Woggy Project #6: Looking For America

Today I've decided to face one of my more terrifying woggy projects, a dark, rich, complex ten-year tawny that in its day was generally known to me and those around me as the Neverending Thesis Project Holding Me Hostage in the Greater DC Area, but who's proper official nomenclature is a little ole indie film short called "Looking For America." In it's youth, this woggy project impetuously kept me an extra two and a half years beyond the time expected for my Masters degree, in anguished long distance from my beloved now-husband, and indirectly contributed to me being on the wrong side of a collection agency debate. And this is all, of course, to say nothing of the ensuing ten years since. There were of course, many fruitful and positive effects of this project's young impetuous nature: time spent gaining and deepening friendships, my first salaried job, my first successful dabbling in the art of animation, and alot of enjoyable and educational time getting to know the wonderful bounty of my nation's capital from a native's perspective (not the least of which included many fabulous free hours in the array of Smithsonian Institution's various museums.)

Other than the above paragraph, I'll not go anymore into the anguish of those years of the project, other than to say that by the end of that period, I did end up with a degree, a financially respectable rollover loan, my freedom, and an almost completely finished film.

The "almost" part of that of course is where the pause button was hit, and continues to rest, even to this day. The main reason for this is that while the artistic endeavor of the film itself was (at least in my if not my advisor's estimation) complete, the film as an object viewable by others was not, unless one happened to have a multi-track Steenbeck film editor handy, which after leaving school I, nor did anyone I know, of course happen to have.

So, in these boxes my film has sat in its tri-part nature, waiting, waiting, waiting for the day when it could be brought forth into some film lab's recording and conversion room where it could be transformed into a medium that someone, somewhere might actually be able and willing to view. Moved carefully from place to place and stored safely on a shelf that was intentionally neither too warm, too cool, to damp, or too dry, it has waited. And waited. Look, here's it waiting right now! It's the blue boxes and gray film can stacked in back.

Once, maybe five years ago, I managed to summon the courage to face my foe, and found somewhere I thought could transfer my film. I bravely emailed them with my query. Alas, they weren't able to process that kind of multi-track film, because few places do anymore, since not many people of low budget are still doing things the old-fashioned way. I abandoned my fight and set my cans to rest again.

Every year since I've moved to Seattle, when the Film Festival rolls around, I am reminded of my aging filmic woggster. This past year, I even found not one, but two (two!) ads in a local periodical advertising some sort of film to digital transfer services. dutifully, I cut them out and put them up on my whiteboard. And here do they stand yet. (yes, that did expire last february..)

Things Left To Complete This Woggy Project:

• find someplace that will actually transfer a 16mm film with 2 synched magstock soundtracks to DVD or other media
• mail or deliver my dear old pal to said establishment
• try to not imagine building being engulfed in flames and losing 3 years of work
• Pick up or open package containing my dear ole pal in his fancy new format
• Maybe make some copies or actually mention to people that I have something they might like to look at someday, if they aren't too bored, you know...