The Ohio's Origin Point Seen from Above

Last month, I had the chance to fly above the spot where the Ohio river forms. The confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela has given birth to many things, the Seven Years' War, the great city of Pittsburgh, and at least one nice piece of music for high school bands. Though of course I care the most about the mighty river that these two currents merge to become. The Allegheny and Monongahela are not simply tributaries to the Ohio. They are more like parents, whose fluid offspring has gone on to influence humanity in some important ways. In my mind, this joining of rivers warrants special attention, so I took a few pictures from far overhead. Despite some tech problems, these photos are finally ready to be shared. I hope you enjoy the pictures below.

(Note: My description of these images as depicting  two parents creating their offspring was just meant as a simile, though I caution they may be too graphic for any bodies of water of an impressionable age.)

Those little white dots where the river forks are Pittsburgh, and trust me your city doesn't look very impressive from a few thousand feet up either.

This photo is a little hazy because my eyes were misting up thinking about how beautiful the Ohio is.

I like this angle because it shows the Ohio flowing off into the horizon, as if to meet destiny.

Look Ma, it's the curvature of the Earth!

After posting a test entry via text message, I will attempt to share more content in the future. Thanks to my my mobile device(s) and my renewed work ethic.

Can I post blog updates from my mobile phone? This text message is an experiment to see if I can.

What's Going On Here?: The Purpose of this Blog

A couple of years ago, I stood on a hill in Cincinnati, Ohio looking over the Ohio River and I realized that I could tell an interesting story about the the Ohio.

After that day I began my Quixotic mission to tell that story as a documentary film. That film, as I write this post, is still a long way away from beginning production. However, I have tried to devote all the time and energy I could to crafting the foundation of the documentary. I began researching the history of the Ohio. I studied the river's geography. I began scratching out potential storylines and points of interest. Most importantly I began thinking about my vision for the movie's form and content.

I realized that my vision for a documentary film would incorporate aspects of the new information technology available to filmmakers and audiences alike. While a documentary film should still exist as a stand-alone artifact that presents a complete and coherent argument, there is no reason a non-fiction film must exist in a vacuum. The audience should have the ability to interact with the movie in a number of ways. They should have the chance to inspect and assess the film's sources of evidence. If the audience wants to know more about the production behind a given scene, they should have access to records about the filmmaking process. In an era where "transparency is the new objectivity", the best argument a documentarian can make for their film's credibility would be to share as much as they can about how they conceived, researched and created the movie. In short I believe the term "documentary" should include a collection of evidence beyond the film itself.

To serve that mission, I have launched this blog. It will serve as a venue for my thoughts and feelings as I attempt to turn my dream of a documentary into an actual movie. I may use this space to detail my research efforts. You may see posts where I elaborate my thought process as I try to build a pile of facts into a compelling narrative. When I actually start shooting, I will likely relate stories about the practical issues involved in film production. This blog will be a lasting resource for those interested in both content about the Ohio River, and the medium of movies.

That is the mission of this blog. We'll see if I can live up to it.