CALL FOR ENTRIES-NEW PROJECT: THE LAST WORD
CREATIVE PROJECT-PARTICIPATION NEEDED
You and everyone you know will die. Now is your chance to choose words to leave behind and say them while people can still hear. What is it that you want the world to know? What is your message to future generations? What is the most important thing you have learned? What is the greatest mistake you’d like to warn others about? What is the last thing someone said to you before they passed away? Experimental producer Matt Frantz is asking you to answer any or all of these questions for a project called “The Last Word”.
Frantz produced “The Last Signal”, which was an international collection of songs and sounds revolving around the sound of the end of the world. This time, he is collecting recorded statements, not about a theoretical ending on a large scale, but about personal reflection of the inevitable.
The point of this is for you to make a record of your last words, or words that have deeply affected you, before you reach the end of your life. Because we share many of the same experiences and emotions, creativity is less important than sincerity. This collection is being gathered as an attempt to record some of the most personal thoughts and strong feelings that are important in a medium that is easily accessible. Not everyone has access to the final thoughts of others, such as notes to loved ones, or expressions of remorse.
RULES:
1. Free to enter. No payment will taken or given for participation. If your entry is used, you will get a free copy of the final recording on CD or a link for a digital download.
2. All entries must include a signed entry form. Entries will not be returned.
3. Entries must be on CD, cassette, or as digital files (AIF, WAV, or mp3).
4. Keep entries under 6 minutes (make contact to discuss longer ideas or more involved collaboration).
5. The words should be your own. Quoting others is okay, but no plagiarism is not. Recordings of others must be with consent of everyone involved.
Suggestions:
1. Put emphasis on communication. If you are too abstract, or cryptic for the average person to understand, then your last words may be misinterpreted or taken as irrational.
2. Insults and vengeful statements are often considered reactionary and impulsive. Take time to weigh what you want to say against how you want to be remembered.
3. Be honest. If you can’t tell the truth, then your words aren't worth saving.
4. Your beliefs will not be shared by everyone. Rather than try to persuade people to agree with you, just help them understand what you consider important enough to include in the summary of your life.
5. Overly sentimental, dramatic, or cliche comments will more than likely be taken less seriously than intended. If your final statement is laughed at, ideally it will be because you wanted it to be.
6. Make the recording for yourself, think about it for a while (a luxury many people do not have), and then decide if you would like to submit it to be a part of this project and share with others.
2 WAYS TO ENTER
1. CLICK HERE for a printable entry form to mail in with a CD or standard size cassette tape
2. CLICK HERE to submit files electronically through this website
All entries must be received by January 1, 2012.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS (the fine print)
ABOUT THE FINAL PRODUCT
Though the end product may be sold in it’s final form, it should not be considered a for-profit effort. The tentative final form of this project is to be a professionally produced and packaged compact disc. This is subject to change, and is largely dependent upon the quantity and nature of received entries. No guarantee of publishing is implied, and all creative decisions remain with the producer. Those that have entries used on the completed project will be sent a free compact disc or a link to download it.
After all entries have been collected at the beginning of 20121, production will begin. The complexity and length of this project is based upon the entries received. The final form of the project is also a variable. It may be a single track with overlapping voices collaged together with music and sound produced on compact disc and offered for sale, or it might be a series of short dialogue for free download as mp3 files. Artistic direction is the sole decision of Matt Frantz.
ABOUT THE LANGUAGE
This will be for English speaking audiences. Use of offensive language, or statements that others may find offensive is your choice. Consider your words carefully, and if you are satisfied with your statement, send it in. See the note about editing below.
ABOUT EDITING
On the project entry form, there is an option to indicate what level of editing you will to be done with your entry. Ideally, all submissions will allow editing of any kind to maximize potential for the project. However, it is understandable that some may not want their last words to be changed at all. Editing for length, means that the submission will be presented as a clip of the full entry, most likely for the purpose of condensing the project to have the most impact in the shortest time span. If you choose the option for no editing, then inclusion of your entry will be considered on an "as is" basis. This makes it less likely that it will be used, but also means that your statement will not be changed at all. In this context, editing does not refer to adjustments of volume or any kind of sound enhancement.
ABOUT CREDIT
The entry form has additional details about options for consent regarding editing, credits, and anonymity. You have the option to submit files and request to not be credited, to use a pen name, or to have credit given in the project notes. If you'd like to state your name and introduce yourself on the recording, that is an option as well.
ABOUT COPYRIGHT
Copyright for each entry will remain with the participant, though compilation as a whole will be under a separate copyright which will prohibit unauthorized duplication. What this means is that you will retain the rights to whatever you submit to reuse or republish as you wish, but that the project in its final form will not be yours to reuse or publish.
STARTING POINT QUESTIONS
If you would like to participate, but are not sure where to begin, consider the following as starting points:
What is it that you want the world to know?
What is your message to future generations?
What is the most important thing you have learned?
What is the greatest mistake you’d like to warn others about?
What is the last thing someone said to you before they passed away?
What would you say to the person that murders you?
What would you say to the person that saves your life through great sacrifice?
What would you say to a person dying a painful death due to a terminal disease?
What would say to a loved one that is attempting suicide because of depression or heartache?
What would you say to someone causing your death because of an honest mistake?
What would you say to someone causing your death because of being drunk?
What would you say to someone killing a loved one because of being drunk?
What do you want the world to know about you if you die doing something wrong?
What do you want the world to know about you if you die doing something right?
Please share information about this project with everyone
Including: young people, old people, smart people, stupid people, rich people, poor people, creative people, bureaucrats, healthy people, sick people, happy people, sad people, successful people, failures, people in prison, people that are retired, people that have turned their life around, and people that don't want to think but you can trick into doing so with this project. Especially them.
Send them a link to this page or print and post copies of the ENTRY FORM
Thank You!
UPDATE 3/1/2011
I appreciate your words Sandy Fonzo. I wish I could do more for you. For those of you that don't know about the story of Sandy Fonzo, she confronted judge Mark Ciavarella that injustly sentenced her 17 year old son. The judge was convicted of racketeering in a $2.8 million "kids for cash" plot to send youth offenders to for-profit detention centers. AS he was leaving the court to return home as a free man until sentencing, Fonzo tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. "My kid's not here anymore!" she screamed. "He's dead! Because of him! He ruined my ... life! I'd like him to go to hell and rot there forever! Do you remember me? Do you remember me? Do you remember my son, an all-star wrestler? He's gone. He shot himself in the heart." Then he turned his back again and walked down the steps.
Sandy's words are ones that Mark Chiavarella needs to hear louder than any of us can scream.
News article:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/02/22/MNTU1HS7C0.DTLhttp://www.timesleader.com/news/Mother_turns_her_focus_to_families_02-28-2011.html
http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2011/02/23/kids-for-sale-unbelievable/
Audio interview with Sandy Fonzo from wilknewsradio:
http://audio.wilknewsradio.com/hosting/media/wilknewsradio/904978/c-documents-and-settings-nkman-000-desktop-sandy-fonzo.mp3
Video clips:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLqjZq9uh5E
http://www.democracynow.org/seo/2011/2/22/judge_convicted_in_pennsylvania_kids_for
