The end the End

To sum it up: It was a phenomenal trip, I would do it again, the people I traveled with and met are good human beings, and the vastness of this country is impressive to say the least. My evolving issue with the program centered on the following: RTN is unwilling to admit what their Green RV experience has become (a reality television show, locked into a "product not process" mentality, with good intentions, but limited imagination), and this manifests into those involved being delusional about themselves and their work, and it leads to an inability to speak honestly and authentically about their organization with those they invite to be involved in their process. Trickle it down from the top, and the strangle hold of limited vision is a slippery knot tied by the founders, and placed on the seed of a great idea which was planted in 2001. However, they have been unable to nourish that seed in an organic way. This has left them working with the same idea planted in '01, but wallowing in a hole of formality, ritual, rules, redundancy, and limited success.

I guarantee if this show does not take a step towards revolutionizing its process, it will be off the airwaves in 5 years time. When ever they are probed about being a reality television show, their immediate response, is that they don't focus on drama and they have ethics in editing. In my book, given the format they have chosen, that doesn't disqualify them from the reality television show platform (there are plenty out there that are not just drama obsessed), it just makes them a boring one (the show is still highly edited, but their claim is that they try to "authentically" represent our voices). They have chosen to create a format where they use the vehicle of the roadtrippers' lives as the primary means for telling their "insipirational" narrative. That in and of itself is not a bad idea, but in their pursuit of profits and professionalism, they have opted to take the job of sharing those stories out of the roadtripper's hands, and into the hands of third parties (producers and cameramen). The story you see in a year's time, will be about three people in an RV, driving across the country, interviewing people, and dealing with life on the road. There was a lot more there, which won't be shared, and which wasn't even captured in many respects.

It all flows from a place of wanting to do good and intending to benevolently manifest inspiration, but it has become what it has struggled to fight--THE NOISE!

My Idea of the trip (they asked me this in my final interview, and I have thought more about it. My initial response was to simply burn all the footage outside of the interviews): A group of three or four are chosen: they are chosen not only for their desire to find a new path in life, but the desire to take on a project of self-reflection and documentation, through travel and interviews with inspiring people. You find individuals who are not just good story lines, but have the capabilities to truly embrace the situation and responsibility. They are flown to their headquarters, 2-3 weeks before the trip. During that time, they are given a crash course in filming, camera operations, documentation, expectations and so forth (emphasis on creativity). This also would serve as a time to really get to know each other, and build some foundational trust--this is key to making this event successful--hollow statements about "love" and "inspiration" are not substitutes for genuine trust and mutual respect, which needs a little unrecorded time to manifest. The pro SONY cameras and microphones are to be used only in interview settings or when needed to create a spectacle--they are used tactfully to create a space and a moment in which their presence serves a genuine purpose. In the pursuit of capturing the trip itself, handcams and 7D cameras (a video recorder which looks like a camera) are supplied to EACH roadtripper. They are then able to document the trip in their own way. This will allow a blend of perspectives to be shown, not the homogenized vision of one outsider producer. Other aspects of the trip, such as reflections, required shots (rv driving past state line or bridge, city skyline, parking the RV, etc.) could all be set forth in the form of daily checklists, which the responsible roadtrippers are entrusted to complete. Sure there won't be beautiful sweeping jib shots, or perfect audio, but I gurauntee that is not why people are tuning into this show; that is not what offers the brilliance in this program. You might have roadtrippers filming each other, both with cameras in hand, as they discuss their thoughts on the day's happenings--the camera is a tool, and not something to be ashamed of or hide (I spent two months having to pretend two people were invisible, and watching them scramble to get themselves out of frame--sad paradigm). They might all go explore a city together, or they may go out individually--think how vibrant a picture of a new city might appear, if the means of capturing it were given to the individual's whose story is attempting to be told? This is how you inspire people to travel to new places and meet new people: you get gritty, you get random, you get wild and weird with the freedom of creativity and existence. Tapes and photos would be sent in weekly, and headquarters would be able to sit down and review the work. Hell, throw in a weekly phone call to discuss what is working and not working, and a general check in. The salary which is paid to the producer and cameraman, can be split between the 3-4 roadtrippers (but they cannot accrue vacation time, ha). The focus of the final product would be the interviews, and the additional stuff, would take up a little of the rest---let's say 70/30.

I think the result of the above process would lend itself to capturing far more genuine moments, and creating a series that is different than the rest of reality television. Its pure ruggedness would set it apart from the thousands of other well manicured shows. Perhaps I will start my own documentary series based on these principles.

Here, is a pic of the Santa Monica pier:


And here is a picture of a mural--a commentary on the clear cutting of the forest, which appears to be attributed to the wrath of a floating Rockstar Energy drink...however that can was actually suspended off the pay phone, though it made for a great unintentional commentary:



Here is my attempt at capturing getting picked up at the airport--I got too excited and forgot about the camera: