News
February 22, 2017
Project 305 submissions span nature, family, culture in Miami
Project305 is now three weeks into its 100-day submission period.
All Miamians are invited to submit audio and video clips that express the sights and sounds that make this city unique to them.
The more than 220 submissions collected thus far have captured scenes from bird-watching in the Everglades, midday rain storms, someone pulled over on the side of the expressway to record a gorgeous vanilla sky sunset (please be safe while driving), ancient orange iguanas climbing along stone walls, clips from the January 21st Women’s March, protest videos from the Miami-Dade County Commission’s Sanctuary City vote, a clip from the march against the Sabal Trail Pipeline and many more.
Here are a few of my favorite submissions so far, along with my own thoughts and questions for future submissions:
Stiltsville Serenity
View this and other submissions in the Project305 gallery here.
This image of a structure propped up on stilts, alone and surrounded by calm waters, is somewhat mesmerizing and open to many interpretations. The one-story building made of wood in the middle of Biscayne Bay, a half-hour boat ride from shore, has survived the push and pull of the tide and has stood strong through storms and hurricanes. To me, Stiltsville represents a unique, tropical way of life, and possesses a kind of unwavering resilience that is also present in the local Miami community.
What other iconic Miami images help us identify with our city?
Yoruba & Cuban Sounds
View this and other submissions in the Project305 gallery here.
An entrancing rhythm pulses back and forth between audience and musicians, in praise of the orisha Chango. In many Yoruba religions like Santeria, Candomblé and Vodou, an “orisha” is a deity or divine spirit. “Chango” is considered the orisha of fire, thunder, drumming, and dance. This moment captures a musical and spiritual celebration that expresses a strong bond between Miami and its Afro-Caribbean and Latin American heritage.
What are other songs and traditions of the many many cultures found in Miami?
Shades of Grey with Nautical Compass
View this and other submissions in the Project305 gallery here.
This clip stands out to me as special amongst all the other clips submitted thus far. It stands out, not because it captures some special event, or iconic place, or symbol of this city, but because of its intimacy.
When asked “What is Miami to you?” this person chose to upload a clip of a child, likely his daughter, laughing and enjoying herself on a tricycle. This one intimate moment in time that this person chose to share with all of us is what this project is all about.
By revealing your daily life here in Miami: your neighborhood, your workplace, your favorite secret spot, yourself, your loved ones -- you are contributing to the cumulative portrait of our city that we are hoping to create with this project.
When Ted Hearne and I go through all of your submissions to create Miami’s City Symphony, we’ll be looking for the similarities that unite us and the differences that make us unique.
In short: don’t worry about capturing the very essence of Miami in one single video clip; just show us all of the things that make you happy; the things that make you sad; tell us what you’d like to change for the future; show us the things that make you proud about Miami.
Oh, and please: talk to us. Go ahead and turn that camera on yourself and let us hear what you have to say. Show us your faces! We want to see you. We want to hear you.
It is really encouraging to see this kind of diversity and participation from the community so early into the process. Please, keep these submissions coming!
And with that, I leave you all with my favorite clip that we've received, and maybe the most Miami thing ever:
Mi Burrito Sabanero
View this and other submissions in the Project305 gallery here.
Sung by a classroom of elementary school students around Christmas <3 <3 <3
Jonathan David Kane is a Miami-based filmmaker who will create the final video piece that will accompany Ted Hearne’s symphony for Miami; set to debut as a WALLCAST Concert in October of 2017.
Submit your sights and sounds of Miami to Project 305 by May 12, 2017 using the Project305 app for iOS and Android; or on project305.org.
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Posted in: Project 305
