Under 20 Q’s with Christien Paul
I stumbled upon Christien Paul’s website for The Ongoing Music Documentary and instantly became interested in this project. After reading up on his other projects and on the man himself I was not only amazed but had some restored faith in my own generation. He is someone who really lives by his own words and is true to himself. He’s a very talnted and multifaceted artist: a singer, songwriter, business owner, filmmaker, and an actor. Not only is he very talented but he’s got that je ne sais qua about him that will make even the most cynical person notice the silver lining even if only for a moment. Get ready to enjoy this instalment of AnnieG’s Under 20 Q’s with Christien Paul.
Q1 After reading and watching the material about you and the projects your working on one word kept coming to mind—versatile. What is it you attribute this versatility to? Costs. To do it yourself is usually cheaper, even if that means investing years to studying the craft. Secondly, creative control… I have a vision and was raised to believe that "if you want it done right, you have to do it yourself".
Q2 What I really enjoyed about reading both your blog and watching what you film (via EPKHosting and Youtube) is the importance of honesty to you. What is it that made you want to create a resource for artists that really looks out for their best interests in the way that The Ongoing Music Documentary does? Older generations would keep knowledge secret as it would empower them over others. Newer generations have come to realize that by sharing knowledge, it grows as an exponential rate. The world would be a better place if we all collaborated as opposed to try and exploit one another. When I share what I learn I often gain further insight when someone asks questions or makes comments by offering a different perspective or personal experience. There’s a book I read called "Wikinomics – How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything". The core message of the book is that sharing prospers over ruling.
Q3 Art is never finished, only abandoned– Leonardo Da Vinci. This quote is often referenced in the explanation of how art must be released in to the world. How do you feel this idea(l) applies to the online documentary you’ve created? I guess it all comes down to "opportunity cost"… will the added effort and time be worth the return or will you miss out on another opportunity at a higher cost? What we film is a live performance that is shot in one go. We can’t stop rolling or do a new take. We are capturing the moment, we’re not producing something to sell or win an award. There comes a time where we need to realize that we are always our own worst critic. I admire the perfectionist but in my personal experience, I can keep polishing a project until the cows come home but there comes a point where you are faced with "diminishing returns". For example, you can buy a microphone for $600 or $6000. The $6000 microphone is not going to be 10 times better… it may only be 10% better yet cost 1000% more money. That’s the law of diminishing returns, the point where the costs outweigh the return. Sometimes that extra polish will cost 1000 views of missed traffic because we were a week late with the release and the content got stale and out of sync with the times.
Q4 EPK Hosting is a group effort. Tell me how you all got together on this project and who brings what to the table? The project started with me alone drawing the attention of music enthusiasts I met in the scene or in school. A number of them were very supportive, encouraging and often offering some kind advice. I began to recognize my weaknesses and the challenges that I couldn’t face alone. I then began studying my competitors such as Truth Explosion Magazine or The Now Magazine. I looked at how their staff was structured and began to fit the talents around me to a "shoe-in position". I started working with public relations graduates who paved the way to "media accreditation" that would open doors for both the documentary and the artists being covered. We began covering big events as opposed to your small pubs and cafes. That brought us content of established artists to cross-promote emerging artists, it put us in touch with some of the biggest promoters and record labels bringing they eyes of industry executives onto the unsigned artists we showcase on our website. In our 2nd season we brought in contributors such as photographers, cinematographers and writers to cover more ground when attending such events as "Virgin Music Festival " where there are 4 stages that are as much as kilometre apart making it nearly impossible for a single camera man to cover the entire grounds. Being that we are all volunteers, we can take on more work as a team than as individuals. We all tend to pitch in on the same posts, rather than rely on one contributor to take the pictures, shoot the video and write the review. Those tasks are now being split up to contributors who specialize in one particular craft, i.e. filming, writing, etc. Some of which have tutorial columns for their field of expertise. Last but not least is marketing. We brought it a marketing manager to keep fans involved with what we release and what we’re working on. Everyone on the team is very talented and all have some education outside traditional art. Do you think the combination of advertising, public relations, and business schooling had a significant impact on the realization of this particular project? Absolutely, i believe education is key to success but I don’t necessarily believe that going to school is the right path either. I’m a business graduate trained to run a retail store as a manager. My participation in school has always ended after the fundamentals. I took a web design certificate for about a year to learn the basics and then I taught myself to become pro by experimenting and surrounding myself with people that are knowledgeable in a given area. I can safely say that most of what I’ve learned has been through the people I meet rather than the books I read in school, but I do believe that an expert’s opinion is often needed to get the ball rolling sooner rather than later. Some of my contributors have educated me quoting what they learned in school and even I use a number of standardized principals that cross over from selling music to tooth paste.
