Manifesto Television

HOPE

We’ve refrained from making any commentary on the presidential campaign. This is only because Manifesto is not about politics, it’s about the actions of individuals and their true desires. Their hopes and dreams.

This concept of hope has become a cliche in the current presidential campaign. However, it’s still an important concept. Our country and our country’s younger generations need hope.

We need something to attach our dreams and desires to.

Older generations - boomers, silents, etc were born with hope. They saw a country, a world which was at their command. A country they could respect. A world of opportunity where they could, theoretically, become whatever they wanted to be. More importantly they lived in a society, while still ruled by the rich, a society which was at least apparently under the control of the people.

Current generations don’t see that. We see a government out of control. A government which holds regular meetings where important decisions are made without the consent or input of our elected representatives. To add insult to injury, the representatives we do have, often do not vote with the will of the people in mind.

But I won’t labor on about how much we need hope or how much the system is broken. Too many people are already doing that and it is so extremely clear that it is a waste of breath.

What I will discuss is the essence of hope.

Hope is about our desires. What we want. Which is what manifesto is about.

Obama may have a manifesto, and if you look at his background in organizing and law, i believe that he truly does. It may not be ideal, but it is enough right now. A stepping stone. Obama’s Manifesto.

So when you go to the polls on Tuesday think about who you believe has the vision and the persistence to actually accomplish something of value for the united states. The person who can help us take that first step in the right direction. Someone with the perspective to look beyond our own borders at the concerns of the world. Someone who has a practical understanding of the concerns of the people, the state of global politics, the serious issues of health care, the environment, and not only a desire or hope, but a personal need to fix things.

Technorati Tags: presidential campaign, Hope, Obama’s Manifesto

It’s O-fficial. Manifesto has returned from the UK.

It was a nice trip and we look forward to filling you in on the details from it’s travels overseas meeting UK based prodcos.

Overall the response in the UK was very positive. Many folks are interested in the manifesto project and we basically have to decide what format to go with at this point and then decide which partner is best.

We’ll write more once we have a few things ironed out.

Technorati Tags: manifesto project

Here are a few photos from the shoot in New York. And a quick anecdote from the crew.

It rained most of the day that Friday.

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Many thanks to Anne, Bob, Thomas, Erik, and the entire New York Manifesto crew. We look forward to returning to the east coast soon!!

Technorati Tags: manifesto, New York Manifesto

Over the years, many pioneers have set out with great Manifestos. Here’a list of a few of the most interesting and famous Manifestos in recent history.

You may or may not agree with them, you may not even like them, but their power cannot be denied.

+ Russell Einstein Manifesto
A great Manifesto which asked world leaders to consider other alternatives before nuclear weapons when dealing with world conflicts. “Think before you shoot” is a great way to sum up this thoughtful and timely declaration by Bertrand Russell and Albert Einstein.

+ John F. Kennedy’s Manifesto
JFK’s manifesto from 1961. His manifesto of, “before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.” You can listen to his original address at the link above.

+ Julia Butterfly Hill’s Manifesto
One of our personal favorites. Julia saved the life of a nearly 1000 year old Redwood in defense of the forest near the Mattole river on the coast of northern california.  Julia is an inspiration to activists and pioneers everywhere. Her work in the environmental movement is a high point for many advocates of direct-action and civil disobedience.

+ John Lennon’s Manifesto
Controversial, and generally misunderstood, John Lennon’s work towards international peace still rings in the worldwide collective consciousness.

+ The Communist Manifesto
Not nearly as dark as many would have you believe, this Manifesto was an important moment in history. Widely respected as one of the most prolific and controversial manifestos ever written.

+ The Student Democratic Society’s ‘Port Huron Statement’
Written in 1962, the Port Huron Statement is often credited as an essential building block of 1960’s counterculture.

+ Banksy’s Manifesto
One of my favorite non-literal manifestoes. Read it. Some Manifestos, like Banksy’s seem almost like an accident.

