Through our research into our subject matter for Down on the Corner, we have discovered that there are a handful of other projects previously done on the subject of busking. however, these films have mostly centered on one or two individuals, or an event such as a tour/travel documentary or a festival type setting. ours will be different by focusing more on an area and everyone involved in the process/community of busking within that area.
as for participants, Luke and I have approached several musicians, performers, and entertainers downtown about participating in our doc and most all of them have expressed interest. we will now begin to make more solid contacts and begin scheduling interviews.
below is a copy of our treatment.
Treatment “Down On The Corner”
Director: Rob O’Connor
Producer: Luke Lamar
“If a street
performer makes you stop walking, you owe them a dollar.”
In a market already saturated with
bio-pics of individuals, “Down on the Corner” will provide insight into the
legality and community of street busking in Wilmington, NC. Interviews with
lawmakers, city officials, and police will establish the legality and rules
associated with street performing. A participatory style of documentary will
have our narrator spending time with many prominent street performers from the
Wilmington area as we provide a platform for them to tell their stories to the
public. Finally, we will apply all that has been learned throughout the
documenting process to stage our own busking performance downtown, in an effort
to illustrate the process and lifestyle for the audience.
Though
there are other documentaries featuring the various performers in numerous
towns and cities, “Down on the Corner” is set apart by its focus on larger
themes. This documentary will highlight the relationships between the buskers
and the law and city, their sidewalk audiences, and each other. Not many other
works have been produced with this focus in mind.
Our
intended audience for this film is somewhat wide. A large portion of our
audience is the local population of Wilmington. “Down on the Corner” will
provide insight into the lives and stories of some local fixtures that they see
weekly, and yet know little about. On the other hand, we also target musicians,
performers, pop culture enthusiasts, and appreciators of good entertainment.
Anyone who would stop and watch a performance on the street.
Our main
stylistic element is the participatory filming style. The narrator will be
present on screen as a “character” driving the documentary format forward. The
only featured commercial recording will be the song “Down on the Corner,” by
Creedence Clearwater Revival, as an introduction and theme setting piece about
busking. The rest of the soundtrack will be mixed from live performances we
experience while filming, as well as any necessary original scoring of our own.
Robert
(director) and Dustin Fleischmann (DP) have worked together pefore on a lyrical
documentary about dance as an art form. It was filmed in a similar style and
intention to this documentary. Luke (Producer) and Aedan Coughlin (AD) also
have experience shooting and collaborating on documentaries in the area (The
Beast).
The film
will be submitted to festivals as our distribution. We will target festivals
focusing on local North Carolina Filmmaking, as well as those internationally
that focus on music, performance, and similar human interests.
Preproduction
has already begun on the project, several performers have already been
approached about participating and they have expressed interest.
Our
documentary will be funded by several local sources. We have partnered with
local businesses to plan fundraisers and will be launching an online crowdfunding
campaign.
