REFORMAT THE PLANET (& REFORMAT THE PLANET 1.5)
74 minutes/US/English (25 minutes/US/English)
Feature Documentary/Gaming & Fandom (Short Documentary/Gaming & Fandom)
Director: Paul Owens
2playerproductions.com/projects/rtp
HEADLINING GEEK GUEST FILMMAKERS - 2 PLAYER PRODUCTIONS
ABOUT REFORMAT THE PLANET (& REFORMAT THE PLANET 1.5) - REFORMAT THE PLANET (RTP) is a feature length documentary which delves into the movement known as chip music, a vibrant underground scene based around creating new, original music using obsolete video game hardware. Familiar devices such as the Nintendo Game Boy and Nintendo Entertainment System are pushed in new directions with startling results. REFORMAT THE PLANET began with the intention of documenting the influence of video game culture on an increasingly diverse range of modern art. Originally titled “Play”, the project served as the genesis of 2 PLAYER PRODUCTIONS in 2005. The fledgling crew set out conducting interviews with various artists, including several noted members of the game development community. After documenting several live chip music performances in New York City and being invited to film the first year of the now annual Blip Festival, it was clear that they stood before a rich cultural mine that few were tapping in any long-form projects. The decision to focus the film on the varied personalities of the NYC chip music scene was a quick and obvious one. Following its premiere at the 2008 South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival, RTP continued to play to eager audiences around the globe. Trendsetting music outlet, Pitchfork.com, streamed the film online as part of its new video service - Pitchfork.tv. - and record view numbers resulted in the limited engagement being extended for an additional week.
During preparation for the film's DVD release, tragedy struck when hard drive failure wiped out nearly the entire film. In the time it took to rebuild the film from the source tapes, 2 PLAYER watched the NYC chip scene evolve in drastic new directions. Changing styles and an influx of new performers is the inspiration for the follow up documentary REFORMAT THE PLANET 1.5 (RTP 1.5) an exclusive feature of the Reformat the Planet DVD release. Source: filmmaker
-- To read about the filmmakers please see the Headlining Film program, or the Geek Film Fest website.
* Director Paul Owens, producer Paul Levering, and cinematographer Asif Siddiky of 2 PLAYER PRODUCTIONS in attendance July 1-3!