Flame Of The Millennium

I guess the real question here is: Is self sacrifice something that will have meaning in the modern age? That photo of the Bhuddist monk in 1963 became a world Icon for the Vietnam protest. The Quaker who burned himself in front of the Pentagon in 1965 profoundly influenced the secretary of Defense of the time. Jesus could be said to have self-immolated. Did that death have meaning? I am not compairing these people to Jesus as much as I am the idea of a meaningful self sacrifice.

Malachi videotaped himself. A video of this kind is most definately something unique and powerful he could leave for the world. I believe that video is the true intention of his actions and the reason he had to choose a location where people would see him but not reach him right away. People in American culture are often politically numb, desensitized, and disconnected to the horrors of wars they support through apathy. To offer such horrific imagery to people is to sacrifice himself in a way that might shock them into understanding the seriousness of this situation.

I believe Malachi wanted to be a very powerful visual symbol of the horrors many people are all but ignoring in this day an age.

I believe the video is still in police custody. I am very interested in what becomes of it.

Fascinating. Were can I find the longer version?

This should be on air asap.

Inspirational, sad, may his message live on!

This pod is mad deep and dark. But I like it. Greenlight.

And I'm guessing you are also dark dude. Yes, I am presuming.

But, to lighten your brooding ways, check out my stuff. Twill open those storm clouds if only for a few minutes and then you may return to your stark, beautiful darkness.

I have a new version ready to upload that includes a fix to the overmodulating audio and the mispronunciation of Malachi's last name but there doesn't seem to be an option to upload a new version for this Pod like there has been in my others. Is there some new waiting period required now? Or doesn't this category allow revisions?

Rough stuff. I don't necessarily agree with the tactic -- nothing to do with cowardice, just my reluctance to buy into the mindset that says that death is one's only option for making a statement -- but you put it forth in a powerful way. The big technical question is that, since you pulled all the images off the website, you don't have clearance for any of them, and it may be rough to get ahold of that. But I'm GLing anyway, and will hope that things can be worked out.

Because this is a journalism pod I am hoping that I can assert journalistic fair use with these images, especially since he posted them to a very public website, right next to his statement and self written obituary. It seemed like such a powerful idea that I thought it would be worth the attempt.

The best characterization I have heard about self-immolation is that it is a way for a pacifist to speak louder than people who kill. Apparently even Ghandi expressed this line of reasoning.

It is possible he believed that a videotape of him doing this to himself would be the only one of it's kind. Something shocking that people's curiosity would draw them to. Something that could speak very loudly by assaulting people at a deep emotional level. Just like the fear of terrorism does.

Good journaism is good journalism and it is getting harder to find. I like to think of myself as well informed but I hadn't heard this story until watching your pod. Good journalism. There was a time when we could count on TV to get us the stories that mean something but that is being rapidly eclipsed by the web. It would be great if you can get it aired under "fair use" but failing that, post it to as many of the bugeoning video web sites as you can. That is the real future anyway. Green Light all the way.

should be on tv. GL

Very controversal indeed, I'm GLing cause I think it should be seen by a wider audience, not that I agree to his way of making a statement.

Shola

I noticed how my mind had preconceptions and every progressive moment of the video undid them. GL!

On a lighter note, peep ourPOD !

Very interesting subject matter and well put together. I could see it on Current, but I think that the VO is a bit off. The echo effect and the tone used makes it almost sound satirical. I would consider re-working the VO because it took me a second to take it seriously and it is a very serious and potent video.

GL. Great piece. Very thought provoking. I agree with the previous comment poster about the VO.

I will look into options about the VO but I'm not sure if my voice could do much better. I have been getting nothing but compliments till now but this version had some minor changes made that may have pushed it in the wrong direction.

The reverb is a common device for this sort of application. It's worked in other documentaries I have seen, so it didn't occur to me that it wouldn't work in this case.

The first time I saw the picture of Monk was on the Rage CD. I wanted to know more about this "extreme" statement. I also remember hearing about Malachi making this same statement. Both times I didn't know what to think.

Great job in again capturing my interest. I don't think it's something I could ever do. I can't help but have empathy for their cause. I would love to see the longer version. Good luck and you get a big GL from me.

Happy to add my greenlight to this and bump you up to #14 my friend. Good story. This needs an audience and Current is the place to have it heard. I think the photos of the deceased fall under fair use, but you might need to speak to the surviving family members if I'm not mistaken to notify them. -zen

I have three comments.

First… well done... Btw, the reverb didn't throw me when I was listening. It didn't occur to me that you might be being satirical, can’t see how it could.

