Visually Spectacular Sequences

The following is an excerpt a 4 September 2014 email exchange between Art and Will. 



Art:

So we're starting to get the conceptual foundations laid, but what does any of this look like in terms of a narrative or dramatic performance? I know we may not do another dramatic performance anytime soon, but I still think that's a good place to start in terms of envisioning it. Not relying on much spectacle may still be a good discipline to impose (we can always have one or more characters tell some of the more visually spectacular sequences). 

I thought about this a little more. The number one thing is getting people a chance to hear the music. That rules out the novel as a mode.

Will:

If the quest is to tell the entire story, I think the least expensive and resource-intensive way to go is a podcast, and if we somehow were to get access to gobs of money and resources, a TV series or series of movies would be great. I keep thinking visually, which makes the podcast less appealing, but the fact that it's doable is more appealing.   

If we want to aim for another concert, perhaps late next summer to promote a record we make early next summer, that's certainly doable. I don't know what era I'd aim for. If we were to stick with the idea of a greatest hits record, than maybe the idea would be to do some sort of comeback tour...the same basic show in a few different places, and maybe it's a real lean production...possibly just you, or just you and I, or maybe we get Father in the mix. And maybe we look at Arthur about six months to a year after "An Evening with Arthur White" ended. We could shoot the video of Arthur getting wheeled in to an open mic night and use that as a little push marketing to draw people into both the record and the mini tour--not the full-fledged comeback, but sort of a precursor. 

Maybe after "An Evening with Arthur White Ends," Arthur musters the resolve to bring his music back to the world, and maybe Will offers his help, but in a much more humble way. Really, it has to be humble: Will has no connections and no money to put behind the tour--he just knows how to use a phone, book a show, and drive a car. Maybe he enlists Fr. Bernard for a little strength. And maybe they make the greatest hits album and its really good because Arthur can multi track and they can get a few extra musicians, but it's still not the blow-out comeback that the Joe Lazarus, Jr. storyline would enable. I suppose that when Joe gets the envelope, it may take a long time to get to him. It went to his mom's house and maybe she doesn't want Joe to know about it.   

Anyway, I think there is potential for some buzz if the little shows are impressive enough that people want the CD's, but then the CD's are far better than people would have expected. Maybe it does make sense to have Will have a stash of old records that he sells off. Of course, those are going to cost us way too much money and time. It would be really cool, though, to play a bunch of old guys selling stuff we did in the 70's to people who have no idea what is going on.