Q5 Do you feel given the current climate in both Canadian and International art scenes alike that artists can no longer rely on art alone to affect culture, society, and people in general? Art is the medium for influence, marketing is the medium for distribution. In such a large world, an artist needs a strong marketing plan to get into the public eye, but art alone will keep their attention and be influential.
Q6 The quality of your videos is remarkable. Good production value, great editing, and phenomenal sound quality. Would you say that understanding sound recording the way you do (being a sound guy and all) that it’s helped you become a better filmmaker? Most definitely. I believe that sound is responsible for 90% of the thrills and chills of all films. As a sound engineer I have an appreciation for "hearing fatigue". A good film has highs and lows in its sound track, it needs contrast to keep the audience engaged. I would bet my life savings that you wouldn’t jump out of your chair if you saw the white house blow up in "independence day" while the sound was muted… but with the speakers blasted and a quality earth shaking rumble, you’ll likely pee your pants because you’ll feel like you are there. Therein lies part of the reason we use live sound as opposed to studio recordings synced to our live footage. Our productions are kept raw which showcases a different kind of beauty in the artist, we use 1 to 2 external microphones placed in a way that reflects an audience facing the stage to simulate the sound of being there.
Q7 Are there any plans to take EPKhosting to the good old-fashioned tube in a half hour format or is it going to stay in the “internets” for good? Our product provides the artists with a video they can embed onto their own website and it’s accessible 24/7. A television program does not usually give the artist a copy let alone an online stream they can make their own and access 24/7. More importantly, I believe that a 30 minute episode would require a host… The Ongoing Music Documentary has no host… each artist essentially hosts themselves. Perhaps there is a fit for The Ongoing Music Documentary to become a "live music video library" like "Much Loud"… but for now we are still mastering digital distribution, i.e. Mobile video downloads, iTunes Pod Casting, RSS Syndications and more. We’ll get much more circulation for a fraction of the cost using these viral portals as opposed to television.
Q8 Being an Edge fan I must ask, is this in any way an homage to The Ongoing History of New Music? Yes and no. The company name is "EPKhosting.com" we offer web hosting and support to host your own WordPress blog. The Ongoing Music Documentary is EPKhosting.com’s video blog and a great example of what we are trying to pioneer… a new breed of music journalism… live music video blogging. Before we coined the name "The Ongoing Music Documentary" we were referring to our video project as an ongoing music documentary film. I as well am a loyal Edge listener and would be lying if I said that Allan Cross was not an inspiration. In fact, most of the acts we have covered as "Edge Artists" such as Bedouin Soundclash, Alexisonfire, Hostage Life, The Flatliners, etc.
Q9 While we’re on a tangent (we will get back on track soon) tell me about the air drums commercial, and how many times did you get to trash the cubicle? There’s actually a very good story behind that one. It was a 14 hour shoot for a 30 second slot… one hell of a long day. The director had hoped I could break the table top in half by kicking it in, but it just wasn’t happening. So then we set up the cubicle to open up in a way that I could toss the table top (they unbolted the top of the desk so that it wouldn’t be weighed down. The director ordered me to throw that table top straight up and as far away from myself as I could… after about 9 takes of having it fumble off, I finally got the biggest air, the perfect rotation and smack… it’s edge cut right into the camera operator’s shin…. ohhhhh I felt bad!!! The director called cut after that and the show was over… it’s all fun and games until the camera man falls over in pain.
Q10 Businessman, filmmaker, recording artist, actor, martial artist-What’s the chronology on all this so we can put it into context? I started playing in bands back in high school, at first as a drummer, then a guitarist, and eventually a singer for a band called "notwithstanding" which played weekly shows with " alexisonfire". Notwithstanding disbanded because of a change in our differing tastes for music, at which point I decided to step back and try something new. While in the band I played an active role in recording a demo and assembling our press kit (bio, photos, video, etc.) That gave birth to the idea of doing the same for other bands as a service provider. So in 2001 I registered my first company "Nautical Progressions" as a mobile recording studio. In 2002 one of my friends was acting for an independent film company in Toronto called "Massive Productions". I was soon introduced to the director as a sound engineer with a home studio well suited for post-production. I got the gig which led to a second gig with the same production company the following year… only this time, as their lead actor. Released in 2003, the film was a success winning "best film " at the U of T film festival. It got me an agent at one of the screenings which led to booking TV commercials and more indie films.
