Friday, December 28, 2007
Monday, December 3, 2007
wow, time flies when you are having fun, this semester has been a whirlwind, i havent blogged in a while so i need to catch up a bit. let's see, i could talk about my trip to lucama on november 2-4, i havent talked about that yet. o.k. well i got that friday off from baby duty and my wife was home all day, there was a storm off the coast of the atlantic seaboard and i had just picked up all of my equipment and dropped it off at my house to wait for my group. plans changed for them and i realized i had to go it alone. so i grabbed the jvc dvx and some sticks and got in my van and hauled butt since it was already 3 pm. and the kick off was at 6 pm. after a 2.5 hour drive i made it up to wilson and found a parking spot right up front. i went inside the arts center and told the receptionist i was looking for barry paige. while i was waiting i struck up a conversation with some of the guests. they started telling me all kinds of things (most i knew already) when i asked them if they would like to go on camera they declined, so i decided maybe this wasnt the venue for my film. barry paige came out and introduced me to the coordinator for the whirlygig festival and she asked me if i was the filmmaker from canada, i said no but realized that i am glad i was doing this film this year and not later years because it is of special interest for many people. i explored the meet and greet and soaked in the smells and sights of the banquet before me. it was all designed for hobnobbing and was very informal. i kind of wandered around and looked to see if there was a podium or some sort of a pulpit for public speaking and seeing none. i looked around and saw it was not going to be my scene. barry paige was busy with people so i looked outside. the wind was churning and blowing like crazy. daylight was losing fast. i thought to myself. if vollis and family is here, who's at the park? no one. i slipped out quietly and motored out to whirlygig farm.
when i arrived there it was just as i suspected, the gigs were moving ....yes! quite rapidly in fact. i got out my camera and started to soak it all in. and capture the most i could. whirlygigs were moving that hadnt moved in the past and the noise was truly unique. it was really empty at the farm and no one was there. my dad called me while i was out there (he lives in michigan) and i tried to describe to him what was going on and he could sense my excitement. i stayed out there till the sun went down and grabbed all i could. at night it was very black this particular night but the wind was cool and smelled clean like rain. i fired up the spotlight and set up my shots. unfortunately the light takes a lot of juice and i had to run my car to keep it going so i have no audio from that night. i hope to get it on another night or day. the audio would have had a running car in the back ground, anyway. so i used a whole hour's worth of tape. and decided to go home and hoped it would be this wonderful out there the whole weekend.
so on sunday morning of the fest. i got up early like 7:00 in the morning and call skip from documentary class. he agreed the day before to help me shoot some stuff for the festival. i was so excited i drove us straight to the park hoping for the same magic that happened on Friday night, (i had been watching the trees move the whole way up and listening to the weather). the wind was there just not very strong. i set up the marantz and stereo mike first thing because i really needed the missed audio. once the sound station was set up i started showing skip some of the things i was looking for, but i stressed that i really was looking for other people's perspective as well. i have told everyone that has helped me on this project the same. the late morning and early afternoon produced some bursts but people, planes, and vehicles really cramped the purity of the sound grab on some of the sound files. i got a workable list and was fairly happy. speaking of people, the farm was kind of busy but i was really expecting a lot of people checking this park out due to a runoff from the festival and was surprised that was not the case. at mid afternoon , we decided to go to the festival and check it out. we got to wilson and not alot was going on, we drove around and they had all the streets blocked off. so we looked around for whirlygigs instead and found some we hadnt seen before and filmed them. i thought we should go back to the farm, and we stopped off to robert's family restaurant on the way back and got some of north carolina's most famous barbeque pork and took it to go and ate under the whirlygig's shadows. we spent some more time filming and taking pictures. i grabbed a tape of the sunset so i can do a time lapse sequence. and thought, i think i have done enough. we shot another tape of mixed footage, one of the sunset, took 4 rolls of pictures, and got some sound grab (the early morning was all that produced the best sound for us. the rest of the day was a wash for sound) i wanted to get skip back home. if the whirlygigs were turning like friday nite we would have stayed. i fired up the spotlight for him and some hippie visitors and drove the long road home. i had my moving footage and my sound i was fairly happy. i called the simpsons and let them know that i was leaving but told them i would be back to get some random grocery list items for post and left the farm behind for now
jm
when i arrived there it was just as i suspected, the gigs were moving ....yes! quite rapidly in fact. i got out my camera and started to soak it all in. and capture the most i could. whirlygigs were moving that hadnt moved in the past and the noise was truly unique. it was really empty at the farm and no one was there. my dad called me while i was out there (he lives in michigan) and i tried to describe to him what was going on and he could sense my excitement. i stayed out there till the sun went down and grabbed all i could. at night it was very black this particular night but the wind was cool and smelled clean like rain. i fired up the spotlight and set up my shots. unfortunately the light takes a lot of juice and i had to run my car to keep it going so i have no audio from that night. i hope to get it on another night or day. the audio would have had a running car in the back ground, anyway. so i used a whole hour's worth of tape. and decided to go home and hoped it would be this wonderful out there the whole weekend.
so on sunday morning of the fest. i got up early like 7:00 in the morning and call skip from documentary class. he agreed the day before to help me shoot some stuff for the festival. i was so excited i drove us straight to the park hoping for the same magic that happened on Friday night, (i had been watching the trees move the whole way up and listening to the weather). the wind was there just not very strong. i set up the marantz and stereo mike first thing because i really needed the missed audio. once the sound station was set up i started showing skip some of the things i was looking for, but i stressed that i really was looking for other people's perspective as well. i have told everyone that has helped me on this project the same. the late morning and early afternoon produced some bursts but people, planes, and vehicles really cramped the purity of the sound grab on some of the sound files. i got a workable list and was fairly happy. speaking of people, the farm was kind of busy but i was really expecting a lot of people checking this park out due to a runoff from the festival and was surprised that was not the case. at mid afternoon , we decided to go to the festival and check it out. we got to wilson and not alot was going on, we drove around and they had all the streets blocked off. so we looked around for whirlygigs instead and found some we hadnt seen before and filmed them. i thought we should go back to the farm, and we stopped off to robert's family restaurant on the way back and got some of north carolina's most famous barbeque pork and took it to go and ate under the whirlygig's shadows. we spent some more time filming and taking pictures. i grabbed a tape of the sunset so i can do a time lapse sequence. and thought, i think i have done enough. we shot another tape of mixed footage, one of the sunset, took 4 rolls of pictures, and got some sound grab (the early morning was all that produced the best sound for us. the rest of the day was a wash for sound) i wanted to get skip back home. if the whirlygigs were turning like friday nite we would have stayed. i fired up the spotlight for him and some hippie visitors and drove the long road home. i had my moving footage and my sound i was fairly happy. i called the simpsons and let them know that i was leaving but told them i would be back to get some random grocery list items for post and left the farm behind for now
jm
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Whirligig Farm
Duration: 08:00 minutes to 15:00 minutes
Subject: Local Urban (Rural) Legend Confrontation
Story Version One: two minutes to three
Audio: of Legend version 1, run under images of Acid Park, bright day, light background audio, also included will be short audio discussion by director narrating location of park and first experience
Images run: Images captured during bright light conditions, sunny, very little or no
Whirligig movement, images will start bright then continue to dark as dusk
approaches, also included will be 35 mm photo files, and color super 8 mm
(kodachrome) and modern color super 8 mm.
Story Version Two: two minutes to three
Audio: of Legend version 2, run under images of Acid Park, rainy day, med. background audio, also included will be short discussion narrative concerning legend’s story
Images run: Images captured during dreary overcast day, more whirligig movement
to fast daylight, 16 mm footage included, also included will be digital SLR photos
modified using photoshop, images also modified using FCP and After Effects
Story Version Three: two minutes to three
Audio of Legend version 3 or alternate story, run under images of Acid Park, Nighttime, heavy background audio, sound effects, and short narrative describing summary of legend themes
Images run: Images captured during storm at night, heavy and frenetic whirligig
movement, focus on alien and otherworldly views, building suspense, also
included will be re-projected and modified footage from super 8
The Real Story of Acid Park: Vollis Simpson: two minutes to three
Sound and image together of interview with the creator of Acid Park, Vollis Simpson.
Topics discussed: the origin of the name acid park, the actual origin ofmain
Legend surrounding daughter’s death, reveal and insight to legend’s spread.
Also included will be location audio sound and narrative summary of topic
including expressive thoughts. Throughout Vollis’ interview will be very
stylized and artistic photography and footage, with stress being on thebeauty
of the art inside of Acid Park
End Credits: Original music composed by bluegrass band and/or guitarist songwriter
Grocery List of Needed Elements for Post:
Four More Interviews to be grabbed using the Morantz and Shot gun Microphone, these have already been confirmed and are in Wilmington so no travel necessary.
Photos and Footage to be modified using Photoshop and After Effects
Already shot footage to be sent off for development. (2 rolls of 16 mm, 6 rolls of Super 8) Remaining three cartridges (modern color, B&W, and Kodachrome) to be shot (waiting for big storm) and also mailed for development.
Developed footage to be projected and re-photographed and modified
More Audio exploration, incl. sound effects and location grab (Big Storm again)
Contact Local Bluegrass Band (Located nearby in Southeastern North Carolina) and Guitarist/Songwriter (also Local). Present them with footage and legends to create original soundtrack and song(s) to accompany film
Duration: 08:00 minutes to 15:00 minutes
Subject: Local Urban (Rural) Legend Confrontation
Story Version One: two minutes to three
Audio: of Legend version 1, run under images of Acid Park, bright day, light background audio, also included will be short audio discussion by director narrating location of park and first experience
Images run: Images captured during bright light conditions, sunny, very little or no
Whirligig movement, images will start bright then continue to dark as dusk
approaches, also included will be 35 mm photo files, and color super 8 mm
(kodachrome) and modern color super 8 mm.
Story Version Two: two minutes to three
Audio: of Legend version 2, run under images of Acid Park, rainy day, med. background audio, also included will be short discussion narrative concerning legend’s story
Images run: Images captured during dreary overcast day, more whirligig movement
to fast daylight, 16 mm footage included, also included will be digital SLR photos
modified using photoshop, images also modified using FCP and After Effects
Story Version Three: two minutes to three
Audio of Legend version 3 or alternate story, run under images of Acid Park, Nighttime, heavy background audio, sound effects, and short narrative describing summary of legend themes
Images run: Images captured during storm at night, heavy and frenetic whirligig
movement, focus on alien and otherworldly views, building suspense, also
included will be re-projected and modified footage from super 8
The Real Story of Acid Park: Vollis Simpson: two minutes to three
Sound and image together of interview with the creator of Acid Park, Vollis Simpson.
Topics discussed: the origin of the name acid park, the actual origin ofmain
Legend surrounding daughter’s death, reveal and insight to legend’s spread.
Also included will be location audio sound and narrative summary of topic
including expressive thoughts. Throughout Vollis’ interview will be very
stylized and artistic photography and footage, with stress being on thebeauty
of the art inside of Acid Park
End Credits: Original music composed by bluegrass band and/or guitarist songwriter
Grocery List of Needed Elements for Post:
Four More Interviews to be grabbed using the Morantz and Shot gun Microphone, these have already been confirmed and are in Wilmington so no travel necessary.
Photos and Footage to be modified using Photoshop and After Effects
Already shot footage to be sent off for development. (2 rolls of 16 mm, 6 rolls of Super 8) Remaining three cartridges (modern color, B&W, and Kodachrome) to be shot (waiting for big storm) and also mailed for development.
