Posted by Anonomous videographer on March 13, 2006 at 16:45:24:
In Reply to: Oregon Country Fair Video? posted by Artiztik on March 13, 2006 at 03:14:22:
There was some footage of OCF in the your clips section of coccovision a while back i think. I can tell you right now unless you bring a crew with you, you wont be able to get enough footage in one year to make a DVD. I have never been to this event, but i can tell by looking at the galleries here a few things.
The total # of topless babes is not huge
Most are shy. You might get them to pose for a camcorder, but they arent going to stand there for 5 minutes while you close up the boobs like say at NAP. Most the footage would have to be, as they say, candid.
The crowds dont look big enough to hide out in. One camcorder in a crowd of hundred thousand isnt noticable. One guy with a camcorder standing next to a group a topless babes in a sparse crowd is very noticable. Events like say folsom allow me to disapear into the crowd if anyone gets angry/vocal. OCF you could be confronted, no one wants to get beat up by hippies.
This event isnt focused on sex, the nudity is almost totally non sexual. I dont want to generalize but these arent drunken party boat chicks, its a whole other demographic. To be successful the person shooting will have to adapt.
I post this not to discourage, in fact i would love to see an OCF dvd. I think events like this are more interesting than say mardi gras. If anyone is serious about making a DVD of this i would suggest going back multiple years and going slowly. Build up footage slowly. Dont chase anyone. If anyone says back off, leave them alone. Dress the part, dont try too hard and wear tie dye, but at least blend in. Costumed people look like part of the party, not voyeuristic outsiders
If you do it in a sustainble fashion that doesnt scare the women, and you manage to not be known as the perv with the camera, you might be able to make it. Just remember your dvd will never outsell Party cove. I am moving to the west coast in 07 and will attempt to shoot some video there but i can tell you now it will take several years to get enough footage from ocf to make a video.
: Has anyone out there ever shot any video of the Oregon Country Fair? I know video cameras are officially "not allowed", while courteous users of still cameras are "no problem", and I never could quite understand the distiction of WHY. To my mind there is a world of amazing imagery there, and not everybody has the opportunity to experience the magic first hand. I think it is time for someone to make an official or unofficial documentary, with the emphasis on all the dancing and drum circles.