Re: Re: [Harp-L] SPAH TV clip

["Vern Smith" <jevern@xxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Garry Hodgson" <garry@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, August 24, 2006 7:27 AM
Subject: Re: Re: [Harp-L] SPAH TV clip


> "Rick Dempster" <rick.dempster@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > Why not approach a film maker to produce a doco. on SPAH?
>
> interesting idea.  you could even check for film departments at
> local universities and see if there are students looking for an 
> interesting
> documentary project.

There is a serious and professional effort already under way to make a 
harmonica video documentary.  His name escapes me but he has attended 
several SPAH meetings and has shot many hours of harmonica footage.  He uses 
a professional camera and lights.  This year he was by himself but in the 
past he has had an assistant.  He is the person who is always sitting and 
crawling on the floor during the stage performances.  I saw him shooting at 
the Rack Seminar at SPAH04.  He said that he is fascinated by the harmonica 
and is learning to play.

He not only records performances but conducts interviews to understand the 
opinions and motivations of harmonica folk. He told me that his day job is 
video editor for a network.  He even listened to what I had to say. His 
questions seemed intelligent and reflected a knowledge of harmonicas and the 
people who play them.  If he interviewed all the people at SPAH more 
important than me, then his coverage was exhaustive!

He said that he expects to be editing his footage for a year or more and 
hopes to have something preliminary to show by next SPAH. Video editing is 
intense and time-consuming work!

Of course the result will reflect his perceptions, but it will not suffer 
from any one-time, quick-take, in-and-out, superficial  impression.  He has 
recorded and interviewed many people over a period of several years, 
immersing himself in the whole harmonica scene.  Maybe his result will 
satisfy you.

Vern