Few film festivals bring out a star-studded cast for their interactive programming. Luckily, TIFF decided to keep things high profile when they showcased hitRECord last Monday.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt hosted the event, which was devoted to original shorts and on-the-spot collaboration. The hitRecord website, which Levitt formed roughly five years ago, is a collaborative production company focused on the areas of video, writing, photography, and music. Artists from all over the world can share ideas and inspirations with this online community and work on projects as a collective.
Gordon-Levitt presented recent collaborations at TIFF’s Bell Lightbox and used the live setting to refine existing pieces. As host, the actor was incredibly engaging and enthusiastic, inviting audience members on stage to share personal stories, recite anecdotes, and even provide sound-effects for videos. Fresh from the premiere of his latest film, 50/50, he was even able to convince co-star Anna Kendrick to join him on stage and narrate a short story about first love.
Most surprising was Levitt’s insistence that audience members turn on all phones and recording devices, a direct rejection of every copyright infringement ad plastered across festival screens. Each smart phone and digital camera was aglow, granting everyone an opportunity to tape his or her own unique perspective of the night. An inspiring get-together, especially for Toronto’s young artistic community, the show deviated from TIFF’s usual style of programming that fixates on artists who have already secured success. HitRECord’s backing of digital remix culture at a time when Tumblr and Twitter are social network kings is commendable and very much appreciated. Joseph Gordon-Levitt has posted his own personal footage of the show on the hitRECord website – and after viewing it, you may well be inspired to start carrying around your own recording device on a daily basis.
