A Little Bit of Everything

Being able to Skype with Peter Glantz was an interesting experience. It was great to get to see some of his work from The Imaginary Company before hearing him speak about it. The animation style he uses is quirky and has kind of a retro feel to it. He uses his talent to get messages across to people. He obviously cares about the environment and social issues, as many of his videos demonstrate this. For example, the "Change Your Relationship to Nature" video has a clear message. It is almost too obvious, as the only words in the video are the in the title. The soft singing voice and hypnotizing animation have a mesmerizing effect. Glantz himself had some great things to say. I enjoyed hearing about his methods for bringing an idea to fruition. And I especially appreciated some of his advice for getting into the film or television industry. His story about working for Roger Corman was a great example because it showed how it never hurts to go after what you want most. If you admire someone or the work they are doing, it never hurts to tell them and maybe something will come of it. Glantz was down-to-earth and personable, which are qualities that probably helped to get him where he is today.

We also got to watch The Barber of Birmingham, a documentary short that was partially funded by Judith Helfand's Chicken and Egg organization. Since the class had already been discussing Chicken and Egg, it was great to see something real that was made possible because of it. The story itself had great character, and a sweet story. The main character, James Armstrong, was a veteran flag bearer for the Army who owned and operated a barber shop in downtown Birmingham for over 50 years. The shop clearly has a lot of history to it, as the cameras reveal articles and pictures lining the walls that show what has happened around the shop and the town. Even Martin Luther King Jr. had been to the shop to have Mr. Armstrong cut his hair. The focus of the film centered around the most recent presidential election. Armstrong was excited to see the day that an African-American could be elected and enthusiastically participated in voting and election activities. Shortly after the election, Armstrong passed away. This, as sad as it may be, provides a sweet ending to the story and film. Right before he passed away, he was able to see his dream come true. His was a truly happy ending.

On a side note, I also attended the film showcase at Ragtag on Friday night. I just wanted to say how enjoyable it was. Every film was great, and I was impressed by all the hard work and creativity that obviously went into them. Great job!