“In Transition 2.0 is underway.  Transition Network have green lighted the budget and formed a dream team to make it happen: Emma Goude, Beccy Strong and Emilio Mula.

We’re looking for match funding so we can pay filmmakers around the world to put their talents to getting behind the scenes of Transition where they are: USA, Brazil, Japan, and New Zealand are current favourites.  Beccy is approaching a distributor to find out what they’d be able to sell to broadcasters and a fund raiser to see if there are any pots of funding for community filming ventures.  We’re also looking at crowd funding so if anyone knows much about this we need your help!

Experience and feedback from the first film is influencing how we approach this second one.  One thing that stood out to me whilst editing the first film was that the best contributions came from experienced filmmakers.   It takes practice to know what footage is needed to create a beginning, middle and end to a story.   It’s not simply a case of point and shoot what’s happening.  So this time we’re focussing our call for footage to filmmakers with experience.  Please get in touch if you’d like to contribute.

But don’t just send us your footage!  We have a rough outline for the film and are looking for specific examples to illustrate each stage of Transition.  We have linking questions that everyone is going to be asked so that the film can hold itself together better.  So before you go out shooting, it’s really crucial to get in touch with us to discuss our requirements.

Last time we divided the film up into Groups, energy, food etc… because most initiatives were in these early stages of creating visible projects.  But this time we want to tell the story of Transition from starting an initiative through to affecting political change on a larger scale.  We’re hoping to find a likeable character who’s only just decided to get Transition off the ground in their local area.  So if you think you may be that person, or know if that person please get in touch.

If you have an idea for a story, or something is happening in your local area that you feel really gets across the essence of the stage of Transition you are at then we’d also like to hear from you.

We are looking for stories that will SHOW not just TELL typical scenarios that arise at each stage.  We want failures, conflicts, difficulties, frustrations and how these are overcome or why they are insurmountable.  This film needs to do more than inspire.   It needs to show what it’s like to tackle global problems at the local level.

So to summarize we need:

• Talented film makers
• Engaging character who’s only just starting
• Powerful stories that move us – particularly from outside the UK…

This film needs to have more dramatic tension than the last and a reason to keep watching.  It needs to answer the question what has Transition achieved so far and where does it go from here?  What has been learnt and what pearls of wisdom can you pass on?

Research officially kicks off on Monday 16^th May.  This gives you time to think, talk and research your own stories.  It would be great if you could find out what’s happening locally and sniff out the most cinematic stories”.

Email: emmagoude (at) hotmail.com

“In Transition 1.0″: Rejoice, Rejoice, We Have No Choice” A Review by Stephen Cook, Transition Denver.

From Transition Times (Colorado edition).

It’s not surprising the first documentary is already here on the Transition Movement, given the speed at which initiatives are springing up around the world. Emma Goude’s superb “In Transition 1.0″ should only add fuel to the spreading fire.  While the film touches on Transition efforts worldwide, this is a Brit production through and through. It seems they have taken off the training wheels.

Certainly the locus of the movement in Totnes benefits from the sparks thrown off for years by Schumacher College. The great British journal of ecology, spirituality and the arts, Resurgence, is published in Devon. And, all the villages in the film testify that now is the time for a movement and Transition is the model we’ve been creating.

The obvious advantage conferred by living in villages does not mask the fact the fundamentals still apply. Watch the locals put centrally located land back into food production. (That isn’t now a car park, that is). Enjoy the zest with which reskilling expertise is passed along. Marvel at the rocking, packed hall as the Lewes Pound is introduced. Tour a school where community building is taught. And, go inside Norfolk council chambers as members discuss passing ordinances to accelerate Transition initiatives.

And there are the children. Lots of children. They are woven as a strand through the piece; their beaming faces a glimpse of a future with more holiness. We watch them as they learn and we listen as they speak in their own voices. A poised young lady emerges as one of the film’s narrators.

The movie explains but doesn’t dwell on the twin shocks of peak oil and climate change. We nod at the foolishness of importing 80% of the fruit to a land so bountiful. But the notion of community resiliency is really the star of this show. Perhaps the English suffered a particularly low blow from what we may term the “Great Disrespecting.” That is, disrespecting the local and the communal and the homemade in favor of the meteoric climb of the individual. Defining success without clear consideration of relation to the rest of existence. It is a joy to watch them begin to re-claim their birthright.

Surely we know some of what the future holds: the deprecations from all the threatened economic actors; the detours along the way. But, as “In Transition 1.0″ reminds us, we are on the path. . . . . . Carry on.

You can buy copies of the 2 disc DVD set of the film here.

