If you’re around New York City these days, you might want to see a screening of the first documentary filmed mostly with Google Glass. Some say that it’s a great idea and a very good way to show a perspective, since the people recording it would be the actual subject. However, it can bring up some serious compromises.
The concept around a documentary movie is made in order to present a situation as real as possible and to show the viewer the story as seen by its main characters. And Glass should be more than capable of performing such a job.
Launched a week ago by a young team of moviemakers, the 30 minutes documentary presents life in Crown Heights, Brooklyn’s one of a kind neighborhood which hosts the majority of Hasidic Jewish and West Indian communities.
The boys wanted to show the world their home and the story behind all the prejudices and to show once more that at the basics, we’re all the same and have the same needs. So, considering that one of them had been picked in Glass Explorer program this seemed like the perfect time to get the work. Project 2×1 aims to bring closer the communities living in the same area and a higher level of understanding.
And we can say that the boys have reached their purpose. The premiere, that took place past Sunday in the same neighborhood it was filmed, brought together a big number of both Jewish people and West Indians. Considering this, we are sure that this get together has really boosted the self-awareness of the people living there. The documentary is an actual way to get to know your neighbors and some of their stories without meeting them in person.
Even though huge chunks of the film were taped with Glass, some moments were filmed with a normal camera in an interview format. Also, the people participating to the making of were asked to film some of their daily experiences and this is how we were able to see a Sunday service, a rabbinical study center, even an Indian playground hub for hanging out. Along these sequences, the narration tied the story together.
You will see that in some parts of the story, the camera is shaky and renders the retro effect of a homemade video but overall, the documentary had the expected impact and shared the story of every small community and presented to their neighbors. In addition, people were more relaxed than in front of an usual camera and the method seemed to be less invasive.
If you want to see one of Project 2×1 screenings, follow the Twitter account of the directors and see where in NYC they will be playing it next.
