About
Posted by Mike Hedge
AS THE DUST SETTLES
Everyone we talk to expresses the idea that we are moving into a new era. The Zeitgeist is pointing toward change on many levels: political, economical, spiritual, and personal. People are having life-changing experiences; we want others to share the same life-changing experiences. The amazing ways that people are being, feeling, doing, listening, breathing, and relating to one another at Burning Man, should be shared with people all over the world. We took what Burning Man offered us and molded it, flipped it, and stretched it. Ideas like: the gift economy, the respect for the environment, the idea that we have something to contribute to the world, how people’s perceptions are challenged and changed, radical self-expression, and how we all can celebrate the ever-changing ideas that inspire us.
We are a team of filmmakers who all passionately create thought-provoking, entertaining, inspiring movies. We are all dedicated artists who have made individual works notable for their originality, and have come together to make a single film that works in an organic way.
The 25-person team, shot with 3 RED cameras, several HD cameras, several personal video cameras, and several still cameras shooting time-lapse. The story was documented from dozens of angles, so each person’s experience became central to the filmmaking process and not simply documenting everything happening to everyone else.
Since Burning Man, after each of us reflected on what happened, many of our lives have dramatically shifted. We have been collaboratively editing the multi-perspective auto-documentary from the huge collection of footage that was accumulated. The final form of the work is a feature film made of chapters each using a different style, concept, and perspective. The result will be a movie about life-changing experiences; a playful project that will carry the light of Burning Man into the surrounding night.
Anyone who attended Burning Man 2008 is invited to upload footage to AsTheDustSettles.com and have their material considered for the film. If interested in getting involved please contact: Mike Hedge at behedge @ yahoo.com or Arin Crumley at asthedustsettles @ gmail dot com
Logline
A group battles the desert dust to document radical concepts and the future of humanity. Their lives were forever changed, once they learned to love.
Synopsis
Deep in the Nevada desert, 50,000 people met up at an event called Burning Man. Twelve people captured their experience of this profound social experiment about creation, destruction, and finding equal value in both. A hard look in the mirror, made them confront their fatal flaws. For one week, life accelerates to light speed, and as the dust settles you realize you are alive.
Plans
We had over 450 hours of footage shot on dozens of different cameras. It took quite a long time to process all of the HD footage. So, our actual editing has recently begun.
Twelve people are editing their unique individual stories. Once we have collected the edited segments, we will be creating one big mash-up script of all of the scenes we have edited. The remaining ideas and story lines that we find missing from the mash-up, will then be scripted out, and shot. These missing scenes will be edited into the film along with some animation and motion graphics.
We will then test-screen the film and adjust the film as needed, making sure the film flows correctly and isn’t confusing. Once a solid cut is together, we will bring in the original HD files and RED R3D files to create a master HD version of the project. We will also be doing a final surround sound mix and final color correction.
We are collaborating with many musicians and bands to create one of the greatest documentary soundtracks ever. We have been working with several labels in Europe and the US.
We also are working with eight top Burning Man photographers to create a complementary coffee-table photobook featuring much of the great photos taken at Burning Man 2008.
Our plan is to release the film theatrically, on Blu-ray, DVD, internet, mobile, and TV. A grass roots effort will be put into screenings and events all over the world, as we take the film on tour and really connect with the audiences in person. The plan is to have community supported distribution and also mainstream distribution. We hope to have multiple digital download platforms and a television release all going live as the film begins the theatrical release.
Investors interested in putting up money for finishing funds who can then share in the profits made from TV deals, DVD sales and internet monetization, please get in touch. Also cell phone companies interested in short content and television stations interested in the feature length content. And one final way to get involved is as a test audience member who will get invited to screenings and internet streamed rough edits and be able to provide feedback directly to the director and producer of the film.
Post-production fundraising is being done through indiegogo.com where anyone can join in the process and become a test-audience member, interacting directly with the Producer and Director to provide feedback in exchange for donating money to the project. Companies are being invited to “partner” with the film providing resources and receiving links and logo exposure around the projects marketing and release. There is also an opportunity for a brand to fund free screenings and internet distribution in exchange for brand exposure via a special thanks intro to the film made by the filmmaking team. The film is also looking for Surround Sound mixing services as well as investors interested in spending money on a viral marketing campaign to create huge internet interest around the film.
September 5th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
please keep me appraised of progress
September 23rd, 2008 at 8:13 pm
i was one of your greeters!
i wish you the best of luck and hope to see you when we go home next year!
October 15th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
im checking this for updates whenever i can, keep us informed
March 13th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Wow! Impressive project. Complete respect, congratulations, and best wishes.
Simply Awesome.
July 22nd, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Maybe the log line should be ‘reality eats you for lunch and then takes you out for dinner.’
July 27th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Your cooperative project of amplifying the terrific vibe of burning man far and wide is terrific. It’s such an immense mind blowing event/experience that conveying it is one of the greatest challenges a filmmaker can undertake. I look forward to promoting your project.
December 3rd, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Great concept for a doc. Very fresh, and forward thinking.
And you’ll have tons of footage, so you’ll be able to use
only the 5 star shots. Please keep me informed, I’ll be
checking back.