But more importantly, Matt is coming to New Orleans. I received an email today letting me know that Matt is coming to New Orleans. The first video, it seems, was more about places. Now he is making a video about people. And he wants New Orleanians to come out and dance with him on Friday September 21st at Washington Artillery Park (across from Jackson Square).
I hope some of you can make it.
Read on for more details (I edited this email from Matt for the blog post):
Hi folks
If you're getting this email, you've either signed-up on my site to be notified or you've written to me and mentioned where you live. I'm coming to New Orleans to shoot a clip for my new dancing video. This is an invitation to come out and join me.
The last video was about places. This one is about people. LOTS of people.
So I'm not too concerned about the background, I just want a place where we can gather peaceably and dance badly without getting arrested.
The location is Washington Artillery Park across the street from Jackson Square. I'll be standing next to the cannon on Friday, September 21st.
Dancing will commence at 6pm.
Boring details below. Read no further if you can't make it:
We'll need to take a photo of each participant before the dance and attach it to the release form so we can identify everyone in the video.
If you are under 18, you MUST be accompanied by a parent or guardian who can sign the release form and be photographed with you. Sorry, those are the rules I have to follow in order to use the footage. The good news is that my sponsor is making a donation to charity for each person who signs up and dances with me.
Feel free to invite friends to come with you. Just make sure everyone is okay with signing the release form.
When you get to the spot, look for the guy who looks like the guy in the dancing video. Just come on over and say hello. If the guy turns out to not be me, recoil sheepishly and keep looking.
It will take some time to process each person, so depending on how many show up, we may have to stop accepting forms at some point and shoot the video.
Please show up early as we expect to have a lot of people to sign in.
The whole thing shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to shoot. We'll set up the shot, dance for about 15 seconds, do it one more time for good measure, and then try a couple fun variations.
There won't be any music. That gets added later. Blasting a stereo just complicates things. Dance however you want to the music in your head.
I can't guarantee that the clip we shoot will end up in the final video.
There'll be a lot of footage to choose from and some of it will not be used.
You're welcome to bring your own camera. After the shoot, I'll stick around for pictures and stuff. I'm happy to dance with you in your own picture/video, so don't be afraid to ask.
Please reply to this email if you plan to attend and let us know how many people you think you'll be bringing. It'll help to give us an idea of how many to expect.
We're planning to put the final video up on the internet on June 21st, 2008.
It's a long way away, I know, but I've got a lot of traveling to do.
I look forward to dancing badly with you!
-Matt and Melissa
2 comments:
"This is Why He's Sad and Angry"
There are many things I wish; I would I could make the pain go away. But I cannot because, while I can relate to sorrow, it is not in my past to understand his deep connection to the place where he grew up. Now he is in Boston, one week from now he'll be in Rome, but New Orleans will forever be the only place he calls home. No one understands why the storm released its wrath on a city full of innocents; lives, homes, and memories were either changed or destroyed forever. In a blink of an eye, it seemed as if all hope had drifted up into the night sky. His frustration is deep but his sorrow cuts further into his soul; from his sadness, an unhealthily strong anger is born. When he speaks, it's of the ignorance of people, the lack of aid from the government, and the death of a great city. He rages against the justice of it all and curses each and every person who helped after the initial aftermath of the storm, but who now, have chosen to remain blind on the subject. Why will our country spend billions of dollars on a war meant to aid another country in the long run, but give next to nothing to a tragedy existing within our own nation? How can our country boast about helping relieve the poverties of others when New Orleans remains so desolate? How dare people say New Orleans should never be rebuilt; what if a similar thing had happened to their hometown? These are the questions which he furiously releases onto an audience of deaf ears. He's come to believe that nobody cares anymore; what makes humans so cruel in circumstances such as these? They believe that because it's not happening to them, everything stays okay. There is no fairness in this concept, but it remains mostly, to be the truth. He grieves and fights for the survival of New Orleans. His hands have rebuilt houses, his speeches and protests have given birth to curiosity, and his fundraisers have raised money. But it is not enough for him alone to be concerned. It has never been enough for a percentage of people to be focused on the rebirth of New Orleans. True, it's one city in a nation full of so many others; but it's where he became who he is today. New Orleans was where he got hurt, experienced love and death for the first time, achieved greatness, landed his first job, and made everlasting friendships. In that way, New Orleans is 'his' city; we cannot change the past. However, it's always possible to change the future by our course of actions in the present.
I had to do a journal for AP English; a conversation I had with one of my friends, inspired me to write this. Hope all is well with you.
~S
Living in K-ville
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