T minus 8 days

So, my maxi exhibit/installation is in eight days. This is the homestretch and the final scramble to get everything together in time.

Multimedia piece:

I went over the soundtrack I had with Mark Lyndersay this past Friday. He helped me sort of group the components of my story in a more logical way, and helped guide me towards a re-organization of those components so that my multimedia will follow cogent narrative. This, however, has required a complete reworking of the soundtrack I had. I've been working on it all weekend and it's almost finished. The story should run as follows:

1. Introduction: Maxi Driver 1 talking about how there's so much you can find if you look into the Maxi Taxis. Establishing shots of Maxis and Drivers. Introduce maxi stand in Arima with Maxi Driver 2 joking about how this (Arima Stand) is the "original stand" and all others are "counterfeit. Establishing shots of Arima Maxi stand.
2. Identity: Maxi Drivers telling about how their Maxi names reflect elements of their identity (spirituality, etc.) accompanied by visuals of the vehicles and their drivers.
3. Details: My own narration of noticing various interesting details in different Maxis accompanied by those detail shots.
4. Conclusion: Maxi Driver 1 (from Introduction) talking about how the Maxis are one of the few reliable things in Trinidad accompanied by shots of Maxi stand during rush hour (people entering, exiting..)

In mapping out the flow of my story, as anticipated, I have found some holes in my image set. First of all, I need more broad establishing shots of the Maxi stand in Arima. I need to give the viewer a visual sense of where this story fits into the community before I place them inside the story with shots of specific vehicles and drivers. I also need to try to find some of the specific maxis that will be featured in the "Identity" section to shoot more. In order to avoid confusing the viewer, I need to present each maxi in the same way (ex. Wide shot of entire Maxi, followed by close up of the name, followed by image of maxi with driver). However I chose to go about that, I need to be consistent so I don't confuse my viewer. Lastly, I need pictures of the stand during rush hour! I've been purposefully shooting during off-peak hours so that I can catch my drivers when they have time to talk to me, but I need to have visuals to depict the reality of the crazy busy madness that the daily morning and afternoon commute entails for these guys.

Logistics for the exhibit:

I have lighting covered with the battery powered stick-on LED lights I purchased in Florida. Now what's left is to figure out how to project the multimedia (and where) and how to play the audio track. I know that Alice Yard has a projector and speakers, but I need to make sure I talk to Christopher Cozier and Sean Leonard tomorrow to be sure that they'll be available for my exhibit. I think it'll make sense to just project the multimedia piece into the white wall of the small gallery space at Alice Yard, while the Maxi (with photographs mounted on the backs of the seats) stands imposingly in the rest of the yard space. This way, when you walk into Alice Yard, you're immediately faced with this Maxi in your way (which achieves the effect I'm looking for, of forcing people to acknowledge and interact with the Maxi), but the entire space will also be filled with the audio track of the multimedia piece. Since the multimedia is really serving as an accompaniment and an explanation of the images, I'll be alright for that to run visually somewhat separately from the Maxi itself. Other than that, I just need to call my Maxi Driver, Shannon, next week to triple check that he's coming and bringing his vehicle with him.

As I said last time, there's still so much work, but each time I post on here, I see it all coming together more fully.

Oh! I almost forgot! This past weekend, we were fortunately enough to meet with the incredible artist, Leroy Clarke at his home/personal museum/studio spaces in St. Ann's and in Aripo. Turns out, he knows Mark Lyndersay's work, so I told him that Mark Lyndersay has also been mentoring me this semester in my photography project. I told him about the exhibit and he asked me to call him to remind him to come! It'd be really really cool if he can make it, especially in adding to the diversity of the more-art-inclined/less-art-inclined crowd at my event.