From childhood, certain things preoccupied James: math, science, audio and visual art.  All these things would come together beautifully in his creation of LaserBoy: a software application and hardware technology, adaptable to all computer operating systems, for designing and displaying stunning laser shows. Available at laserboy.org, this free platform gives artists around the globe the opportunity to create unique laser shows.

The soundtrack of "LaserBoy" features music by Tomáš Dvořák, a clarinetist, composer, and artist from Prague, Czech Republic. With roots in electronic music, Dvořák is also influenced by minimalist composers like Steve Reich.

Charles Glanders

Adding on to Dvořák's score is the work of composer and sound designer Charles Glanders, a TIMARA music major at Oberlin College who uses beats and audio effects to create a dynamic field of sound for the video. Listen for Charles original score and sound design on the next episode of The Amerikans, "These Are Mysteries", which will be out in the next month. Check out his website at charlesglanders.com

Veterans Day

"I’m a patriotic former Marine, always was always will be” –  Lenny Rumph

On this day, Art+Practice thanks all of our Veterans from all of our wars, not just for your service to this country, but for reminding us that such sacrifices should never be taken for granted. We also hope for the healing of those still suffering from the wounds of war, be they emotional, physical, or spiritual.

In March 2011, we released "Semper Fi": a story on Lenny Rumph, a former US Marine from Elyria, Ohio, who served in Vietnam and Desert Storm. As filmmakers who learn from our subjects, we thank Rumph for both his service to our country and for sharing his story about Vietnam. Of the Ohioans who served alongside him, nearly three thousand died while another twenty thousand suffered wounds. Rumph was among the latter. Watch his powerful story below.

“Believe me real combat is not like the movies. When you get shot it, you definitely know it. The adrenaline is pumping. The only thing you want to do is either return the gunfire, mainly it’s to get your butt out of there in one piece.” 

Coming Soon: "These Are Mysteries"

This week Art+Practice began production on "These Are Mysteries" - episode #15 of The Amerikans - which shares the stories of Parnell Necklace (Wanapin Gagà Hoksina) of the Ihanktonwan Nakota (Yankton Sioux). 

Assisting Art+Practice on the production are Richard Johnson and Brad Charlton, of Amherst, Ohio. Brad is seated on his 1974 Harley Davidson Electra Glide, Police Special, the same bikes featured in the 1973 cult classic "Electra Glide Blue".

Art+Practice Recommendation: "Lucid Inc."

This week Art+Practice recommends a collection of award-winning short documentaries and an ongoing web series, from Lucid Inc., that showcase fascinating people and places in America.

Probably the group's most popular, “The Roper” is a six-minute portrait of Kendrick Domingue: an African-American calf-roper trying to qualify for the Las Vegas National Rodeo Finals. Artfully shot, edited, and scored “The Roper” is a must see for fans of short films that delve into the lives of interesting people.

Lucid’s films are even more impressive when one learns that they are self-financed by Anna Sandilands and Ewan McNicol, the films’ co-directors. To do this, the pair run a successful ad agency that works with high-profile clients like Nike, Nokia, Dentsu, and Blackberry. However, unlike most ad agencies, which put profit before passion, Lucid continues to make both interesting ads and beautiful films that are truly inspired. 

Another example is Lucid's portrait of "Harrold Little": owner of a model train museum in Tyler, Texas, with over 2,500 items that can be seen behind glass cases or inside miniature villages where the trains whistle their way through tunnels, over bridges, and around the miniature landscapes created by Little.

Or check out our personal favorite, "Bavarianism": a short film on Leavenworth, Washington, with a population of around 2,000 people. To save the once busy logging town from economic disaster, Leavenworth transformed itself into a unique tourist destination by modeling its town center on a Bavarian Village. The people, so it seems, then followed suit.

Revisit an Amerikan Classic

Revisit an Amerikan classic: "Napkin Tales", episode #7 of The Amerikans. Written by Ethel Moyers, who also acted as the Art Director, "Napkin Tales" is a great example of Art+Practice's unique model, which relies on co-authorship and community partnerships. Pictured behind Moyers, and featured in her documentary, is an aluminum étagère, decorated in autumnal colors and various ornaments.

Like a traditional Japanese home, where hanging scrolls are changed in relation to the season, Moyer's étagère also reflects the passage of time, changing to reflect Christmas, Valentine's Day, spring, summer, and fall.

Also featured in "Napkin Tales" is a napkin from Wales, which pairs English words with their Welsh counterpart. As a memory, this napkin reminds Moyers of her Welsh heritage and her grandparents who taught her how to count to ten in Welsh. See more at http://www.theamerikans.org/index.php?episode=napkin

Art+Practice Recommendation: "Interview Project"

This week Art+Practice recommends "Interview Project": an online series of mini-documentaries that began in 2009 with a 20,000 mile road trip across the United States. On a 70 day drive, filmmakers Austin Lynch and Jason S. completed 121 interviews with people they randomly encountered along the way, asking questions like “What were your dreams as a child?” and “When did you first experience death?” 

According to filmmaker Jason S. “We hope that people will see that even though we are all different we are all also the same…The people that we interviewed are not celebrities, they are ordinary people who when given a chance, prove that they are quite extraordinary.”

Produced by David Lynch, who introduces each episode, The Interview Project's next phase was a road trip across Germany, which led to a new website and 50 interviews, this time in translation. Simply titled "Interview Project Germany", both sites include immaculately designed maps that trace their separate routes and successfully merge independent cinema with an interactive web-based platform. 

Meet Yinyu Zhan

Meet Yinyu Zhan, a student from Canton, China, majoring in  Psychology and Economics at Oberlin College. Yinyu is the manager of The Amerikans in China, a project by Art+Practice in which select episodes of The Amerikans are being be uploaded, in translation, to youku.com and tudou.com: China’s two most popular video hosting services. According to Yinyu "My goal is to promote the community spirit of The Amerikans in China, which I see as a way to encourage people to be curious about the communities they live in."

Help support The Amerikans in China by watching “Love & Venom” on youku.com at:  http://tinyurl.com/nusaqmd

Dolls and Minis

Twenty-eight pieces of shrimp, caviar, sprouts, lemon slices and a bowl of cocktail sauce rest gently on a jade colored bed of lettuce. This piece of art is one of twenty-thousand plus miniatures found at Dolls and Minis, a shop owned by Dawn Reese: the subject of episode #14 of The Amerikans. Dolls and Minis is a place where the fantastic and real blur: a parallel universe where childhood memories, dreams and imagined spaces co-exist amongst the tiny furniture and hand-made objects, most of which are one inch scale, which equates to one foot in real life. For a closer look, watch Who Lives There.