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Renew Media Celebrates with Remixable Shorts from Leading Video Artists
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By
Anthony Kaufman
May 10, 2007
Once upon a time, video-makers didn't make a splash on the web and get signed to a TV deal; they actually had to seek funders from project to project. That's where Renew Media comes in, now celebrating its 20th anniversary with a series of remixable online shorts.
Formerly known as National Video Resources, Renew Media is one of those totally nonprofit, entirely benevolent organizations that funds cool artists with absolutely no strings attached, no corporate demands, no product placement.
The organization recently gave Media Arts Fellowships to such vital talents as Kelly Reichardt ("Old Joy"), Rob Epstein ("The Times of Harvey Milk"), Godfrey Reggio ("Koyaanisqatsi"), Jonathan Caouette ("Tarnation") and Ken Jacobs ("Tom, Tom, The Piper’s Son").
To celebrate 20 years on the cutting edge of visual arts, Renew also recently commissioned five Renew fellows to make new short films. The five videos hosted on Eyespot, which include Caspar Stracke's floating inner-brain collage "Process" (see left), Luciano Larobina's stop-motion live-action subway piece "Metro-Nomo" and Jem Cohen's simple ode to freedom, "Free" are all created using Creative Common licenses and available for download and remixing.
A panel will select the top 5 remixes, which will be showcased during other Renew Media Anniversary activities throughout the year, as well as on Eyespot.
"This was our way to turn over our marketing to the artists themselves, to celebrate their creativity and the ideals of the Fellowship without creating an advertisement," said Brian Newman, executive director of Renew Media.
"Furthermore, it's our push for artists to consider alternate licensing arrangements. It is clear that what happened in music - sharing and sampling, for example - is about to happen to film. While some are scared by these possibilities, we think that artists should embrace the future, and that creativity can swell as a result."
The organization recently gave Media Arts Fellowships to such vital talents as Kelly Reichardt ("Old Joy"), Rob Epstein ("The Times of Harvey Milk"), Godfrey Reggio ("Koyaanisqatsi"), Jonathan Caouette ("Tarnation") and Ken Jacobs ("Tom, Tom, The Piper’s Son").
To celebrate 20 years on the cutting edge of visual arts, Renew also recently commissioned five Renew fellows to make new short films. The five videos hosted on Eyespot, which include Caspar Stracke's floating inner-brain collage "Process" (see left), Luciano Larobina's stop-motion live-action subway piece "Metro-Nomo" and Jem Cohen's simple ode to freedom, "Free" are all created using Creative Common licenses and available for download and remixing.
A panel will select the top 5 remixes, which will be showcased during other Renew Media Anniversary activities throughout the year, as well as on Eyespot.
"This was our way to turn over our marketing to the artists themselves, to celebrate their creativity and the ideals of the Fellowship without creating an advertisement," said Brian Newman, executive director of Renew Media.
"Furthermore, it's our push for artists to consider alternate licensing arrangements. It is clear that what happened in music - sharing and sampling, for example - is about to happen to film. While some are scared by these possibilities, we think that artists should embrace the future, and that creativity can swell as a result."