“I just wanted to say a huge thank you to you and your colleagues at Transition Network for allowing us to show the Transitions 1.0 movie at nef The Bigger Picture festival on 24 October. I am sorry to say I contravened every health and safety rule in the book for the screening of your movie. So many people wanted to see it that in the film screening room we had the aisles chock full of people sitting on the floor as well as people standing at the back etc. This eagerness to see your movie typified the atmosphere of the day which was one of incredible commitment, enthusiasm and, I have to say though it’s not a fashionable word these days, real fervour. We had around 1500 people attend the event, although unfortunately we had to turn many more away because of the venue capacity. Though we didn’t keep a log of people’s affiliations, personally I recognised many faces in the audience from the Transitions conference or from my local transitions group (transition brockley).

Lily, one of the organisers of NEF’s Bigger Picture event

Hi all, We had a blast at our screening! We’ve done up a Calgary Transition Town video and are cutting in some video of the event then we’ll send it to you.

Gerald Wheatley, Arusha, US

We debuted In Transition last night in Los Angeles.  We had a good crowd – a lot of new faces, and more exciting, the attendees were from quite a broad panorama of neighborhoods within the vast Los Angeles basin.  Since our current goal is to trickle Transition ideas into as many communities as we can, this was right on track.

Joanne Poyourow, Transition Los Angeles City Hub

We have received the movie – thanks a lot! Yesterday we did a small private screening – it is really well done and transports the TT spirit very authentically in form, images, sound and “mood”. Was very moved & inspired afterwards.  Congratulations to all involved & am sure it will be a huge help in getting the excitement level about TT in Bielefeld and Germany to a whole new level.

Gerd Wessling, Transition Bielefeld, Germany:

In Transition 1.0 from Transition Towns on Vimeo.

Part Two | Part Three (to come) | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six

‘In Transition’ has been show in communities around the world to enthusiastic audiences, and is now available as a special edition 2 disc DVD set, beautifully packaged in entirely compostable packaging, featuring the film itself (with subtitles in Deutsch, Español, Français, Italiano,and Nederlands) and an embarrassment of outtakes and extras, with interviews, films about Transition you’ve been searching high and low for quality copies of, and other gems. It is a must-have for anyone with an interest in this new take on responding to the challenges of the 21st century.

Here are those extras in full….

DISC ONE
In Transition 1.0
(includes subtitles in Deutsch, Español, Français, Italiano, Nederlands)
Extras

1. Future Proof Kilkenny
2. Transition New Zealand
3. Transition Bristol allotments
4. Energy monitor
5. Totnes building group
6. Transitioning Whidbey
7. Isle of Mann bicycle workshop
8. Transition Ladock energy audit
9. Edap
10. Green Mann market

DISC TWO
Bonus disc

1. Hidetake Enomoto: Transition Japan
2. Richard Heinberg: peak everything
3. Transition talks: New Zealand
4. Sophy Banks: burn out
5. Sophy Banks: psychology of change

You can order copies and find out more here, including the great discounts that Transition initiatives can get for bulk buys.  We think you are going to love this, it truly is an object of great beauty.  As well as the DVD itself, the film will, from tomorrow, be available on YouTube in its entirety, as the Radiohead-style ‘pay-what-you-think-its-worth-to-download-it’ thing we wanted to do turned out to be unfeasible.  Of course it would be crassly commercial of me to suggest that this might make a wonderful Christmas present, so I won’t stoop so low…..

Actually, I’m trying to be on holiday too, but had the misfortune of going somewhere that has a reliable broadband connection.

For those people who have seen this movie in one of its previews, you’ll know it’s something a bit special. For those of us who had the good fortune to be involved in it (submitting footage, trying out our best “inscrutable Brad Pitt smile” in the trailer, getting the money together, giving feedback to make it better, making chamomile tea for the director), there’s more than just a little emotion tied up in this production and some high hopes in terms of who it’ll reach and how it’ll affect them. The purpose of this post is to provide the timeline for rolling out the movie for group viewings and beyond, and to state the costs for the group viewing licence. Rob’s earlier post about the rollout cited 9-Sept-09 as a key date for showings. Feedback from groups indicate that while some can make that date, others already have something planned for that period or are unable to set it up without more notice. For that reason, we’re not going to be pushing a mass viewing (a la Age Of Stupid) for 9-Sept-09. Feel free to arrange a viewing at a time that suits you, on a day when the swankiest joint in town is available, or when the Chief Exec of the local council can make it, or on a night that Buffy isn’t on the box.

