My name is Ian and I'm a student filmmaker from Toronto. I've been a long time lurker around this forum and as a filmmaker I've always been drawn to the aesthetics of urban decay.
I'm posting today because I'm starting a documentary project that seeks to explore the topic of urban exploration, and I was wondering if any of you fine people here would be interested in being subjects of my film! Ideally, we would meet up and go on a couple adventures to some of your favourite places to explore, all while I capture your process and the atmosphere of the spaces through film.
So, if you are interested in this opportunity, and feel comfortable in front of a camera, please contact me! I can cover any expenses and I will of course provide you with a copy of the final film. Hopefully this request is allowed on this forum, my apologies if I am breaking some rule by posting this.
You sound like a nice person so... Your best bet is to start exploring on your own, learn things, read, research, explore and explore... and then maybe maybe maybe you can film something.
Other than that, every single thing you said is a bad idea.
I understand the annoyance but I should clarify that I am not an amateur, I have in fact been exploring for some time on my own, however, I am new to the Toronto/Southern Ontario region. I would like to use this project as an opportunity to break into the subculture in this particular area of the country.
I totally feel you if this is under you top dogs here, maybe direct me to a community that is more my speed. I'm just trying to do something cool and meet cool people.
Posted by erstenmele I understand the annoyance but I should clarify that I am not an amateur, I have in fact been exploring for some time on my own, however, I am new to the Toronto/Southern Ontario region. I would like to use this project as an opportunity to break into the subculture in this particular area of the country.
I totally feel you if this is under you top dogs here, maybe direct me to a community that is more my speed. I'm just trying to do something cool and meet cool people.
Cheers.
Hey man, you should post up some of your stuff here in this thread. I'm sure everyone would love to see what you've done. I know I would like to.
And don't mind us....we're just all so super l33t, most people in this sub forum are so l33t that they don't even have to explore or post anymore, they just have eternal l33tness!
If your journey into discovering locations around Toronto is as interesting and fun as it was for me, you should have enough material to compile into a film.
Ride the TTC, drive around, and take lots of notes.
That's the one thing I never got, if you're so into exploring, then I find it impossible to understand how you always need to lurk on forums to find people willing to do a documentary with. Shit if anyone here was a student making a film, they could call up about 10 people who would be ready and willing.
When you are in this community, chances are you're a photographer as well. You shouldn't have to go out trying to find cool shit to film, you should already have the footage you need or know where you can get some.
If either of these things aren't the case, apparently so since you're here, then you are in no place to document real explorers while they do their thing. Work on yourself first and you'll find that you won't need to beg any strangers for help.
That being said, Instagram is full of vanity seeking ryerson students who will take you up the latest rooftop for 10$, go ask one of them.
A documentary about the culture of urban explorers sounds dreadful. It would be more interesting to find an interesting location and focus on its story, which could include interviews with explorers about it.
I try not to come to these types of threads too often because godamn is this community ever poisonous to newcomers and outsiders.
Personally I think it's a sweet idea. I like the approach of mixing the subject between the explorer and the location itself. I find that most Urbex videos are solely focused on the location, where in most cases still-shots actually do better justice for the atmosphere and ambience of a place. I've wished that more video-explorers would focus more on the the explorer themselves and their process rather than the paint peelies, floor trash, and "YOULL NEVER GUESS WHAT WE FOUND IN THIS SECRET ROOM" bullshit.
In spite of that bunk-ass shit Ninja said, I think this is often because the best explorers don't make for the best videographers and the best videographers don't make for the best explorers. They are different types of people looking to get different things out of the same experience. Not everyone can be a renaissance man so collaboration is key; some people are good at finding locations, some are good at exploring them, and some are good at documenting them. You don't need to be all three to contribute to Urbex like some people here seem to insist.
That being said I really don't think I'd be an ideal candidate for this, and I also think Freak is right that you'd be better off posting some of your own work (hell, even links to non-urbex films you've made would've been useful in your post!). People aren't chomping at the bit to make friends here (if you can't tell) so you'll need to sell yourself a bit more than a simple classifieds ad.
Posted by blaekly I try not to come to these types of threads too often because godamn is this community ever poisonous to newcomers and outsiders EVERYONE EVER!
I think this is often because the best explorers don't make for the best videographers and the best videographers don't make for the best explorers. They are different types of people looking to get different things out of the same experience.
That is absolutely true, I almost never take video and I'm definitely in no position to make a movie.
However my point is, countless people have approached me about doing documentaries, and it's never been for the right reasons. Unless you have spent a lot of time skulking around or studying your urban environment, you are just going to make it look stupid. This isn't me being toxic for no reason, I've seen at least a dozen dogshit 'documentaries' that focus on the explorer as well as the location that simply make everything about urban exploration look careless, flashy and dumb. Search up "urban exploration documentary" on youtube, cbc and vimeo and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about.
It bothers me because the general public see's this stuff and forms a poor opinion on the community without knowing a single person in it.
I've ran into totally random people and explored places with them, I have 0 animosity towards newcomers. However, when it comes to the media and film students, I'm generally pretty sketched out.
Posted by erstenmele I understand the annoyance but I should clarify that I am not an amateur, I have in fact been exploring for some time on my own, however, I am new to the Toronto/Southern Ontario region. I would like to use this project as an opportunity to break into the subculture in this particular area of the country.
I totally feel you if this is under you top dogs here, maybe direct me to a community that is more my speed. I'm just trying to do something cool and meet cool people.
Cheers.
This project should be the end of things, not the start of things. Join the community first, earn trust, show that you're part of it, then make project.
"Great architecture has only two natural enemies: water and stupid men." - Richard Nickel
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