I am traveling across the United States taking pictures of people with their guns and recording audio of their stories.
THE PROJECT
What is it about guns? What do they mean to us? That's what I want to ask people across the country in my project Point and Shoot.
With Point and Shoot I will travel by car across the northern United States taking pictures of people with their favorite gun(s) and recording audio of the stories behind those guns.
Participants choose how they will be portrayed in terms of content and context of the photo. Point and Shoot is influenced by old tin-type photos in this way, in that the subject has more considered control over the identity they wish to project.
Participants will have a chance to tell the story, through audio recording, of their favorite gun, what it means to them, where they got it, etc.
WHY? AND WHO AM I ANYWAY?
I am a writer/actor. I was raised shooting guns and have been fascinated by them all my life. I have been turning this project over in my head for the past three years as a way to potentially explore my and my country's complicated relationship with guns. I have also recognized a disconnect in the conversation about guns in this country and want to open another avenue of discourse on the subject.
THE ROUTE
I will begin in New York City and follow a loose route of travel to Akron, Ohio, Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis, Sioux Falls, Pine Ridge Reservation, Billings, Spokane, Seattle, and Tacoma. All suggestions and little detours are welcome. If you have a friend or relative anywhere near this route who might like to participate, please let me know. I would love to meet them.
BUDGET(Two Weeks)
Car rental: $1400
Gas: $600
Equipment: $1400
Food: $200
Motel: $315 (7 out of 14 nights. Sleeping in the car the rest of the time)
Flight home from Seattle to NYC: $200
Total: $4115
THE GOAL
This project is about the process of discovery but it does lend itself to many possibilities in terms of its final form. Exhibition formats include: an interactive internet installation of the photos and audio; select photos enlarged and displayed with audio in a live space; a book of the photos, etc. But really, I see this project having the potential of taking on numerous forms.
VIDEO EDITED BY MISSY MOSER (Thank you!)
FAQ
Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.
37
Backers
$3,095
pledged of $3,000 goal
0
seconds to go
Funding period
Aug 5, 2011 -
Aug 30, 2011
(25 days)
- First created · 2 backed
- Has not connected Facebook
- Website: pointandshootusa.tumbl...
Pledge $10 or more
11 backers
Handmade Collector's Postcard specifically made for this project. I will personally send it to you from the road. I'll write your name in bold and sign mine in messy cursive.
Pledge $25 or more
10 backers
The above plus a limited edition 5x7 photo from the series signed and stamped .
Pledge $50 or more
5 backers
All of the above plus a limited edition 8 x 10 photo from the series. I'll shoot a hole in the lower right hand corner with a Browning .22 rifle.
Pledge $100 or more
3 backers
All of the above plus an audio narration of my personal story about a photo from the series.Your choice of MP3 or CD.
Pledge $250 or more
0 backers
All the above plus you get an early personalized session with me showing you the photos and audio while we drink very strong coffee that I will make for us. And then if you have guns, we'll go shoot them.
Pledge $500 or more
1 backer
All of the above plus I will make you dinner while we take our sweet time looking over the unedited material from two weeks of shooting photos and gathering audio and you can help me pick out what to use. Then you choose a photo you like and I'll sign it by shooting the right hand corner with a gun of your choice(no shotguns please. )
