Teaching an Old Toon New Tricks

Part 1 of "Creative Commons Remix Videos," a series of four videocasts. This video remix mashup project samples audio from a presentation by Lawrence Lessig and remixes it using public domain vintage cartoons and music from the Newgrounds audio portal. I wanted to make a remix video that presented Lessig's arguments in a new and entertaining way without obscuring the original message or subtracting from the power of the original words. This video also is a great example of what can be accomplished using material from the creative commons and public domain. Using both old and new media, I've created a compelling, creative work without fear of legal retribution. Half the fun of this video will be trying to figure out what symbols and characters represent in Lessig’s discussion on copyright law and piracy, but I'll provide some guidelines to help aid you. The golden goose/coins/eggs are meant to represent new technologies, and the potential they hold for creative work. The protagonists (Felix and Popeye) are either Lessig or copyright holders, etc., while the pirates are 'pirates' and general opposition. The rest should be fairly self-explanatory. Here is the media that I sampled and remixed: Lessig excerpt from "Who Owns Culture?" (2005) (www.archive.org/details/WhoOwnsCulture) Cartoon footage from Film Chest Vintage Cartoons (www.archive.org) "Felix the Cat: The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg" (1936), by Burt Gillett and Tom Palmer. "Popeye The Sailor: Big Bad Sinbad" (1952), by Seymour Kneitel. Music from the Newgrounds Audio Portal (www.newgrounds.com) "This is Freedom" and "Ode To Angels (Renewed)" by MilkMan_Dan.