Cameron Hickey, our immensely talented director for The Delegates shot this short video on Election Night in Brooklyn. Check it out.
Election Night in Fort Greene, Brooklyn from Cameron Hickey on Vimeo.
IndieWIRE, one of the leading online new sources for independent films did a little write-up about The Delegates this past week. Check it out:
“The Delegates”
Highlighting the Democratic National Convention, Cameron Hickey’s documentary promises to give a behind-the-scenes look at how the delegates experience the convention, while critiquing our democratic process.
Having focused on human rights and social injustices in past films (“Garlic and Watermelons,” “The Alphabet Book”) with producing partner/wife, Lauren Feeney, the thought of doing a film on politics had never been of interest for the two until podcasting earlier in the year at the New Hampshire primaries for DoubleSpeak, an online radio show created by political insiders Matthew and Peter Slutsky. “We knew we were going to the convention and it occurred to me I wanted to do something that had a little more staying power than something that was just going to be interesting on that day,” says Hickey a few weeks before heading to Denver for the convention.
To find their subjects they sent out an e-mail blast to ten percent of the just under 5,000 delegates going to the convention. Hickey says they heard back from 55 interested delegates, including Hilary Clinton supporters who converted over to Barack Obama (some begrudgingly) during the convention, the mother of a solider killed in Iraq, a transgender delegate, a gay Unitarian Universalist Minster and a Iraq/Afghanistan war vet.
Though Hickey is aware of the historical significance of this convention, he says that isn’t what motivated him to make the film. “We want to make something that is a bit different from what you’re going to get out of the news media,” he says. “I would love to be filming one of our subjects and have Obama in the background because we’re not focusing on him while everyone else is.”
Financed through online donations, the film was shot on three HD cameras by Hickey, Feeney and D.P. Jason Martin. Hickey is realistic of his film’s distribution possibilities and hopes to build an audience through the Internet and self-distribute the film. It’s co-produced by DoubleSpeak and Hickey/Feeney’s company Pattern Films.
[For more information, please visit www.thedelegates.net]
Many of you have been asking us about the progress of the film, so here’s a brief update…
We are in the midst of finishing the process of digitizing and organizing the dozens and dozens of hours of film that we shot in Denver. Cameron is working hard to get this done, as well as looking for a top-notch editor to begin cutting some trailers for the film, as well as other highlight reels we can use to begin promoting the project and the post-production.
Over the coming months, we will be working very hard to put the film together, raise the money we’ll need, work out the music, licensing, etc. It will be an exciting and exhausting, but we have a great team and we are confident that this film is going to be a big hit in 2009. We want to once again thank everyone for their support and make sure you stay tune for more updates on DoubleSpeak and The Delegates in the weeks and months to come.
Our apologies for the lack of updates here on DoubleSpeak but making a movie is actually quite time consuming. Who knew?!?
Meanwhile, blogger extraordinaire Dan Casey has a storm of posts up on the film site: thedelegates.net. We’re updating constantly so check it out.
We have landed in Denver to shoot The Delegates at the Democratic National Convention. We have a talented crew, a mess of equipment and are ready to create some art.
We will post photos and videos here at the site as well as at The Delegates page.
Now send me my damn text message already, Senator Obama!
We come to you today with some very exciting news! Team DoubleSpeak is headed to Denver to witness the Democratic National Convention first hand, only this time, we’re bringing cameras!
DoubleSpeak, along with our talented partners at Pattern Films, will be going to Denver along with thousands of other participants in the democratic process, from Senators and Congressmen to activists and protesters. However, the most important participants are the subject of the documentary film we’re partnering to make — THE DELEGATES.
You can check out our new film site where we will be posting videos every day from inside and outside the convention. We will also be updating this site daily with photos and musings from inside the arena.
You all have been dedicated DoubleSpeakers and we greatly appreciate all of the support you have given us in the past. We have every confidence that this film will be a success and to make this project a reality, we need all the help we can get.
We would be eternally grateful if you would:
1) Donate to support the production. Tell your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors about the film too.
2) Tell us what you would like to learn about the delegates
3) Help find a delegate who might want to be involved– we’re still trying to find a few more
Click here to share your story.
4) Invite everyone else you know to join this group and donate to help support the production.
Our friends and supporters have been the fuel for DoubleSpeak over the past two years and as we begin a new and very exciting venture we will be counting on you more than ever!
Here’s some more info on the film:
THE DELEGATES, a new documentary film from Pattern Films and DoubleSpeak Media, will give viewers a rare look at the people at the center of the 2008 Democratic National Convention: the delegates themselves.
Following four delegates from their arrival at the airport to the Convention floor, committee meetings, and Obama’s acceptance speech at Mile High Stadium, the film will give a delegate’s-eye view of how a party comes together to present itself to the American public.
The delegates’ presence at the Convention is the outcome of a hard-fought and bitter contest, but once they arrive, their role is mostly ceremonial, ratifying the choice that has already been made during the primaries. THE DELEGATES will offer a frank and intimate portrayal of the lives and personalities of some of these Democratic activists and party officials, as they stand up to speak for themselves and for all of us.
At the heart of the hype and hope of the Convention, as diverse and opinionated as the party they represent, THE DELEGATES will illustrate the personal side of the political process.
We will keep you posted via the website, email, fax, Facebook, Twitter, carrier pigeon, bike messenger and robo-call so please stay tuned!
© 2006-2009 DoubleSpeak Media, LLC
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