EUROPE IN 8 BITS

VERKAMI’S AIM

After one year working in the production of EUROPE IN 8 BITS www.europein8bits.com, we are quite close to reach the necessary budget to finish the documentary. That’s why we decided to use the Verkami platform with the purpose to attain the necessary budget to finish the film.

THE DOCUMENTARY’S AIM

The main objective of EUROPE IN 8 BITS is promoting throughout the general public the existence of this new music style based on the reuse of old computers and videogame hardware of the 80’s. The audiovisual speech will arise from a European perspective based on multiculturalism and the new generations.

IDEA OF EUROPE IN 8 BITS

Today we live in a changing society full of technological innovations that incorporates all that is new and discards the old. However, obsolete media need not be forgotten and disappear. They can be recovered, but not to fill a gap on a shelf but to take on new, hitherto unimaginable purposes.

EUROPE IN 8 BITS SYNOPSIS

EUROPE IN 8 BITS is a documentary that explores the world of chip music, a new musical trend that is growing exponentially throughout Europe. The stars of this musical movement reveal to us how to reuse old videogames hardware like Nintendo's GameBoy, Atari ST, NES, Amiga or the Commodore 64 to turn them into a tool capable of creating a new sound, a modern tempo and an innovative musical style. This is a new way of interpreting music performed by a great many artists who show their skills in turning these “limited” machines designed for leisure in the 80’s into surprising musical instruments and graphical tools. It will leave nobody indifferent.

STORY OF EUROPE IN 8 BITS

The documentary’s story tells us about the beginnings of this musical trend, which is mushrooming throughout Europe. EUROPE IN 8 BITS travels across Europe conducting interviews with the movement’s main artists and seeing its events, talking to the most brilliant software designers, musicians and visual artists as well as the most eccentric and peculiar followers. EUROPE IN 8 BITS scans the current European music scene, revealing the reasons for the emergence of chip music in the 21st century. For although it may appear that music in 8 bits is out of date, never has the appearance of this music based on recycling technology been so timely.

STRENGTHS OF EUROPE IN 8 BITS

1.- EUROPE, A GLOBAL PROJECT

Music in 8 bits began simultaneously in various parts of the world, but Europe was the continent that mostly led its progress. In the 80's, Europe was the cradle of the Demoscene and later, early in the 21st century, the 8 bits scene. Here there were significant programmers and pioneers such as Gebhard Sengmüller, Gino Esposto, Michael Burkhardt, Johan Kotlinski, Oliver Wittchow, Goto80, Covox, Stu, Gwem, Ralp and Tonylight to name but a few. Internet was also pivotal in the emergence of this movement, and European pages like www.micromusic.net revolutionized communication between artists and their music. * EUROPE IN 8 BITS* visits cities and concerts and conducts interviews with those involved in this music scene throughout the continent. The countries include, among others, Italy, Germany, France, England, Sweden, Norway, Holland and Spain. * EUROPE IN 8 BITS* is a comprehensive project that will reveal a multi-faceted Europe, but an increasingly united one.

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2.- ORIGINAL MUSIC

EUROPE IN 8 BITS has music by the greatest writers in the chip music scene in Europe. In total, there are over 60 artists from different parts of Europe who have worked or want to collaborate with EUROPE IN 8 BITS, providing their music and giving up their original works. This musical anthology will be indispensable in showing this flourishing musical culture from within and familiarizing the viewer with sounds that create a unique experience. The soundtrack thus becomes a significant part of EUROPE IN 8 BITS. It is the main thread accompanying the revelation of this social phenomenon and which will help us understand why its existence became necessary.

3.- INNOVATORS

Music in 8 bits is an innovative movement that has been mushrooming significantly throughout the entire European continent over the last decade. This movement’s young artists are the pioneers of a musical trend that will very soon be jostling among the most representative modern musical trends of this decade. For this reason, EUROPE IN 8 BITS is a documentary produced at just the right time, since it has the chance to create a portrait and analysis of the emergence of this movement, which will very soon be on everybody’s lips. So far, no documentary about the chip music movement has been made in Europe, so that EUROPE IN 8 BITS is an innovative, pioneering and original project.

4.- INTERACTIVE PLATFORM

In keeping with a common demand from the media in recent times, * EUROPE IN 8 BITS* has created an interactive platform located on the net: www.europein8bits.com. This is a web.doc platform that will regularly provide different audiovisual content such as exclusive video capsules, news, reports and activities related to developments in music in 8 bits and about the documentary. The web.doc www.europein8bits.com is already up and running and is connected to social networks and other collaborating websites, thereby generating a large number of daily visits and constant new links to other websites with issues related to the music. The web page www.europein8bits.com has already become the exemplary meeting place for this trend’s European musicians and all those curious people who visit the web.doc every day out of interest in this musical movement.

5.- CREATIVITY IS NOT IN RECESSION

Much of Europe has been subject to the scourge of an economic recession that has been squeezing it in recent years. This affects the vast majority of the member countries’ industrial sectors, which have been hit by severe budget cuts, with the cultural sector being among the top casualties. On the other hand, we think it is important to point out the difference between culture and creativity since, contrary to expectations, in times such as these creativity becomes honed and good ideas take on an unexpected yet necessary role. This is the case with music in 8 bits - a musical trend that has decided to dispense with new consumer technology to create its works and is currently experiencing considerable growth and playing a significant role on the international music scene. Yes, for music in 8 bits there is no recession.

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