If anyone still cares about using this, the links need to be activated.
A Manifestation of Multiple Manifestos
How the World’s First Open-Source Production Company Works
www.HitRECord.orgKindred Connections,
Fish at the birth of a wave,
Our destiny is great!
You are the ever growing, ever changing result of thousands of resources collaboratively contributed to make you the work of art that you are today. And, in that sense, you’ve got quite a bit in common with the creative community known as
hitRECord.org .What is
hitRECord.org?
This is HitRECord. It's an experiment. It's an art movement. It's a revolutionary idea that's changing the way people think about media. This is HitRECord. It's a thriving community, it's a fun game, and it's a whole new way of doing business. This is HitRECord. It's a broad vision, a fresh model, a necessary catalyst, and an unprecedented opportunity.
One writer’s journey from message board to Sundance:
http://www.hitrecord.org/records/25008Joseph Gordon Levitt, or regularJOE as he is known on
HitRECord.org, has asked himself a question repeatedly. This question is a fairly common one. He questioned why the Hollywood Machine allowed only a privileged few to express themselves creatively on the world stage. This realization is not unique to Joe, in fact it is quite commonplace. But the action Joe took in response to that realization would prove to be REvolutionary.
Some “hitRECordisms” that embody the philosophy
http://www.hitrecord.org/records/42502This is HitRECord. It's a new kind of production company for the 21st Century. It's a hybrid that crowd-sources creativity, harnessing the energies of thousands of talented amateurs and blending them with the experience and expertise of seasoned professional artists. It gives the emergent vibrant viral new media savvy internet culture access to the classic advantages of old media success.
The “Hive-Mind” in action:
http://www.hitrecord.org/records/41587Some first impressions:
http://www.hitrecord.org/records/23382http://www.hitrecord.org/records/28475http://www.hitrecord.org/records/24257This revolutionary company began as a non-interactive website Joseph Gordon Levitt and his brother Dan built so that Joe could post his creative output, which had no place in the mass media. But Joe still wanted to share his short films and writing; so hitRECord was born because Joe Gordon-Levitt felt he had more to offer the world, artistically, than what Hollywood and the traditional media deemed worthy of release. It did not matter to Joe if Hollywood embraced his creations, so long as the viewers enjoyed the work. It turned out that not only did people enjoy the work, but they wanted to share their work as well. So
hitRECord.org graduated to an interactive collaborative artspace in 2007, thanks to Dan’s programming prowess. The community that arose around the hub of creative activity at
hitRECord.org would slowly evolve into the worlds first Open-Source Production Company, as you know it today.
What IS hitRECord?
http://www.hitrecord.org/records/43176regularJoe says:
I put up the very first version of
hitRECord.org on the same day that Mysterious Skin first came out in theaters. Well, theater, it was only playing at one.
Back then, it was just a single web page my brother and I put together to host some videos I'd made -- this was about a year before anyone ever heard of YouTube. Since then, the site's evolved through a few different versions, and now it's a place where I collaborate with a whole community of creative people: writers, filmmakers, editors, musicians, painters, photographers, candlestick makers.
We've been doing it for years now, we've sharpened our skills, and if I do say so myself, the stuff we're making has gotten pretty good. And in fact, I think we're ready to make things on a professional level. Which means, it's time to start a production company.
You might see where this is going. I find myself in the midst of this beautiful collaborative creative process. At the same time I find my career in the fortunate position to turn that creativity into professional productions.
I want us to make movies, I want us to publish literature and graphic art, I wanna curate live events, I want us to have a TV show, I want us to have a space, a venue for cinema and performance but also a studio for all sorts of creativity.
These are all things that we can make happen. But these goals are ambitious.
WHAT IS A RECord?
http://www.hitrecord.org/records/29788Given the varied nature of the media in which artistic endeavors are made; be they prose, video, photography, drawing or any combination you can imagine, Joe coined the term “RECords,” to refer to the creative recording of a thought, an incident, a story, a feeling, and any other aspect of the human experience that could be recorded in whatever form an artist can attempt to capture it. This brings to mind the old Hollywood adages of “lightening in a bottle,” but
HitRECord.org was not to be bound by the adages, aesthetics, attitudes, or elitism of old Hollywood. Joe wanted to create a new kind of artistic environment in which anyone could participate in the collaborations.
regularJoe says:
We use our website to work together on all kinds of projects in any type of media: video, audio, image, text, we call them all RECords. Anybody can contribute a RECord, and anybody can Resource, or sample somebody else's RECord and make something new out of it.
For example, if we were all gonna make a short film together, someone might write the story, someone else who likes that story might draw the characters, some one else still might animate those drawings, even more people might do a live action rendition, the music, the editing, the titles, the mixing and remixing, all coming from different artists from all over the world.
I participate on a regular basis. Sometimes I start collaborations, sometimes I just contribute. I'm always sort of around being the Director. And sometimes the drummer.
And now and then, when I see something that I think will really work, I'll personally choose a certain something we've created together and use my position in the established media industry to turn it into a money-making production.
