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Our Ultimate Purpose
We
believe in the infinite power of images and their ability to change the world.
We believe that art should not answer the ultimate questions but instead ask better
ones to seek new answers. We believe in
revolutionizing the way people interpret film and art, consequently challenging
the way they understand themselves and the universe.
We're making these films to arrest audiences, to challenge our notions of institution, why we oppress one another, man versus animal, and how we respond to our relationship with the divine.
Our Stories - Two Explorative Films
Colin Stetsons New History Warfare album trilogy
is an epic and harrowing journey of the soul. One is left awestruck, feeling
re-awoken on a foreign landscape, with a superfluity of visual nightmares asking:
What war was this? What town could this be?
Above Our Heads...
With an apocalyptic storm extinguishing life to biblical proportions, there is the last family, amdist a vast metallic ocean, valiantly struggling to stay afloat. With the souls of the dead propelling the few that remain at the surface from underneath, a mother, a father and their four sons, witness one another parish, and ultimately betray one another to survive under an omnipotent tiger, perched atop the mountain with its young safe at its feet. And when the last of the sons observes himself alone on the mountaintop, rain on his face and fear in his heart next to mother tiger and her cubs ostensibly safe and outliving his family, he understands the pure dispensability of humanity, and resigns himself to
the waters, where his family and all his kind, belong.
Below Our Feet... Deep under the crust of the Earth, imprisoned inside the deep darkness of a cave, a primitive race of people are growing. There is an orifice above them to the light of the sun and the world outside where only birds are visible. These are the deities of the cave dwellers and so begins a new culture, enslaved by religion. But when a young boy begins to grow wings, he is shamed and persecuted by his clergy. His mother, once the one who protected him and kept his secret safe, is now brought in front of all her people to take action against her own son. And with hysteria in her eyes, she acquiesces to them all and chews her son's wings off for all to see in a harrowing ceremony, no longer serving her god, but serving the false beliefs that were taught to her by the cave dwellers before her.
Who We Are - Musician Meets Filmmaker
Colin Stetson
Born and raised in Ann Arbor, MI, Colin earned a degree in music from his hometown school, the University of Michigan, in 1997. Six years in San Francisco followed, then another four in Brooklyn, NY. Over this time, he developed his unique solo voice on saxophones and clarinets, culminating in the release of the album New History Warfare Vol. 1? on Agoo Records in 2008. Stetson now resides in Montreal, QC, and performs regularly on assorted saxohones, clarinets, cornet, french horn and flute. His latest solo record New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges was released in February, 2011 on Constellation Records. Aside from his work as a soloist, Stetson has brought his talents to the stage and studio with dozens of artists over the past decade, including Tom Waits, Arcade Fire, TV on the Radio, Feist, Bon Iver, Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed, David Byrne, Jolie Holland, Sinead OConnor, LCD Soundsystem, The National, Angelique Kidjo, and Anthony Braxton. Colin is currently a member of the band Bon Iver and will be touring with them throughout the year, as well as performing solo shows in support of his newest record. With no loops, pedals or backing tracks, but a mastery of circular breathing on a single instrument, Colin has been able to sweep audiences into the light and (especially) dark corners of their souls while challenging critics into a new language of what music is and can be. Artist Website: www.colinstetson.comConstellation Artist Page: www.cstrecords.com/colin-stetsonBillions Artist Page: www.billions.com/colinstetson
Brian Gonzalez / Taxiplasm
Brian
Gonzalez began his film career as a sophomore in high school as an
active member of the SAYSi Media Arts program in San Antonio, Texas.
With roots in video art, he photographed myriad student works and
grew primarily as a cinematographer and in 2005, at age seventeen, he
shot his feature film as Director of Photography, La Tragedia de Macario,
which gathered acclaim at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, SXSW Film
Festival and more. That fall he began attending the School of Visual
Arts (SVA) in New York City.
His first freshman film Positive, won
the FYI (Film Your Issue) Film Festival with Oscar Winner George
Clooney as the president of the jury and was awarded at the UN by Ellen
Burstyn. In his thesis year at SVA he earned Outstanding Achievement in
Cinematography at SVA's Dusty Film Festival awarded by Oscar-winner
Robert Elswit, ASC.
