What We Are

We are artists.

Driven.

It is a genre. A genre of necessary art. We produce an art form that makes art not “gunna make art.” All the tools we utilize are in the best interest of the story.

Film rules will not be a burden to overcome.

Theatrical rules will not be obstacles to overcome.

Everything is a tool to tell the story.

We will tell a story.

We are artists.

Driven.

First order of Business Art

What do we want?

We have this groupe here, we call ourselves Camerashrapnel, and we’re all about putting the responsibility back in art. We also want to make you happy. Who’s you? Well, you is everybody. You is me. You is obviously you. And you is that little Eskimo girl who doesn’t give a flying snowball who or what Camerashrapnel is. But we still want to make her happy. And being happy doesn’t just mean you smile for a moment. It means you smile for a lifetime. And making you happy doesn’t mean we dance and sing in stuffy and colorful costumes. While, we will probably do this anyway, making you happy means we make you comfortable enough to reenter the real world afraid of nothing or no one.

I think back to the time after 9/11 and recall what, or more aptly put, what wasn’t played on the radio. The radio giant, Clear Channel, issued a list of 164 songs with “questionable lyrics” and deemed inappropriate for airplay. Songs on this list included John Lennon’s anthem for peace, “Imagine”, The Zombie’s “She’s not there” and all songs by Rage Against the Machine.

While this list was merely a suggestion, the very idea that the list was created is grounds for concern.

Art should never be feared by anyone. Art is expression. Art is a way to expose ideas. Art should be honest. Propaganda is not art. Propaganda is not honest. Art is harmless. Propaganda is harmful.

Denying the world any form of art out of fear is something to be feared. The obligation of a community is to be beneficial toward the community. The obligation of an artist is to see to it that the art being presented to the community is valuable. Of course, art can have several definitions and obligations but it shouldn’t strike fear into the fellow human or cause damage to the real world. Art is not real. Art can be a reflection and often is, but it is never the real thing. The real thing is the artwork of something greater that we mere humans have no control over. But we can influence the real thing and that influence should never damage or scare.

A painting can change the world. A poem can change the world. A smile can change the world. Anything and everything can and does change the world. The world is never the same after every moment of time. With each passing moment a new page is written in the grand story that is existence. Every detail, from an eye wink to a breezy tree branch to a distant dolphin echo encompasses what we know as existence. And every one of those details changes the world.

What do we want?

To change the world.