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Rollout dates

• Available for purchase for group viewings: as of 10-Aug-09 – pricing below
• Available for download on “pay what you think it’s worth” basis: 1-Dec-09 – “home showings only” licence
• Available as a beautifully packaged limited edition 2 disc DVD of the film containing loads of extras, out-takes, some of those clips on YouTube that people like but don’t have good quality versions of, talks, and assorted other Transition film stuff, comprising a real Transition activists resource: 1-Dec-09 - “home showings only” licence, price not yet finalised

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Group viewing licence costs

The amounts cited here include the charge for the physical DVD

• “Official” Transition Initiatives that contributed footage to the movie (even if it didn’t make it to the final cut): £50
• Other “Official” Transition Initiatives: £70
• Other Transition Initiatives: £90
• Other community groups: £110
• Anyone else: £130
• Broadcasting or cablecasting licence: please contact us
• Bulk buying: please contact us
• Using a portion of the movie in your own production: please contact us

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Payment instructions – we’re using PayPal

Movie licence options

“Official” transition groups who contributed movie footage £50.00 Other “Official” transition groups £70.00 Other Transition Initiatives £90.00 Educational licence (named institution) £90.00 Other community groups £110.00 Anyone else £130.00

 
FYI, here’s a list of transition groups that contributed footage.

We’ll be despatching the DVD from 20-Aug-09, so expect it shortly after that date.

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Group viewing licence (summary)

• The licence noted above allows you to:
  • give an unlimited number of showings of the movie in your community to unlimited numbers of people and pets
  • charge a modest admission fee to cover costs or fundraise for a non-profit group
  • … as long as the DVD used is the original
• This licence prohibits you from:
  • making copies of the movie
  • selling on your group viewing licence
  • broadcasting or cablecasting the movie
  • using the movie contents within another broadcast or movie

If you chose to buy a group showing licence, we’ll be asking you to send us via email your agreement to a more fully worded licence arrangement. We’re working on the words to that (slowly ‘cos everyone’s on holiday), but it’ll be ready soon.

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Why we’re not giving the movie away

This movie cost quite a lot of money. Not quite up there with War & Peace with its $100 million budget and 7 years of filming, but the money needs to be earned to pay back the investors and loan sharks, and we’d like a little over as start-up funding for “In Transition 2.0″.

For those groups that are reluctant to charge for the movie (and any talks or process you set up around it), it’s important to recognise the value of what you’re showing – any individual who is moved to concentrate on building personal and community resilience as a result of viewing this will be immeasurable “wealthier” in real terms. That kind of experience is worth charging for, and certainly worth paying for.

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Other things to do at the showing

Here are some suggestions from the Transition Initiative Primer:

1. Introduce the film personally by putting it into the context of your overall hopes for your community
2. Have everyone turn to someone they don’t know and, in turns, introduce themselves and explain what brought them to the event that night
3. Show the movie
4. Have everyone pair up (preferably with someone they don’t know) and do an active talking/listening exercise about their impressions of the movie (ie one talks for 3 minutes while the other listens, then they switch over). You can give direction with something like “Say what gives you cause for concern and then what gives you cause for hope about the movie”
5. Run a Q&A on Peak Oil and/or Climate Change. Make sure you have someone there who knows what he/she is talking about – though it’s no shame to say “I don’t know, but I can find out and get back to you”.
6. Watch out for the “I’m alone in the depths of my fear” type questions – they’re typically a cry out for counselling or connection and can paralyse a room. What can work in that situation is to acknowledge the person’s fear and then to ask in the room “if there’s anyone here who has a part of themselves that is full of fear around this, please put up your hand”. Put yours up first… and hope! Unless you’re sitting in a room full of denial, you’ll see a lot of hands shoot up. You can then explain that the Transition model has a place where people can move through their fears and into a place of action (usually handled by the “Heart and Soul” group, once it’s formed).

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Any last questions…?

Please direct them to “transitionmovie@googlemail.com”.

Happy viewing and transitioning. I’m off to a “pick yer own” farm for strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, and looking forward to a tasty dessert tonight – and uncharacteristically for an English summer, it’s sun cream weather. Yippeee!

** Please note: Due to a Request from the US that not enough people had heard about this in time, this online preview screening will now be extended until last thing Sunday night (BST)**

The film ‘In Transition’ is now available for viewing, for the next 72 hours.  The version being screened is not the final version, it still has a sequence to add and some tidying up to do, but is almost there.  We very much hope you enjoy it (you will need Quicktime on your computer)….  Please leave comments and feedback below.  For more information on the film’s release click here.  Also, if having seen it you would like to make a donation to help us finish it, please use the Paypal button below. So, to watch ‘In Transition’, click here.  Enjoy it and no rusting your popcorn at the back now please…. hey, and you two in the back row, do you mind?

Stage 1.  The Online Preview.

The exact url. of where to find the film will be posted here, at Transition Culture, on the evening of Thursday 11th 2009 (BST).  The film will then remain online until early Sunday morning, when it will be taken down, … this means that it’s available for a full 48 hours in all timezones. That is, from New Zealand’s midnight Thursday 11th to Alaska’s midnight Sat 13th.  The version of the film that will be available is not the final version, as there are still a few tweaks to make, and one final section to add to it, but it is nearly there, and we can’t keep you waiting any longer.  During those two days you will be able to watch it as many times as you like, and leave your thoughts and comments.  Tell your friends!

