Ever wanted to use "happy birthday" in a film? Sick and tired of corporate media conglomerates stifling artistic and cultural expression? Had enough of youtube's "cease and desist" emails on your favourite videos? Got DJ Dangermouse's now classic mashup, The Grey Album on your ipod? Rest assured, there is a remedy to aid the mediaphile ...
Release your inner frustrations in a creative way with opensourcecinema.org, the interactive website for Brett Gaylor's current film, Basement Tapes, the documentary being made in co-production with EyeSteelFilm and the NFB on the issue of media ownership, and in particular, the importance of the music download culture, as well as the artistic revolution behind reappropriation, and mashing up pop and political culture for citizen made media. On the site, you can get involved in the making of the film, by mashing up your own remixes and interpretations on scenes that could appear in the final film.
All the necessary ingredients are provided :
1) your vids and footage to remix
2) already made mashups for inspiration
In Basement Tapes, Brett will explore the issue of copyright, how it neither protects the artists, nor helps the consumer/citizen react to the cultural/commercial icons, music, and images that we are surrounded with everyday. But, the free culture movement, spurned by the power and freedom of the internet and technology has opened up creation to the consumer. So, with download culture being threatened, and with Google having too much to lose to be inovative, Brett and Basement Tapes asks the questions to those that are effected and are effective in the war on intellectual property, an invites you to get involved in this process.
You will even have access to heavy hitting free culture thinker, Lawerence Lessig footage to have your way with. Just re-upload your final work back onto opensourcecinema.org and get involved in the movement to release art from the corporate owners.
Check out the site for more info, and an up close and personal "walk and talk" vlog from Brett himself, where he tests your listening skills with the concepts of Left and Right.