Come 2004 I discovered a martial arts academy down the street from my home. In my early years as a kid, I took taekwondo… it had been 8 years since I had any martial arts training but my little brother became a health nut and moulded his body to look like Bruce Lee… I couldn’t have it, I needed to get back into fight mode and tear it up so as not to feel belittled by mini me (my little brother). I trained hard for a year and then competed at the 2005 Provincial Jiu Jitsu championship of Ontario. I took home the gold and was ready to move on to the next cycle of my life; The Ongoing Music Documentary. So after being on stage and behind the scenes, on camera and in the ring, I thought it was time to try to combine my skills for a bigger picture that would be timeless. The music I was exposed to while playing in bands has guided me to finding the best Canadian artists. The audio engineering I learned from my mobile recording service paved the way for recording live concerts.
The cinematography I witnessed and participated in while on set me up for proper filming technique. Working with a film director as an actor taught me to be a director when interviewing an artist, and believe it or not, my martial arts has been as big an asset as the other skills in being able to move around the stage on my toes or single leg… you’d be amazed at what martial arts will do for hand-eye co-ordination and balance. Finally, I’ve come full circle to being an artist again… only now as "After Runnymede" (a solo singer/songwriter) rather than playing in a hardcore band, and now I’m more equipped in every sense, i.e. contacts, skills, experience, etc.
Q11 I’ve noticed that the balance between body, mind, and spirit is important to you. The theme is present in your blog and often the subtext in your filmmaking style (balance that is). Is there a particular event or part of your life that propelled you into this more philosophical and positive flow? The most predominant lesson of the martial arts training i have had, is to harness your spirit. Sadly, it never really kicked in until I lost my dear grand-mother and my high school sweet heart in a span of 2 days just this past June. The experience called for radical changes to be made in my life and my ego wasn’t accepting of it. I fought my feelings and forced myself to move on too quickly. Inevitably it back fired and it killed my ego. Ironically, I’m grateful for all of that pain because what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and rejoicing from strife is the beauty of life. There is no winning without losing, there is no sweet without sour. You’ve got to roll with the punches and take it in stride. I’m reminded of the words of Bruce Lee; “Be like water, it cannot be penetrated, it cannot be grasped. It becomes the cup it sits in, it takes shape to what surrounds it. It is the most powerful element on earth, it can smash through rock and yet never lose shape, because it has no form. Be formless, synchronize to your opponent and break the opponent’s rhythm.” That is not only a way of fighting, but a way of life. When water crashes into a wall, it doesn’t stop dead… it splashes outwards and away into a new direction.
Q12 What’s your take on the balance or lack there of in contemporary society? I read a book called “The Power of Now” written by Eckhart Tolle. It was actually given to me by my mother (the source for most of my insights/readings) after I hit rock bottom in late June. This book really changed my life, it did the same for Michael Bubble. I agree with the author when he describes contemporary society as “obsessed”. Women tend to dwell in the pain of the past, men tend to torment themselves with the future. No one is living in the “Now” which he attributes to living through spirit. The body feels the pain of the past, the mind worries about the future… but the soul is Zen… nor past or future can disturb it.
The soul knows real truth and cannot be influenced by other minds or bodies, but it can be enlightened by other spirits. People have become far less spiritual these days and lost in a mass of stimulants… ads, entertainment, alcohol, drugs, sex and the like have all been the tools of the devil to making us identify with our ego… our ego being our thoughts and the way we define ourselves; I am what i have. I am what i do. I am what others think of me. I am separate from everyone. I am separate from all that is missing in my life. I am separate from God
These are all false illusions. If we were more spiritually conscious we would see how superficial the world has become and place less confidence in the world around us. Too many of us rely on the advice of friends for answers… the best answers always come from within…granted you may need assistance in discovering what lies within you with the help of a friend or book and so on, but you should never do what others tell you if part of you questions it.