Stage 2. Indie Screenings.

This young man and his geodesic climbing frame are the real stars of 'In Transition'...

We’re planning then to make the film available via the Age of Stupid’s Indie Screenings website (although this is still being finalised).  The idea is that people will be able to buy the film via the website, on a sliding scale, depending on whether they are individuals, businesses, groups organising community screenings and so on.  Our hope would be that as many Transition initiatives as possible will get copies via. Indie Screenings and organise a screening on Wednesday 9th September… be great to have a simultaneous premiere across the world (more details to follow).

Stage 3. Pay What You Wish

From November 1st 2009, the film will then be made available as a download on a Pay What Its Worth To You basis, like ‘In Rainbows’ by top pop combo Radiohead.

Stage 4. Limited Edition DVD Release

Then, on December 1st 2009, we will be releasing a beautifully packaged limited edition 2 disc DVD of the film containing loads of extras, out-takes, some of those clips on YouTube that people like but don’t have good quality versions of, talks, and assorted other Transition film stuff, comprising a real Transition activists resource.  It will be to be such a wonderful artifact that you will pass it on to your great-grandchildren (although heaven knows what they will be able to play it on by then…).

Stage 5.  Shown on Mainstream TV Around the World

Well, maybe.  I think we are getting a bit carried away now…

Stage 6.  Essential Viewing for Every MP

It will be screened every day in the Houses of Parliament, and standing for re-election will depend on a 20 question exam about the contents of the film (now we really are getting a bit silly, but who knows…)

Hopefully this is all clear, do send any questions, as comments below, as you are almost certainly not the only person wondering…. you could also send in your ideas for other Stages….

Helping to Fund the Film.

We have been very lucky in raising finances to make the film from several charitable trusts.  However, we have reached the end of that, and still need a few thousand pounds for the final editing stages of the film.  Any donations are welcome, but any that are over £1,000 would be very welcome, and would mean your name would appear in the titles, and we would be eternally in your debt and grovellingly grateful.  You can use the ‘Donate’ button below… please support this important tool for spreading the Transition message.  Thanks.

So, if you have active projects in any of the following categories, we need to know the name of your Transition iniative, the name of the project, and the date it started.  That’s it.  No great project outlines or photos, just the name, in order to give a sense of what is happening.  The category headings are;

• Food
• Money
• Education
• Energy
• Building
• Transport
• Engaging Local Government

See you name in lights!  Smell the greasepaint!  Lights, camera, action!  Of course, whether or not you will be able to handle the fame is another question, but for now, please post your projects in the Comments box below, and please do so before Wednesday morning!  Many thanks.

We are delighted to announce the near-launch of ‘In Transition’, the hour-long documentary about Transition.  The film is the work of director Emma Goude, with production by Smith and Watson, and with input from Transition communities around the world (for the story of the film, click here.  For those of you who felt the Age of Stupid only told one half of the story, here is the other half.  It tells the story of the generation that looked peak oil and climate change square in the face, and responded with creativity, compassion and genius. We think you’re going to love it.  Here is the trailer…

In the film you will see the stories of communities creating their own currencies, setting up their own pubs, planting trees, growing food.  You’ll see local authorities getting behind their local Transition initiatives, and get a sense of the scale of this emerging movement.  It is a story of hope, and it is a call to action.

The first chance to see the film will be on Saturday May 23rd at 1.45pm, with the premiere of the film at the Transition Network Conference 2009 at the Battersea Arts Centre in London.  However, this event is now sold out, and many of you weren’t able to make it anyway, so at the same time as the film is being shown in Battersea, it will also be streamed live online here (there’s nothing there yet, but just wanted to make sure you have the link.  You will be able to leave comments and thoughts once you have seen it.  It will be released on DVD later in the year, with lots and lots of extras.

Please help us spread the word! Post this trailer on your blogs, tell people about the premiere, Twitter it, spread it around.

Local writer Caspar Walsh has helped script the drama element of it. And we’ve had actors in to bring it alive. The idea is that two elders are looking back from 2066 at when Transition began. The challenge will be to make it obvious to the audience that the younger person is the elder in 2006. The title of the film is still undecided, in spite of your many hundreds of suggestions! It’s simple to make up a title, but it takes a genius to make up a title that sounds simple!

When it’s all fine cut and the graphics have given it an identity we’ll need to focus on distributing it and getting it out there so lots of people can see it. That means DVD, internet and trying to repackage it for a broadcaster.  If anyone’s got any connections or suggestions for that side of things then please let us know. This is your film but it needs to reach others who are ready to take action.

Emma Goude