Bill Etra {language lifework}
by Minou Maguna and Benton-C Bainbridge
New York City/Buenos Aires
2006, 2007
Bill Etra {language lifework} is a documentary-in-progress.
Bill Etra is a pioneer of video and computer art and technology
(co-inventor of the Rutt/Etra Video Synthesizer, co-founder of The
Kitchen, co-designer of early computer 3D animation tools, and Bill wrote
the patent for editing based on keywords rather than timecode- which
Adobe licensed for Premiere). However, Bill is currently suffering
from Spinal Stenosis (fusing of the vertebrae,) which is slowly
paralyzing him and causing non-stop excruciating pain. Bill has been a pauper and a millionaire but has always been foremost an
artist trying to advance video as an artform akin to a visual form of
music.
Bill is a great personal inspiration to me, both for his steadfast
dedication to an art medium which is only now becoming widely accepted
and his stubborn refusal to give up hope under circumstances that few
could endure.
I'm making the doc in collaboration with Minou Maguna from Buenos
Aires. We're hoping to translate it into Spanish for the Latin
American market, but the interviews are in English.