We should all formulate our own opinions and write our own story….. editors will always try to benefit themselves. So in the context of a friend telling you that you shouldn’t do something, they may very well be looking out for their best interest and not yours for they fear losing you to that decision you may make. So in short, I suppose that society places too much weight on the what the “majority rules” rather than themselves as an individual. In turn they lose their own individualism by conforming to what parents, friends, colleagues and the media tells them how they should feel, what they should do, etc.
I’m looking at a poster right now and it says this “success is not measured by the wealth that you have but the distance you’ve travelled”. I wouldn’t say Paris Hilton was successful, I’d say she was spoon fed. There are many more books on this topic, I would like to point you to my blog for more words of wisdom from different authors, spiritual leaders and healers; http://www.christienpaul.com/blog
Q13 Do you think as a collective the artist community today can still effect social change on a meaningful level like the beats or hippie generations did? When something truly comes from the heart, very few can resist it… I would claim proof of this lies in the fact that there are “rock listeners” who admire Eminem yet despise all the other Eminem copycats… their brains are receptive to far more rock than hip hop if any at all… but I have yet to meet a rocker who hasn’t like Eminem…he is a prodigy lyricist and musician. I feel he has a flow or melody and marries his words to that flow or melody. Most of his competitors only have the one talent.
I think there are very few true artists these days that are true to themselves. I’ve seen so many try to launch themselves by making a point of producing something they believe will sell or dominate the charts rather than expressing themselves from the soul. Music has definitely lost its purity… back in the 70s and early on, an artist would have to perform that perfect take… today, an artist doesn’t even have to be in key with the advances of recording technology. It has made for a generation of mediocre performers who sound better on their album than they do live. What’s most disheartening, many of them fail to use their music positively in a spiritual way. Their focus is to make a living, not to feel better by using their music to get through what they are going through. You can write an upbeat tune in 5 minutes using today’s computers… but that’ll never even get a glimpse of the soul that is joyful or hurting that lies within the creator.
In comparison to the hippies, I believe that because we are so spiritually unconscious and so hedonistic, society as a whole including artists have a harder time discovering who they are and communicating with others. So in retrospect, I believe that artists who are spiritually enlightened will never have a problem influencing society. Today there is an offspring of humans called “Indigo Children”, they are spiritually enlightened, self-sacrificing and committed to making the world a better place. These are the people that will save the world if anyone. I scored a film called “Wooditis” about a group of kids who were protestors. The main theme was called “Indigo Children” which I am currently writing lyrics for (originally an instrumental – available on my myspace: http://www.myspace.com/christienpaul) It was inspired by another book my mother gave me called “Indigo Children” written by Lee Carroll & Jan Tober (yes I know, I’m a mama’s boy – but mama knows best said Tupac).
Q14 How do you see yourself fitting into that equation if you see yourself involved at all? I’m on a mission to shed light on everything I possibly can, be it technical, psychological or spiritual. I have seen to much pain, so many illusions and so much evil that I feel like I’m an accomplice to just sit there and watch it happen. I’ve witnessed street fights and I will always get involved. I surround myself with people I feel are enlightened and I seek to pass on their wisdom through my craft. I act as a portal to disseminate their light as well as my own. I feel it takes a lot of courage to both humble yourself when you need to be shown the light and to protect your light from the darkness of others. I do my best not to sit with evil doers (the non-enlightened) and the more I am detached from their darkness/negativity the easier my life becomes.
Q15 When you look to the future what do you hope lies ahead? A life full of beauty with friends and family. Enough time to enjoy the things I’ve been blessed with. The opportunity to travel around the world, to learn from all walks of life and give everything I
have to offer to those who are receptive.
Q16 In a distant future when it’s all said and done what do you hope to say and feel when looking back on your life and career as an artist? Man I’m proud of what I’ve done and happy to have had so many people to share it with, to celebrate with and to grow
with… to have walked the path of enlightenment and not be defeated by the negativity of others who doubt me or are jealous. I have dropped the ball before because of what people said to me and I hope never to do so again.
Q17 In that same distant future what do you hope will be said and felt about you and your life’s work? I hope that people will feel that my work was genuine and helpful but above all inspiring them to be themselves. I hope that people will say that the quality of my work got better and better as I age and that I helped pave the way for anyone who may have fallen off the path of their full potential.
To learn more about Christien Paul check out all of his web locations. The On Going Music Documentary for all your new music needs. After Runnymede for Christien’s personal music projects. Also, you can find Christien on YouTube.