Metropolis Video:

In 1975 seven film and videomakers in their early 20s came together to document the seminal Punk Rock music scene at CBGB, the iconic music venue in New York City.  They had all met while working at Manhattan Cable TV's Public Access department, where community members could get free training in video production, borrow equipment and schedule their programs for broadcast. In 1972 the FCC had mandated that cable TV systems in the top 100 markets provide public access, and by 1975 MCTV had become a major hub for video experimentation, the YouTube of its day.

After convincing CBGB's owner Hilly Kristal to let them shoot a group of unrecorded bands who were performing there, the members of Metropolis Video descended into the chaos and grime of the former biker bar with a multi-camera, live-switched, live mixed audio/video system using the then revolutionary and inexpensive 1/2" helical scan video technology. Over several weekends from August through December of '75 they documented some of the best emerging bands, including Talking Heads, Blondie and the Heartbreakers. And, against all odds, Metropolis somehow managed to produce some of the earliest high quality sync-sound footage of the emerging New York Punk Rock music scene that exists today.

Founding Members:

Paul Dougherty: Producer / Editor
www.postlit.com

John Hazard: Producer / Cameraman
www.hazarddp.com

Jeff Hodges: Producer / Cameraman
phpinc@aol.com

Pat Ivers: Producer / Director / Camera
www.gonightclubbing.com

(Pat Ivers and Emily Armstrong continued to document the Punk Rock scene in NYC from 1977 to 1980.)

Steven Lawrence: Producer / Director / Camera
www.yerosha.com

Michael Owen: Producer / Director / Camera
www.mediacombo.net

Tom Zafian: Producer / Audio / Camera
www.notperformanceart.com