Simon Cantlon, an Emmy-nominated producer of digital media for the entertainment industry, has launched The Motels of Route 66 project that will spawn a documentary film and a book.
Cantlon created this video that explains his project:
https://youtu.be/YoezV5IWF90
According to his website:
The Motels of Route 66 project will capture the spirit of these motels, both the thriving and the forgotten, in film, photographs and oral histories. We will document the motel owners stories, the iconic neon signs, the mid-century architecture and the travelers who stayed there then and now.
From the Greenway Motel in Mitchell, Illinois with the billboard-sized arrow showing travelers where to turn, and the Blue Swallow Inn in Tucumcari, New Mexico with its blue and pink neon sign adorned with a sweet, simple blue bird select iconic motels and their owners along the Route will be documented on film. Every single vintage motel sign still standing along the mother road will also be captured in film and photograph.
Another major component of the project will be compiling existing photographs and stories from people around the world. We will use social media networks, mobile phone apps and online ad campaigns to cull photographs and stories from those who have been inspired by Route 66. We will form partnerships with Route 66 associations to get the word out about the project and help gather pre-existing source material. We want to form a digital and physical archive of these places, of visuals and narratives already found, and those we have yet to unearth.
The project will culminate with the release of a coffee table book, publishing the best photographs of the accumulated images, as well as stories about a select number of the motels. We will also put together a short documentary film, giving further context to and expanded stories from these classic motels.
In 2009, Route 66 motels were named one of the most endangered historic sites in America by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. So Cantlon’s book and film probably will have historic value.
UPDATE 2/10/2012: Cantlon, in an email, said he’d do a scouting trip in May and start actual shooting in July.
He also said this about the project:
The plan is to highlight the stories of a select number of the vintage motels (12 to 16 or so) in the documentary. Visually I plan to represent all of them in the film and the book but only the expanded stories of a select amount in the documentary. The book will expand on the documentary and include many more stories of the motels.
The project will also be seeking submissions from travellers, fans, motel owners and experts in the form of video and photos to be included in the documentary and book.
I hope they will spend an adequate focus on some of the newest success stories, and not just the same old usual suspects? The Wagon Wheel, Campbell Hotel, Globetrotter Lodge, La Posada & Garces are all great NEW examples and stories, plus the new website http://www.travelretro.com
Luckily there seems to be a new trend in bringing back all the old gems, and we need to both help support them and continue to spread the new growth, not just keep repeating the same handful of so called icons. Yes, they’re important too, but if they remain the only major focus, then we all lose, as it’s the continued new growth we still desperately need, to keep saving all that we can, while we still have the chance. Once they’re gone, it’s too late and we can’t get them back.
So lets be sure we’re supporting our newcomers or what’s the point of traveling Route 66 if you can’t enjoy staying on it, sleeping on it and eating on it at every single turn? We need a GOOD restaurant and motel in almost every town, all the way across. Then we’ve all achieved another great goal…
The project will definitely spotlight recent success stories. We will be highlighting about a dozen or so of the motels in the documentary plus highlighting further stories / motels / owners in the companion book and on the website / facebook.
I want to raise awareness about Route 66 today and highlight the revitalization and re-birth of the Route!
Thanks so much for your insight. Much appreciated.
Trying to gather photos of EVERY motel sign along the route? That book would be HUGE!!! You would need at least three photos of each sign (Daytime current (or as near current as possible), daytime in heyday, night lit up).
Definitely. The book will be an expansive coffee table book that will highlight all the glorious mid-century Route 66 Motels.
Route 66 Project is a tremendous undertaking of which we wish Simon the best of efforts and certainly do offer our full support. One thing we find to be major distraction to the product of success is to have a deadline in concern. Taking one’s time to fulfill the dream and allowing it to come into fruition into reality with random precision is what will always result in the best possible outcome.