Developed footage to be projected and re-photographed and modified
More Audio exploration, incl. sound effects and location grab (Big Storm again)
Contact Local Bluegrass Band (Located nearby in Southeastern North Carolina) and Guitarist/Songwriter (also Local). Present them with footage and legends to create original soundtrack and song(s) to accompany film
Opening night of Cucalorus
The crowd at Jengo's was very excited and lots of background noise were included. rumblings and mumblings exuded as i walked into the darkened theater. i grabbed the first seat i could get as i came in as the intro shorts finished. The first film was "West Bank Story" and was a spoof comedy musical surrounding love, jihadism, racial tension, but most importantly: Love. Very funny at parts this film seemed overly produced for this genre, but amused the audience greatly. This film was too long and could have been edited shorter and included too many unnecessary shots. the next film was the feature doc:The Film Class. this film was very appealing in its Cinema Verite style. The subject matter was intense and interesting and time passed quickly. i felt this film, although assembled by amateurs, included way too many shaky shots. i saw tripods in this film i think they should have used them more. the important theme in the film was the message and i do think that that was clear in its presentation. if the subject matter was not as serious and if the filmmakers did not have so many obstacles to conquer to get this film shown, i feel it would not have been festival worthy just by production value alone, they get a pass living in a third world country and other obvious hardships befalling them. i decided to stay for the shorts that mrs. silva programmed and found 2 of them to be inspiring, the first film (which i cannot remember the title) and the film "elephant music" "elephant music" was dark and somber and gave off feelings of despair and solace. Quite extraordinary actually. The session wrapped with one of the filmmakers Q&A (Penny Lane) and was quite a good time. I learned that without the help of film cooperatives and foundations experimentals would not be as good and possibly non existent. it seemed the better experimental shorts had quite a deal of backing indicated by the lengthy credits. this could be a pro for someone with that kind of access and a con for those without. i really enjoyed "film class" and "elephant music" but could do without west bank story (seemed like a waste of resources, i cant believe it was shot on panavision!) i learned that i need to be there earlier (traffic was kind of bad) and advice i would give would be to research the films you go to see, because you could be stuck paying for a bum film. Not necessarily at this screening, but feedback with other students indicated there were a couple of real stinkers in this years lineup. i'm glad i missed them.
jm
The crowd at Jengo's was very excited and lots of background noise were included. rumblings and mumblings exuded as i walked into the darkened theater. i grabbed the first seat i could get as i came in as the intro shorts finished. The first film was "West Bank Story" and was a spoof comedy musical surrounding love, jihadism, racial tension, but most importantly: Love. Very funny at parts this film seemed overly produced for this genre, but amused the audience greatly. This film was too long and could have been edited shorter and included too many unnecessary shots. the next film was the feature doc:The Film Class. this film was very appealing in its Cinema Verite style. The subject matter was intense and interesting and time passed quickly. i felt this film, although assembled by amateurs, included way too many shaky shots. i saw tripods in this film i think they should have used them more. the important theme in the film was the message and i do think that that was clear in its presentation. if the subject matter was not as serious and if the filmmakers did not have so many obstacles to conquer to get this film shown, i feel it would not have been festival worthy just by production value alone, they get a pass living in a third world country and other obvious hardships befalling them. i decided to stay for the shorts that mrs. silva programmed and found 2 of them to be inspiring, the first film (which i cannot remember the title) and the film "elephant music" "elephant music" was dark and somber and gave off feelings of despair and solace. Quite extraordinary actually. The session wrapped with one of the filmmakers Q&A (Penny Lane) and was quite a good time. I learned that without the help of film cooperatives and foundations experimentals would not be as good and possibly non existent. it seemed the better experimental shorts had quite a deal of backing indicated by the lengthy credits. this could be a pro for someone with that kind of access and a con for those without. i really enjoyed "film class" and "elephant music" but could do without west bank story (seemed like a waste of resources, i cant believe it was shot on panavision!) i learned that i need to be there earlier (traffic was kind of bad) and advice i would give would be to research the films you go to see, because you could be stuck paying for a bum film. Not necessarily at this screening, but feedback with other students indicated there were a couple of real stinkers in this years lineup. i'm glad i missed them.
jm
hello visitors:here is a list of prospective festivals that would seem to be a good fit for this film as far as style and content are concerned, included are a list of fees, to get a better idea of festival plan cost:
these are arranged in chronological order nearest to farthest:
May 31, 2008- NextFrame Touring Festival(For Students only) - Earlybird $20, Regular $25
November 15, 2008- Gasparilla Film Festival - Earlybird $30, Regular $40
November 20, 2008- Black Maria Film and Video - $35 Deadline
November 30, 2008- Full Frame Documentary Film Festival - Regular $35, Standard $55
December 15, 2008- RiverRun Film Festival - Earlybird $20, Regular $25, Late $35, Extended $40, Student $15
January 1, 2009- Drive-In Film Festival - Earlybird $15, Regular $20, Late $25, Extended $40
January 11, 2009- SilverDocs - Earlybird $25, Regular $30, Late $40, Extended $45
February 9, 2009- Rural Route Film Festival - Earlybird $10, Regular $20
February 2009- Cannes - Free
The dates listed are the absolute late day they will accept the films
these are arranged in chronological order nearest to farthest:
May 31, 2008- NextFrame Touring Festival(For Students only) - Earlybird $20, Regular $25
November 15, 2008- Gasparilla Film Festival - Earlybird $30, Regular $40
November 20, 2008- Black Maria Film and Video - $35 Deadline
November 30, 2008- Full Frame Documentary Film Festival - Regular $35, Standard $55
December 15, 2008- RiverRun Film Festival - Earlybird $20, Regular $25, Late $35, Extended $40, Student $15
January 1, 2009- Drive-In Film Festival - Earlybird $15, Regular $20, Late $25, Extended $40
January 11, 2009- SilverDocs - Earlybird $25, Regular $30, Late $40, Extended $45
February 9, 2009- Rural Route Film Festival - Earlybird $10, Regular $20
February 2009- Cannes - Free
The dates listed are the absolute late day they will accept the films
Friday, November 9, 2007
hey kids i hope cucalorus is treating you well, i got a response from rural route and it really surprised me how informative it was i hope it helps everyone else as much as it has me
best
jm
> how many entries to you get a year?
Approx. 200.
>
> how many entries are docs?
Approx. 125.
>
> how many docs do you screen?
19 were screened in this past year's festival.
>
> how many student films do they program?
13 were screened in this past year's festival.
>
> advice to entrants?
Keep it short unless you've got a solid feature planned out!
>
> what do you want to see more or less of?
Always looking for more good narratives, more love stories, and more
foreign
entries (especially from Africa and Asia).
>
> what are some common mistakes filmmakers make
> entering?
Falling in love with their work and not editing their films down. We
see a
lot of good ideas that just last too long. Also, with regards to
narratives, we see a lot of films with good production values that just
don't take enough time with the script.
>
> what really excites you?
A great film that doesn't try too hard, doesn't lag, and as a topper is
even
by someone who lives in a rural area.
best
jm
> how many entries to you get a year?
Approx. 200.
>
> how many entries are docs?
Approx. 125.
>
> how many docs do you screen?
19 were screened in this past year's festival.
>
> how many student films do they program?
13 were screened in this past year's festival.
>
> advice to entrants?
Keep it short unless you've got a solid feature planned out!
>
> what do you want to see more or less of?
Always looking for more good narratives, more love stories, and more
foreign
entries (especially from Africa and Asia).
>
> what are some common mistakes filmmakers make
> entering?
Falling in love with their work and not editing their films down. We
see a
lot of good ideas that just last too long. Also, with regards to
narratives, we see a lot of films with good production values that just
don't take enough time with the script.
>
> what really excites you?
A great film that doesn't try too hard, doesn't lag, and as a topper is
even
by someone who lives in a rural area.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
synopsis of whirlygig farm
an outsider look into the myths and legend surrounding a peculiar plot of land located at the intersection of simpson road and wiggins mill road in lucama north carolina. this film is presented in varying examples of person to person myth of parties that have had interactions and experiences on or near this piece of land. these accounts are the spine and the images the body as the whirlygigs, the metal shop, the road, and the abandoned car and the abandoned house near this property are presented in experimental fashion as the audience is bombarded with spectacular images, new and old, actual and modified, of the farm and surrounding landmarks. this roadside attraction asks us are the stories true or false, if so, who or what is behind this mystery? not far from i-95, this farm, called whirlygig farm or acid park (depending on whose telling you about it) is more than meets the eye.
jm
links that didnt show
rural route film festival
rural route film festival report.
well once i got over the wrong name written down (i heard rule route)i began my research on this very unique festival. i have been waiting for a response from my email and may eventually hear back from them. however there is no contact info except for email. i pursued one of their many venues, the anthology film archive in nyc and spoke to jed. he was very helpful but could also not supply their phone numbers. anyway here is what i found out through crazy research. jm
this is a newer festival, started in 2003 by a couple of brash young men (Alan Webber and Mike Schmidt) who wanted to create a different kind of festival. through their own experience with festivals, they found their niche, the rural route film festival
their mission statement is simple, most festivals seem to lack any real personality and tend to dwell on the name of the city, etc. rural route was created with the intent of bringing country living to nyc (its main stage)
the main fest was listed as july 28 - 30 and also july 20-22 i did not find out what venue the 20-22 dates were listed but the 28-30 dates were at the Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Ave, NYC, NY
these are the listed main dates but this is also a traveling festival and here are a sample of some of the latest upcoming dates:
oct 27 2007 8:00 pm fifth avenue cinema portland oregon
nov 9 2007 7:00 pm rural route tour program silver city,new mexico@realwestcinema
nov 15 2007 7:00 pm festivalde todometrajes rurales-arica, chile @ arica
nov 16 2007 8:00 pm westfest @ alpine, texas
the submission period is now closed as the fest gears up for a best of 2008 tour but their criteria was simple: rural route accepts all films and videos that can lay claim to a ...rural theme. the primary setting for the work should be rural or within an ag-based city of 200,000 people or less. works can be completed in any year, in any country, at any length
some of the types of films
docs: agricultural themed, music, profiles, international
shorts: experimental (shannon silva film), doc, and animation
features: narrative and doc
historical: music, portrait
length: 3min to 35 min (this is just a sample, there are other lengths)
global: films from ukraine, lithuania, canada, and even sweden
sexuality: some but not major focus
race: not so much
gender: both are represented well here but not a major focus
all in all a very down home feel to this festival, which is their focus. i wish i could have talked to someone, but since this is a travelling fest, i imagine that i will be able to update more later as they become available.
jm
well once i got over the wrong name written down (i heard rule route)i began my research on this very unique festival. i have been waiting for a response from my email and may eventually hear back from them. however there is no contact info except for email. i pursued one of their many venues, the anthology film archive in nyc and spoke to jed. he was very helpful but could also not supply their phone numbers. anyway here is what i found out through crazy research. jm
this is a newer festival, started in 2003 by a couple of brash young men (Alan Webber and Mike Schmidt) who wanted to create a different kind of festival. through their own experience with festivals, they found their niche, the rural route film festival
their mission statement is simple, most festivals seem to lack any real personality and tend to dwell on the name of the city, etc. rural route was created with the intent of bringing country living to nyc (its main stage)
the main fest was listed as july 28 - 30 and also july 20-22 i did not find out what venue the 20-22 dates were listed but the 28-30 dates were at the Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Ave, NYC, NY
these are the listed main dates but this is also a traveling festival and here are a sample of some of the latest upcoming dates:
oct 27 2007 8:00 pm fifth avenue cinema portland oregon
nov 9 2007 7:00 pm rural route tour program silver city,new mexico@realwestcinema
nov 15 2007 7:00 pm festivalde todometrajes rurales-arica, chile @ arica
nov 16 2007 8:00 pm westfest @ alpine, texas
the submission period is now closed as the fest gears up for a best of 2008 tour but their criteria was simple: rural route accepts all films and videos that can lay claim to a ...rural theme. the primary setting for the work should be rural or within an ag-based city of 200,000 people or less. works can be completed in any year, in any country, at any length
some of the types of films
docs: agricultural themed, music, profiles, international
shorts: experimental (shannon silva film), doc, and animation
features: narrative and doc
historical: music, portrait
length: 3min to 35 min (this is just a sample, there are other lengths)
global: films from ukraine, lithuania, canada, and even sweden
sexuality: some but not major focus
race: not so much
gender: both are represented well here but not a major focus
all in all a very down home feel to this festival, which is their focus. i wish i could have talked to someone, but since this is a travelling fest, i imagine that i will be able to update more later as they become available.
jm
well here we go, this is the weekend of the whirlygig festival, it should be alot of fun. we have got our equipment checked off, just waiting to get it from tony. i feel a bit sad about the whole deal. if all goes well, this is the last journey for a while to acid park. the weather should be beautiful and i believe i feel a stiff cold wind in the air. the fact that it is halloween week helps add to the mood. me and my pals hope to wrap up principal photography after this weekend. i hope to capture the ambient sound of whirlygigs with the stereo mic i reserved. there are a few establishing shots i thought of as i have been reflecting all week what it is that i am missing. we hope to use the banquet as a spring board to make all final contacts. i still wish to put an ad of some kind in the paper so i can find some older photographs of vollis' work and hopefully of the car. we will have more than enough tape to cover the legend. my big hope is to get into the town of wilson and get my vox pop that is so crucial to this story. the word of folks is critical and i look forward to hear what they have to say about vollis simpson and his infamous park.
the wind, yes the wind will blow kindly upon our supject this weekend, the weather seems to have finally turned the corner into fall. i am going to make a phone call to the simpsons before i head up to make sure that the gigs arent tied down like the las time i went. i cant imagine on such a big weekend how vollis could possibly not show them babies off. i expect a lot of traffic at the park, there should be moments for vox pop there as well. i plan on a series of 3-4 questions, that should get people excited to talk about vollis' work as well as gut level reaction and hopefully some more stories to tell. so while wilmington prepares for cucalorus, me and my merry band will be swimming into the mystery which is acid park-jm
whirlygig festivalamagig
here is an overview of the whirlygig festival coming up this weekend-jm
Date: 10/26/2007
This year’s Whirligig Festival will be the largest yet with more than 120 booths including handmade arts and crafts, food and a variety of other attractions.
Music
Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes will headline the festival. The group is most widely known for the hit, “If You Don’t Know Me By Now.” They take the stage at 3:30pm on Saturday. The Embers will pick up the headliner spot on Sunday beginning at 1:30pm.
This year’s festival features 11 bands on three different stages playing a wide variety of music. Performances include: The Wallers, performing a variety of 70s-90s favorite dance tunes; Bombadil, mixing mainstream with an indie sound; Healing Force, an African-tribal performance band, Spare Change, mixing rock, country, soul and beach; The Winstons bring jazz and dance; Sajaso plays Latin dance, Russ Varnell and His Too Country band bring bluegrass and Grand Ole Opry style country; The Ramonas, a tribute band to the Ramones; wrapping up the lineup is MoJoe, a soulful hip-hop band.
“We are so proud of the lineup the Entertainment Committee has put together,” says Judi Thurston, festival coordinator. “All three stages will have music all day. People can stroll up and down Nash Street and hear a wide variety of music.”
The music continues Sunday afternoon from 1-5 pm with community church choirs and school chorus groups. Fike, Hunt and Beddingfield High Schools’ award winning choral groups will perform on the courthouse steps, along with Sallie B. Howard and the Barton College Gospel Choir and Sign Choir. Church choirs will be on the middle stage in at various intervals to allow attendees to hear all the music. Church groups include Wilson Community Church, 1st Free Will Baptist Church Youth Choir, Jackson Chapel First Baptist Church and the Wilson Praise and Worship choir.
Food
The area’s favorite food vendors have returned. The Elks Club will hold its big BBQ cook off again this year. Competitors drive in (from several hours away in some cases) and set up camp for the night on Friday. They’ll cook all night, then make the succulent pork BBQ available for sale to the crowd. Judging begins Saturday morning for the best BBQ prize and bragging rights.
Olde Time Concessions will impress festival goers again this year with their "Cruzin’ Diner". This 50’s style diner offers sirloin burgers and milkshakes; perfect food for a NC autumn afternoon. You could also try a sample of their gator bites.
This year’s festival also includes corn on the cob, funnel cakes, hamburgers, hot dogs and loads of other choices.
Children
The Arts Council is sponsoring the Whirli-Kids area again this year – historically one of the most popular places at the festival. Free children’s activities including inflatable bounce houses, bungee jump, and arts & crafts will be available in the Barnes Street parking lot. The Arts Council is also sponsoring the Whirli-Kids Choir and concert. After weeks of practicing, the children will perform a community concert at 3 pm. The Arts Council outdoor stage will also feature local talent performance groups including Megan’s Academy of Dance, East Coast Country Hoedowners, Unique Steppers, Real Dance Studio and Sallie B. Howard’s Hip Hop and Mime groups. You’ll even see some swashbuckling pirates dueling it out for the crowd. Want a sneak peak at them? Go to http://www.shadowcombat.com/.
International
The popular Around the World in Wilson tent will be at the center of the action with a new approach to cultural awareness. Ambassadors from 20 nations will lead 30-minute interactive sessions ranging from story sharing, to sports, arts, music and even dance lessons. The newest addition to the committee’s cultural celebration is a children’s Parade of Nations. Classrooms from around the county are adopting a country, creating flags and preparing to march in a parade from the heart of the festival to the main stage leading to up to an international presentation by the committee at 12 noon. Children, teachers and classes are encouraged to sign up to participate in the Parade of Nations through the City of Wilson’s Human Relations Office at 399.2308.
Bike Ride
Festivities will begin very early for the participants in the Cyclist of Wilson’s annual bike ride. The bike ride begins at 8 am on the library lawn and will weave through city streets and county roads. Participants can select from a 10 mile ride or the longest stretch – 60 mile ride.
“With all this activity going on, the community can see we need many volunteers,” says Thurston. Any citizen that would like to get involved with the festival or volunteer to help on Saturday or Sunday can contact the Volunteer Action Center at 237-7411. More information about the festival can be found on the festival website at: www.wilsonnc.org/whirligig.
Date: 10/26/2007
This year’s Whirligig Festival will be the largest yet with more than 120 booths including handmade arts and crafts, food and a variety of other attractions.
Music
Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes will headline the festival. The group is most widely known for the hit, “If You Don’t Know Me By Now.” They take the stage at 3:30pm on Saturday. The Embers will pick up the headliner spot on Sunday beginning at 1:30pm.
This year’s festival features 11 bands on three different stages playing a wide variety of music. Performances include: The Wallers, performing a variety of 70s-90s favorite dance tunes; Bombadil, mixing mainstream with an indie sound; Healing Force, an African-tribal performance band, Spare Change, mixing rock, country, soul and beach; The Winstons bring jazz and dance; Sajaso plays Latin dance, Russ Varnell and His Too Country band bring bluegrass and Grand Ole Opry style country; The Ramonas, a tribute band to the Ramones; wrapping up the lineup is MoJoe, a soulful hip-hop band.
“We are so proud of the lineup the Entertainment Committee has put together,” says Judi Thurston, festival coordinator. “All three stages will have music all day. People can stroll up and down Nash Street and hear a wide variety of music.”
The music continues Sunday afternoon from 1-5 pm with community church choirs and school chorus groups. Fike, Hunt and Beddingfield High Schools’ award winning choral groups will perform on the courthouse steps, along with Sallie B. Howard and the Barton College Gospel Choir and Sign Choir. Church choirs will be on the middle stage in at various intervals to allow attendees to hear all the music. Church groups include Wilson Community Church, 1st Free Will Baptist Church Youth Choir, Jackson Chapel First Baptist Church and the Wilson Praise and Worship choir.
Food
The area’s favorite food vendors have returned. The Elks Club will hold its big BBQ cook off again this year. Competitors drive in (from several hours away in some cases) and set up camp for the night on Friday. They’ll cook all night, then make the succulent pork BBQ available for sale to the crowd. Judging begins Saturday morning for the best BBQ prize and bragging rights.
Olde Time Concessions will impress festival goers again this year with their "Cruzin’ Diner". This 50’s style diner offers sirloin burgers and milkshakes; perfect food for a NC autumn afternoon. You could also try a sample of their gator bites.
This year’s festival also includes corn on the cob, funnel cakes, hamburgers, hot dogs and loads of other choices.
Children
The Arts Council is sponsoring the Whirli-Kids area again this year – historically one of the most popular places at the festival. Free children’s activities including inflatable bounce houses, bungee jump, and arts & crafts will be available in the Barnes Street parking lot. The Arts Council is also sponsoring the Whirli-Kids Choir and concert. After weeks of practicing, the children will perform a community concert at 3 pm. The Arts Council outdoor stage will also feature local talent performance groups including Megan’s Academy of Dance, East Coast Country Hoedowners, Unique Steppers, Real Dance Studio and Sallie B. Howard’s Hip Hop and Mime groups. You’ll even see some swashbuckling pirates dueling it out for the crowd. Want a sneak peak at them? Go to http://www.shadowcombat.com/.
International
The popular Around the World in Wilson tent will be at the center of the action with a new approach to cultural awareness. Ambassadors from 20 nations will lead 30-minute interactive sessions ranging from story sharing, to sports, arts, music and even dance lessons. The newest addition to the committee’s cultural celebration is a children’s Parade of Nations. Classrooms from around the county are adopting a country, creating flags and preparing to march in a parade from the heart of the festival to the main stage leading to up to an international presentation by the committee at 12 noon. Children, teachers and classes are encouraged to sign up to participate in the Parade of Nations through the City of Wilson’s Human Relations Office at 399.2308.
Bike Ride
Festivities will begin very early for the participants in the Cyclist of Wilson’s annual bike ride. The bike ride begins at 8 am on the library lawn and will weave through city streets and county roads. Participants can select from a 10 mile ride or the longest stretch – 60 mile ride.
