Subject:  Ian R Crane (Edge Media TV Sky Channel 200) v Kevin West |
Author:
KW
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Date Posted: 00:33:49 06/07/11 Tue
In reply to:
KW
's message, "New KW documentary airing on Sky TV 201 Friday 3rd June 8pm" on 12:44:05 06/02/11 Thu
In response to the above notification, here's one of my latest spats with a mainstream braodcaster (Ian R Crane of Edge Media TV SkyChannel 200) in reply to occasional e-m@ils as to why my stuff is hardly ever aired.
Ian R Crane
Hi Kevin,
Congratulations on getting the footage of Birkenhead broadcast on Channel 201. It must be a big day for you!
My question is whether or not you truly believe that this footage does the Freeman Movement any favours? To those who participated on the day, it must have seemed a remarkable achievement.
To those who know nothing of the Aims & Objectives of the Freeman Movement, the unedifying behaviour of the 'Rabble in the Courtroom' looked like nothing more than an out of control Mob. Unfortunately, Ray St. Clair was unsuccessful in bringing any 'Order' to the proceedings; being shouted down and ignored despite him being one of the Primary exponents of the Freeman impact on British admiralty Law. To the casual observer, the Birkenhead Courtroom footage only serves to endorse the Mainstream Media construct that anything other than strict observance of 'The Law' will rapidly descend into anarchic chaos!
I have spoken with many people whom were present that day, as I was speaking in St. Annes the same evening and some came to the event directly from Birkenhead; consequently, I am well aware that there was much going on that wasn't captured by the camera. However, the casual observer is not privy to anything which is outside of lens range!
Consequently, Edge Media took the decision NOT to show any of the Courtroom Footage during the recent interview with Roger Hayes, out of RESPECT for both Ray St. Clair and the Freeman Movement. It is our opinion that the evolving Freeman Movement deserves better than the perception created by this footage.
Meanwhile, my final question regarding your documentary appearing on Edge Media is: Did you even ask?
Very best wishes,
Ian R Crane
Tel: +44 (0)207 558 8869
Mob: +44 (0)779 151 8740
USA: (281) 899 0207
Skype: ianRcrane1
KW:
Hi Ian –
Thanks for the reply to the circular. I’ve taken onboard what you’ve said and what you have told me your company decided. And I’m sorry you don’t agree with what I’ve done, but there is, however, another principle at stake here. That as an auteur documentarian, I’m not sure it would be my job to make anyone look good, bad, glamorous or indifferent unless that was the remit from the outset - which it was not. However, as a free individual and professional filmmaker, it was simply my wish to go and shoot what was there and cut it together in the most coherent way possible with the material I had and thereby tell a single version of the story. But people’s secrecy very much characterises the first half of the full complete version of the film, e.g., around the Birkenhead clock scenes, no one present would engage with me. At that point I’d made up my mind to return home but overheard a gentleman saying they were going to try and arrest a judge so I stayed around! So what you see in the film is my experience and attempt to understand what was going on, including the liberal use of fully credited inter-textual film references in post production, etc.
Personally, I think it’s fantastic what’s going on with this movement. I’m saddened by your frank admission that your company decided to pull much of the footage of that day. One of the main themes of Lawful Disobedience: ARREST THAT JUDGE! is censorship. The fact is, you cannot broadcast interior footage of a British court room, particularly one doing business, in the UK! Your CEO would be liable to criminal proceedings by the Crown. IOW, you didn’t show it because you couldn’t! I disagree that Ray St Clair couldn’t control the gathering. He did an exemplary job considering the circumstances and was really quite consummate and has emerged from the film as quite a character. I think to expect anything other than certain unruliness from a gathering of this nature may show a degree of naivety. But then I was there and Edge Media TV was not. There is inevitability about the democratization of people with camcorders in that they might not delineate with couth and etiquette what you or I may hold to be dear. Perhaps I myself may be described in those terms too. However, it is worth noting that I’ve had nothing but praise and admiration for the piece and that the only dissenting voice made to me is that of your own. And you are right, it does deserve better portrayal than those poor souls with camcorders can describe – and that’s where professionals and media broadcasters (not unlike myself) come in to order and describe with clarity and reason what lies behind the headline (Hence the BBC footage book-ending the film). In this respect, perhaps your company needs to do something more than talking heads. You may then be alarmed to learn that I’ve entered it into Cambridge IFF (I doubt it will be selected) as well as Wirral IFF (selection has been confirmed). And that the biggest TV distributor in the world is looking at it right now and have requested an additional 14 minutes be added to it before making their final decision. Are you saying this is not a good thing?
What you are saying seems at odds with what the people in the film say such as Brian Gerrish - whom I note you've cc'd your reply to. I would say everyone wants it out there! Perhaps you need to see the full version? As for Edge Media, I’ve lost count of the phone calls and e-m@ils over my work going back to November 2009. Yes, it was offered to Edge by e-m@ils and phone messages but with no reply, as was Parallax World and the Beyond Knowledge II. I also answered your recent appeal for help which is how you appeared on my film ‘contacts’ list. I wasn’t asking for a job – I was simply offering to help. I sincerely hope your company survives - and I really do. I've been a viewer since day 1 and it has really changed my life for the better and given my career a new raison d'etre. I've worked all my life in sterile braodcast and for most of the networks - wasting my talents reinforcing the stereotypes and reimaging the bilge. Edge Media TV's ethos was founded in the spirit of the 60s but it needs to be Punked and Funked. Thanks for taking the time ...
Best wishes,
Kevin West
Producer/Director
cc Richard D Hall, Brian Gerrish
NB: Still awaiting reply, Vox Poppers ...
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