The New Pop Goes to DC [VIDEO]



I've said this before, but I really love The New Pop crew. They represent so much of what is fresh about the Interweb. Their high quality guerrilla video is excellent, their stories engaging, and their team small and nimble. They make indie look completely professional but always keep their DIY ethos out front.

Last week, they hopped on the bus (literally, the NY Chinatown Bus) and headed down to DC to brave the crowds and witness history. Lead videographer (and in this series, the host) Trevz put it best when he said he wanted to be able to tell his kids that he was there. These videos will prove it.

Check out the series below.







Comments

Anonymous said…
Wow, thank you for sharing these and... The New Pop crew is so inspiring, I wish I could create a solid team like them with my friends.
Anonymous said…
Sorry, Mr. Roker, but I don't buy it. Perhaps if your online swimming area is limited to the shallow pools of blogger and HuffPo, then this crew seems "fresh". But to imagine that what they are doing represents anything other than, well, anything, is quite a stretch.

Sure, give the kids a camera, an editing suite, an online connection, and lots of encouragement, but maybe you could have someone give them a tutorial too?

Having suffered their Times Square election night jiggly-jangly on the back of your earlier recommendation, I must contradict your "their high quality guerrilla video is excellent" claim.

If you think that's professional, you really should delve a little deeper into the talent pool.

Ps. A Chinatown Bus? Will wonders never cease! The things people do in the name of art! Sorry, fame.
Joswell—Let's agree that quality is subjective (just watch the Oscars for evidence of that). That said, I'm happy to share some links to work you think is much stronger.

My accolades for The New Pop is based on several areas, including camera work. It's their story telling and subject matter too. They're spirit and engagement. As well as their production.

Sorry we're not on the same page, and you must know I have a much larger pond than HuffPo and Blogger—please check my past posts. But I'm always open for it to grow so do share.
Anonymous said…
I love LastNightsParty!
Anonymous said…
This is TreVZ the filmmaker who shot the D.C. series.

About Joswell's comment about 'getting a tutorial'. Some folks are into Punk music, some are not. Some are into that commercial aesthetic, some are into DIY. Hip Hop did not start out as the "professional" way of producing music, but it told the story of a those who didn't have much of a voice.

Our drive comes from the satisfaction of communicating with our niche group of friends in the NYC downtown culture. We hope our voice reflects the true grit of downtown NY, LA, Chicago, Miami, and the growing number of DIY filmmakers, bloggers and photographers. As a result of staying streamline, we give up some technical advantages in exchange for the ability to stay spontaneous and organic. This is why we can jump on a chinatown bus last minute, without arranging a lighting crew, bringing sound equipment, or many of the perks of a traditional crew. Yes the camera may shake a bit more than it needs to. Yes the sound may be bad in parts, the scene may be underexposed. But you know what, we the are the ones talking to our scene in a way that does not feel watered down to them. This is why the people we cover can let down their guard and be themselves, party, and talk to us like we are one of them. Try doing that with a 5 man crew and cases of equipment.

So for those who don't get it, its not like we are speaking to you. There are hundreds of traditional outlets that will satisfy your need for "professional" coverage.

FYI, tutorials are for suckers. Try this; Work on some of the biggest budget commercial and music video productions on the planet as an assistant for 10 years like I did. Then after you realize the incredible waste of time and money spent on maintaining the payrolls of unions and meaningless crew positions, then let me know how you feel about getting back to just telling the story. In my case with whatever I can fit in a backpack. I mean really, if CNN can get down with DIY, there is no reason why you can't. Do it man.

TreVZ

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