Comments for DUST & ILLUSIONS http://dustandillusions.com A history of Burning Man Mon, 19 Jul 2010 23:00:53 -0800 hourly 1 Comment on Write your comments on the film! by Athena http://dustandillusions.com/blog/write-your-comments-on-the-film/comment-page-1#comment-1387 Athena Mon, 19 Jul 2010 23:00:53 +0000 http://dustandillusions.com/?p=553#comment-1387 I truly believe this might be the first film to tell the FULL story of Burning Man from its inception to its current status as a subculture. BRAVO!!! Extremely well done. I truly believe this might be the first film to tell the FULL story of Burning Man from its inception to its current status as a subculture.

BRAVO!!! Extremely well done.

]]> Comment on Write your comments on the film! by Adam http://dustandillusions.com/blog/write-your-comments-on-the-film/comment-page-1#comment-880 Adam Thu, 27 May 2010 19:17:12 +0000 http://dustandillusions.com/?p=553#comment-880 Saw the film in SF last night and thought it was great! Really enjoyed learning about early BM and my favorite part was all the early footage. I thought the criticism was fair but one sided. I would like to have seen more participants of recent BM's interviewed. I think that group was not well represented and might have shown an opposing view to the criticisms. Please release the DVD soon - I know of a lot of people who would like to see this firm!!!! Saw the film in SF last night and thought it was great! Really enjoyed learning about early BM and my favorite part was all the early footage.

I thought the criticism was fair but one sided. I would like to have seen more participants of recent BM’s interviewed. I think that group was not well represented and might have shown an opposing view to the criticisms.

Please release the DVD soon – I know of a lot of people who would like to see this firm!!!!

]]> Comment on SCREENINGS by “Dust & Illusions” Returns to San Francisco! http://dustandillusions.com/screenings/comment-page-1#comment-783 “Dust & Illusions” Returns to San Francisco! Fri, 07 May 2010 22:26:18 +0000 http://dustandillusions.com/testing/?page_id=5#comment-783 [...] All shows can be found here: www.dustandillusions.com/screenings [...] [...] All shows can be found here: http://www.dustandillusions.com/screenings [...]

]]> Comment on Write your comments on the film! by David Wilson http://dustandillusions.com/blog/write-your-comments-on-the-film/comment-page-1#comment-771 David Wilson Thu, 22 Apr 2010 20:32:31 +0000 http://dustandillusions.com/?p=553#comment-771 Thank you for creating a very comprehensive and fair summary of the Burning Man phenomena from the first burn at the beach to the present. After five trips to the picnic in the desert myself I was surprised by how much I did not know about the pople behind the event, their divergent visions and philosophies, and the evolutionary forces behind the scenes. The movie was put together masterfully with a good but not overpowering soundtrack and beautiful scenes from past events that for me evoked the spirit at the time they were happening. The interviews were insightful and just detailed enough not to lose my interest. I loved the characters such as Chicken John and Flash especially, but Larry's personality was always present and bigger than life. The last time I saw such an ego was watching Bill Graham in "Gimme Shelter" many years ago. I would have liked to see some more attention paid to the current and ongoing issues that have plagued recent Burning Man Festivals such as clogged porta-potties, theft and other crimes, and the incredible clean-up efforts that are needed to pick up after all the participants that have no clue what "Leave no trace" means. I understand, however, that the movie needs to be held to 90 minutes or less and the bad behavior of a few yahoos should not determine the tone for the rest of the movie anyway. The movie has given me fresh eyes with which to view this years picnic. Thank you for creating a very comprehensive and fair summary of the Burning Man phenomena from the first burn at the beach to the present. After five trips to the picnic in the desert myself I was surprised by how much I did not know about the pople behind the event, their divergent visions and philosophies, and the evolutionary forces behind the scenes.

The movie was put together masterfully with a good but not overpowering soundtrack and beautiful scenes from past events that for me evoked the spirit at the time they were happening. The interviews were insightful and just detailed enough not to lose my interest. I loved the characters such as Chicken John and Flash especially, but Larry’s personality was always present and bigger than life. The last time I saw such an ego was watching Bill Graham in “Gimme Shelter” many years ago.