“With all this activity going on, the community can see we need many volunteers,” says Thurston. Any citizen that would like to get involved with the festival or volunteer to help on Saturday or Sunday can contact the Volunteer Action Center at 237-7411. More information about the festival can be found on the festival website at: www.wilsonnc.org/whirligig.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
loves of a whirlygig part II
well it is the next day which is the tuesday of fall break, me and my friend kasey, head down to peruse the continental breakfast spread out at the hotel lobby, i wanted eggs and instead frozen pancakes, oh well that's why its complimentary, i get a cup of coffee and head back to make some phone calls. when trying to call the arts center in wilson, i am informed via automated messaage that they don't open until 10 am, well i got to get some stuff together anyway. so i practice with light meters and load the bolex and get it light safe. we pack up the car and start the journey to the other part of wilson, nc.
i got to say the iphone is pretty cool, we had used it the night before to find food and a hotel room (which are way too expensive for such a small town, i guess it had a nice view of a car dealership) so we have full confidence in our device and get lost as hell. it turns out we were looking for a street which has multiple listings in different towns, and the iphone guided us directly to the wrong town. we checked the hotel address on our receipt and it turns out that that is a billing address and not the actual address of the hotel. go figure. we finally get on the right track and head to downtown wilson. we went through downtown wilson the night before and it was kind of dark and scary, like on the wrong side of the tracks kind of thing. but during the day, it was so different and i was impressed and it actually kind of reminded me of wilmington and how its downtown has remnants of the past scattered throughtout while it tries to merge with the present. we find a parking place nearby the arts center and make our appearance known.
after about 15 min. mr. barry page, the executive director of the wilson arts council came out to greet us, mr. page was quite helpful with his interview and gave us many suggestions of other folks around town to talk to and also gave us some more locations around town to find more of vollis simpsons work. he also invited us to the banquet/gala event scheduled to kick off the whirlygig festival nov 2-4. he told us of how vollis's daughter carole commissioned an artist to sculpt his hands and asked me if i had ever seen his hands, i of course had. mr. page then led us up to miss sandra holmes' office in the same building. miss holmes heads up the wilson visitors bureau and told us she was leaving for lunch but to let her know if there was anything she could do for us. i told her i needed old photographs of the whirlygig farm and told her we were heading back out to meet mr. simpson later that day, she told us she might stop by since she needed to speak with him also.
after cruising for shots of wilson whirlygigs and having lunch we arrived back at the whirlygig farm to no wind again, except for short bursts, nothing was really happening. me and kasey instead did some road shots, abandoned car shots, haunted house shots, and kept filming until mr. simpson arrived...at 6 pm! i guess his doctor appt. took a little longer. kasey and i interviewed a visitor to the farm and i then called mrs. simpson and let her know we were locking the gate and heading back to wilmington. i explained to her what we had and that we would be back especially for the festival, and i let her know how nothing was blowing or moving and how i still would need to shoot some more. i thanked her and him and she told me to drive safely back to wilmington. i said i would. getting in the car and driving away i was very happy for the things i had accomplished the past two days, but also disappointed that it would take more filming. i hope very much and please say prayer that we get a weather change soon, b/c the whirly gigs must turn, without that i have only a half movie at best
jm
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
loves of a whirlygig
well it has been a while since my last post but i have been busy, there was no fall break for the whirlygig kids. the friday of the break brought damian, ryan and stephen rogers out to the farm. it was rainy so they had to wait for the rain to subside. what resulted was some very dark, cloud filled images. it gave quite a stark look and will add to the spooky side of this story. rain and curious onlookers spooked these kids so much that they bagged it in instead of staying through on saturday. but the results were spectacular, they shot about 2+ hrs of video and plenty of 35 mm digital shots before calling it a night. ryan confided in me that to stay overnight would be an insane thought, since at that time i thought that i would stay through since i was coming up mon and tuesday. i met damian on saturday afternoon and picked up the equipment since my stage was set for mon and tues.
mon morning came early and i called my friend hannah to let her know we were ready to go. she came and picked me up with the gear and we stopped by some stores to pick up supplies (batteries, tapes, etc). well nothing was open until 10 am so we had to wait for an hour. i noticed hannah was wearing flip flops and i advised her on bringing shoes since this was the country. so we went back to her house and since she was a photography major i asked her what kind of cameras was she bringing. she told me and then she said, " hey i got a fisheye lens camera for my birthday, should we get that?" i was stoked, i said hell yeah so even though we had to wait to leave wilmington, it turned out to be worth it.
so we finally get on the road and 2.5 hrs later we arrive to the farm. vollis is in his shop and just getting ready to start working. i took the hint and decided to go show hannah the farm and let vollis get started. we decided to start w/35 mm film slr since that was why she was there. we spent about 2 hrs taking pictures and shooting some video and super8 mm. it was about 3:30 and i decided to go see how vollis was getting along. i arrived at his shop and saw that unfortunately he was packing in for the day. i thought crap, how am i going to get shots of him working. i asked him what his schedule was for tuesday, and he said he had a doctor appt. but he should be back after 2pm. so about that time, hannah had let the bugs and heat get the best of her and she was heading back to wilmington. we unpacked all of the gear out of her car, and i said thanks and she left. i was completely alone at acid park.
i had made arrangements for a buddy of mine to come and help me shoot camera and the interview i had scheduled for tuesday. he didnt get to acid park until about 6 or 7pm. we were losing daylight fast. i had not stopped shooting footage and film since about 12:30 pm. i decided to call it a day and me and kasey (my friend) started packing up. vollis came by and checked on us, and to lock up the gate. he showed us his arsenal of lights he had rigged up with a car battery in the bed of his truck. they were no joke and lit up quite a bit. he started to feel comfortable around us and started telling us stories of people stealing signs and general mayhem. i was tired and kind of out of it when he told us about the night he actually did shoot somebody, that was on his land. he was shooting a warning shot and actually shot a guy with his shotgun. the crazy old man aspect of the story where he will shoot you...that's completely true. he carries the gun around to defend himself and his land. and if you're messing around with his stuff he has a right to shoot you. i found out the next day that the law and the county is completely on his side and support him. it was pitch black so there would be no filming this story since we were busy filming the sun set on the farm. we did a lot of drive by night shots and filmed the old abandoned house that is part of one legend and some of the abandoned car and left the whirlygig farm to seek a hotel room and food. tomorrow was another day.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
put your "hands on a hard body" baby
talkin about hands on a hard body, i would first like to say that i totally had the winner pegged from almost the beginning and felt just as jubilant as him (well maybe not he didnt seem that excited, since the truck was going to be his wife's) i feel that if put in that situation i would also do well, maybe not if i started today, but i could train for sure. this film had a real genuine hometown feel to it and the interior dramas surrounding the people with their hands on the truck. i don't think this doc would have been as good as it was without the prior winners commentary. he added the most to this piece. he had philosophy, technique, and downright good advice on how to win that hardbody nissan truck (look honey, it does have a bench seat, just like you wanted) i think that follow up interviews would also be a good tie up, asking them if they did it again what would they have done different. the strategy of this contest was intricate, the religious woman actually started talking about this and when she saw the camera was on her she changed her dialect from english to spanish. the contest really brought out the worst in her at the end. she seemed bitter, i know she was tired, but i didnt trust her throughout the piece and thought that she didnt have the best interest in mind for the other contestants and would love to have seen her lift her hands off of that truck, since earlier she was playing all those mindgames and ploys to get the other contestants to lift their hands off, she was the only one to actively engage in this competition, and she did this viciously jm
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
found some more accounts discussed in unexplained mysteries forum, enjoy jm
QUOTE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Drugs, death depicted in urban legend
Underlying story of Acid Park
Kyle Billings, Staff Writer
October 12, 2004
What is an urban legend? According to Tom Harris on "How Urban Legends Work" (Web site Science.howstuffworks.com/urban-legend.htm), they are unique stories or myths that "are passed from person to person and frequently have the elements of caution, horror or humor." Perhaps the most famous urban legends are the tales of sharp objects in Halloween candy, or temporary tattoos coated with LSD to get people addicted. These tales of horror or morals do not exclude their presence from the students of Greenville. There exists the well-known legend of Acid Park, the LSD inspired monument full of kinetic art, a memorial both praised and clouded with mystery. A few miles outside of Wilson in Lucama, NC, just off Wiggins Mill Road, is a sight you cannot miss.
Vollis Simpson is an artist who has created countless "windmills and whirligigs," which are various large and small kinetic structures that employ the use of easily found tool-shed hardware. The most notable of his creations include around 30 towering monoliths of movement, sound and individual imagination. Simpson has become somewhat of a cult celebrity, his works being featured in such publications as Sign and Symbol, People, and Time. His pieces have also been exhibited in various art museums such as The North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, NC, the Boston Museum and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. Ask around the campus of ECU however, and you will hear a different version of the story of Acid Park.
Karen Baldwin, Ph.D., teaches American Folklore 3750, is very familiar with the park, the legend and Simpson himself. She describes Acid Park as a "one of a kind" place that invokes a "great sense of awe" in the sincerest form of the word. As for the urban legend, she asserts that "there are variations with each telling of the story, yet all are focused upon a central theme." The story is based upon the daughter of the maker of the site. The general concept is given as follows:
On prom night, Carol Simpson and boyfriend decide to enjoy the night tripping on acid. Driving home, they approach the five-way intersection on Wiggins Mill Road. With the boyfriend driving at high speeds, the car turns the tricky corner, spins off the road and hits a nearby tree. The daughter dies instantly, but somehow the boyfriend survives and tells the father what happened and what he saw. Windmills now encompass the site of the accident, and were built for Carol Simpson posthumously. While Vollis Simpson's true inspiration of his creation is debated, the legend has it that Mr. Simpson created Acid Park, a collage of unique and unusual windmills and whirligigs, from the description of the boyfriend in his high state of mind. The park is filled with tiny little reflectors that give off an eerie glow when passed by car at night. Also, the car that was crashed that night still remains lodged in its place where it took a turn for the worst.
Usually Acid Park is seen in groups, such as sororities/fraternities, with some people knowing the legend and others experiencing it for the first time. For two Alpha Phi pledges, Mallory Caudle and Nadia Chioariu, their sorority experience included a night trip out to Wilson to see Acid Park. While describing their first look at the monument, Claudle said, "We drove by it first and you see nothing and then all of a sudden you see all these lights and it looks like a carnival kind of, and then we drove back by it and the reflectors were all spinning and stuff." Both ladies agreed that despite being slightly "weird" or unusual, Acid Park itself was not very scary. The scary part was the car. Nadia says, "between all of the reflectors is the road and you go down like a quarter of a mile and the car is there wrapped around a tree ... I wasn't scared or anything until we drove by the car and that freaked me out."
When asked if they would ever go back to Acid Park, both were sure they would.
There are also urban legends known to exist on campus. Among include stories that the odd shape of the Brewster Building, which is said to have been created to protect faculty over the rioting students in the late 1960s. It has been documented there were no riots at ECU, but those who describe the account think otherwise. And as with most urban legends, the facts don't seem to support the stories. Vollis Simpson defiantly denies any such relation of drugs to his artwork, discouraging the legend entirely. The term "Acid Park" was obviously not coined by Vollis Simpson, who does not take kindly to the mention of his creations in that name.
Despite any influence, many take urban legends as fictional hogwash. Urban legends are spread through word of mouth, with many juicy details often added to create the greater story. Many say when the unusual occurs, people resort to enticing tall tales of horror or comedic explanations for the immediate effect. Vollis Simpson even explains the meaning of the reflective light is to warn other drivers of the dangers of the winding intersection. The emotional power of Acid Park is undeniable however, stirring feelings ranging from awe to "being freaked out." Whether or not you believe in urban legends, Acid Park is a place to be witnessed and talked about.
In the weeks that come, if ever you and your friends are looking for a little adventure, take a ride down to Lucama, NC. At night, in the wind-chilled autumn air, your wooded surroundings pitch dark save for the moonlight and the headlights of your car, travel down Wiggins Mill Road. Go to Acid Park and see where your emotions take you.
Just a little something from my neck of the woods.
matthewgoad
Aug 20 2005, 01:03 PM
I can find more info if you are interested in it.
eveningsky339
Aug 20 2005, 01:23 PM
I have actually been to Acid Park. I was on a trip to Virginia, but I went a little out of the way to see it, because I had heard the legends. Really strange stuff.
matthewgoad
Aug 20 2005, 01:48 PM
Oh that's cool. I've only been once and it was pretty freaky stuff. But it was raining, so that could've helped it. The wind was blowing pretty hard.
eveningsky339
Aug 20 2005, 02:06 PM
I saw it at dusk, so I could see the reflectors and stuff. Like a carnival gone horribly, horribly wrong.
bacca
Aug 20 2005, 02:18 PM
to get the full effect you should go late at night and be sure to drive down that dirt path to see the car wrapped around the tree.....there are so many different stories around here about why it's there etc. It sort of ruins it without those....I haven't been in years actually perhaps I need to head out there soon it's always good for a spooky night
matthewgoad
Aug 20 2005, 02:33 PM
Yeah I saw the car it was very freaky.
isis-999
Aug 20 2005, 02:52 PM
QUOTE(matthewgoad @ Aug 20 2005, 09:03 AM)
I can find more info if you are interested in it.
