Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Feb 16/01) - Anne Lynagh thinks it's time to get rolling, and she wants to know if you agree.
Next Tuesday Lynagh will be holding a meeting for all Yellowknifers interested in video and film.
"What I really want to do is find out if there are other people in town interested in a video co-op. I don't want it to be Anne's Video Co-op. I really want to see if there's a committed body of people."
Lynagh, a 10-year Yellowknifer, believes there's room for more "artistically driven films."
"A lot of them come from people involved in film co-ops. They really do leave a lasting impression and they're really fun to make."
But Lynagh, who works in "the industry" here and has made a few films herself, began to wonder why there weren't more people doing it.
"I think there's a couple of reasons. It's a small town. I think you either do it as a complete hobby, all by yourself, or you try and work in the industry. But the industry is not really...gentle. The broadcast industry is pretty tough. It's really driven by how many minutes you can put out a day. And so there really isn't too much of a training component, or very many entry level positions.
"And I believe we're very far away from the broadcasters and the people with money. So it's hard for independents to really make a go at it."
But she knows there are a lot of people who are creative and driven in this city.
"They just don't have a place to go."
What Lynagh hopes is that a variety of people with an interest in video and film will show up. Video and film, she says, involves more than just the filmmaker.
"You need actors. It would be nice to have an accountant. And it would be great to have a lawyer."
"Video is almost like a rugby team. You need the heavy-set one for the front row. Then you need the fast runners. So we need people to drive trucks, or people who want to do the hairdressing."
The goal, she says, is a bunch of people actively making movies. She cites the example of a Big Rock Brewery commercial-making contest as one type of project the co-op might take on.
Why should the general public have access to broadcast quality equipment, asks Lynagh. She quickly answers her own question.
"We have a swimming pool, in which if you trained hard enough...you could go to the Olympics. And nobody seems to bat an eye at that."
Lynagh also visualizes the co-op as a potential training ground and a way to get Yellowknifers viewing a variety of creative work.
