June 2010

NLP Awarded Funding for Film on Inuit Circus

Northern Light Productions and filmmaker Linda Matchan, Norwegian financier Svein Andersen from FilmCamp, and Norwegian co-producer Kalle Rikardsen, had a successful pitch in Toronto last month at the TDF (Toronto Documentary Forum) with their film “Artcirq.”

The film centers on a collective of young Canadian Inuit performers who make up the world’s only Arctic circus, following them from obscurity to the worldwide stage at the 2010 Olympics and reveals their unique connection to another indigenous culture on the other side of the world. Their struggles are examples of the extraordinary power of art and performance to impact young lives in a profound way, and highlight just one group of youth who are eager to protect their imperiled traditions.

Having recently received partial funding from the LEF Foundation, we will soon be back in Igloolik, Canada filming for the project.We are currently working with our Norwegian and Canadian partners to secure additional funding.

Check out our trailer and stay updated on Facebook!

Destination Indiana Opens

How do you turn an archive of 1.6 million historical images into a compelling, innovative exhibit that will appeal to a wide swath of visitors?

That was the challenge behind Destination Indiana, a new interactive media exhibit recently launched by the Indiana Historical Society. With such an enormous archival resource at their fingertips, the IHS wanted to an exhibit that would highlight their collection and enable visitors to explore Indiana’s heritage in a fun, user-friendly way. Project goals included:

· Design a participatory experience;
· Appeal to a wide audience with varying levels of comfort using technology;
· Connect visitors to Indiana’s heritage through noteworthy events and everyday life.
· Enable users to customize the experience;
· Design the exhibit so that both individuals and small groups can use it.
· Design a scalable format that the IHS can expand over time.
· Create an experience with enough depth so users can enjoy a return visit.

Northern Light Productions teamed up with Unified Field on the project. The first task was to develop a conceptual framework that would serve as a blueprint for all resulting work, but still be flexible enough to allow for new content to be added over time. This would drive the editorial work of selecting and organizing photos into thematic groupings that invited browsing and exploration. We knew there needed to be multiple ways to enjoy the content. Some audience members would want to sit back and enjoy a flow of historic images; others would want to have lots of options in terms of zooming and panning and getting additional information. Some visitors would seek images from their city or county; others would investigate specific topics, such as the Civil War or the immigrant experience in Indiana.

The first phase of the project was planned as a proof of concept, and the IHS hired a professional evaluator to conduct a summative evaluation that would inform the second phase of work: expanding the exhibit to include the entire state and many more thematic journeys.

The result: eight “drive yourself” time-travel stations that invite visitors to travel back in (Indiana) time and explore every corner of the state using innovative digital technology. The images are organized into journeys—about 10-12 per journey—and the exhibit can be used in “cinema mode” (a movie-like sequence of images) or “explore mode” (which gives users a full set of controls and additional interpretive information). Depending on a visitor’s interest, they can navigate via a map interface, a thematic interface, or a “journey finfinder.” Visitors get to decide where they want to travel and what they want to know more about.

Above: Visitors can touch a map or use a “steering wheel” to select a journey.

Above: Destination Indiana also features a curved 8 x
22-foot screen that plays select journeys. With nearly
twice the resolution of an HD television, the extra-wide
show offers a stunning way to experience the images.
In fact, many of the 19th and early 20th century images
were photographed using large-format cameras and
have an astonishing level of detail.

NLP to Film at 75th Anniversary of AA
Thanks to the support of Hazelden, NLP will be filming this summer in San Antonio at the 2010 International Convention of Alcoholics Anonymous, as thousands of people converge to celebrate the 75th anniversary of AA. We plan to use this footage as part of a full-length documentary which traces the history of AA from its founding to the present day.

Steampunk!

What was once just a burgeoning literary subgenre has extended its reaches to craft and invention, film and fashion, performance and popular culture. While the rest of the world may just be catching on, steampunkers insist that this is not a trend, but a lifestyle. NLP is working on a new project which will highlights this lifestyle, and we welcome your input. Send your Steampunk stories/opinions/thoughts to northernlightp@gmail.com.

The inspiration for the steampunk aesthetic is largely Victorian, and the setting for most steampunk literature is turn-of-the-century Great Britain. Most of steampunk culture seem to be Euro-centric, although the genre has been influenced by Japanese anime and design.

New Developments for Shoot The Messenger
NLP is currently in negotiations to create a 2-hour film entitled Shoot the Messenger. The film will tell the story of journalists who covered the Vietnam War in its earlier years, risking their lives and defying the message of their government to bring the realities of the war to the American people. It follows these journalists as they went through a transition: from war reporters with no preconceptions about America’s role in the conflict, to lightning rods for government accountability and public unrest about the war.
Ultimately, the story of these journalists, and the changing nature of the coverage of the war, defined the attitude of a generation towards war and government and left a lasting legacy about the relationship between the government and the contemporary press.