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Week 1 Inspiration: Holy Grail

January 12, 2014 by Makare   

Holy Grail: The T206 Honus Wagner from Prospect Productions on Vimeo.

During class last week we looked at the short film that the Barnicle brothers (Prospect Productions) did about the tifo that the Timbers Army does in support of the Portland Timbers. This week I want to use one of their other pieces, as it is a great example of cinematic journalism and storytelling.

The film Holy Grail tells the story of the most well preserved version of the rarest baseball card the T206 Honus Wagner. That particular subject matter would initially seem to be as compelling as paint drying, the artful use of  cinematic journalism concepts are clearly evident throughout this piece, and as layer after layer is unfolded during the piece the viewer ends up leaving having learned something about a small facet of the world that might not have been considered, that has interesting ramifications to the art and auction industry.

The piece uses thoughtfully composed shots, many of which are moving and drawing attention, as well as audio interviews that drive the story forward and act as the means to unfold additional layers to increase the richness of the subject matter. The filmmakers also utilize simple effects that are subtle, but effective at keeping the eyes interested, for example the “3D” moving stills (this is not the Ken Burns effect) where foreground and background elements are separated and moved independently to draw the viewer in.

The Barnicle’s have been using cinematic journalism as their medium to great success, and I suggest you look at some of the work that they have been doing you can find them at Huff Post and on Vimeo.

By the end of the video the viewer should have the realization that this short film is not about a baseball card, but more about the way that something as seemingly unimportant as a baseball card can be manipulated, traded, sold, and exploited in ways that can have a substantial impact on the people that come into contact with it, and on an industry that is built on the desires of collectors.

 


1 Comment »

  1. bjh@uoregon.edu says:

    I first saw this on Grantland last year as part of the 30 for 30 shorts series that they do over there, and even then I was floored by how the Barnacle Brothers were able to make a story about a baseball card so compelling. I really think it was the passion that the collectors and baseball enthusiasts have is what makes this piece. They add such levels of drama and emotion that, as you said, makes the piece really come alive and takes something about a not so interesting topic and makes it interesting.

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