Header Banner
wonderhowto.mark.png
Gadget Hacks Next Reality Food Hacks Null Byte The Secret Yumiverse Invisiverse Macgyverisms Mind Hacks Mad Science Lock Picking Driverless

Not Your Parents' Documentaries: "California is a Place"

Jul 1, 2010 06:27 AM

Books arranged on a narrow line against a cloudy background.Sony's Bravia Balls Ad, David Michod's "Crossbow", James Nachtwey's war photography.  Every once in a while, you get smacked in the face by art so powerful and sublime, it leaves you inspired, envious, or both.  The mini documentary series, "California is a place", is no different.

Led by filmmaker Drea Cooper and photographer Zackary Canepari, these 5-7 minute masterpieces tell the stories of unique individuals and groups throughout the Golden State.  What really separates the quality of these pieces from the typical info-doc is the confidence of the filmmakers to really go for it.  They're shooting interviews with extreme wide angle lenses, macros, canted angles, cutting off the eyes, and shooting from behind (see gallery below).

Not Your Parents' Documentaries: "California is a Place"
Not Your Parents' Documentaries: "California is a Place"
Man standing confidently near a train tunnel in a rocky landscape.
Not Your Parents' Documentaries: "California is a Place"
Not Your Parents' Documentaries: "California is a Place"
Not Your Parents' Documentaries: "California is a Place"
Not Your Parents' Documentaries: "California is a Place"
Not Your Parents' Documentaries: "California is a Place"
Man standing confidently near a train tunnel in a rocky landscape.
Not Your Parents' Documentaries: "California is a Place"
Not Your Parents' Documentaries: "California is a Place"
Not Your Parents' Documentaries: "California is a Place"

But it's not style for style's sake.  Eschewing the conventions of documentary (ie, This is your b-roll sequence.  This is your sit-down interview sequence.  And this is the sequence where you bore us.), they're opening up the medium to reflect the energy of the stories they're telling and the subjects they're profiling.  Ex: "Scrapertown" (below)

Real estate property for sale with a "For Sale" sign in front.

You already know how to use your phone. With Gadget Hacks' newsletter, we'll show you how to master it. Each week, we explore features, hidden tools, and advanced settings that give you more control over iOS and Android than most users even know exists.

Sign up for Gadget Hacks Weekly and start unlocking your phone's full potential.

Related Articles

Comments

No Comments Exist

Be the first, drop a comment!