Since graduating with honors from SVA in 2009, with a
residency at the Robert Wilson Watermill Center shortly after, he has
worked with various fashion magazines directing, editing and shooting conceptual
video work that has been shown at Art Basel-Miami and Vogue.com as well as working with Atlantic records directing videos with
artists including Jay-Z, Fanfarlo and Panic! at the Disco. Residing in Park Slope, Brooklyn, Gonzalez continues to make high-concept video art with the goal of fusing light installation, sculpture, performance, fashion, non-fiction and mythology.
What We Need & What You Get
The music video as an art form is losing its value, becoming vapid pseudo-representations of mood that are so transient, the video is unworthy of multiple viewings, because it offers nothing toward the posterity of humanity...UNTIL NOW. Normally, solo composers don't make videos - there's no lyrics, therefore no singer, there's no flashy party for tweens. That's why in many ways, we're not making a music video, we're making a pair of short films that express something far more honest and intense, in almost mythical spaces, spaces which don't quite exist and must be constructed in many ways - that's where YOU come in! We need to really build that cave! We need to really have that tiger plus its wrangler! We need to really have wings piercing through skin! ...or at least a killer makeup job to make it look real -all of which costs quite a lot of money. As we receive your generous donations we will begin to release glimpses of conceptual drawings and storyboards from our talented team of production designers (who are installation artists in their own right), videos of camera tests (including VFX), photo/video of desired locations. We want to share this process with you so you know where your money is going as we get it. You'll be contributing to more than a video to play at a party, but a place where your vulnerability can swim with each additional viewing.
Other Ways You Can Help
We understand many of you are also starving artists like us and might not be in a space to donate what you would like, but you can pass this page along to those who believe what we believe! Our goal is simply to create a pair of films that defies the platform of "music video" or even "short film" and gives way to a new kind of art, one that is intensely arresting, fusing sound, motion, performance and sculpture with social consciousness and the divine human spirit.
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$710
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RAISED OF $20,000 GOAL
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TIME LEFT
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Perks for your contribution:
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Special Thanks Credit!: $10
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| A big special thanks credit in the film!! |
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0 Claimed
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DVD: $25
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| A DVD copy of the film signed by Colin! plus a Special Thanks credit in the film. |
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5 Claimed
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Sexy Signed Still + DVD: $50
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| A sexy glossy 8x10 still photo from the film, signed by Colin Stetson that you'll want to hang hang with your killer art collection, a special thanks cred in the film and a DVD copy of the film. |
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2 Claimed
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Collection of Stills! + DVD: $100
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| A haunting collection of 5 glossy 8x10 stills photo from the film, signed by Colin Stetson and the director which can cleverly compose a narrative on your wall, plus Special Thanks credit and a DVD copy of the film. |
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2 Claimed
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Signed Copy of Vinyl!: $250
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| A silky signed vinyl copy of Colin Stetson's album New History Warfare, Volume 2: Judges (which includes poster), collection of 5 signed glossy photos, a special thanks credit and a DVD copy of the film. |
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1 Claimed
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Custom T-shirt and more!: $500
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| An iconic custom silkscreened Colin Stetson T-shirt (featuring album art, with your choice of color), a signed vinyl copy of Colin Stetson's album New History Warfare, Volume 2: Judges (which includes poster), collection of 5 signed glossy photos, a special thanks cred and a DVD copy of the film. |
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0 Claimed
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Co-Producer: $1,000
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| Special signed copy pre-order Colin Stetson's upcoming 3rd album!!! plus custom silkscreened T-shirt, a signed vinyl copy of Colin Stetson's album New History Warfare, Volume 2: Judges, collection of 5 signed glossy photos, a Co-Producer credit, a special thanks cred with a DVD copy of the film. |
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0 Claimed
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Executive Producer: $2,500
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| Free entrance to upcoming, face-melting Colin Stetson show (depending on your city), with dinner and drinks with Colin and the director! as well as pre-order of Colin's upcoming 3rd album, custom silkscreened T-shirt, a signed vinyl copy of Colin Stetson's album New History Warfare, Volume 2: Judges, collection of 5 signed glossy photos, a special thanks cred and an Executive Producer credit with a DVD copy of the film. |
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