As other artists began to send in their RECords to the site,
HitRECord.org slowly grew in population and productivity. It evolved organically into a site on which all interested artists could post their own RECords and collaborate with each other. We like to call our unique collaborative process REmixing our REcords. We play with one another’s creative visions in a way that spawns unique combinations of artistic mediums and reinforces the confidence of individual artists by putting their art to work in the most unexpected ways. If you hate to see your art sit around and collect dust, but you aren’t sure what else to do with it, to further it, to take it to the next level; then you are the perfect hitRECorder.
This is HitRECord. It's an open invitation. HitRECord is Joseph Gordon-Levitt's production company. It's also belongs to anyone with the passion, drive, ingenuity and dedication to make it their own. This means you, if you're interested. With the investment of a little time and talent, we could soon be working together to create mutually satisfying and potentially financially rewarding works of art. Intimidated by a blank page one? Have trouble finishing things? HitRECord is a much needed outlet for those who prefer tinkering with other people's art to producing completed RECords on their own. Live far away from Hollywood? HitRECord brings the action to you, and vice-versa. Do you want to learn new skills? HitRECorders are happy to share their knowledge about craft and technique, and we're terrific at encouraging beginners. Is your pet project in need of elements outside of your own area of expertise? Someone on HitRECord has what you're looking for. Hoping to break into your field of art? HitRECord can help launch your career. Are you already a professional artist who wants to be part of a truly innovative and inspiring revolution? Welcome aboard. This is HitRECord. It's something new and exciting. It's me, it's you, it's the spaces in between. We're all connected now, and we're starting to come to terms with what that means. Art forms and business models will both surely evolve to reflect our developing potential to collaborate. HitRECord is leading the charge to facilitate the evolution of collaborative art and to democratize the opportunity to succeed. (MORE)
It quickly became obvious that the site was evolving into a unique creative atmosphere in which they could find a practical and real solution to an impropriety in the marriage of art and commerce. The solution to that impropriety was found in the group dynamic of the artists who are part of the hitRECord community. Though we may all be described by many different adjectives: American, Pilipino, classical, avant-garde, singer, writer, amateur, professional; there is one word that describes what we all are: hitRECorders.
This is HitRECord. It dissolves boundaries. It's redefining the traditional business model and refining our ideas about intellectual property, the culture of sharing, and the value of art. It defies the limitations of time and space; bringing people from all over the world together to participate in the creative process. It bridges racial and cultural divides and challenges the false distinctions that separate the young and the old, the rich and the poor, professional artists and those who simply make art because they love to do so. HitRECord is where high school students get to work with superstars. It's a true meritocracy. HitRECord levels the playing field. Every RECord that you contribute has a chance of being integrated into the next big Hit. Every HitRECorder can do their part, however small, to help bring something truly extraordinary into existence.
The journey of Morgan M. Morgansen:
http://www.hitrecord.org/records/41226On 01-01-10, an appropriately binary date, Joseph Gordon Levitt announced the legal business structure that he, and a core group of established professionals, built around the creative community at
HitRECord.org. It is called the “NEW DEAL.” This business structure was designed to allow hitRECord to release the best of our collaborative efforts to the world, and to allow all of the contributors to profit from their work. For those of you who recognize that this new business formula could only have occurred in the digital era, and find this new frontier an exciting adventure, rather than a frightening journey; you’re in the right place. Even if you do not create artistic content, but you want to be a part of this exciting venture, you can still take part in the creative process.
This is HitRECord. It is a synergy between well proven strategies and bright cutting-edge ideas. It embraces a radically new paradigm that shifts some of the power away from huge multi-national conglomerates and puts it into the hands of the people who make good art. The rules of production and distribution have changed, as have the roles of the producers and distributors who wish to remain relevant in the evolving milieu. The means to produce high-quality RECords are now available to almost everyone. All that we need to successfully self-organize is a guiding vision, a solid framework of trust, and a system that tracks contributions and makes it easy for a large group of diverse individuals to work together on a single project. HitRECord turns passive consumers of media back into active participants in their own self-generated culture. It empowers each of us to become a part of the art that we love. It enables busy people to participate meaningfully in their free time, whether it be by adding little embellishments to their favorite collaborations, or by putting forth great ideas that others may be inspired to elaborate. Even hitting the heart makes a big difference. By RECommending your favorite RECords you focus the community's attention on what you find most compelling, thereby improving the overall quality of our collective output. (MORE)
While this NEW DEAL was a lovely and exciting surprise for the artists who have been members of
HitRECord.org for years – and even those who just showed up a few days prior – the public recognition and the possibility of pay is not the greatest thing these artists gain from participating in this worldwide artist collective at HitRECord. In fact, some have even wondered if the involvement of money will attract commercial artists looking for a more traditional approach to the art versus commerce conundrum. So it was decided, almost simultaneously by numerous members, that we would collectively author a Manifesto so that newcomers can understand the attitudes and practices that have allowed Joe’s one-page journal - where he posted videos and writings - to evolve into this extraordinary endeavor.
