So there it is, evidence that I’ve come full circle– and so life after this photo must be the beginning of the next cycle. I’ll get back to you on how it goes.

The documentary marches on despite finding out that some footage I shot recently was ruined by the “President Brown” effect — the glass in the 35mm adapter didn’t spin quite fast enough because the batts slowly dipped too low. There’s no real science behind making sure that doesn’t happen, it’s just a process of going through 1/3rd of a battery before bagging it for use in a less important device.

Did you know potato farmland a few hours north of here costs as little as $300 an acre?

Can you dig it? Eh?

A large part of this Documentary will be the historical background behind Groundfishing in New England, and what better way to tell this story than to fire up the time machine and scoop up some candid interviews?

I need old pictures of boats and people in New England.

I’ve got this jazzy idea to put some depth in the photos with a little After Effects action, but I’ve gotta get my hands on the raw material first. I’ve got a lead on a historical society, and there’s always THE big Maine Historical Society, but spidy-sense tells me they like money.

I’m having some fun trying to decipher the big copyright monster, especially since I don’t see what I’m recording as particularly controversial. It occurs to me that if I’m allowed to film, for instance, at the Council meeting than everyone at the meeting is likely to show up from time to time on camera. This doesn’t mean I have to clear each of them individually, do I? I didn’t exactly post a notice of public filming, I just got the OK from the guy in charge. That all seems murky to me somehow.

From what I read it seems like images made before 1928 are now public domain, but I also read about instances where congress has extended that limit on select cases. These must be for the most popular pieces that make money, but I wouldn’t want to stumble on an image that turns out to be of little known notoriety– just in anticipation of this film making any money at all.

I’ve started to read a number of long winded papers about the matter but can’t stay focused when my needs are pretty small for the most part. Music is always the biggie in films, but I don’t see any problem in using my friends / royalty free stuff. It might just be my latest obsession, but classical music should do well by this film. Does anyone know much about covers and copyright?

Anyway, back to the books. Maybe I’ll stumble on a get out of jail free card.

The Biltmore Hotel in Providence, RI is quite the swanky little guy– sitting right next to City Hall and a pizza joint or something. This Hyler finds himself in a Hotel room with two TVs only during really good jobs– this must an indication.

This ballroom is a good size with something like 150 people sitting in chairs and standing behind square pillars. A square roundtable is at the head where another 30 people sit in front of microphones doing their best to parse dense documents relating to fishing. This is the New England Council Meeting and I’m in the back burning through tapes in an unfortunate attempt to avoid missing anything important. I may just end up with a lot of what isn’t important, but on the bright side there’s a plug and wifi, so lets kill some time.

In the past few weeks I’ve taken only a few scattered days to regroup before ducking out of the house to try and fill in the outline. I’ve been out to sea twice for a total of 4 days, and in the process discovered a mode of travel that I’m not cut out for– my sea sickness never got out of hand, but I wonder if I might have had gobs of clarity if it did. My stomach did some endless light jogging that never let me fully appreciate the enjoyable aspects of being at sea, but I did my best and got a lot of really nice footage.

Dad and I took a drive up to Blue Hill, town of my birth, where I had a jaunt down several familiar lanes (all of them enjoyable). Blue Hill Hospital and the playground next door were different than I remember them– that 100 foot tall metal death slide had been replaced by a plastic play place. If it was good enough for me, then it’s good enough for the kids, by Thor! Weak sauce, people.

I don’t have the pictures to back it all up, but the trip home was the best it’s ever been. I liken it to learning you’re Gonzo and your family ship lands to take you home. But you don’t go because you love your friends.

At any rate, I’ll be back later with some more pictures and video.

My stomach doesn’t like the sea too much even though I do and there isn’t much I can do to resolve the dispute it seems. I have medicine, but it only delivers enough knock out juice to make my illness manageable. Admitting to sea sickness isn’t a popular thing to do, either, so lets just give me some credit for owning up to it.


I’m back on land now and traveling up and down the coast– I even went to the hospital where I was born (the circle is complete) today and the fair where I caught my first pig…. memory lane is a long road. A tiring one as well, and though I have much to report I haven’t the energy to do so right now. So I’ll leave you with another picture:

…and say goodnight.

Goodnight!