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The
Burning Man was founded by San Francisco Artist Larry Harvey more than
ten years ago. Held every Labor Day weekend in the Black Rock Desert 117
miles north of Reno, Nevada, this event is characterized by a variety
of art performances, happenings, and spontaneous celebrations. Nearly
800 people attended the event during 1993, and they camped in a large
circle in the middle of the vast dry lake bed. The focus of the event
is the Sunday-evening burning of a forty-foot-tall wooden figure outfitted
with blue neon. Today, participants number more than 25,000! In
Search of Ritual: The Burning Man video interprets this "neo-pagan"
art festival from a different documentary approach. While many documentaries
are characterized by the disembodied yet soothing narrative voice, this
project sought to employ only the voices of the participants. Instead
of the single authoritative voice, many voices are heard, including Burning
Man originator Larry Harvey, Danger Ranger, the Mud People, Joe (drive-by
shooting range), "Aboriginal" Matt, Pyro-Man, Butterfly Lady,
Santa Claus, the Archers, and Reverend Al, among others. Because the spirit
of the festival reflected the creed, "no observers, only participants,"
the video crew actually participated in the event, as shown by the camera
angles during the filming of the ceremonial burning. Also, all audio and
video originated from the event, with the background music the only exception.
The resulting montage was not intended to tell a single story, but instead
reflects the chaos, energy, and spirit of the ritualized event. Produced by Art professor Peter Goin, In Search of Ritual: The Burning Man had to overcome many obstacles. Either loud motors from generators or high winds distorted audio tracts. Blowing alkali threatened the camera, and battery power was limited. Given financial limitations, tape stock had to be rationed. Lighting depended on ambient light; artificial light was impossible. This video was a one-camera shoot, adding to the risk and complexity of the directing since the Burning Man always had numerous events conducted simultaneously (schedules for events were non-existent). Given these limitations, the program offers a testimony to the early days of the Burning Man Festival. This program was a finalist for an EMMY in 1994. |
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