It just dawned on me that it was three years ago yesterday that I set out on that long 2,300-mile road trip to shoot video of the poets reading. Time has certainly flown since then, though that immediate year afterward was a long one, as I struggled to try to do something with all that footage.
Of course, it turned out to be a failure of major proportions, a waste of time and money -- a great part of that money somebody else's. Part of the failure was found in the restrictive nature of simply videoing people in static locations, motel rooms, homes. There's nothing going on but the reading of poetry, and a tad of discussion.
Another part of the failure was in my lack of knowledge as to the technical requirements of making such a documentary. I did the best I could, but that wasn't good enough. I learned a lot during the process, however, mainly about what not to do. I could do a better one today, but of course I never will try something like that again.
I think about four people who were in the video liked it. I heard something from a couple more, mainly that they'd received it. The other half didn't even have the common courtesy to even mention it period, so I have to assume they got their copies. But that's about par for the Small Press.
All that said, I enjoyed the trip and meeting those I hadn't met, and seeing those I had again. Everybody was nice and pleasant and it was a good experience. I'm not sorry I did it, I just wish it had turned out better.
Of course, it turned out to be a failure of major proportions, a waste of time and money -- a great part of that money somebody else's. Part of the failure was found in the restrictive nature of simply videoing people in static locations, motel rooms, homes. There's nothing going on but the reading of poetry, and a tad of discussion.
Another part of the failure was in my lack of knowledge as to the technical requirements of making such a documentary. I did the best I could, but that wasn't good enough. I learned a lot during the process, however, mainly about what not to do. I could do a better one today, but of course I never will try something like that again.
I think about four people who were in the video liked it. I heard something from a couple more, mainly that they'd received it. The other half didn't even have the common courtesy to even mention it period, so I have to assume they got their copies. But that's about par for the Small Press.
All that said, I enjoyed the trip and meeting those I hadn't met, and seeing those I had again. Everybody was nice and pleasant and it was a good experience. I'm not sorry I did it, I just wish it had turned out better.
2 comments:
Was it three years ago?
I was pretty burned out when you showed... I cringed looking at my reading... but t'was a noble task you took on, and was hell cool to meet you.
Yeah, it was October, 2006, couple months after my mom died. Hell, I cringe looking at my little piece, too. You did as well as anybody else far's I can see.
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