[right][snapback]800840[/snapback][/right]
OMG..matthewgoad, I use to hang out there as a teenager, I have friends who live near the place, I spoke with the old man one night he was out in his shed working, His daughter never died as the story goes, the local teens made it up he told me, to go along with the car being in the tree, It was just a old junk car that a tree grew thru, It's a really cool place, Its right off Wiggins Mill road.
Small world uh..
ABOTU
Aug 20 2005, 02:58 PM
wow creepy... that would be fun to check out. Sweetness
Baldwin
Aug 20 2005, 03:02 PM
yet another place to add to the list of places to go before I expire. Godda be sure to pick up some blotter before I go
Great Big Sea
Aug 20 2005, 05:36 PM
Sad and spooky sounding park.
matthewgoad
Aug 21 2005, 11:39 PM
So some friends and I went to Acid Park last night. It was really cool. It's the first time I've been that it wasn't raining. The reflectors really showed up well and made it look so weird. If you've never been I would really urge you to go. I can't wait to go back.
bacca
Aug 23 2005, 01:43 AM
Mathew I have heard that he has made alot more but from what i remember his fenced in yard was about full years ago.
Are there a lot more up then there was years ago...as I said I haven't been in years I suppose it's one of those things thats right up the road that you never go to
Maekrix
Aug 30 2005, 11:54 AM
..... I'm a little confused on what "Acid Park" is and how its related to the story
matthewgoad
Aug 30 2005, 12:09 PM
Yeah there are some new things up there. He's added some windmills since the first time I went when I was alot younger, but I don't know how long it's been since you were there.
GavinStrife
Aug 31 2005, 04:34 PM
I've been there several times... its about 45-50 mins away from my house, and now its between home and my apartment... the Urban Legend part of Acid Park comes from the park's origin, not to the existence of the park itself. Its a neat place, and worth a look sometime if you're in the area.
Nxt2Hvn
Aug 31 2005, 04:53 PM
WOW.. didn't realize so many people lived near Wilson NC...
I am originally from Rocky Mount and have been to Acid Park several times....
I was surprised to see the title "Acid Park"
COOL
GavinStrife
Aug 31 2005, 04:58 PM
I'd also like to note that I'm a junior at ECU, which is mentioned in the article there, and all but one of my classes is, infact, in the Brewster building... it has 4 wings in a square with a central courtyard, and between each wing is a tunnel... the tunnel has a gate that can be lowered and locked, which does seem a bit odd since I've never seen them locked... and all you would be locking is the central courtyard, it wouldn't keep anyone from getting into the buildings at night.
matthewgoad
Aug 31 2005, 05:04 PM
Yeah I'm in Raleigh, not too far away. So check this out.. A friend of mine went to Acid Park last weekend to see it for the first time and they took pictures.. None of them came out. They took them to be developed and they person there said they had never seen anything like that. It made no sense to them how the pictures could look that way.. Weird, huh?
LyCaN123
Sep 6 2005, 03:19 AM
Could you sum it up a bit because im kinda lazy to read the whole thing
bacca
Sep 7 2005, 12:41 AM
Acid park is just some guys yard....he has been putting together what would you call them windmills? sort of anyway they are big metal art pieces with reflectors or something on them....If you go at night the headlights will reflect over them......note if the winds not blowing and its not dark out it losses something
Anyway there is also a dirt path down the side of the property that has an old wrecked car basically it has a tree growing thru it now....I have heard that there is an old church further down the road, but I personally don't know if that is true....Well if you live here long enough you'll hear stories about the car and the crazy old man who builds those things......apparently none of it is true but it is really trippy to head out there......Is that about it?
Oh and if I'm remembering correctly not very far from there, there is supposed to be i think it's seven bridges road? well anyway the stories go that if you drive one way they'll be one number of bridges but one less when you turn around and come back........this area is full of stuff like that a haunted church that the organ is played every night etc......I haven't read about them in a book but the stories are told here regularly
For the rest of you who also live in the area did I get something wrong or miss something? I feel like i'm forgetting something......
isis-999
Sep 7 2005, 01:33 AM
LOL.. Matthewgaod, And i have talk about this before. I have a very good friend who lives in black creeck.. and we all use to hang out there, Its only about 10 minutes from his house.. Did you guys know it made most huanted list of places in NC.. LOL I know the old man who owns the land and who made all the stuff.. He loves the story that goes along with the place but will tell you it's just a story, his daughter is a nurse in Wilson NC..
lemonlove
Dec 20 2006, 02:29 AM
Hate to bring back such an old thread...but I couldn't resist.
I live in Lucama, NC, home of Acid Park. The whole legend is so absolutely hilarious to me. Vollis Simpson makes the "whirligigs", as they're so fondly called around here, for fun. They've become an art statement. We even have the annual "Whirligig Festival" every fall. Acid Park itself is just his junk yard. However, it is so much fun freaking out people unfamiliar with the legend. I remember loading up a van full of Campbell University students and going with them down there one night. So hilarious!
QUOTE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Drugs, death depicted in urban legend
Underlying story of Acid Park
Kyle Billings, Staff Writer
October 12, 2004
What is an urban legend? According to Tom Harris on "How Urban Legends Work" (Web site Science.howstuffworks.com/urban-legend.htm), they are unique stories or myths that "are passed from person to person and frequently have the elements of caution, horror or humor." Perhaps the most famous urban legends are the tales of sharp objects in Halloween candy, or temporary tattoos coated with LSD to get people addicted. These tales of horror or morals do not exclude their presence from the students of Greenville. There exists the well-known legend of Acid Park, the LSD inspired monument full of kinetic art, a memorial both praised and clouded with mystery. A few miles outside of Wilson in Lucama, NC, just off Wiggins Mill Road, is a sight you cannot miss.
Vollis Simpson is an artist who has created countless "windmills and whirligigs," which are various large and small kinetic structures that employ the use of easily found tool-shed hardware. The most notable of his creations include around 30 towering monoliths of movement, sound and individual imagination. Simpson has become somewhat of a cult celebrity, his works being featured in such publications as Sign and Symbol, People, and Time. His pieces have also been exhibited in various art museums such as The North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, NC, the Boston Museum and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. Ask around the campus of ECU however, and you will hear a different version of the story of Acid Park.
Karen Baldwin, Ph.D., teaches American Folklore 3750, is very familiar with the park, the legend and Simpson himself. She describes Acid Park as a "one of a kind" place that invokes a "great sense of awe" in the sincerest form of the word. As for the urban legend, she asserts that "there are variations with each telling of the story, yet all are focused upon a central theme." The story is based upon the daughter of the maker of the site. The general concept is given as follows:
On prom night, Carol Simpson and boyfriend decide to enjoy the night tripping on acid. Driving home, they approach the five-way intersection on Wiggins Mill Road. With the boyfriend driving at high speeds, the car turns the tricky corner, spins off the road and hits a nearby tree. The daughter dies instantly, but somehow the boyfriend survives and tells the father what happened and what he saw. Windmills now encompass the site of the accident, and were built for Carol Simpson posthumously. While Vollis Simpson's true inspiration of his creation is debated, the legend has it that Mr. Simpson created Acid Park, a collage of unique and unusual windmills and whirligigs, from the description of the boyfriend in his high state of mind. The park is filled with tiny little reflectors that give off an eerie glow when passed by car at night. Also, the car that was crashed that night still remains lodged in its place where it took a turn for the worst.
Usually Acid Park is seen in groups, such as sororities/fraternities, with some people knowing the legend and others experiencing it for the first time. For two Alpha Phi pledges, Mallory Caudle and Nadia Chioariu, their sorority experience included a night trip out to Wilson to see Acid Park. While describing their first look at the monument, Claudle said, "We drove by it first and you see nothing and then all of a sudden you see all these lights and it looks like a carnival kind of, and then we drove back by it and the reflectors were all spinning and stuff." Both ladies agreed that despite being slightly "weird" or unusual, Acid Park itself was not very scary. The scary part was the car. Nadia says, "between all of the reflectors is the road and you go down like a quarter of a mile and the car is there wrapped around a tree ... I wasn't scared or anything until we drove by the car and that freaked me out."
When asked if they would ever go back to Acid Park, both were sure they would.
There are also urban legends known to exist on campus. Among include stories that the odd shape of the Brewster Building, which is said to have been created to protect faculty over the rioting students in the late 1960s. It has been documented there were no riots at ECU, but those who describe the account think otherwise. And as with most urban legends, the facts don't seem to support the stories. Vollis Simpson defiantly denies any such relation of drugs to his artwork, discouraging the legend entirely. The term "Acid Park" was obviously not coined by Vollis Simpson, who does not take kindly to the mention of his creations in that name.
Despite any influence, many take urban legends as fictional hogwash. Urban legends are spread through word of mouth, with many juicy details often added to create the greater story. Many say when the unusual occurs, people resort to enticing tall tales of horror or comedic explanations for the immediate effect. Vollis Simpson even explains the meaning of the reflective light is to warn other drivers of the dangers of the winding intersection. The emotional power of Acid Park is undeniable however, stirring feelings ranging from awe to "being freaked out." Whether or not you believe in urban legends, Acid Park is a place to be witnessed and talked about.
In the weeks that come, if ever you and your friends are looking for a little adventure, take a ride down to Lucama, NC. At night, in the wind-chilled autumn air, your wooded surroundings pitch dark save for the moonlight and the headlights of your car, travel down Wiggins Mill Road. Go to Acid Park and see where your emotions take you.
Just a little something from my neck of the woods.
matthewgoad
Aug 20 2005, 01:03 PM
I can find more info if you are interested in it.
eveningsky339
Aug 20 2005, 01:23 PM
I have actually been to Acid Park. I was on a trip to Virginia, but I went a little out of the way to see it, because I had heard the legends. Really strange stuff.
matthewgoad
Aug 20 2005, 01:48 PM
Oh that's cool. I've only been once and it was pretty freaky stuff. But it was raining, so that could've helped it. The wind was blowing pretty hard.
eveningsky339
Aug 20 2005, 02:06 PM
I saw it at dusk, so I could see the reflectors and stuff. Like a carnival gone horribly, horribly wrong.
bacca
Aug 20 2005, 02:18 PM
to get the full effect you should go late at night and be sure to drive down that dirt path to see the car wrapped around the tree.....there are so many different stories around here about why it's there etc. It sort of ruins it without those....I haven't been in years actually perhaps I need to head out there soon it's always good for a spooky night
matthewgoad
Aug 20 2005, 02:33 PM
Yeah I saw the car it was very freaky.
isis-999
Aug 20 2005, 02:52 PM
QUOTE(matthewgoad @ Aug 20 2005, 09:03 AM)
I can find more info if you are interested in it.
[right][snapback]800840[/snapback][/right]
OMG..matthewgoad, I use to hang out there as a teenager, I have friends who live near the place, I spoke with the old man one night he was out in his shed working, His daughter never died as the story goes, the local teens made it up he told me, to go along with the car being in the tree, It was just a old junk car that a tree grew thru, It's a really cool place, Its right off Wiggins Mill road.
Small world uh..
ABOTU
Aug 20 2005, 02:58 PM
wow creepy... that would be fun to check out. Sweetness
Baldwin
Aug 20 2005, 03:02 PM
yet another place to add to the list of places to go before I expire. Godda be sure to pick up some blotter before I go
Great Big Sea
Aug 20 2005, 05:36 PM
Sad and spooky sounding park.
matthewgoad
Aug 21 2005, 11:39 PM
So some friends and I went to Acid Park last night. It was really cool. It's the first time I've been that it wasn't raining. The reflectors really showed up well and made it look so weird. If you've never been I would really urge you to go. I can't wait to go back.
bacca
Aug 23 2005, 01:43 AM
Mathew I have heard that he has made alot more but from what i remember his fenced in yard was about full years ago.
