Streetfilms

While visiting Portland this week for family fun and squeezing in shooting some Streetfilms during what might have been the only dry-ish 6 hours over 5 days, I went on a bike tour with Jonathan Maus of some of the most innovative bike intersection treatments of late. But the coolest thing was realizing both of us were celebrating 18 years of doing our current jobs (Bike Portland in April, Streetfilms in May)

So in an impromptu decision we decided to place my camera on top of post outside a school in the middle of a light drizzle and see if we had anything to say. And some of it was magic and cool. (Apologies for the perodic light taps of occasional basketballs in the background.) We talked a lot about the love of our careers to date. How they are both so unusual and sometimes hard to explain. Of course we talked (and you'll see via archival footage) some of the changes that have happened in both NYC and PDX.

But we also talk about our views of how social media has changed things and the next generation of media makers. And so much more, all for free, all right here!!! (As a personal aside, I used to feature myself on camera quite a lot in the first 5 years. But gradually grew to allow my subjects to tell the story and get out of the man-on-the-street mode. But of late I have been getting back in front for a few Streetfilms here or there. But I am happy this came out so well to feature Jonathan and me for nearly 20 minutes, only about 2 minutes were trimmed. I think I need to do this more often.)

I recently discovered a good deal of footage from 2011 and 2017 of the loud, chaotic speedway our neighborhood NYC open street used to be.

I was gonna use this in a recent film about 34th Ave design but decided to hold it for this separate bonus short look (and listen!) As you check out these archives, be aware that nearly every before shot is directly contrasted with a recent shot absent the din of what the street ambience is versus the remarkable 2011 footage of how much the constant drone of cars is present (and we're not even talking about honking or cars playing music loudly).

Most of these shots were filmed on the exact same block 12 years ago. One of the major arguments of people that are against open streets is how much "louder" the street has become. Of course any reasonable person knows that's folly. When the constant noise of motors and road tire friction is removed, what's left are sounds of humans that would naturally be there walking, talking, playing, etc. on sidewalks. This irks some people. (The exception I will admit is that on some open streets there are occasional events where there might be music played or a protest or cultural event. Those certainly will have some elevated noise levels. But they are not daily and still would argue if you had a decibel meter out there might not even reach the levels of most car noise.)