Hollywood North Issue
“I remembered a story of how Bach was approached by a young admirer one day and asked, ‘But Papa Bach, how do you manage to think of all these new tunes?’ ‘My dear fellow,’ Bach is said to have answered, according to my version, ‘I have no need to think of them. I have the greatest difficulty not to step on them when I get out of bed in the morning and start moving around my room.’” ~Laurens Van der Post
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When I read this quote, I immediately thought of a friend who has so many truly great ideas her biggest problem is finding a way to see them all through. It’s inspiring to spend an afternoon with her; it’s also very intimidating. I’m a creative person. So are you, I bet. In fact, imagination seems to be the new currency in an economy where employment in the more traditional manufacturing and service sectors is falling, and a growing percentage of the population is involved in more creative pursuits. It’s all about the next BIG thing, right? No more is the imagination licensed specifically to the ‘Dionysian’ world of film and theatre, or the ‘self-indulgent’ literary set. Innovation is emphasized everywhere from law offices to biotech companies. While interviewing for a mid-management position at a bank, a friend described himself as “creative”. His new boss told him that’s what edged him past the other, more qualified, prospects.
So, how do you compete when ingenuity is not a skill taught over at the local learning annex? Well, luckily we are surrounded by inspiration. Many cities and towns are expanding urban cultural locations; Toronto’s Harbourfront and Distillery Districts are good examples of what can be done when emphasis is placed on form, as well as function; Kulturo, an innovative business complex in Finland proves that the creativity reflex has a place in industry. It may not come easily at first, but once you get started it’s tough to stop; in fact, most of us need a good filter in place…you can’t just go running off about every notion that strikes you…remember New Coke?
With this issue we bring you a smattering of some of the most talented and creative people working in film and music today. The gorgeous girls who grace this issue’s cover represent the diverse talent in TV/cinema right now. Hollywood North is expanding beyond the sound stages of Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto; shows like Corner Gas, Little Mosque on the Prairie and films like Young People Fucking have opened up the striking vistas of the Canadian mid-west, acquiring an international audience and proving that the boundaries of popular culture need only be limited by our ability to see the potential that is all around us. And it doesn’t stop there: in LA, the penchant for plastic perfection is being diluted slowly. Yes, they are producing an updated version of 90210, but one of the major networks has also committed to a US version of Little Mosque on the Prairie (on Fox). No one is prescribing a steady diet of public television documentaries, but I’ll take my sitcoms, with a side of insight, please.
Our interview with Ion Nicolae, owner of Blackline Studio explores the changing culture of body art—no longer the domain of bikers and snake charmers. Prolific singer/songwriter Jack Johnson took the time to share some thoughts on some of the artistic influences that inspire him; and opens up about why he is okay with sharing his music in an open forum. Many artists (even Lars et.al.) have recently acknowledged the benefits of shared music. What open-source genius-geeks have known for a long time, we are all just starting to understand: the Muse need not be hoarded by a select few—when you create something, you inspire people; and the more people are inspired, the more they, in turn, will create. We hope that you find something between these pages that sparks something in you.