We shot all around Chinatown this week. Definitely captured the neighborhood. Here is our director of photography, Owen Strock, getting the very necessary shot of duck and chicken hanging in the window. You can barely see it, but in the background is a cook in his chef whites chopping meat. Owen is amazing at rack focusing, which he nailed on this shot.
We are in the middle of a lot of shooting. I will be documenting the process. Check our Flickr page and Facebook (www.facebook.com/arcademovie) for more!
-Kurt
A letter I received about a night at Chinatown Fair arcade
I got this in my inbox last night and thought I would share it with you guys.
I’m not a super avid arcade gamer by any stretch of the imagination. That being said, one of my favorite nights ever was spent at Chinatown Fair.
My roommates and I were Sophomores at NYU, living on the border of Chinatown and the Financial District at the time. After a particularly rough run, we were all depressed, bored, and my one roommate had just been broken up with. We decided that we needed to do something. Wandering to one of Chinatown’s closet-like liquor stores where you pay through a hole in the glass, we got a few little bottles of booze using my fake ID, and mixed it with the Gatorade each of us had just picked up. It was classy.
Then, we wandered over to Chinatown Fair. It’s hard to describe why - the alcohol, the camaraderie or the video games - but this place was an escape for us that night. I still remember it fondly and talk about playing a seemingly unnamed Japanese vertically scrolling shooter that we pumped at least 20 dollars into, just for the mere fact that you get a giant movable laser cannon. Something changed in our collective friendship that night.. we all became a little closer.
A week or so ago, I was enthusiastically telling another friend about Chinatown Fair and demanded we go - which is when I found out it was closed. I wanted to play that shooter with the laser cannon and now, all I’ve got is the memory of the experience. Which may be better than the actual game, admittedly, but still.
-Steve
I think a lot of people have had similar experiences at Chinatown Fair. Irene, Reed, and I spent a lot of time at Next Level arcade this weekend. Friday night felt a whole lot like the way CF used to feel. I am so happy that Nick and Henry, the owners of Next Level, have put their heart into creating such a welcoming place.
-Kurt
The Arcade project was selected as a “New and Noteworthy” project, which is seen right there at the top of the Discover Projects page!!! Great start…..here we go!
Trailer for ARCADE.
Features music by Grey Scarey and Clams Casino.
Direct link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCaKaM7kIb8
Please share it with your friends!
Scouting NY has an amazing set of photos of the arcade.
These were taken a month before the closing. And a really great blog featuring all sorts of cool places in NYC.
SCREEN GRAB #2
Time Crisis 4
This is a glance into Chinatown Fair. It’s 3:30 on a Friday afternoon. ARCADE is a feature length documentary about Chinatown Fair, New York’s last arcade. After half a century of being in business Chinatown Fair suddenly closed after receiving an unexpected eviction notice, echoing the fate of many other small businesses in New York City. The arcade is yet another NYC landmark to be lost.
Filmed during Chinatown Fair’s last day in business, the movie captures the diverse community that called the arcade home. Interviews with Chinatown Fair regulars reveal a subculture full of surprising stories and amazing characters.
Kickstarter
I am learning as much as I can about Kickstarter. Preparing for the launch of a Kickstarter project for Arcade. I am amazed at the support that so many of the projects receive. It is remarkable and exciting. There are films that have raised more funds than they could ever receive from studios or other movie producing entities. In most cases these films wouldn’t be able to raise any money traditional outlets. But on Kickstarter they have raised in some cases over a $100,000. Seriously! This is insane. If you have a great idea and put it out there people will find it. It makes sense. I am going to get really creative with the Kickstarter for Arcade. If you have any ideas for cool incentives please let me know in the comments.
