This experimental video was conceived for a plenary presentation at the 13th Biennial Conference of the European Association of Social Anthropologists (EASA) entitled ‘Collaboration, Intimacy and Revolution‘ (see full program). I edited the video in Shetland, and showed it to different people throughout the editing process. Stevie Hook mastered the audio in Lerwick, which was put together from different cameras and microphones.
The video aimed to showcase the diverse music played in Shetland and the shared knowledge among active members of the local social and musical scene. However, this deeper context might not be immediately obvious to viewers unfamiliar with the people, places, and events featured. For local viewers, though, this background isn’t needed—most can instantly recognize who is who and where is where. For those unfamiliar with the Shetland music scene, the video illustrates that many of the people appearing know each other well, even if it may not appear that way at first. This video represents a part of the media collected as part of my PhD ethnographic fieldwork over 15 months.
