Filmmaker Ester Brym is producing a documentary about Route 66. The footage has been shot, but she’s trying to edit the movie to a manageable length. She wants input from people who’ve actually traveled the Mother Road to provide opinions on what they think are the “most important” attractions.
Instructions and an e-mail address are on the video:
I think what I’ve learned most importantly about Route 66, is that it’s ALL most important. There’s a reason why all these filmographers or otherwise keep saying it’s all too much, and help me narrow it down! From people that are supposed to be supporting the road, we need to quit narrowing it down to only what a handful like or a personal popularity contest, in fact we simply need to quit narrowing it at all. How about instead of the quest for the ultimate handful, and slapping everyone else in the face for all their efforts, we concentrate on helping these people understand their plight and to deal with it accordingly? How about, if you have so much valuable film, instead of trying to condense it, you break it up into multiple episodes, make it last longer and include it all, or at least go for a full length feature?
I know – and yes I will definately take any promotion of Route 66 we can get, over none at all, I’m just saying we’ve become so narrow minded with Route 66 ultimate attractions over the years, it has only perpetuated some’s unearned successes, and distracted from the focus of ALL of Route 66, which is the TRUE ultimate experience. The left side, the right, the middle, the old, the new, the quirky and so on – it’s ALL the most important…
RT, I appreciate the sincerity of your belief that “all” of Route 66 is important.
But let’s be pragmatic here. If a filmmaker tried the unlikely feat of a comprehensive look of the road, something would surely be overlooked. I travel Route 66 all the time, and we’re always finding something new. It’s far, far too vast and complex to ever be fully captured on film.
Ester’s goal is to create an entertaining, informative, or poignant film. It is not her goal to provide an encyclopedic overview of Route 66 that only a handful of completists would appreciate. I have no quarrel whatsoever with Ester’s goal to make a lean and intriguing film. In fact, I applaud it. Why attempt a futile goal of showing absolutely everything? Make a compelling film and entice others to make their own Route 66 journeys.
I submitted my favorite Route 66 attractions to her. I politely suggest that others do the same.
What is really intreguing about Ester’s plight (making all of 66 somehow viewable in something less than real-time), is that I think of many different things on Route 66 depending on what I am doing or being influenced by at the momennt- In other words there are times when my mind’s eye takes me only to the open road places on 66; or to great cafes; or to the places where the people I really care about live; or it only pulls up those wicked artchitectural wonders that are collected along 66. She has a difficult task at hand, and the end product may be very cool if the locations are all selected through whatever lens we are all using as we submit our favorite places to her.
Thank you very much for all the help and emails I received from you. I also believe the Route 66 experience is full only if complete with all the stops from East to West. But I have also found during my travels that lots of people have no idea that Route 66 even exist. And, surprisingly, it is mostly American who never heard of this great adventure. So, as much as I would like to talk about everything, I simply want to introduce the experience as a whole to someone who has no idea. And this is possible with few fine examples. We are planning to release webisodes as well covering all the places we traveled, but I might not be able to cover EVERYTHING here either. Why? Because it is as you say, you never experience it all and there is always more to discover. Thanks again for all your help everyone.
I understand and am greatful for your efforts. That being said, if it is short of the whole route, then you must utilitze your own knowledge of the route, from your own experience, making it unique from that perspective, and not part of what others have told you. I only say this because there are so-called experts of authority on the route, that will sway you into their beliefs, when in fact it is only their opinion and not everyone else’s? Because they say this or that is the ultimate, doesn’t make it so, and there are opinions from the left, the middle, the right and so on. What some so-called authorities say is a must see, others will see as a piece of junk and so on. There is no real measure of standards or quality vs. one attraction or another, or what one calls an attraction or the other.
One example would be to say something like the Blue Whale or Cadillac Ranch is an attraction, and a motel, cafe or reastaurant is a business. If that were true, is it fair to say that one business is better or more important than another, what are the standards for that measurement, and how is it fair to single one out, above another? Many are famous, many are popular, but also many neither live up to their popularity nor the expectations. One may say it’s my favorite and a must stop, and another at the same location may say while it was famous, it was one of the worst experiences they ever had and in no way lives up to it’s expectations. One may sit on a business and it’s so-called fame, and do nothing to improve it or support the community, while another may spend endless hours of love, time, money, and energy, not only improving their business, but supporting their entire community and the whole route – so which gets listed as an ultimate favorite?
Some spend little and do little, but are still doing all they can, and others completely renovate theirs to brand new like the day it was first opened, spending vast amounts of money. Some have even built and still run theirs from day one, and others have bought theirs to save it for history, are new to the route, but their place is still very old and historical too or a long time favorite. I could tell you my favorites, and they obviously may not match up to another’s, yet my favorites or theirs isn’t necessarily better or truer than the other? Therefore it is up to YOU and your own perspective of what were your own favorites from your own experience, or we should endeavor to show and tell it all.
Again, I applaud your efforts, and indeed can’t wait to see the film. But if you can’t show it all, I’d be a whole lot more interested in your own personal experiences and perspective, than anything else someone else has told you or swayed you into believing is the ultimate attraction. Most of us already know whose on most of those people’s lists, and many of us don’t necessarily agree with one or the other. Be unique, be different, and tell us your own story. That’s what we continue to need, something new and not the same old stuff we’ve all seen time and time again…
Best of luck with the project, and we look forward to it’s success!