Second, I never heard about this… anywhere; that you happened across it is beyond me. This is the kind of social protest that MUST make someone in mainstream media take notice… nope…

The content disturbed me. That any human feels this is the only way to make a statement is troubling at the very least, and a dangerous precedent at the worst. I strongly disagree with the actions taken by Malachi Ritscher; but worse than his actions could even be construed, his statement falling on the deaf ears of a nation too preoccupied to listen, is an even bigger injustice.

GL.

I believe this is an important story, in as much that I believe Ritscher’s suicide is just one more act of violence, and his death is a red flag that continued war and violence is the wrong response to acts of war and violence. I want to encourage the producer to take a second look at how he has presented the story and make an attempt to present it in more of a true journalistic fashion if that was his intention. If the producer’s intention was to make a RESPECTED martyr out of Ritscher, then I think this pod is ill conceived and only strives to perpetuate Ritscher’s delusion that suicide is a proper protest to an injustice.

The most glaring point to me is the voice over when we hear Ritscher’s words. If you want to clearly define between the narrator and Ritscher, why not have a separate voice talent read Ritscher’s words rather than using the reverb. As it is, the affect on me of the reverb was to give weight to Ritscher’s words rather than just present what he said and let the viewer decide if his statement is valid or not. I can see how it could be misconstrued as satire also, even if that wasn’t the affect on me.

what I liked: the production value of the edits and sound; the script in and of itself presented just the facts and Ritscher’s statement; good length for this format; this pod is a good lesson to me on how simple elements (stills and simple graphics) can make for a powerful presentation.

what I didn’t like: the reverb on the voice over at the end; I could take or leave the music bed, but I don’t have any constructive suggestion for how to change it.

Thanks for making this. I would GL if it weren’t for the reverb on the VO.

eh..the more i thought of it, the more i decided to GL even with the echo VO. Thanks again for making this.

The intent of this pod was to provide a video for this little known story so that it is accessable to more people, to offer some context about the act of self-immolation, to put a human face on Malachi Ritscher and to present his suicide, and the reasons behind it, in his own words without interpretation.

The reverb was intended as a device that reinforced the feeling that this was someone speaking to us from the past. . from a distance. or . . from the grave. It was not intended to make him look heroic or larger than life. This is an interpretation of it that I had not considered.

If I had someone readily available and competant to be a different voice I probably would have used them but I did not. I am not against the idea.

I can't believe I had never even heard about this incident before I watched this. You'd think that the media would have covered it, from a sensationalist point of view at least. But nothing, I heard nothing about this. Unbelievable. GL.

I think this is brilliant by the way ...

mmm... GL. a quite extreme way to voice out an opinion... I wish him the best and his message. What happened with the video footage from the camera "he put on himself"?

The videotape he made of himself is in the custody of the police while they complete the investigation. Then it will pass on to his family members. He left a lot of instructions to various people about how to handle his affairs. The fate of the tape may be part of those instructions. That story remains to be told.

I read the news every day and yet I don't recall ever hearing this man's story. Once again, I am dissappointed in American media, which manages to report more on Paris Hilton's crotch than important stories such as this. Green Light. My only suggestion is to not have the voice over be so dramatic, because the story is power enough on its own, it doesn't need that extra in-your-face push. But nonetless, great work, great writing.

I didn't know about this either, way to capture it for the media sheltered public

Excellent work. Very disturbing. The music was the only thing that didn't quite work and the echo on the voice over was a little odd, but overall great. GL!

I'd love to get your opinion of our doc: link

Enough people have commented about the VO that I don't think it is having the effect I intended. I will be uploading a new version soon. I can't change the low tone but I can at least loose some of the the reverb and the spots I redid that are making it sound too melodramatic.

I can see why you used the reverb, but after watching it again I think as well, it's not working. But that's why we're all here Plisko, to give you some of our feedback to make this the best video it can be. It's still a great story my friend. I even got my wife to watch it! When you get a chance please view my pod Thanks & good luck! You are fighting the good fight as always my friend. -zen

Extremely disturbing, for some reason I think there is too much voice over. Have you tried it with less words? Just a thought, it's so creepy, sorry I watched it so late probably have nightmares. Keep up the good work as always. GL come support my latest, Shadow Boxer link Getreel

I'm not sure how to use less words. His suicide note is sort of the entire point.

This is only an excerpt. The full note is much longer.

Plisko,

I think the problem with the reverb is the fact that it is the same voice as the narrator, and it seems as if one of the reasons you are using the reverb is to put some change in the two voices. The reverb sounds a liitle funny to me when it first begins but then it settles in. I think you would be fine without it because you don't go back and forth between the narrator and the "letter" voice.

Some thoughts...

