Good Copy Bad Copy

I get jazzed when I hear or see anyone putting the spotlight on the creative aspects of sampling and cut-and-paste technology, and not just towing the usual line about piracy and copyright violation. So I was especially thrilled to find Good Copy Bad Copy, a thoughtful and well made documentary that looks at the subject from both sides of the law, and with an international scope, to boot.

This insightful work explores the topics of hip-hop sampling, remix culture, file-sharing, movie piracy, and the current state of the music business. It also touches upon Russia's rampant DVD black market, Brazil's vibrant Tecno Brega remix scene, and the booming independent film industry in Lagos, Nigeria (Nollywood).

A number of notable names in the copyright debate are interviewed, including mash-up maestro Gregg Gillis (a.k.a. Girl Talk), Creative Commons founder Lawrence Lessig, Grey Album culprit Brian Burton (a.k.a. DJ Danger Mouse), MPAA chief lobbyist Dan Glickman, and Fredrik Neij (a.k.a. TiAMO) and Gottfrid Svartholm (a.k.a. anakata), operators of the Swedish Bit Torrent site The Pirate Bay.

The documentary initially aired on Danish television in 2007, but is now available to view for free on the official website. If you'd like to burn your own copy to disc and share it with others, the directors provide a torrent link for a XviD version. The film is well worth it, and if you have the means, I encourage you to reward their efforts through the optional PayPal donation. Even if you just throw two or three bucks their way (equivalent to the average DVD rental or on-demand title), it would be a nice show of support.

Creative Commons: A Shared Culture

The Creative Commons organization has posted a new online video to kick off their annual fundraising campaign. The 11-minute piece, entitled A Shared Culture, helps illustrate what the group is working toward. The project aims to expand upon the limited parameters of current copyright law and provide "a body of openly shareable and reusable creative work," to quote their own site. The short video was helmed by Jesse Dylan and features comments from the group's board members interspersed with a variety of images and music produced under Creative Commons licenses.

These folks are attempting some very progressive, and I believe, necessary revisioning in regards to creative culture in the digital age. There are additional videos on their website to further inform you of what Creative Commons is all about.

Sleeveface

The practice of sleevefacing has been kicking around the internet for a couple of years now, but with Halloween approaching, I figured I'd add to the hype and point out one of the easiest and cheapest costume ideas ever.

A sleeveface is a sight gag created by posing with an album cover. The most common approach is to use an LP with a headshot of the artist and hold the record sleeve in front of your own face. The illusion works best when your body lines up with key features in the album photo, like the neck, shoulders, or hair. There's even an entertaining online video to teach you the basic principles of the artform.

Some people get more involved, staging elaborate sleevefaces that incorporate other body parts, extra people, or specific outfits and props to enhance the effect.



You can peruse a wealth of sleeveface photos at the main site, the Flickr pool, or in the recently published book.