I had never heard about the upcoming documentary Press Pause Play until about an hour ago, but after first discovering the film’s trailer I became hooked on watching the various clips featured on the film’s YouTube channel. As somebody that’s interested in the way creative media is evolving, I can’t wait to see it and figured it would likely interest many of you as well.
Here’s how the film’s website describes what it’s about:
The digital revolution of the last decade has unleashed creativity and talent of people in an unprecedented way, unleashing unlimited creative opportunites.
But does democratized culture mean better art, film, music and literature or is true talent instead flooded and drowned in the vast digital ocean of mass culture? Is it cultural democracy or mediocrity?
This is the question addressed by PressPausePlay, a documentary film containing interviews with some of the world’s most influential creators of the digital era.
Sounds pretty interesting, huh? Well, if you need more convincing, here’s a few video teasers from the film.
An early teaser for the film…
The film’s official trailer…
A clip featuring an interview with Seth Godin (a genius, whose blog you should definitely be reading)…
The film debuts at the SXSW Festival – no word yet on its release beyond that as far as I know.
It does look like a great film. While I think it’s great that more art can come out and artists have more control, I’m also dismayed at how much junk you have to surf through and that I can’t possibly experience even a fraction of it.
There is definitely a paradigm shift taking place and it is happening at the speed of the very Internet itself. The shift is from access to an audience for one’s art to redefining how we see ourselves as consumers of other people’s art. Creative ideas feed on each other and have the power to alter personal realities. So the input we receive being exposed to the art of others forms in turn the output we produce. We can become intoxicated by the possibilities available endangering our drive to produce or we can mindfully select venues of dedicated content with the risk of being a one-hit wonder. And where do our basic needs (for which we still need money) in all of this? Are we rushing into a ‘Creativity Bubble’ or are we revolutionizing the human condition by transforming our societal structures?
By the way…all of the above you can re-read in my soon to be released self-published book. Available soon. 🙂