Are there a lot more up then there was years ago...as I said I haven't been in years I suppose it's one of those things thats right up the road that you never go to
Maekrix
Aug 30 2005, 11:54 AM
..... I'm a little confused on what "Acid Park" is and how its related to the story
matthewgoad
Aug 30 2005, 12:09 PM
Yeah there are some new things up there. He's added some windmills since the first time I went when I was alot younger, but I don't know how long it's been since you were there.
GavinStrife
Aug 31 2005, 04:34 PM
I've been there several times... its about 45-50 mins away from my house, and now its between home and my apartment... the Urban Legend part of Acid Park comes from the park's origin, not to the existence of the park itself. Its a neat place, and worth a look sometime if you're in the area.
Nxt2Hvn
Aug 31 2005, 04:53 PM
WOW.. didn't realize so many people lived near Wilson NC...
I am originally from Rocky Mount and have been to Acid Park several times....
I was surprised to see the title "Acid Park"
COOL
GavinStrife
Aug 31 2005, 04:58 PM
I'd also like to note that I'm a junior at ECU, which is mentioned in the article there, and all but one of my classes is, infact, in the Brewster building... it has 4 wings in a square with a central courtyard, and between each wing is a tunnel... the tunnel has a gate that can be lowered and locked, which does seem a bit odd since I've never seen them locked... and all you would be locking is the central courtyard, it wouldn't keep anyone from getting into the buildings at night.
matthewgoad
Aug 31 2005, 05:04 PM
Yeah I'm in Raleigh, not too far away. So check this out.. A friend of mine went to Acid Park last weekend to see it for the first time and they took pictures.. None of them came out. They took them to be developed and they person there said they had never seen anything like that. It made no sense to them how the pictures could look that way.. Weird, huh?
LyCaN123
Sep 6 2005, 03:19 AM
Could you sum it up a bit because im kinda lazy to read the whole thing
bacca
Sep 7 2005, 12:41 AM
Acid park is just some guys yard....he has been putting together what would you call them windmills? sort of anyway they are big metal art pieces with reflectors or something on them....If you go at night the headlights will reflect over them......note if the winds not blowing and its not dark out it losses something
Anyway there is also a dirt path down the side of the property that has an old wrecked car basically it has a tree growing thru it now....I have heard that there is an old church further down the road, but I personally don't know if that is true....Well if you live here long enough you'll hear stories about the car and the crazy old man who builds those things......apparently none of it is true but it is really trippy to head out there......Is that about it?
Oh and if I'm remembering correctly not very far from there, there is supposed to be i think it's seven bridges road? well anyway the stories go that if you drive one way they'll be one number of bridges but one less when you turn around and come back........this area is full of stuff like that a haunted church that the organ is played every night etc......I haven't read about them in a book but the stories are told here regularly
For the rest of you who also live in the area did I get something wrong or miss something? I feel like i'm forgetting something......
isis-999
Sep 7 2005, 01:33 AM
LOL.. Matthewgaod, And i have talk about this before. I have a very good friend who lives in black creeck.. and we all use to hang out there, Its only about 10 minutes from his house.. Did you guys know it made most huanted list of places in NC.. LOL I know the old man who owns the land and who made all the stuff.. He loves the story that goes along with the place but will tell you it's just a story, his daughter is a nurse in Wilson NC..
lemonlove
Dec 20 2006, 02:29 AM
Hate to bring back such an old thread...but I couldn't resist.
I live in Lucama, NC, home of Acid Park. The whole legend is so absolutely hilarious to me. Vollis Simpson makes the "whirligigs", as they're so fondly called around here, for fun. They've become an art statement. We even have the annual "Whirligig Festival" every fall. Acid Park itself is just his junk yard. However, it is so much fun freaking out people unfamiliar with the legend. I remember loading up a van full of Campbell University students and going with them down there one night. So hilarious!
http://media.www.theeastcarolinian.com/media/storage/paper915/news/2004/10/12/Features/Drugs.Death.Depicted.In.Urban.Legend-2209359.shtml
http://www.folkart.org/mag/vollis/vollis.html
http://0-infoweb.newsbank.com.uncclc.coast.uncwil.edu/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_docid=10660BF408A4CF60&p_docnum=1&p_queryname=7&p_product=NewsBank&p_theme=aggregated4&p_nbid=J68C59GPMTE5MDYwODA0MC43NDk1ODE6MToxMjoxNTIuMjAuMjYuMzA
http://www.geocities.com/dyedinthewool/Acid_Park.html
http://0-infoweb.newsbank.com.uncclc.coast.uncwil.edu/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_docid=10660BF408A4CF60&p_docnum=1&p_queryname=7&p_product=NewsBank&p_theme=aggregated4&p_nbid=J68C59GPMTE5MDYwODA0MC43NDk1ODE6MToxMjoxNTIuMjAuMjYuMzA
the newsbank articles are being funny i will probably just post the article, later jm
http://www.folkart.org/mag/vollis/vollis.html
http://0-infoweb.newsbank.com.uncclc.coast.uncwil.edu/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_docid=10660BF408A4CF60&p_docnum=1&p_queryname=7&p_product=NewsBank&p_theme=aggregated4&p_nbid=J68C59GPMTE5MDYwODA0MC43NDk1ODE6MToxMjoxNTIuMjAuMjYuMzA
http://www.geocities.com/dyedinthewool/Acid_Park.html
http://0-infoweb.newsbank.com.uncclc.coast.uncwil.edu/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_docid=10660BF408A4CF60&p_docnum=1&p_queryname=7&p_product=NewsBank&p_theme=aggregated4&p_nbid=J68C59GPMTE5MDYwODA0MC43NDk1ODE6MToxMjoxNTIuMjAuMjYuMzA
the newsbank articles are being funny i will probably just post the article, later jm
Monday, September 24, 2007
sorry about links below
i will fix links later, for now copy and paste, there are some problems with some of the articles and their access, i will figure this out and update
jm
jm
Here are some articles incl. w/ a brief description
This article from the Daily Reflector in Greenville describes one of the myths surrounding Acid Park. Also says that it got its name apparently because it is the best place on the East Coast to trip acid.
• http://0-infoweb.newsbank.com.uncclc.coast.uncwil.edu/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_docid=108DD72A0CDB00D9&p_docnum=1&p_queryname=6&p_product=NewsBank&p_theme=aggregated4&p_nbid=J68C59GPMTE5MDYwODA0MC43NDk1ODE6MToxMjoxNTIuMjAuMjYuMzA
An article from the Greensboro News & Record that discusses Vollis Simpson and how he has become nationally known for his art. Also gives biographical information about Simpson.
• http://0-infoweb.newsbank.com.uncclc.coast.uncwil.edu/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_docid=10660BF408A4CF60&p_docnum=1&p_queryname=7&p_product=NewsBank&p_theme=aggregated4&p_nbid=J68C59GPMTE5MDYwODA0MC43NDk1ODE6MToxMjoxNTIuMjAuMjYuMzA
A site with a fairly good picture of Acid Park at night. It also briefly discusses the myth.
• http://www.geocities.com/dyedinthewool/Acid_Park.html
An article that has similar information to the one from Greensboro News & Record but it tells how the car that is wrapped around the tree and also mentions Simpson’s wife’s attitude toward the myths about the park.
• http://0-infoweb.newsbank.com.uncclc.coast.uncwil.edu/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_docid=0EE38B682A341C66&p_docnum=4&p_queryname=8&p_product=NewsBank&p_theme=aggregated4&p_nbid=J68C59GPMTE5MDYwODA0MC43NDk1ODE6MToxMjoxNTIuMjAuMjYuMzA
An article from a newspaper that discusses the myth surrounding Acid Park, but also goes into some discussion about the history of urban legends.
• http://media.www.theeastcarolinian.com/media/storage/paper915/news/2004/10/12/Features/Drugs.Death.Depicted.In.Urban.Legend-2209359.shtml
A site that briefly discusses Vollis Simpson’s background, defines “whirligigs” and his position in “outsider art”, and also includes an interview with Simpson about the process of making his artworks.
• http://www.folkart.org/mag/vollis/vollis.html
• http://0-infoweb.newsbank.com.uncclc.coast.uncwil.edu/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_docid=108DD72A0CDB00D9&p_docnum=1&p_queryname=6&p_product=NewsBank&p_theme=aggregated4&p_nbid=J68C59GPMTE5MDYwODA0MC43NDk1ODE6MToxMjoxNTIuMjAuMjYuMzA
An article from the Greensboro News & Record that discusses Vollis Simpson and how he has become nationally known for his art. Also gives biographical information about Simpson.
• http://0-infoweb.newsbank.com.uncclc.coast.uncwil.edu/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_docid=10660BF408A4CF60&p_docnum=1&p_queryname=7&p_product=NewsBank&p_theme=aggregated4&p_nbid=J68C59GPMTE5MDYwODA0MC43NDk1ODE6MToxMjoxNTIuMjAuMjYuMzA
A site with a fairly good picture of Acid Park at night. It also briefly discusses the myth.
• http://www.geocities.com/dyedinthewool/Acid_Park.html
An article that has similar information to the one from Greensboro News & Record but it tells how the car that is wrapped around the tree and also mentions Simpson’s wife’s attitude toward the myths about the park.
• http://0-infoweb.newsbank.com.uncclc.coast.uncwil.edu/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_docid=0EE38B682A341C66&p_docnum=4&p_queryname=8&p_product=NewsBank&p_theme=aggregated4&p_nbid=J68C59GPMTE5MDYwODA0MC43NDk1ODE6MToxMjoxNTIuMjAuMjYuMzA
An article from a newspaper that discusses the myth surrounding Acid Park, but also goes into some discussion about the history of urban legends.
• http://media.www.theeastcarolinian.com/media/storage/paper915/news/2004/10/12/Features/Drugs.Death.Depicted.In.Urban.Legend-2209359.shtml
A site that briefly discusses Vollis Simpson’s background, defines “whirligigs” and his position in “outsider art”, and also includes an interview with Simpson about the process of making his artworks.
• http://www.folkart.org/mag/vollis/vollis.html
hello all, well here is most of the overview, there will be more articles
Acid Park: A Legend
who or what is it about?
The mythology and truth surrounding acid park and vollis simpson
what story will it be?
the story will about the different myths that circulate even to this day. from college ghost stories to revenge scenarios, we will break down each one visually, trying to weed out the truth that exists
Five people to interview
Town sheriff
Town librarian/historian
Witnesses to the paranormal
Vox pop (2 or 3) locations
Vollis Simpson
Carol Simpson (Vollis' daughter)
Resident of nearby house in legend
how will you communicate this film stylistically/filmically?
we will communicate this film through many differing images: 16 mm black and white, Super 8 mm color (aged and new), Digital SLR Camera (Nikon D80), 35 mm SLR camera, mini-dv (amateur and professional), rephotography and projection experimentation. All of these techniques will be used to tell this story in levels and segments in an experimental fashion. Also many different types of audio capture will be implemented. The use of vox pop will be crucial to the telling of legend aspect.
drama at film's core
the direct confrontation of the legend and myth of acid park and the ensuing story's real and actual origin.
here are some articles: there are more to come also jm
http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=48923
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/offthemap/html/travelogue_artist_7.htm?true
http://www.smm.org/sln/vollis/
Acid Park: A Legend
who or what is it about?