+ Shepard Fairey’s Manifesto
Manifesto of artist / pop culture guru Shepard Fairey. This Manifesto includes all the best elements of a modern manifesto. It challenges the audience while making them question the entire point of the experiment in the first place. Let’s face it, Shepard Fairey could easily be your ‘dad.’

That’s our list of great manifestos. This list will grow as we add many more manifestos, including those of our readers. What’s yours? Tell us.

Technorati Tags: interesting and famous Manifestos, Russell Einstein Manifesto, John F. Kennedy’s Manifesto, Julia Butterfly Hill’s Manifesto, John Lennon’s Manifesto, The Communist Manifesto, The Student Democratic Society’s ‘Port Huron Statement’, Banksy’s Manifesto, Shepard Fairey’s Manifesto, great manifestos

In a cross globe tour, representatives from Manifesto have now converged upon New York to document the story of a water related charity.

While this organization has only been around for a couple of years, they have made great changes in a very short period of time.

Check back for stills from the shoot and some thoughts from the NY crew.

Are you a spanish speaker?

Check out Irene’s blog. She wrote about our last shoot with Amber. 

I’d provide an excerpt but apparently it’s not easily translated.

I just have to say, as a general thought, it blows my mind how little people understand about the business of television. Actually… I have to retract that because frankly I didn’t understand it until I started working to get this show on the air. I now think I have a decent understanding of tele-vision. I kinda wish I didn’t. Actually, maybe it is best to know.

If you can, read Irene’s post. I have a feeling it’s entertaining. Check out the track list in the player and compare with the subject of the article.

But don’t believe everything you read :-) 

Manifesto is taking a vacation overseas to England. It needs a little break.

It’s a working vacation though.

Our sales agent is taking the show to the UK. With the goal being to set it up at a company over there. France and other parts of Europe will follow shortly thereafter as he is taking several meetings. 

Many other opportunities have opened up in the US. We will keep you tuned as they develop.

Wish us luck. We won’t need it!!!

THE ANTI-NEWS MANIFESTO

1. We are at a critical point in natural, human, and animal existence.

2. MANIFESTO assumes that at this stage in culture, the only way to affect change is via the people.

3. MANIFESTO’s subject matter is focused on people with solutions.

4. Television Is a powerful medium with untapped potential. The potential to motivate us, to show us mirror images of ourselves, and to support our goals and dreams.

Our ultimate goal is to tap that potential. To communicate, entertain, challenge (yes, c-h-a-l-l-e-n-g-e) and interact with our audience rather than to just “blah” all over them.

5. Manifesto believes that there is a truth about ourselves, the people, that the media is not telling us. We’re a lot more ALIKE than they want us to believe.

The tenets of dramatic storytelling have led the networks in this direction: They want us to believe that we’re strikingly different. That we should be afraid of each other. This is how they build great conflict.

We believe it’s time for some accurate representations of everyday folks on television. Television to motivate, not to sedate.

6. There is a telescoping effect happening on our planet. Globally, things are happening at a faster rate than before. This applies to science, nature, communication, and almost every discipline that we interact with. We do not know the full ramifications of this now. We may not for several years. But, we must not sit back and await the storm. Proactivity is essential.

7. We want to change television. We want television to be your friend. We are hereby instituting a new genre of television. The ‘anti-news’.

8. We want the other networks to follow our lead by programming an “anti-news” format/genre show.

Venice, California, January 30, 2006
Scott Ryan

(an extended version with notes/theory will be released shortly)

Technorati Tags: THE ANTI-NEWS MANIFESTO, change television, Scott Ryan

The story continues. That’s something you can always count on. The show will go on, regardless.

There’s good news and there’s, uh…good news.

We’ve got new network interest from a couple of channels for MANIFESTO. We’re prepping a few meetings at the moment.

We’ll put up some short behind the scenes clips from the show shortly.

Technorati Tags: MANIFESTO