"Director Melody Gilbert examines an internet-based subculture of thrill-seeking youths who rappel, climb, and squeeze their way into defunct buildings and other landmarks of urban decay, marveling at "snotsicles" that droop from sewer pipes and appreciating dead factories as if they were national parks."
Lighting Darkness: Melody Gilbert And Channel Z Team To Make "Urban Explorers"
by Rob Buikema
Melody Gilbert is known for creating documentaries that challenge an audience's way of thinking. In her latest feature, she followed a group of four men who survey places they know they shouldn't be entering. For "Urban Explorers," Gilbert teamed with Charlie Gerszewski, editor at Minneapolis-based Channel Z. The two have worked together on most of Gilbert's documentaries.
"Urban Explorers" depicts four men going into abandoned buildings, tunnels, storm drains and anything else dark-infested. Gilbert discovered the thrill seekers several years ago after they were questioned as terrorists. The men wore night vision goggles, carried cameras and trucked a slew of other equipment through the streets of St. Paul, MN. It turns out Minnesota is a popular place for urban explorers to roam.
In the feature, Gilbert follows the brave souls as they trek throughout the U.S., Europe and beyond. She also shows excerpts from the Urban Explorer convention in Glasgow, Scotland. "The point [of the documentary] is trying to get it so when you're watching it, you're feeling like you're really there," says Gerszewski.
Gerszewski says "Urban Explorers" took the most editing of any of the documentaries he and Gilbert have produced so far. "This one is more experiential," he says. Getting the viewer to feel like they're really searching through each place was the most difficult task for the editor.
When Channel Z Films, part of the Channel Z group that co-produced the documentary, first got the footage, they were confronted with roughly 50 hours. From that, Gerszewski and his crew have been whittling down to about one hour and 45 minutes. But there's still more work to do. Music and color correction are two major tasks that remain.
Surprisingly to Gerszewski, lighting wasn't a major issue because most of the explorers and camera crew carried flashlights that they were able to shine into the dark trenches and into the faces of the thrill seekers. "Then there's [footage] where explorers will set up candles. Hundreds of candles. Whenever they do that and you're shooting video it's great," Gerszewski says.
Gerszewski hopes to complete the documentary by the end of May, and work with Gilbert to enter it into film festivals later this summer. It was shot on DV by Gilbert and Adrian Danciu.
Melody Gilbert's ("A Life Without Pain") latest documentary highlights a group of thrill seekers known as Urban Explorers who survey abandoned buildings, storm drains and anything else derelict for the sudden rush of being somewhere they shouldn't be.
Gilbert first learned about the group three years ago when a few were mistaken for terrorists in her hometown of St. Paul, MN. "They were walking down the street wearing black, had night vision goggles and cameras and all kinds of equipment," she recalls. "It turns out they were these guys called Urban Explorers; I was like, 'What's an Urban Explorer?'"
Managing to gain the trust of one, Gilbert learned Minnesota is a popular spot for urban exploring. "We have a lot of people who come here [and explore] drains and sewers because we have incredible networks of pipes that leads to all these crazy places." Other Urban Explorer must-sees are the northeast for their abandoned mental institutions and the west for mines and abandoned train stations. Overseas, Europe and Australia are also popular.
The doc follows four explorers as they travel the globe seeking out their next expedition. The film also takes an inside look at the Urban Explorer convention in Glasgow, Scotland.
Filming the doc for the last three years, Gilbert's learned there's more to these explorers than their mischievous behavior. "There's a very serious side to this that has to do with preservation and caring about the past," she says, "and I think it's a reflection of how we are as a society, how we make things and don't care about them and let them disintegrate."
Currently in post, the doc is financed through Gilbert's Frozen Feet Films and co-produced by Channel Z Films. Shot on DV by Gilbert and Adrian Danciu, the editor is Charlie Gerszewski. The film features music from The Owls, The Hopefuls and Kid Dakota.
Wanted to let you be one of the first to know that our Movie DVD worldwide release is THIS WEEK on our website - www.CrossroadsCafeMovie.com :) That means friends can get a copy TODAY on our website - even before the DVD gets to the retail stores! Yippeeee!
Thanks again for all your encouragement & support and for being a faithful friend! We couldn’t have done it without you! We send LOTS of Love your way! Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!! :)
Diane & all of us here at www.CrossroadsCafeMovie.com
amazing movie Melody. i'm BishopxShakur on uer, the one making a fuss about the price. But I assure everyone it is worth every penny spent on it! Once again great job, well worth the wait.
Yes it's all true, a gap has been found in the hardcore raving schedule and, like a magical golden condor egg, 60 minutes of top notch party action have been laid down as an offering to you, the ravers. Hopefully you'll enjoy it, it kind of hurts laying a golden condor egg. But don't think of the pain of the Outlaw, get swept away by the magical wonder of rave. That's enough of that anyway. Come on over and grab it while you can!
I cannot wait to see this movie. I am an urban explorer as well (though not as hard-core as the people in your film appear to be) and I'm also a filmmaker. I've been wanting to do a cool UE doc for a while now. It looks like you beat me to the punch but your film looks amazing. I can't wait to see it. When will it be out on DVD? Also, if you need any help I'd love to help you out in any way.
The 5th Annual Lake County Film Festival is now open for submissions! The 2008 Festival will run from February 28th - March 2nd. Early Bird Deadline: August 24 - Late Deadline: December 7. www.lakecountyfilmfest.com