Where do I Begin?
Don’t worry if you are feeling a little overwhelmed by all of this. It is an overwhelming thing. But take a moment to think about what you have been reading. This document is a REsult of dozens of RECords, which have been REmixed into a single document by a hitRECorder. In plain English: one person suggested that we write a Manifesto, then lost of people wrote down what they wanted to say about what
hitRECord.org means to them, and then it was all edited together into this document. So, even these words you are reading are the REsult of a collaboration involving artists from all over the world. Most of them do not believe their primary artistic skill is writing, but they still wanted to contribute. So they wrote what they could, and then an experienced Technical Writer edited it all together here.
So you see, if you have an idea that you have taken as far as your imagination and your skills will allow, and you post it on hitRECord, other members can help take it to the next level. If someone - or many someones - are inspired to add something to your creation – known as REmixing it - they will do so.
Since many people have gathered from all over the world, any single RECord posted can and will be remixed by people with wildly differing skillsets - musicians, photographers, painters, poets, etc., - different cultural perspectives,...
Each person who has REmixed your RECord will post their effort as a REsult of your RECord. This means that you will always get credit for your original contribution. And it will also provide easy path back to the original form of your RECord, which inspired the collaboration.
The most exciting collaborations happen when the work takes on a life of its own. When your creation, your "baby," as some artists think of their work, goes out there into the world and is remixed and included in so many results that it has grown into a "?" of its own. At that point, we have achieved the ultimate goal of
HitRECord.org: a community creation, belonging as much to all as to one, which is ready to be shown to the world.
When you contribute an original RECord to HitRECord, you don't give up any rights to your work. You simply agree to share it, and to allow your fellow HitRECorders to integrate it into yet other RECords which will then, in turn, be put back up on HitRECord and shared all over again. Founder Joseph Gordon-Levitt brings order to this sea of creative chaos by functioning as it's director; focusing attention and effort on promising collaborations and helping to develop them into finely honed works of art. Whenever a RECord that Joe chooses to promote proves remunerative, (that means $$) HitRECord splits the profits 50/50 with everybody who contributed the final RECord, dividing the spoils according to the amount of effort each individual collaborator has devoted to that particular project.
The New Deal:
http://www.hitrecord.org/records/31376But the main goals and motivations of the artists on hitRECord have never been driven by legality or monetary issues. The true motivations of hitRECorders are at the heart of what makes the business arrangement possible. We are collectively motivated by the myriad of rewarding experiences that come with seeing something from your imagination embraced by other creative individuals, who then take part in the task of manifesting that original vision in ways the first author did not consider at its inception. The act of taking part in collaborative creation is a reward unto itself, with different meaning to each artist who participates. (LINK)
But one reward that most would agree they have gotten is satisfaction. No matter what ultimately arises from your RECords, sharing your work with others will always give more satisfaction than leaving it in a drawer to collect dust. (LINK) Even if you are unsure of your artwork, you can trust in the hitRECord community to do their best to work together for an excellent REsult. Other hitRECorders are like a safety net. If you aren’t sure what steps will lead to what you are trying to build, they can catch you when it all starts falling down. (LINK)
Another undeniable benefit of being an active member of
hitRECord.org is the interaction with other artists. Creative energy is, as all artists know, sometimes elusive… to say the least. At
hitRECord.org, creative energy is constantly flowing back and forth amongst the artists as they inspire and encourage each other’s work. At hitRECord we are a community, and many feel, a family as well; with the same creative impetus pulsing in our veins, leading us time and again, to the heart. (LINK)
Most would agree that it is difficult to find an arena in which one can showcase their work where they will not only gain input and attention, but also have the possibility for a respectful interaction with other artists. If common sense tells you that such artistic freedom and open sharing can only exist in a rarified atmosphere, then you are correct. (LINK to your 3RE’s) But this is not a fairytale or a pipedream that hitRECord will eventually function as the host to such an atmosphere. It is a well RECorded fact that this has been the working atmosphere created by the members of
hitRECord.org for several years now. In fact, it is due to the success of past endeavors that regularJOE has been able to lead us this far, to becoming the worlds first open source production company.
It is hard to believe, in this capitalists world, that there are people who have put their hearts, souls, talents and skills out there, free from greed and judgment, simply for the joy of creating and inspiring creations; for the honor of having their work move another artist to the point that they simply must add their creative fortitude to the original artwork and REmix it, transform it, take it to the next level and transfer it to a whole new medium, which the original artist may not be proficient in. But we are right here at
hitRECord.org, waiting for you to come play with us.
Just read what others have to say on the subject:
(LINKS TO ANY MANIFESTOS NOT LINKED IN BODY OF TEXT)
This is
hitRECord.org. Are we RECording? Hit RECord. Again by heart.
NOTE TO SITE MANAGEMENT: It would be really nice if this could have its original formatting and embedded links for the final version! I don't have the ability to upload that as a lowly user. :^P
