Pictures in Motion

In early 2013, I set out to make a documentary involving 5 different filmmakers from across the US and Canada. What was the documentary about you ask? We'll get to that later. First off, there were a few bumps in the road along the way and what seemed to be a series of unfortunate events ultimately hindering the project, actually became the saving grace of the project itself. It eventually evolved into something much bigger, and on a much more broad spectrum.

I realized that I would have to do a significant amount of traveling to have a better grasp and understanding of  the subject matter that I wanted to capture on film. After much research and brainstorming, I decided I would buy a van and convert it into a mobile film studio of sorts, in which I could also live in while traveling and conducting field research which would give me more insight into what it was that I was actually after in my film. Then I thought, if I were going to go through all the trouble of remodeling the van and traveling all over the US, would ther be any entertainment value in documenting the trip itself?

I started researching and discovered that there was an entire underground community of others who had taken the plunge and started living in their vans, for many different reasons. Not because they HAD to, but because they CHOSE to. I started meeting more van dwellers as I spent the next few months converting the van, even prompting a few of my freinds into purchasing their own vans as well. I even met a team of filmmakers from L.A. who where doing what I was doing, who decided to interview me for a documentary that they were working on.

Everything started to make more sense to me. Now, what started out as one film project turned into something more. I am now putting the final touches on my new film studio on wheels after investing several thousand dollars into it. Appropriately dubbing this project "Pictures in Motion" I will now hit the road working on multiple film projects along the way, working remotely with my picture editor and collaborating with other filmmakers and whomever else I meet along the way.

As I head down through California working on organic farms through the "WWOOF" program, I will expand my knowledge in sustainable agriculture and continue filming my project I started earlier this year, which is focused on organic farming vs industrialized agriculture, with a heavy influence on the negative impact that GMO foods have had on modern day agricultural practices.

I will then continue my journey East, conducting research and filming for another project which is focused on the environmental, social and economical impact that domesticated lawns have had in America. Along the way I will meet other van dwellers like me, and I will be documenting the whole journey, which will become a documentary in itself. One of survival, excitement, adventure, self discovery, and an understanding of an underground culture of successful van dwellers that have found their niche' in the world of travel.

I will be working along the way, obtaining odd jobs as well as working on farms and doing small tv/film jobs that I can find along the way. But to get started, I need your help. The creation of "Pictures in Motion" has exhausted most of our startup funds. The generousity of your contribution will go toward additional camera equipment/accessories, finishing touches on the van, and basic travel expenses (mainly gas). There will be incentives for different levels of contribution for helping us lift this production studio up off the ground. So, let's get this show on the road!

Thank you in advance for your support!