Is Slow TV coming to the Mid West?

Further UPDATE, April 2016...

Prerecorded web Slow TV has indeed arrived in the Mid West; FoodFarmsCSA now have a few videos available on their channel.

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UPDATE on the story originally posted below on 17th December

Hear an interview on the Green Visions feature from KUMD Duluth Public Radio, Lisa Johnson talks with Janaki Fisher-Merrit of Food Farms - at this link here. Updated 21st January 2016.

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You may have wondered "Will Norwegian Slow TV ever arrive in the USA? Even in the Mid West?" Well, a family run organic farm in Wrenshall, Minnesota is bringing "Food Farm Slow TV" to the web. 

A short taster clip on YouTube gives the suggestion that this is going to be a web based Slow TV of the type closer to 'Wallpaper TV' or 'Ambient TV' where small details change. It looks to be similar in spirit to the engaging web based Slow TV now broadcast online from the Czech Republic.

Watch the rotating potatoes and occasional darting green gloved hand with the ambient noise of the machinery feeding the produce along. What questions does this make you ask? What are the selection criteria? Where are the spuds coming from? What happens next? Enjoy the taters teasing you with their clip...

Coincidentally just this week Norwegians Worldwide shared on their advent calendar on Facebook that Minnesota has 851,000 Norwegians - the greatest number of Norwegians in any state in the USA.

Norwegian Slow TV has already been transmitted from the Mid West when the First Lutheran Church, the Luren Singing Society and Northern Lights choirs from Decorah, Iowa - just 279 miles drive south from Wrenshall - took part via satellite link in the marathon Hymn Book Slow TV broadcast from Trondheim in November 2014.

Ponderings on a TV broadcast in the USA in 2016 can be found here; and there's a BBC4 broadcast on Christmas Eve of reindeer pulling a sledge for two hours. More details here. 

Food Farm has an extensive blog worth looking at here, a Facebook Page, Instagram and Twitter. 

Slow Television - The Slow TV Blog

Can we help kick start Slow TV in New Zealand?

A Slow TV day exploring in Whatipu, New Zealand

Slow TV in New Zealand? 

Maybe one could argue a case that Slow TV in New Zealand could be watching all three Hobbit films and the extended director's cut box set of The Lord of the Rings in one sitting for that immersive experience of Middle Earth. Maybe even an extended Haka before the All Blacks demolish their opponents.

Well, there's an opportunity to help start some Slow TV in New Zealand without Hobbitses and nasty stinking orcses. Or odd shaped balls.

Nicholas Dunning, who has a background in different visual media is looking to kickstart a project to produce NZ Slow TV long format videos - mainly needing to fund the storage media and power sources needed to record for so long.

Slow TV fishing from the rocks at Orua, New Zealand

Like many of us, he is inspired by the Norwegian series of Slow TV and how well it captures travelling through Norway. The 'vicarious experience' of Slow TV is one reason that people like it. Nicholas comments,

"I felt that it allowed people to experience a trip like the train trip for those who can't afford to get there or don't have the ability or time.

I live in New Zealand and I feel too lucky sometimes, especially when I am overseas and I hear countless times that people would love to visit New Zealand if they ever had the chance. My aim is to bring New Zealand to these people and allow more people to explore this amazing country.

This project would be able to capture all of my true passions and for this I feel that I can do the project justice.

I've got a few videos planned already which are listed on the kickstarter page, they involve long tramps in the bush, days out in the islands fishing, dawn til dusk mountain, beach and forest scenes and much more.

I'm not doing this to make money, I just want to allow people to experience things in the world that they otherwise wouldn't be able to."

A Slow TV day at Marble Bay, New Zealand

So what's needed to make it happen? According to the Slow TV travelling through New Zealand Kickstarter page,

"$1500 covers the cost of all the gear needed to produce high quality 1080p video with high definition sound. If the project reaches $3500, we will be able to produce the footage in 4k resolution with a better stabilising system and better lenses."

Nicholas adds,

"Part of our funding goes towards a steadicam rig that is built into a backpack that holds all of our equipment except for the camera and lens. This way we can walk for 12 hours through the bush and have seamless, cinematic, flowing footage. We will be using proper audio equipment that will be tucked out of sight and out of the wind."

Locations and subjects currently planned - subject to kickstarter success - are some of the best places that New Zealand has on offer.

• -an 8 hour day tramp along Cape Brett in the bay of islands
• -sunrise to sunset on the equinox filming Cathedral Cove
• -a day fishing at the Mokohinau Islands
• -a day out sailing on the Waitemata Harbour in Auckland
• -a day watching the rain fall on Kauri in the Puketi Forest

Hiking in the woods near Kerikeri Waterfalls, New Zealand

So, if you're from New Zealand and really proud of your country's beauty and want to help show it to the world or if you would like to experience some of the landscapes and ambiences without forking out for long flights, help kickstart Slow TV in New Zealand.

We have until March 10th 2016 to help make this happen.

New to Kickstarter? See their FAQ.

Images in this post courtesy N Dunning.

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Czech Slow TV! Česká Slow TV!

One of the Live Slow TV streams on

slowtv.playtvak.cz

A delightful discovery and the first dedicated and branded online Slow TV channel is hosted at slowtv.playtvak.cz . The channel consists of webcams but is not diminished for it. Besides archive transmissions, there are live feeds from many types of subject. 

At the time of writing there are five feeds : an airport runway, complete with radio between pilots and air traffic control (sometimes in English); a winter view across the River Vltava Prague; a bird feeder (reminiscent of NRK’s ‘Piip Show’); a waste incinerating plant where monstrous grabbers lift refuse into chutes - watching pigeons peck over the rubbish, dodge machinery and bits of bag waft around a bit like the carrier bag in ‘American Beauty’. My favourite one has been the ‘lubricating tram’ live feed around Prague centre. 

I was at first bemused thinking it was a translation error from Google Chrome’s translate feature (yes, Slow TV’s exciting - but THAT exciting!) - but in fact it is a tram which is dedicated to oiling the tram tracks on Prague’s street tram network. Tuning in at night when it had been raining, the streets were dark but reflective. Watching the tram icon on the map mark where the vehicle was going and the interactions of lights, vehicles and people - it worked for me. Turning the volume down to just audible and then having my own music (Classic FM) playing worked wonderfully and gave a nice cosy feel before bed (check out the Danish word ‘hygge’ for the best sense).

Late Night Lubricating Tram Slow TV

slowtv.playtvak.cz

Keeping an eye on the Facebook page for slowtv.playtvak.cz it's clear some have been having fun interacting with the live broadcast from the tram, even getting on it a time or too with a swift stop and a berating from the driver. The hook line on the banner reads -"Napínavé příběhy se dějí právě v tomto okamžiku. Zpomalte a klidně se dívejte. Nebo rovnou sami zasáhněte do děje!" - which translates as "Exciting stories are happening at this very moment. Slow down and calmly look. Or directly intervene themselves into action!".

It may not be as high a production broadcast via TV signal as NRK but remains engaging and interesting - a wallpaper TV which may or may not do very much while you have it. But there’s the hook - something could happen. I’ll certainly be getting to know Prague a little better. If you’re wondering about translating, using Chrome, right click on a blank piece of page and click “translate to....” whichever language your default language is on.

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