I would have liked to see some more attention paid to the current and ongoing issues that have plagued recent Burning Man Festivals such as clogged porta-potties, theft and other crimes, and the incredible clean-up efforts that are needed to pick up after all the participants that have no clue what “Leave no trace” means. I understand, however, that the movie needs to be held to 90 minutes or less and the bad behavior of a few yahoos should not determine the tone for the rest of the movie anyway.

The movie has given me fresh eyes with which to view this years picnic.

]]> Comment on San Francisco Screening. May 26th 2010 by Tweets that mention San Francisco Screening. May 26th 2010 – DUST & ILLUSIONS -- Topsy.com http://dustandillusions.com/blog/san-francisco-screening-may-26th-2010/comment-page-1#comment-774 Tweets that mention San Francisco Screening. May 26th 2010 – DUST & ILLUSIONS -- Topsy.com Thu, 22 Apr 2010 20:15:40 +0000 http://dustandillusions.com/?p=1606#comment-774 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Jessica Lonergan. Jessica Lonergan said: RT @madnomadfilms: San Francisco Screening. May 26th 2010 http://bit.ly/a72Fcx [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Jessica Lonergan. Jessica Lonergan said: RT @madnomadfilms: San Francisco Screening. May 26th 2010 http://bit.ly/a72Fcx [...]

]]> Comment on Write your comments on the film! by Olivier Bonin http://dustandillusions.com/blog/write-your-comments-on-the-film/comment-page-1#comment-773 Olivier Bonin Thu, 22 Apr 2010 19:40:33 +0000 http://dustandillusions.com/?p=553#comment-773 Tim, 1/ Delancey St, I should have explained is a non-profit organization that helps homeless/addicts, people who have hit bottom get back on their feet. SO they have very strict rules about what is possible to do in their enclave. Far from bourgeois, they are people who have gone so low, they are trying to protect the place, and one way they do it is with very strict rules. I feel that the bohemian types should really support what the Foundation is doing, it's important work that works! So I will continue showing the film there to support them. 2/ David Best... would have been another man in a series of quite a few male portraits already in the film. But I didn't choose him intentionally. He has inspired many people, but after following his crew for a little while, I didn't see the kind of cohesion, and long term goals that I have found in the Flaming Lotus Girls (FLG). The FLG have built a group of artists, a community, which main purpose is to teach newcomers the art of metal/fire work. Their second goal, through which they achieve the 1st one is to build sculptures. With that in mind, a natural sense of belonging emerges through the group. And I haven't found that in David's crew (and here I am calling it David's crew, the FLG are the Flaming Lotus Girls, period. No leader, no #1 artist,... other reason I have chosen to feature them), even though a sense of belonging transpires, I haven't felt it to be as strong. This comment doesn't come from a scientific comparison b/w the 2 groups, rather an emotional response to spending some time with them. 3/ Hard to say what BM is about really. Everyone sort of owns it. It's not all about the ART. But the approach to the ART is the only aspect that is truly unique to this event. The temple and its spirituality, we know too well, that it is well represented all around the world. The communal experience exists in many places, often not as publicized as BM is. But an event where the participants are left to make this event what they want it to be, very uncommon at this scale. BM to me is unique in this call for creativity... which I too often simply call ART, but it's not just the sculptures, it's all the performances, the impromptu little accordeon concerts, the tuna meals, etc... People pull their creativity together and bring it there. That's what I wanted to celebrate in the film, and BORG2 did what they did, and they made it about the ART, because they were sculptural artists and that's what they knew best. I wanted to illustrate one point of community upraising and how it was received by the ORG. It wasn't just about BORG2, it wasn't to celebrate BORG2, rather to celebrate the community that our need to create builds organically. 4/ That I know... give me a minute and I'll fix it. Thanks for pointing it out. And thank you for your comment, critique is our life blood... in France :) Tim,

1/ Delancey St, I should have explained is a non-profit organization that helps homeless/addicts, people who have hit bottom get back on their feet. SO they have very strict rules about what is possible to do in their enclave. Far from bourgeois, they are people who have gone so low, they are trying to protect the place, and one way they do it is with very strict rules. I feel that the bohemian types should really support what the Foundation is doing, it’s important work that works! So I will continue showing the film there to support them.

