RIP Raw Impressions project New York, May 17 – 18, 2004

Forcing established artists to produce under severe time pressures collaborative music films, resulted in several ten minute films which could compete with the best shown in short film festivals. Organized in 2001 by David Rodwin and Patrick Mellen, the non-profit Raw Impression Inc. has since produced each year art works, including brief musicals, using the pressure cooker approach. Free from commercial constraints and the weight of New York art criticism, the experiment allows for unhampered creativity. (www.rawimpressions.org)

In 2004 the objective was to complete an original 10-minute musical film with two strings attached. The theme of ‘Broken Promises’ had to be central to the story line of the film and only two locations could be used ,one inside and the other outside. The team of one producer, one director, one composer and lyricist, a director of photography, one editor and few actors, none of whom had worked together before, had five days to write a screenplay with music, two days to construct the sets, two days to shoot the film and seven days to edit it with an original score. The six teams met for the first time on May first and presented their films at the RIPFest on May 17th in of the few remaining New York City venues for independent productions, the down town Anthology Film Archives. A sold out artistic and uptown crowd followed the six exercises with enthusiasm.

Certainly, the concept has been used before. Writers were locked up to write instant novels, consultants placed into a retreat to come up with answers to imaginary or real problems, but what is novel in the RIP approach is to take artists from different art forms and make them produce in a collaborative setting. It must be the artistic element that made for the marvelous fusion of word, sound, image, movement, and action. Evidently selecting only established artists (but not prima donnas) made the task easier. Among the eighty or so participant were many award winners, individuals with a long list of credits, and artists with institutional or other distinctions.

For sponsors and participants, the annual Raw Impression event is ideal. For once the audience appeared to be articulate, upscale, creative, and part of opinion making groups.
More importantly, the performance itself permits to identify new, but proven talent and find collaborators for new projects. Thus artists who can afford take of for two weeks have an unsurpassed networking opportunity. As Tristan Baldwin, a play wright, and a second time RIPFest participant put it “the event allows to test out new ideas, relations, and future collaborators” and to find out where people are really at. It speaks for the
success of the RIPFest that three additional events are planned for this year, In June 2004, the Raw Impressions Dance Theatre will be held, during the summer a documentary fest, and around Halloween the production of Thrillers.

Claus Mueller, New York City
cmueller@hunter.cuny.edu