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An Internet Adventure

1 Jan , 2002  

Written by Emily Jansen | Posted by:

Filmmaker Memo Salazar takes filmmaking to a new frontier with 'Boy George Michael Jackson Browne.'

With a title such as "Boy George Michael Jackson Browne," it’s not surprising that filmmaker Memo Salazar’s most recent cinematic creation is a unique and enterprising venture. And, while the technical and creative merits of the feature are certain, what is truly distinctive about this feature is how and where it will be shown.

"Boy George Michael Jackson Browne" is a serialized feature written and made specifically for the Internet. Though it can be shown as a completed film of 115 minutes, the film is designed to be seen online, week after week, in segments. The software to view the film is available as a free download on the Web site, and is available in various streaming formats. Still questioning the magnitude of the impact of digital technology and the Internet on the independent filmmaker? If so, perhaps this film may make you reevaluate.

Billed as "an Internet adventure in 24 episodes," "Boy George Michael Jackson Browne" premieres on January 7, 2002. However, the film’s Web site, www.foolfactory.com, is already fully functional (the Web site itself is quite entertaining to explore, but that is another story altogether). Memo Salazar, the Internet film’s creator, describes the work as a "surreal comedy, aimed at the 21-35 demographic, but with enough meat to appeal to anyone interested in something different." Episode I is touted on the site, explaining that "romantically troubled Matt and Melissa" are on an average date at the movies that soon turns toward the bizarre. In true cinematic form, there is a dramatic tease that asks the viewer to tune in and find out "Who is the Gunman?" Episode II, available as of January 14, 2002, also has a brief promo on the site.

As the Web site for the film explains, each episode of "Boy George Michael Jackson Browne" can be viewed two ways. One option is for an episode to be downloaded directly to one’s own computer via QuickTime. The QuickTime files have been designed to allow for the best possible sound and picture quality in a relatively small file. In this format, the episodes are not streamed, and can be kept and/or shared with others. The alternative to this is to watch a streamed version of the film from one of the Web’s independent film sites, each broadcasting the show in their own encoding format. Partners for this method of viewing include Studentfilms.com, Undergroundfilm.com, and ReelMind.com. The Web site also offers other elements such as archived episodes (in case you miss a week), downloadable BGMJB movie trailers, and 11 downloadable BGMJB posters.

Some may find this to be an unusual path for a film, but for Salazar it makes perfect sense. Since 1991, Salazar has owned and operated his own independent film company XIMIX PRODUCTIONS with the motto — use whatever resources surround you to get your ideas onto the screen.

Using the computer/Internet as a vehicle to show free films is also part of Salazar’s efforts to make creative works available to a wide audience at no cost to the viewer. The benefits of digital technology do not rest with the viewing audience alone, though. Salazar believes that "Boy George Michael Jackson Browne" will also profit from making use of the latest in digital media. "Because we made it digitally," he explained, "I was able to get a lot more ambitious with ideas as well as shooting, and the result is something that is incredibly personal but at the same time very accessible."

Salazar has been working on this film project for the last two years. While Salazar "was involved, often solely, in every aspect of the project," the number of people who participated in the project is quite extensive. With a cast of about 30 and a crew of about 30, the film alone was a major undertaking. Beyond the filmmaking process, though, Salazar also was involved in the logistics of launching the film on the Web and creating partnerships with the other Web sites presenting the feature. Having already been screened at the New Hampshire Film Expo and the Coolidge, crowds have enthusiastically embraced the film. Now, the filmmaker hopes that

online audiences will do the same. And, of course, with the scope and reach of the Internet, the potential audience is almost limitless.

On January 7th, all Internet users will have a chance to participate in a unique Web event, as "Boy George Michael Jackson Browne" debuts. Perhaps screening "Boy George Michael Jackson Browne" will expand a viewer’s expectations for how a film can be presented, and perhaps this serialized feature will change the way some filmmakers conceive of a film and develop it. But, at a minimum, this film experience will demonstrate the ways in which the boundaries of filmmaking continue to expand.

See a trailer at www.foolfactory.com/haus/bgmjbmov.htm and tune in for the real thing on January 7, 2002 at www.foolfactory.com.


See a trailer at www.foolfactory.com/haus/bgmjbmov.htm and tune in for the real thing on January 7, 2002 at www.foolfactory.com.

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