2/ David Best… would have been another man in a series of quite a few male portraits already in the film. But I didn’t choose him intentionally. He has inspired many people, but after following his crew for a little while, I didn’t see the kind of cohesion, and long term goals that I have found in the Flaming Lotus Girls (FLG). The FLG have built a group of artists, a community, which main purpose is to teach newcomers the art of metal/fire work. Their second goal, through which they achieve the 1st one is to build sculptures. With that in mind, a natural sense of belonging emerges through the group. And I haven’t found that in David’s crew (and here I am calling it David’s crew, the FLG are the Flaming Lotus Girls, period. No leader, no #1 artist,… other reason I have chosen to feature them), even though a sense of belonging transpires, I haven’t felt it to be as strong. This comment doesn’t come from a scientific comparison b/w the 2 groups, rather an emotional response to spending some time with them.

3/ Hard to say what BM is about really. Everyone sort of owns it. It’s not all about the ART. But the approach to the ART is the only aspect that is truly unique to this event. The temple and its spirituality, we know too well, that it is well represented all around the world. The communal experience exists in many places, often not as publicized as BM is. But an event where the participants are left to make this event what they want it to be, very uncommon at this scale. BM to me is unique in this call for creativity… which I too often simply call ART, but it’s not just the sculptures, it’s all the performances, the impromptu little accordeon concerts, the tuna meals, etc… People pull their creativity together and bring it there. That’s what I wanted to celebrate in the film, and BORG2 did what they did, and they made it about the ART, because they were sculptural artists and that’s what they knew best. I wanted to illustrate one point of community upraising and how it was received by the ORG. It wasn’t just about BORG2, it wasn’t to celebrate BORG2, rather to celebrate the community that our need to create builds organically.

4/ That I know… give me a minute and I’ll fix it. Thanks for pointing it out. And thank you for your comment, critique is our life blood… in France :)

