Kino Digital Video has undergone a transformation. For the past 12 years the website has housed an archive of live music videos filmed in Boston and around the globe. The Archive is still here to enjoy and the site now features a new component:  Boston Flashpoint.

Boston Flashpoint provides an interactive narrative that examines the cultural explosion in Boston over a five year period from 1978 to 1982.

Stories will focus on music and the arts, the people who created them, and the venues that provided them with a showcase.

The content narrative is driven by guest Contributors who share their personal stories using new technologies like cell phones and tablets to record video and audio, while others have chosen to write about their anecdotes. Visitors can interact by uploading their own comments and videos adding to the evolving story lines.

There are several ways to view the Flashpoint content. You can use the tabs or search features on the main page to find what you are looking for.

You can also browse the content in the latest posts or use the menus at the top and side of the Flashpoint site.

 

Here is a breakdown of what you can find on the Boston Flashpoint site:

 

Video Archive Portal:

The Archive Portal provides an alphabetical collection of live music videos and events filmed in Boston, along with several videos of national and international bands from the same time period. The collection provides a look at the wide range of musical styles that were emerging around the globe.

Boston Live:

Highlighted here is live music filmed in and around Boston venues, including the Boston Film and Video Foundation (BFVF), Bradford Hotel Ballroom, Cantones, Paradise Club, Spit, Streets, Tennis Up, The Club, The Rat, The Space, and the Underground Club. Some of the bands include La Peste, Mission of Burma, The Neighborhoods, Buzzcocks, The Cure, and The Police.

Post Punk/New Wave:

The videos contained in this section spotlight several bands from across the United States and around the globe. They feature a vast array of acts that emerged in the wake of the punk movement.

MIT Film/Video Section:

Here you can get information that provides a background and history on how many of the live Boston videos were produced, with a focus on the people who created them and the technological approach used to record the performances.

Flashpoint Timeline:

The Timeline is a fun feature providing several events in chronological order to help establish a sense of local, national, and global events and milestones. There are several video clips and Gif files associated with the Flashpoint Timeline.

 

 DVD Store:

You can purchase DVD’s here. The DVD’s include several of the Boston Live performance videos from the Archive Portal, including La Peste, Human Sexual Response, and Unnatural Axe. Keep an eye out for more releases as they become available in the future.

 

Audio/Video Recalls & Write-ups:

This area contains all the posts of personal audio and video responses, written comments, observations, and narrative anecdotes that embellish the featured stories.

 

Flashpoint Events:

This section will house a collection of music and media art events that took place outside of music club venues. Shows from media centers, outdoor festivals, art exhibitions, fashion rage shows, and art and technology installations.

 

 

MP3 Jukebox:

A collection of mp3 audio files can be played here from bands recorded live in several clubs and performance venues, including the Boston Film and Video Foundation (BFVF), Bradford Hotel Ballroom, Cantones, Paradise Club, Spit, Streets, The Club, Tennis Up, The Rat, The Space, and The Underground Club.

 

Photos and The Stories They Tell:

This area features the work of Boston photographers and the stories that they tell. Flashpoint Contributors and visitors share their stories that are evoked from the rich collection of imagery generated by photographers who documented the vast area of media arts in Boston.

 

Seven Questions:

The Seven Questions are a common thread throughout the featured posts that are posed to bring out the thoughts, opinions, and stories of the site contributors and visitors on the stories that are posted.

 

Site Contributors:

Guest Contributors for Boston Flashpoint vary in their backgrounds. There are media professionals, educators, musicians, artists, radio personalities, designers, editors, writers, and keen observers of music & art events. You can find background information and website links to all the people who have generously shared their stories on the site.