“Artifact” – My Obsession With A Significant Documentary (A Review)

Title: Artifact

Genre: Documentary

Rating: 5/5 Stars

I was introduced to Jared Leto via my daughters love for his band “30 Seconds To Mars”, and was hooked, even more so when I saw him in “Dallas Buyers Club” as the beautiful, transgender Rayon, marvelously brought to live by Jared. If you have not seen “Dallas Buyers Club”, you have missed out. But I regress. What I really wanted to write about today is the documentary “Artifact”

Essentially, this movie is about the band, their struggle to get a fair contract with their recording studio and them being sued for 30 Million Dollars as a result. On a deeper level, this docu shines a light on the world of greed, the status of the music industry and how we as consumers of the music should be aware that our habits of wanting the product as fast and as cheap as possible, make it harder and harder for an artist or a band to make a living making music. It is a wake up call to anyone who wants to be a musician, to become proactive before making any decisions of signing on with labels, and to have a clear understanding of what they are getting into.

 

The movie is also a statement of perseverance and continuing drive to create songs despite the circumstances. I consider this movie essential to be viewed by anyone who wants to work within the music industry, may it be on the artist side, or on the producing side.

The movie is available on iTunes, Amazon and Google Play. Downloaded, talk about it, play it, but pay for it. Be a part of the solution, not a part of the problem.

 

W Is For What Now?

The weird, wackiness of the A to Z Challenge is almost over, so it is time to contemplate what to write about in the wake of it, and most importantly how much.

With my head always in the midst of some kind of art form, may it be a really good book, or a movie I can hardly wait to share, there will be plenty to write about.

So when it is over, and it is over soon, I have planned for you the following:

 

A book review of “The Hero” by Robin Carr

A more thorough dissection of the documentary: “The Artifact”

 

Flash Fiction – I will again participate in the Friday Flash Fiction, so watch out for new, exiting really short stories

A look at Joss Whedon’s “In Your Eyes”, which is currently available on Vimeo, a rather unconventional release, but we should expect the unconventional from Joss by now.

and I will be talking about a few projects that others are working on, but I am happy to support in any way I can, especially because they deal with some important issues, such as bullying.

 

What have you planned to write about, once the challenge has been completed?

Have a wonderful week!

S Is For Starstruck

While I admire many people in the creative arts, there are only two at the moment in who’s presence I would turn into a starstruck fan girl, should I ever had the good fortune to meet them. Mainly because I admire them further then just the creative endevour of their many accomplishments, but also as people, with a depth, and character qualities that I think of as high in value.

One of these people is probably not surprisingly Joss Whedon. As a creative artist, he has accomplished much, sometimes despite of what others might have thought. Perserverance has brought forth some of the most highly acclaimed television shows and movies. But beyond that, he has shown a care for others, specifically for women’s equality causes, which has earned him my admiration. Let me share as an example his “Equality Now” speech with you:

 

The second person I want to write about is Jared Leto. While his music through Thirty Seconds of Mars is widely acclaimed, and I am surely a fan of his songs as well as his acting skills, it is his thoughtfulness for his family and his dedication to both venues he chooses to express himself in, that inspires me the most. His documentary “Artifact” showing a deeper look into the music industry and how artists struggle to get fairly compensated for their art – fighting at times both ends, the labels who are obviously into making profit, and those who illegally download and share the hard work of the artists.

Here is the trailer:

It is currently available through itunes and Amazon, watch it, even more so if you are thinking about working with or in the music industry.