What is central and powerful about this piece are the stills and the letter...

One suggestion would be to use slates instead of the narrator giving you only one voice (without the reverb) in the piece. Because what is central to the story is the letter. If you could simplify what the narrator says by using two or three slates, fading in and out of the powerful pictures at the beginning I think that would be very effective. Seeing the horrifying pictures with just the music and without a voiceover would be very powerful. And if the only voice we heard in the piece was the voice of the letter it would make that more powerful as well.

I only give this advice because I know you've used effective slates in the past and could pull it off. Your current version still works, but I think the first half is heavy on narrative. If you could cut that narrative down to 2 or 3 powerful slates, giving us the basic info of what happened in the first 45 seconds and then let the letter, stills and music take us home, I think it would be superb, with the focus soley being on what this man was thinking.

I like the music, I like the pacing, I like the stills...good work.

Your current version is sitting at #5, so you may be ok. Just giving some creative thoughts…good luck

Thanks for the ideas Scoot.

The setup actually is almost exactly 45 seconds. Not to the suicide note, but to the introduction of Malachi and his act.

It was a huge priority for me to properly set up self-immolation. It is not just insane person suicide. It is almost a sacred ritual, like the Japanese hara-kiri which was used to restore lost honor through a painful death. The general of the Japanese army committed hara-kiri at the end of WWII to attone for Japan's shame and it took him 48 hours to die. During that time he refused all aid or comfort.

The monk in my opening photo that self-immolated in 1965 meditated for 3 months to prepare. He never moved or screamed and legand has it that his heart never burned. The place it is buried is now a temple. I don't mean to over dramatize this point but people who witnessed this thought they saw the face of Bhudda in the sky that day.

There is so much to say on this subject to people who have never looked into it that I really felt I needed to provide a sold context to balance against this horrifying act and the chilling words of the man. Even 45 seconds still feels to me like it's barely enough to convey the profound nature that this ritual has taken on in some belief systems. You yourself cover subjects that are often looked upon superficially but actually have fascinating layers of complexity to them. I'm sure you can relate.

I'm going to think about your suggestions. For now I'm loosing the reverb. I just haven't gotten to it yet. That alone may be enough.

Another great work, on a very strong and controversial topic. GL from me!

Thanks for your support on my pod: ”A Humane Society”

I am glad that wiser pacifists, philanthropists, concerned citizens etc., don't regularly engage in this sort of protestant display. It wouldn't leave any one to do the REAL work to promote peace. I don't understand this choice for protest when it is carnage, violence and death he was fighting to stop (I assume).

Just a comment on the production itself.
I think that a montage of photos that displayed a more stable history of the man might have served a better end.
What I mean to say is, the images shown in the video portray a person who was less an 'individual' and more, someone who dressed and coiffed in ways the culture and fashion demanded during each era of his life. I would have liked to have seen photos (depending of course, if they exsist) of the person who was more consistent in his beliefs or work ethic.

I am not sure if this video is meant to inform, shock, glorify or condemn. I am guessing, and this is only a guess, that it is a glorification. If this is correct, why is thore no mention of his accomplishments? Surely some existed.

Like suicide itself, I can not be sure of this videos point.

Jared Cicon

unlike other comments, I do like the VO which goes well with the script. perfect. GL

I wouldn't say I am trying to glorify this act so much as to depict it as significant. I have yet to hear of anyone else doing a TV story about this and I thought that the least this man deserved was for his actions and his words to be known.

The images I used are the photos that he left of himself on his website next to his suicide note. I can only assume these are the images he wanted to leave as an impression of himself and his life. Beyond the setup that explains what self-immolation is, I wanted this to be as much his own presentation of himself and his actions as possible. To discuss his accomplishments in his life or the meaning of his death would be to add my own interpretation of the man and I wanted the viewer to be the one to do that.

The only bias that I would say is intentional is the goal of getting his story out.

Great example of what Current does well: allows people to hear something that media did not cover, gave an insight into something that was downplayed or on page B13, that I had heard of, but not considered.

I agree with zenbeer29 that the reverb is distracting from the content -- where an already dark mood and deep serious voice turns to seem almost as a parody of that mood. Still is a good piece and very interesting.

Hey Plisko,
I need to first commend you on the assembly of the piece. Very well done. You combined all of the necessary elements that make a work like this function well. The reason however why it struck such a chord with viewers like myself IS because of the bias.
When you suggest there is no bias, I think you overlook too many elements of production.
1. The background music that a producer uses for any piece reveals bias/agenda.
2. The reverent quality of the V.O. and the reverb embelleshment at points also reveal bias.
3. The use of consistent fades instead o