The mythology and truth surrounding acid park and vollis simpson
what story will it be?
the story will about the different myths that circulate even to this day. from college ghost stories to revenge scenarios, we will break down each one visually, trying to weed out the truth that exists
Five people to interview
Town sheriff
Town librarian/historian
Witnesses to the paranormal
Vox pop (2 or 3) locations
Vollis Simpson
Carol Simpson (Vollis' daughter)
Resident of nearby house in legend
how will you communicate this film stylistically/filmically?
we will communicate this film through many differing images: 16 mm black and white, Super 8 mm color (aged and new), Digital SLR Camera (Nikon D80), 35 mm SLR camera, mini-dv (amateur and professional), rephotography and projection experimentation. All of these techniques will be used to tell this story in levels and segments in an experimental fashion. Also many different types of audio capture will be implemented. The use of vox pop will be crucial to the telling of legend aspect.
drama at film's core
the direct confrontation of the legend and myth of acid park and the ensuing story's real and actual origin.
here are some articles: there are more to come also jm
http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=48923
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/offthemap/html/travelogue_artist_7.htm?true
http://www.smm.org/sln/vollis/
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
please read the article about acid park also
located two posts below my pitch is a web story and some accounts they are very interesting and add extra flavor to my pitch-jm
hello and welcome to my blog page, feel free to wander around
the pitch
my subject is one not for the faint of heart it. is a tale of acid park. this story must be told and shown to all of those who don't know. some will believe and some will not. many versions of this tale abound, which is the right one? which is folklore?, that is what we will attempt to find out. a few years back, my wife told me of a place that if you are driving by it at night it will scare the shit out of you. it is a memorial supposedly to a daughter killed by drunk/drugged drivers. it is superfantastic and highly detailed. the memorial is alot of scrap, trash, lawn ornaments, and everything is constructed to hold reflectors. that's right reflectors, you see the father of the daughter didn't want to just erect a memorial for his killed daughter he wanted revenge. this memorial was designed to make people lose control of their cars, because they do not see it until their headlights strike the reflectors, then the entire park lights up to reveal a twisted minature carnival spectacle. what is the real story, who really built this strange attraction, and what for. many questions are left to be answered, hopefully by two other dedicated brave souls who will not scare easily, because i warn you, i have seen it and filmed some, but when i saw something i didnt recognize, it was time for me to go. i warn you it is pretty scary and awesome. but the opportunity to try to get to the bottom of this story is too enticing and must be told. the pictures here do no justice, they are daylight and just snapshots. when we arrive as a crew for the first time it will be at night as to get my crew the full experience and shooting will commence. that said here is how i plan to shoot and style it. jm
the topic is the legend of acid park
the tone will be dark and dramatic
the mode will be experimental documentary
shooting style will be wild, extravagant, and many different approaches: day, night, vox pop, investigatory
my plan is to spend two nights and one day in this area, preferably arriving a friday night to get first reactions with multiple cameras and sound recording devices, saturday day: day shots of park then heading into town to grab locals voxpop (this is one of the most important facets of this film b/c if you read the testimonials of the people in the article below, every person has a different experience. and local rural townsfolk should have plenty to say and will enhance greatly the legend) i also plan to interview an expert in the area, town librarian, sheriff, etc. sound will be multilayered including location grab, vox pop, and interview. an original sound composition will also be added to give a strong audial attachment to film. all interviews must be arranged in advance, except for vox pop. interviews will preferably be held the same weekend but may have to be accomplished on separate trip which will be fine as well. this is fairly close only about 2-4 hrs away.
the most technical challenge will be filming at night, cameras must be set up off of the road from a safe distance because location is on a curve and a hill and cars will sneak up. because of the amount of different footage that must be shot, every member of my crew must film. we will use mini dv, professional and amateur, 35mm slr camera, digital camera, super 8mm, and 16 mm, black and white and color film will be used when applicable. applicants to this project must first spend much time practicing including myself, getting acquainted with the equipment, so when the time comes, execution will be the only thing on everyone's minds. the best way to overcome any challenge is by planning everything to the letter. contacts must be made and handled professionally. with a proper plan of attack we will execute this shoot flawlessly and have most of the hardest behind us.
the access needed is to be a possible challenge, as of today i do not have it but i have shot on my own already. if the legend is correct, a very crazy and eccentric old man owns the property. but through city records we will find the actual owner and ask permission to film on his/her land as well as obtain local town filming permits if necessary. if we are not allowed access to the land we will have to shoot from public property ie. the road rather the shoulder using vehicles to separate the equipment set up. if a truck with a flatbed becomes available that could be used as well. a window camera carmount would also be ideal but a wheelchair and spotlight could be also used effectively for passing shots. also the need for different lighting sources that are portable such as flashlights, high powered and colored lensed would be neat to experiment with but that is more along with equipment categories and the technical aspect i suppose.
i am the right person to direct this film because i feel i am very close to the subject and have thought long and hard (4+ years) on how i would approach and film this story. the very moment this fantastic vision appeared to me i was hooked. i know what needs to be captured, shot, and logged to get the most out of 3-4 days total shooting. my interests lie with experimental and documentary and i believe this is the perfect subject for me and hopefully for 2 equally passionate classmates/filmmakers and look forward to valuable input to make this story not only a festival participant but also a winner. i do not want this to be just a simple ghost tale it is too deep and too fantastic, that is why that it is so important that proper coverage is attained, so when this moves into the editing stage, focus will be placed only on storycraft, not wishing we had a certain b roll shot.
i think that this story can be made to attract any filmgoer, young and old alike. the story is not well known and no story is like it. it will reach out to any genre/demographic because all humans by characteristic are curious. i ultimately wish for it to be sent on a wild festival tour to finally gently rest in full frame doc festival and win. i think that first it will screen here at uncw, then a festival plan and packet will be created, final polish, then away it will go. i plan on following this through to next semester in the editing stage. as an auteur i wish for my fingerprints cover this film, the special touches of locality and imagination i will add will separate this from all other films. the people who wish to participate in this film will be expected to be professional, courteous and mature, but fun, imagination, and exploration is what will ultimately be achieved at day's end. thank you for your consideration.
john marshall
the pitch
my subject is one not for the faint of heart it. is a tale of acid park. this story must be told and shown to all of those who don't know. some will believe and some will not. many versions of this tale abound, which is the right one? which is folklore?, that is what we will attempt to find out. a few years back, my wife told me of a place that if you are driving by it at night it will scare the shit out of you. it is a memorial supposedly to a daughter killed by drunk/drugged drivers. it is superfantastic and highly detailed. the memorial is alot of scrap, trash, lawn ornaments, and everything is constructed to hold reflectors. that's right reflectors, you see the father of the daughter didn't want to just erect a memorial for his killed daughter he wanted revenge. this memorial was designed to make people lose control of their cars, because they do not see it until their headlights strike the reflectors, then the entire park lights up to reveal a twisted minature carnival spectacle. what is the real story, who really built this strange attraction, and what for. many questions are left to be answered, hopefully by two other dedicated brave souls who will not scare easily, because i warn you, i have seen it and filmed some, but when i saw something i didnt recognize, it was time for me to go. i warn you it is pretty scary and awesome. but the opportunity to try to get to the bottom of this story is too enticing and must be told. the pictures here do no justice, they are daylight and just snapshots. when we arrive as a crew for the first time it will be at night as to get my crew the full experience and shooting will commence. that said here is how i plan to shoot and style it. jm
the topic is the legend of acid park
the tone will be dark and dramatic
the mode will be experimental documentary
shooting style will be wild, extravagant, and many different approaches: day, night, vox pop, investigatory
my plan is to spend two nights and one day in this area, preferably arriving a friday night to get first reactions with multiple cameras and sound recording devices, saturday day: day shots of park then heading into town to grab locals voxpop (this is one of the most important facets of this film b/c if you read the testimonials of the people in the article below, every person has a different experience. and local rural townsfolk should have plenty to say and will enhance greatly the legend) i also plan to interview an expert in the area, town librarian, sheriff, etc. sound will be multilayered including location grab, vox pop, and interview. an original sound composition will also be added to give a strong audial attachment to film. all interviews must be arranged in advance, except for vox pop. interviews will preferably be held the same weekend but may have to be accomplished on separate trip which will be fine as well. this is fairly close only about 2-4 hrs away.
the most technical challenge will be filming at night, cameras must be set up off of the road from a safe distance because location is on a curve and a hill and cars will sneak up. because of the amount of different footage that must be shot, every member of my crew must film. we will use mini dv, professional and amateur, 35mm slr camera, digital camera, super 8mm, and 16 mm, black and white and color film will be used when applicable. applicants to this project must first spend much time practicing including myself, getting acquainted with the equipment, so when the time comes, execution will be the only thing on everyone's minds. the best way to overcome any challenge is by planning everything to the letter. contacts must be made and handled professionally. with a proper plan of attack we will execute this shoot flawlessly and have most of the hardest behind us.
the access needed is to be a possible challenge, as of today i do not have it but i have shot on my own already. if the legend is correct, a very crazy and eccentric old man owns the property. but through city records we will find the actual owner and ask permission to film on his/her land as well as obtain local town filming permits if necessary. if we are not allowed access to the land we will have to shoot from public property ie. the road rather the shoulder using vehicles to separate the equipment set up. if a truck with a flatbed becomes available that could be used as well. a window camera carmount would also be ideal but a wheelchair and spotlight could be also used effectively for passing shots. also the need for different lighting sources that are portable such as flashlights, high powered and colored lensed would be neat to experiment with but that is more along with equipment categories and the technical aspect i suppose.
i am the right person to direct this film because i feel i am very close to the subject and have thought long and hard (4+ years) on how i would approach and film this story. the very moment this fantastic vision appeared to me i was hooked. i know what needs to be captured, shot, and logged to get the most out of 3-4 days total shooting. my interests lie with experimental and documentary and i believe this is the perfect subject for me and hopefully for 2 equally passionate classmates/filmmakers and look forward to valuable input to make this story not only a festival participant but also a winner. i do not want this to be just a simple ghost tale it is too deep and too fantastic, that is why that it is so important that proper coverage is attained, so when this moves into the editing stage, focus will be placed only on storycraft, not wishing we had a certain b roll shot.
i think that this story can be made to attract any filmgoer, young and old alike. the story is not well known and no story is like it. it will reach out to any genre/demographic because all humans by characteristic are curious. i ultimately wish for it to be sent on a wild festival tour to finally gently rest in full frame doc festival and win. i think that first it will screen here at uncw, then a festival plan and packet will be created, final polish, then away it will go. i plan on following this through to next semester in the editing stage. as an auteur i wish for my fingerprints cover this film, the special touches of locality and imagination i will add will separate this from all other films. the people who wish to participate in this film will be expected to be professional, courteous and mature, but fun, imagination, and exploration is what will ultimately be achieved at day's end. thank you for your consideration.
john marshall
Monday, September 10, 2007
There is definite time, development, and structure parameters in both of the films window water baby moving and talk to me although different in scope and vision both were executed perfectly in their own private genres. first in window water baby moving the structure is that of a birth film moving (although not from point a to point b) from time spent together as a couple prior to the birth of their daughter, it then moves to the preparations of the doctor to deliver the baby, next is the birth including the couple reactions, and the afterbirth (pun intended). even though brakhage brings us eventually from a to d he goes back and forth to develop a rhthym to this film (which he is best known for) time in window water baby moving seems to stand still in that natural birth progression seems captured in brakhage's moment forever and he has nothing but time on his side (luckily for his wife it did progress normally) camera movements are fluid, hypnotic, and slowmotion at parts. and the color he achieved through film stock and natural lighting is beautiful. scenes develop in brakhages mind which he shows us sometimes over and over knowingly pausing the process of birth to allow us as an audience to really allow these images to sink in. structure for window water baby moving is a lot like most of brakhage's films, which has a main outline but this story teller finds his own path to tell the tale
The film talk to me uses a soundtrack to guide the audience and filmmaker to create its time, development, and structure. first off what a brilliant idea to save all of your messages to document your own life. they sell cameras today that a person wears around their neck and takes hundreds even thousands of pictures a day to document your life. i actually had a similar idea but used a microcassette recorder instead and raced home to see what i had. that's another blog though. the fact that the filmmaker had the forethought to save all of these tapes and correlate his life through picture patterns is genius and goes to show you that you don't need alot to tell a story well. time is paced according to the message lengths and relation to subjects/characters in this nonfiction piece. the audience is held by what actually is going to come on next on the answering machine. and this story development is what keeps us (the audience) glued to our seats. what a fun life this man had and can really reach out and help identify other people to remember and reflect on their own lives (up to the point when they see this movie. structure is very loose and the photos drift according to the story line only the decorated answering machine gives you a clue as to what the next segment holds, i think that their were also audio clues as well to help bring the viewer further into this story. one of the best docs i've seen in a while glad to have seen it - jm
Saturday, September 8, 2007
check out this article, this is one of the locations i want to shoot for my pitch
this is the article for this link http://www.weirdus.com/stories/NC02.asp i did not write this but pasted it to my blog jm
WHEN ART MEETS OVERACTIVE IMAGINATION: ACID PARK, NORTH CAROLINA
While at East Carolina University in Greenville, I heard a story about a place called Acid Park. Legend has it that one night, a girl was on her way home from the prom. She had dropped a little acid, and right as she took the final turn in the road before reaching home, her car ran off the road and wrapped itself around a tree. The girl's grieving father nailed and pasted reflectors to every surface around his home and the turn where his daughter died.
