The Sprinter

A story of living in an age of mass media, data smog, and oversupply of information, yet finding sanctuary from the channels of high gloss with the solemn rituals that lose themselves in the shuffle and are reclaimed for an instant.

The Sprinter - A Short Film ••• The Sprinter is a short film about, among other things, freedom. It is the story of all of us living in an age of data smog, mass media and an oversupply of information. It is sanctuary from 1000 channels of shadow puppet mock corporeality. It is also a story about rituals lost in the shuffle but reclaimed for an instance. It is tipping the scales our way. It is the half alives and the have nots remembering their grandparents. It is a man, moved by impulse, to fight the good fight despite a daily loss of ground. This is his place among us all. This is his willpower to survive. This is the annexation of his title by the movement of his identity. This is who he is. The Sprinter. The Sprinter - Process Notes ••• The Sprinter was shot entirely on Super 8mm film and edited using Apple's Final Cut Pro software. The footage of Ringo (the film's only actor) was all shot in one day at a variety of loosely predetermined locations. The car we used was loaned to us from Dan Henderson, a guy we worked with who later offered to sell it to us for $600. The other footage used in the film was shot over the course of 2 years at a variety of random locations. Some in Chicago, some in San Diego, some in Lincoln, some in Wahoo, some at work, some at home, some in the winter at 19th and C streets, some downtown in the summer. The majority of the music was unrehearsed and recorded in a two hour session at a downtown Lincoln practice space. THere were three players, Jason Hardy - guitar, Justin Kemerling - bass, and Joe Heider - drums. Everything was recorded live to 2 tracks using Pro Tools and was mastered by Brendan McGinn. The rest of the audio was made with dictation recorders and Reason software. The Sprinter - Who is Who and Why are They ••• There are a number of people who helped make The Sprinter possible and have no idea who we are or even that The Sprinter exists. They are our families, friends and the artists and visionaries that we look up to every day. They are the people all around us who inspired this short film, many of whom actually ended up in various scenes but still have no idea what this is, and they probably never will. Still, other people totally screwed us. They get no love. The Sprinter's only character was played by Ringo Written, shot, directed and edited by Justin Kemerling and Jason Hardy Cameras were loaned to The Match Factory by Mike Semrad and Jennifer Lukas Drums were played by Joe Heider Audio was mastered by Brendan McGinn Yelling and Photos were done by Ian Whitmore Car was provided by Dan Henderson

This fifteen-minute short film was cocreated with Jason Hardy and is what I consider to be my first fully realized, intentional creative act in both process and completion.

 
 
 

20 Years Later

A story of living in an age of mass media, data smog, and oversupply of information. The Sprinter, a short film about freedom, was filmed 20 years ago this month. My good friend and long time collaborator Jason Hardy and I made the project together. A couple young graphic designers who decided making a short film was a perfect way to combine our point of view when it came to design, music, story telling, and overall visual aesthetic.

It’s gritty. It’s raw. Very much DIY. A simple idea of a man who drives his car from inside the city to out, slowly meandering thru familiar streets, only to find himself in a familiar place on the outskirts, completely alone on a county gravel road.

Here, he does what his ritual has taught him he needs.

Told in three parts:

  • Act I: Melody, Interruption

  • Act II: Grind, Overload

  • Act III: The Release

20 years ago what we were concerned with, the seemingly constant overload, that concern has only heightened.

Which means it’s a perfect time to revisit the film.

Get lost in the melody, grind it out, and then, release.

 

Collaborators

  • The Sprinter was played by Ringo

  • Written, shot, directed, and edited by Justin Kemerling and Jason Hardy

  • Cameras loaned to us by Mike Semrad and Jennifer Lukas

  • Drums played by Joe Heider

  • Audio mastered by Brendan McGinn

  • Yelling and photos by Ian Whitmore

  • Car provided by Dan Henderson

2003: Collaboration, Self-Initiated Project, Print, Video


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