MARCELLUS HALL AN ARTIST IN NEW YORK CITY (2021)

Awards

Audience Choice Award for Best Series at YoFiFest.

I ♥ New York Award and Outstanding Achievement in Editing at NYC WebFest.

Best International Art Direction, Best International Montage, & Best International Original Music Score as a Webdoc at Cusco WebFest

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This project is available for Educational Distribution through Infobase today!

REVIEWS

“…this wonderful documentary about Marcellus Hall.  He’s one of my favorite lyricists, one of my favorite songwriters, singers, one of my favorite artists and writers.  Going, he does it all and he does it with feeling.”

-Bob Odenkirk

“An immersive experience.  The music was great... the animation, the artist's work was wonderful.  I highly recommend.”

-Cirina Catania, Co-founder of the Sundance Film Festival

SELECTED AWARDS

Audience Choice Award for Best Series at YoFiFest.

I ♥ New York Award and Outstanding Achievement in Editing at NYC WebFest.

Best International Art Direction, Best International Montage, & Best International Original Music Score as a Webdoc at Cusco WebFest

Illustration by Marcellus Hall

Illustration by Marcellus Hall

An upcoming 5 part series on Marcellus Hall, illustrator & musician. Part of the larger Artist & the City project.

SYNOPSIS

The Artist & the City series is an internet documentary series that shows how an artist etched out a career for themselves by making art.  In a time when automation is taking jobs, it is said creative jobs will be more prominent.  The Artist & the City series examines how artists make a living by creating by listening to the perspectives of artists who have actually done it.

Each series of less than 10 minute episodes will take us through the life as an artist with relation to the location they have lived while creating.  The series does this by using only the artist’s words, music, and artwork.  Through the exploration of interviews and art we learn each artist’s creative process in relationship to the iconic location in which they live.

Our first season of five episodes focuses on Marcellus Hall is an illustrator and musician that lives in New York, NY and has created illustrations and music there for over three decades for incredible outlets such as the New Yorker, New York Times, and Matador Records.

Illustration by Marcellus Hall

Illustration by Marcellus Hall

TOPIC SUMMARY

Computers and robots took over a half million lost American manufacturing jobs between 1990 and 2007.  On top of that, industrial robots are expected to quadruple in the next century.  Computers are taking away repetitive tasks that have created work for people around the world.  With this change what work looks like in the future will also change.  Creativity is one work function few believe computers can replicate.  As with the industrial revolution many jobs will be done by machines, leaving humans more time to be creative.  Freelancers are predicted to become the United States workforce majority within a decade and have grown 14% in the past decade in Great Britain.  An Artist & the City series explores the life of a creative artist living in one location by experiencing their artistic output over time. This documentary series will help teach the next generation of job hunters what it is like to earn a living as a freelance creative.

Illustration by Marcellus Hall

Illustration by Marcellus Hall

Throughout the process of this series Fourwind Films gains access to the art archives of the artists to display famous finished products as well as drafts and different sections of the creative projects that don’t normally see the light of day.

This series continues Fourwind Films’ belief that diversity is important.  Diversity of perspective is proven to increase profit, performance, and problem solving efforts.  Diversity and perspective inherently is defined from one’s own experiences including a person’s location and economic status.  Artistic output is a reflection of an individual’s perspective.



Illustration by Marcellus Hall

Illustration by Marcellus Hall

Justin Joseph Hall with mic in hand in blue sweatshirt and plaid pants introducing We Don't Even Know from episode 077

Justin Joseph Hall

Justin says that film style of the series of an Artist & the City was heavily influenced by the interviewing style of Errol Morris in the Fog of War.  The importance was held on interviewing an individual and having them recount their lives without obstruction from other voices. This style lets audiences understand an individual perspective.  By spending time one-on-one with an individual you come to understand and learn the subject’s mannerisms. The first season of the series focuses on Marcellus Hall who holds strong to his ideals as a creative artist.  His focus has always been to make a living by creating illustrations and music. 

Marcellus is Justin’s dad’s cousin but more importantly he was his mentor as a creative artist when he moved to New York City.  He began this project wondering what if he had moved to New York and didn’t have a mentor in the creative field?  How would he have etched a path for myself as a creative freelancer in this expensive city?  As jobs are being obliterated by technology we need to teach more people that it is possible to make a living creating art.

Photo by Daria Huxley

PRODUCTION STATUS

Set for release in the second half of 2021, we're currently seeking partners in distribution. Get in touch with us.

Please be a part in the creation of the film with contributions:

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