Hello element14! While we've posted once already, we realize that we haven't really given an in-depth description of ReMade, the documentary we're working on. So, we’d like to formally introduce you to ReMade, our documentary about the Maker Movement, and Electromagnate, the small team of us behind the film. We’re a group of hackerspace members who are dedicated to telling the story of this movement. We hope that through our film, others can witness the innovations occurring in hackerspaces, the leaders who push new boundaries, and the projects that are changing the way business is done in a world where “atoms are the new bits.”
The Maker Movement is a name given to the current generation of makers, hackers and hobbyists who are collaborating trades of yore with modern technologies to create, invent, and educate. The Makers that comprise this movement are from all walks of life, and share a common interest in the arts and sciences fueled by a strong curiosity to learn something new. This is a departure from more common mentalities rooted in consumer culture, which champion “buy, use, dispose.” Makers embrace reusing and re-purposing, and in doing so, apply their own touch to a project. We wish to film those in the movement who are inspired to demystify technologies that surround us every day.
The Maker Movement represents nothing short of a Revolution, and we intend to show that through film. We’ll be focusing on the educational, economic, and personal impacts that the Maker Movement is having, and how similar events in the past have changed history. In essence, our film will take you on a tour of the current events that are shaping the world around you. We want to show you the people and ideas that are building your future.
We also wish to explore the history of making in the US, and how several key groups have fostered economic growth in the country since the Industrial Revolution. As important as it is, we want to make it clear that this movement is not new. This has been going on for centuries, and the resurgence of DIY in modern culture is, as some have said, a return to humanity. That doesn’t devalue it though! In fact, quite the contrary, it implies its importance; we’ve been living in a world that lacks innovation and creative thinking for too long, and the Maker Movement stands to (just as previous revolutions have) bring those tenants back to life.
Over the next year, we will be posting here on element14 about our travels, our ideas, and the amazing Makers that we meet while filming this documentary. Thanks to the wonderful community of Makers who believe in us, we generated over $17,000 dollars, and with it we will be travelling across the US to capture this Movement in progress. Through out that time, be sure to check in with us as we measure the pulse of the Maker Movement!
Sincerely yours,
The Electromagnate Team