]]> Comment on Write your comments on the film! by Castaway http://dustandillusions.com/blog/write-your-comments-on-the-film/comment-page-1#comment-772 Castaway Thu, 22 Apr 2010 18:40:38 +0000 http://dustandillusions.com/?p=553#comment-772 FABULOUS FABULOUS FABULOUS !! It's important to me to have a film to really show the =depth= of what is Burning Man, especially for relatives or friends who are averse to going to give them a sense of what I'm talking about, visually, viscerally. PLEASE make it available for sale someday soon. The film is coherent and comprehensive and funny - very important. FOUR critiques: 1 PLEASE do not show this at Delancey Street Theater again. I thought I was being interrogated by Russian Mafia upon entering. And, it's one thing to not be allowed to bring my drink in, but, when I checked it, they could give me no receipt. They looked at me suspiciously like I was vermin invading their bourgeois enclave of South Beach or whatever that neighborhood is called. It was =not= a fun place -- not a place that is welcoming to the bohemian types that this very film is about. 2 I would have liked to see David Best as part of the film (did I miss him - was he there?) 3 I would say that your treatment of Larry Harvey was fair and balanced -- ALMOST. You almost, but not quite, achieved "fair and balanced". I cringe a little on his behalf -- there were a couple moments where you were making fun of him, a little unnecessarily, it seems to me (worst possibility, you made this film with somewhat a sense of being an outsider, free to air others' dirty laundry?). Also, this piece does come off a little as Borg-2's position about Burning Man: it's all about the Art. I do believe the art needs a LOT more support by the ORG, but I'm more of an "It's all about inventing community - let the art follow community" person, so I somewhat disagree with your basic premise. Somewhat. I am glad you critiqued Larry's calling the whole thing a "ritual", though (uggh!). 4 VERY IMPORTANT: please re-edit this film for the following ONE factor: there is a long segment of BRC (at night?) with rather quiet-ish, almost meditative soundtrack right toward the very end of the film. It then cuts to Jim Mason (this is the final clip showing Jim Mason) saying something (this must be in the last 5 minutes of the film, or so). JIM MASON's VOICE =blares=: the sudden jump in volume level is =paifully= startling right after a long meditative sequence and this jump in recording level does not serve any apparent purpose. I am particularly sensitive to this myself, but in this case other people in the theater, I noticed, were visibly startled as well. I would mix down the record level at the very beginning of Mason's quote then bring it right up (or mix up the end of the meditative sequence). This was the only moment in the film that had any sort of disturbing transitions, though. AGAIN, hugs all around for your accomplishment ! FABULOUS FABULOUS FABULOUS !! It’s important to me to have a film to really show the =depth= of what is Burning Man, especially for relatives or friends who are averse to going to give them a sense of what I’m talking about, visually, viscerally. PLEASE make it available for sale someday soon. The film is coherent and comprehensive and funny – very important.
FOUR critiques:
1 PLEASE do not show this at Delancey Street Theater again. I thought I was being interrogated by Russian Mafia upon entering. And, it’s one thing to not be allowed to bring my drink in, but, when I checked it, they could give me no receipt. They looked at me suspiciously like I was vermin invading their bourgeois enclave of South Beach or whatever that neighborhood is called. It was =not= a fun place — not a place that is welcoming to the bohemian types that this very film is about.
2 I would have liked to see David Best as part of the film (did I miss him – was he there?)
3 I would say that your treatment of Larry Harvey was fair and balanced — ALMOST. You almost, but not quite, achieved “fair and balanced”. I cringe a little on his behalf — there were a couple moments where you were making fun of him, a little unnecessarily, it seems to me (worst possibility, you made this film with somewhat a sense of being an outsider, free to air others’ dirty laundry?). Also, this piece does come off a little as Borg-2’s position about Burning Man: it’s all about the Art. I do believe the art needs a LOT more support by the ORG, but I’m more of an “It’s all about inventing community – let the art follow community” person, so I somewhat disagree with your basic premise. Somewhat. I am glad you critiqued Larry’s calling the whole thing a “ritual”, though (uggh!).
4 VERY IMPORTANT: please re-edit this film for the following ONE factor: there is a long segment of BRC (at night?) with rather quiet-ish, almost meditative soundtrack right toward the very end of the film. It then cuts to Jim Mason (this is the final clip showing Jim Mason) saying something (this must be in the last 5 minutes of the film, or so). JIM MASON’s VOICE =blares=: the sudden jump in volume level is =paifully= startling right after a long meditative sequence and this jump in recording level does not serve any apparent purpose. I am particularly sensitive to this myself, but in this case other people in the theater, I noticed, were visibly startled as well. I would mix down the record level at the very beginning of Mason’s quote then bring it right up (or mix up the end of the meditative sequence). This was the only moment in the film that had any sort of disturbing transitions, though.
AGAIN, hugs all around for your accomplishment !

]]> Comment on Seattle UW Screening. April 23rd 2010 by Dust & Illusions: A Burning Man Film « ArtsLink http://dustandillusions.com/blog/seattle-uw-screening-april-23rd-2010/comment-page-1#comment-764 Dust & Illusions: A Burning Man Film « ArtsLink Wed, 14 Apr 2010 07:22:26 +0000 http://dustandillusions.com/?p=1568#comment-764 [...] Tickets to this showing are selling out fast! To get yours, click HERE. [...] [...] Tickets to this showing are selling out fast! To get yours, click HERE. [...]

]]> Comment on David Warren Memorial, Suicide Club Co-Founder. Jan 2nd 2010 by Sean W Pelletier http://dustandillusions.com/blog/david-warren-memorial-suicide-club-co-founder-jan-2nd-2010/comment-page-1#comment-748 Sean W Pelletier Wed, 31 Mar 2010 03:26:15 +0000 http://dustandillusions.com/?p=1311#comment-748 That is beautiful. While I never met the man your words have brought me close to his spirit. That is beautiful. While I never met the man your words have brought me close to his spirit.

]]> Comment on Write your comments on the film! by Michelle Harris http://dustandillusions.com/blog/write-your-comments-on-the-film/comment-page-1#comment-743 Michelle Harris Mon, 29 Mar 2010 04:20:02 +0000 http://dustandillusions.com/?p=553#comment-743 More than a history: a well-constructed story, efficiently placed images, daring statement, but gracefully done without anger. More than a history: a well-constructed story, efficiently placed images, daring statement, but gracefully done without anger.

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