I decided to take a trip to Acid Park with some friends. We drove to Wilson, which is about 30 minutes from Greenville, then took a left down a very dark, desolate (except for the numerous graveyards) road. On the way, my friends told me more about the Park. They said that the car was supposedly still there, with the tree growing up through it. The father ran out of natural surfaces, so he constructed surfaces and covered them with reflectors and reflective tape in all sorts of patterns. They had heard other stories about the girl's ghost appearing near the car and the father chasing off trespassers with a shot gun.
After what seemed like forever, we finally mounted a small hill and the headlights of my car hit the splendor that is Acid Park. The sight of it caused me to stop in the middle of the road. There were reflectors—millions of them everywhere, even in the trees. The effect was enough to thoroughly freak me out. Without investigating any further, we turned tail and ran.
A few years later I heard the real story about Acid Park. It turns out it was actually created by a local artist with a fair amount of fame. So it's not haunted, but it is cool.
– Julie
ACID TRIPPING
Myself and four of my friends here in North Carolina are captivated by ghosts. After sampling the local abandoned homes, we took a road trip to local legend out in Wilson––Acid Park. With each of us speculating on where it would be, what we would see, and whether or not anyone really died here, we turned onto Wilson Road.
After about five miles and a few hundred abandoned and scary looking shacks, we were sure we had missed it, when I saw what looked to be a massive Christmas tree covered in blue lights. It's hard to describe what we saw, other than just massive towers with windmills, trains, bicycles and every other thing you could imagine on top. And everything was covered in millions of reflectors.
We turned off the lights and it was grotesque––silhouettes in front of a full harvest moon sky. With the heat lightning in the background it was just amazingly cool. At only one point for me was it scary, when the wind started to blow and the frogs stopped croaking. Suddenly the area was filled with creakings and whisperings of these huge towers. Sure enough, you drive down a dirt road to the left of the towers and there is an old car wrapped around a tree... draw your own conclusions.
– RockintheCasbah
THE GHOST GIRL OF ACID PARK
Acid Park is in the town of Wilson in Wilson County, NC. It was built by an engineer in the 60's or 70's for his daughter, Valerie, who died on prom night. She was driving drunk on one of his long country roads that he owned when she hit a tree at 60 mph. She suffered a severe head injury and was trapped in the hot flames and burned to death. The car is still there, wrapped completely around the tree. If you visit Acid Park around 2:00 AM on prom night you can hear her screams.
When her father found out about her death, he went insane. He made 60–foot tall towers out of steel and parts of older cars in the area near her death. There are over 2,000 reflectors and about eight windmills stacked on top of each other. He also made statues out of weird objects such as forks and spoons. Acid Park got its name because it's supposedly the greatest place on the east to trip on acid because of the way the reflectors blow in the wind.
– Joe and Tom Stefano
ACID PARK: A.K.A. VOLLIS SIMPSON'S WHIRLIGIGS
Wiggins Mill Road, between Wilson & Lucama, North Carolina
In 1985, Vollis Simpson's career moving houses was winding down. He decided he needed something to do to occupy his time, so he decided to make art out of the very machinery he was using to transport homes. He began building a series of what have come to be known as Whirligigs.
Whirligigs are devices that spin and make noise in the wind. They can also be used to power machines. Simpson's first experiment in making one was during World War II, where while stationed in Saipan he built one to power a washing machine. The whirligigs are made out of discarded materials, of virtually any sort. Scaffolding, model airplanes, and reflectors are just some of the many discarded objects that can be seen on Simpson's property on Wiggins Mill Road.
Vollis Simpson's whirligigs have made quite an impact in the folk art community. They can be found in a number of museums, and four of them were installed in downtown Atlanta during the 1996 Olympic games.
– Larry Harris
It was a few months ago when my girlfriend, her cousin, and I went to Acid Park. While we were there my car shut off twice, my radio changed stations by itself, and my navigation system told me I was in Mexico. I just thought my car was breaking down but then there were some floating leaves wrapping around my car like a tornado. There was no wind so I don't know what was going on. Then the man who lives in the house started shouting at us. We left for about an hour and then came back to see a white haze in the middle of the dirt road moving towards us. As it got closer it called out the name "Johnathan" and disappeared. I'll never go back!
– Chris
My name is Scott and this is my story about Acid Park, which is in Wilson County, NC, off of Wiggins Mill Road. Ok, first off, I've heard both stories about Acid Park. I've heard the myth and the story that some say is the truth. Really, I can't tell which one to believe. And I really can't explain what it looks like. You have to see it for yourself. It is definitely an amazing site to see. The thing I don't understand is why they say it's a myth, but yet in the site there is a Pentagram in front of the site with the girl that was mentioned in the story, Valerie, in the middle of the Pentagram. Also, if it was a myth then why would the man that some say supposedly made the dedication to the girl Valerie, have made all that stuff in the first place? There are really just too many questions that could be asked in this whole mysterious event. And I don't have all the answers to them, but the questions that I could ask you, along with others, could lead you to think more of this mysterious event to be a myth or a true story. But really all I can tell you is... Make your own conclusions...
– Scott
I first heard about Acid Park from my boyfriend. I didn't believe the story until I actually went to this place. I still don't really believe that the story is completely true. However, I do know whoever built all that stuff is insane. I got this really strange feeling as we were driving down the dirt road. It could have been just my mind playing tricks on me. But when me and my boyfriend were leaving before we had gotten there we turned our radio off, but as we getting on the main road the radio came back on and the clock was flashing. It could have just been that something went wrong with the radio. I don't know, but now I'm totally fascinated with this whole thing. I plan on getting the whole truth about this place and I know I'm going back as soon as I can.
– Angel
My name is Jonathan. I had always heard about Acid Park and the story that goes along with it for a couple years now. I had always wanted to go and see what was so scary about it. Some friends and I were bored riding around one night and decided to check it out. We decided to take our Polaroid because I've always heard that it was the best way to pick up paranormal activity on film. We bought two new packs of film and took three pictures before we got there and the camera worked fine. When we got there, we got out and tried to take a picture and the camera wouldn't work. After careful inspection we tried to take another series of pictures, but it still wouldn't work. Needless to say that the second film cartridge didn't work either.
We returned the next night with a digital camera and got a few very interesting pics. We took a pic of my cousin, standing on top of the car and there are several orbs or balls of light floating around him in the picture. After we got back in the car and tried to leave, the rear windshield wiper mysteriously came on without anyone touching the switch. Mechanical malfunction or something else I don't know. I don't have the camera right now but as soon as I get it back I will send the pics in. As far as the car goes, I don't believe that it is Valerie's car. Who would leave a wrecked car at the scene of the accident? I don't know, you can come to your own conclusions about that but there is definitely something out there. By the way, on the night we returned we bought two new packs of film for the Polaroid, and as before, it worked fine before we got there. But when we tried to take more pics at Acid Park, it wouldn't work.
– Jonathan
Hi, my name is Legacy and I live in Winterville, NC which is about 30–40 min. from Acid Park. I've always heard so much about it from friends. The other night me and a couple people went out to look at it. Yes, it was some pretty intense shit. What ever happened to her father? One of my friends took her camera to take pics of it, and when we did, the camera broke and rewound automatically and we had only taken 3 out of 27 pics...pretty weird huh? Why do you suppose it did that? Just coincidence maybe? I don't think so...
– Legacy
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
plaintiff and defendant
chapter four of the text discusses an analogy involving documentary viewed as a courtroom setting. the documentary filmmaker is the judge, plaintiff, and defendant. it covers these topics in a couple different topics: plaintiff and defendant, credibility, witnesses, cross examination, order and selection in presenting evidence, and summing up. this analogy applies in the case of Blue Vinyl a documentary by judith hefland. the filmmaker has a weird feeling when her parents take down the wood siding on the family home and decide to replace it with blue vinyl simulated wood grain siding. her parents decide on the siding because of the look and cost, judith senses there is treachery afoot. she identifies the plaintiff initially as herself and her parents, the defendant turns out to be the vinyl corporations, in america in particular is lake charles louisiana and even vinyl business as far off as venice italy. she finds greenpeace witnesses, lawyers for victims of vinyl, the victims themselves, and reputable scientists for her witnesses on the side of the plaintiff and the vinyl public relations people as the witnesses of the defendant. their credibility is established somewhat in the identification of their positions and job titles and educational history in some cases. judith is the lawyer for both sides in that she cross examines every person to get to the bottom of what turns out to be an ugly tale. she then turns around and uses this evidence and facts and hearsay and presents it to the jury which is the audience. she uses this evidence to show the argument for both sides. Blue Vinyl is a reflexive documentary maybe self reflexive in that it inserts the filmmaker herself into this story of a product that most people dont think any thing about, i have a friend whose kids were taken away with his estranged girlfriend who happens to be from lake charles louisiana. after surviving hurricane katrina in biloxi mississippi, it turns out to be a double edged knife when i found out that she took them to live in what appears to be one of the most dangerous places to live (and especially raise kids) in america. once again to be able to find such a small topic like seemingly harmless vinyl (which everyone, including me, has on their house is a real shock and i look forward to its conclusion to find out how miss hefland sums up her case before the jury (me).
here is the link to view this topic
http://www.bluevinyl.org/
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
some of the ideas that are rummaging around these days are bigger later projects. for this class i really want to focus on some local myths of the north carolina (devil's stomping ground, the crazy reflector man, the night lantern) and actually experience these things by actually doing them overnight with my crew. ghosts abound! what will separate this film from the usual travel fare is the experimental twist/angle i want to include. i have come in possession of my own super 8 equipment, which i wish to use to rephotograph video and reproject this as film ala stan "the man" brakhage. there is some research to be done, legends are fun and i hope to find a group who is on board with me to do this. i have experienced the crazy reflector man personally and it scared the shit out of me. the night lantern and devil's stomping ground is sworn by many to be true. i havent met anybody yet that is brave enough to try it. this is the best time of the year to be up all night filming. that is the idea i am most behind. three stories should fit nicely in 10-15 min and they are fairly local in that they should only be fairly small distances away. perfect case scenario would be to have 3-4 day weekend, camping to do primary filming. totally exciting! leave messages and posts about first reactions. dont want to do this alone after done with film school, kinda scared. just kidding.
check out these links
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnVbTH0QU3s
http://greensboring.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=993
http://www.ratrun.com/north_carolina.htm
http://www.americanfolklore.net/folktales/nc2.html
http://www.prairieghosts.com/brownmt.html
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