A critisim on the state of the arts.

I recently did a report based on the new media premise of Podcasting. Its a topic I found incredibly interesting because of its independent roots. In a world full of Michael Bay films and over produced pop songs, I think that the world needs entertainment that is tangible for people who are growing up.

Podcasts are arguably one of the cheapest forms of entertainment that i can think of. When it all boils down, its just a person (or a couple of people) and a microphone. It takes a computer and an internet connection and you can have your very own specialized radio show. The simplicity is really an incredible thing.

The podcast that inspired me is one called Smodcast. Smodcast is a show directed by well known, low-budget filmmaker, Kevin Smith and his producer and long time friend Scott Mosier. Smith and Mosier started the podcast as a way to reunite and get a chance to talk to each other once a week. the show varies topics based on what the two are thinking about and really has no important purpose. The show has just recently reached its 300th episode this week, a feat 7 years in the making.

Listening to this show has inspired me to want to start my own podcast. I am someone who glamorizes the 'indie' way of thinking, especially when it comes to entertainment and art. Seeing the success of Smodcast makes someone who aspires to be in the arts someday, such as myself, feel attainable. It doesn't feel that far away and having that as a motivating factor is very important not only to myself but young artists all over the world.

If the only art I had to relate to were summer blockbusters and flashy pop songs, I dont know if I necessarily would be where I am at in the creative process. I think that when people think of 'Hollywood' it seems like a place that only the most important people hang out and live. I don't think it should be this way at all. I think that the way movies and music are being made today is off putting to some and it is losing its connection to the arts.

Podcasting brings out the indie roots in all of us. We can say and do whatever we want. That is what i think art is, and what i think we should be telling aspiring artists. Its not about who can make the biggest explosions, but who can tell me the best story.