When Jim Jarmusch published his poster-sized manifesto on the art of filmmaking, he borrowed his thesis from Jean-Luc Godard. It reinforced his point that nothing is original. But you don’t have to be a fan of Ghost Dog or the French New Wave to know everything’s derivative of something else. All you have to do is watch Everything is a Remix.
Created by Kirby Ferguson (who you should remember from his engaging output of video art and observations under the banner of Goodiebag, and you may remember from his earlier, sexier productions), the four-part series is an examination of how our world is the way it is because of an innate cut and paste culture. Stealing, borrowing, remixing, or whatever verb you prefer isn’t just how a handful of things come to fruition. It’s how everything gets made.
With the archival footage and informative voice over of a Ken Burns documentary and the fast-paced editing of an MTV News segment, Ferguson takes you on a historical tour of sampling in late ’60s rock ‘n roll. Further installments will touch on movies, low culture, and high art. They’ll be released whenever Ferguson receives enough donations to cover production costs.
Ferguson knows he isn’t covering entirely new territory. He’s borrowing from predecessors like Copyright Criminals and Walking on Eggshells to give the topic a new spin. “Other people have done the legal side,” said Ferguson. ” I wanted to do something that’s more about the creative side. It’s just something everybody does. Remixing is how the creative process works. It doesn’t matter what level you’re at. You’re either doing it in a crude way or an ultra-sophisticated way, but it’s all the same thing.”
Welcome to Millionaires, where we profile creators who have recently crossed the one million follower…
"Just think it, then watch it." That's one of the taglines that can currently be…
As TikTok prepares for its legal battle against the United States Justice Department, its source…
Twitch is getting rid of all members of the Safety Advisory Council it formed in…
TikTok is weaving its Pride Month celebration into its social shopping hub. The platform has revealed…
Since 2011, YouTube has been one of Coachella's biggest hype guys. Every time the annual…