Instant Video #9 — Money by Tammy Lin Foreman (4 min. 2008) Directed, shot, and edited by Lester Alfonso for the collaborative weekly video project that ran from 2008 to 2010.
Check out also: The Instant Video Showcase and Before Instant Videos featuring videos prior to the Instant Video project and broadcast on CBC’s ZeD TV. Audio tracks are available for purchase on Tammy Lin Foreman’s Bandcamp page.
The Reasons Slip by Me
Monday, December 1, 2008
Seven days ago, YouTube changed their viewer size to accommodate the widescreen video trend. November 25 – I marked it; a big day for a YouTube content producer. (There was no warning.) I realized that day that I didn’t really have any control over such things and wonder if all of this dependence on free web sites (including this one) will bite me later on, if and when they decide to charge for the service.
Anyway, I actually like the “pillar-boxing” effect on 4×3 shots (as opposed to the “letter-boxing” of the widescreen format) and I think it enhances the compositions of my “old” videos. But the day they changed the screen size on YouTube, I knew I had to figure out a way to fill that whole space somehow for the next Instant Video. And I didn’t know how. And it’s already time to shoot the next one.
(See Money filling the entire frame on YouTube.)
“I didn’t choose the song…” says Tammy. “The song chose me.” We are tired. It’s late in the week. Delays. It’s busy. There’s no preconceived idea. “Where should I set up?” Anywhere. Let’s put up a wallpaper of American dollar bills. Isn’t that where you’d find “dead presidents” as in the lyrics to the song?
Let’s put up just one. No. That doesn’t work. Maybe I’ll do something in post. Is that breaking the Instant Video rule? I will keep it one uninterrupted take. That’s really the only rule. And I can put the take inside that ten dollar bill. Is that too cheesy?
Tammy styles her scarf like an ascot worn by Alexander Hamilton in the painting by John Trumbull on which the picture on the ten dollar bill is based.
Wikipedia tells me Alexander Hamilton isn’t even a dead president. He was the first United States Secretary of the Treasury under George Washington. Hamilton also has the distinction of dying from a gunshot wound he acquired from a duel. Social convention at the time forced him to confront another politician purportedly because of a careless remark Hamilton made at an upstate New York dinner party.
Money by Tammy Lin Foreman C'mon let's leave I mean why, why should we wait when there are stars in our stride and there is heaven in our gait and love, it loosens our legs and love, it swings out our arms and love, don't matter none coz we are lucky like charms money (money) the reasons slip by me the reasons slip by me Honey, money don't matter it's just a clatter of coins and when our hands join it ceases to exist I follow my bliss not the green that's in my fist coz cash is just a flash in the hand d'you understand? I don't need pictures of dead presidents to make me happy I'd rather we be free and let love lead our day love, pay our way love, it will stay and money, will come and go money (money) the reasons slip by me the reasons slip by me dollar signs in your eyes they won't buy me sugar pie I want the pie in the sky I just love you so much the kind that money can't touch still you spend all day making dough to blow and when you get home you gotta get, you gotta go with your card cash, cold cash, money in hand I want to leave this life but you don't understand You think it's all about the way you look You think it's all about your pocketbook But I don't want your money I just want your honey.
“What about the heart?! We need a heart.” Don’t worry. It’s in there. I made sure.
posted by Lester Alfonso at 5:34 PM 0 comments