Shadows Among Us - Dance Documentary

As a pandemic disrupts society, stripping many artists of their livelihood, they are forced to remind us that they are more than entertainment. Dancer Michael Bishop wants to help his community by getting the attention of New York State Legislature, and so he must draft a powerful bill for the future protection of the arts.

The arts have always been a vital element of culture. It expresses the ideas and concerns of an era, celebrates the beauty of the individual and the community. It is the way the artist and the public can escape reality or understand it.  But as the Covid-19 Pandemic began to spread in 2020, the ability to explore life in that way was interrupted. Art galleries and museums had to close. Large productions for film and TV could not continue as it was a risk for public health. Broadway shut down and all other theaters built for live performances. The seats and stage and screens were quickly emptied.

Michael Bishop and Cinematographer Christian Pinto are working to create a 30-minute documentary that will emphasize the problem artists and performers face during an event like the Covid-19 Pandemic and why it could be important for New York to bolster an industry that brings so much to the city financially and to the world culturally. We will follow Michael as he puts together a bill, currently titled the Artist Care Act (ACA), that will act as a promise from the state of New York to its artists and art and cultural organizations. A promise that New York will pursue the means to protect the arts-and-cultural industry should we find ourselves in the midst of another pandemic or equally disruptive event.  We will also visit other performers and organization leaders to share their hopes for a future of recovery and protection.

While this documentary will primarily exhibit dancers, the mission of this bill is to garner more state support for artists of all kinds who were making a living off of their passions. And although we'd like to complete this project this year while the problem remains relevant with our current pandemic, there is a desire to expand this story to include artists and organizations of other fields within the arts and cultural industry, producing another and greater documentary in the near future. It would be wonderful if you could help us along the way.

We'd love your support in raising awareness for this bill by contributing to and sharing this documentary, which will reveal the development of the ACA. Your donations will help us with equipment and location rentals, transportation, obtaining archival footage, post-production expenses, and officially making Dance in Frame Productions an LLC.

Thank you so much for your time, consideration, and love.

With deep gratitude,
The Creators:
Michael Bishop
https://www.instagram.com/juanbishop1/ 

Christian Pinto
https://www.instagram.com/chrisjpinto/