July 13, 2005
'Scenes' picture perfect remedy
Artist creates DVD series especially for Alzheimer's victims
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Juggling more ideas and projects in a week than most people do in a year, George Meredith is currently focusing his energies on completing his four-part Scenes for Seniors series as soon as possible.
The artist, designer, consultant and video producer created the series using years worth of images and footage he has captured on his innumerable treks through out the region. An avid outdoorsman, Meredith never steps into the woods without his broadcast-quality digital video camera handy. He has captured everything from salmon jumping and leaves changing to ice caves in Northport and some daring footage of a snowshoe walk underneath Tahquamenon Falls.
In fact, Meredith believes he has one of the largest stock video collections of northern Michigan nature scenes. He tapped this to craft the Scenes for Seniors DVDs; three are complete and he is working to finish the Summer one. Each section of the series has approximately a dozen four-six minute nature sequences relating to the season. Meredith wrote and recorded a narrative for some of the sequences and set others to music.
The result is a series of educational, enchanting and entertaining vignettes that bring nature to the viewer.
"They are meant to be watched individually, it is not a movie that you watch cover to cover," he said. "This is the kind of thing that restores your faith in human nature, literally - that's what it is all about."
Acknowledging that his strengths lie in the creative end, Meredith hopes to find a national distributor for his Scenes for Seniors series.
"I've learned it is the journey, not the destination, that I enjoy," he said. "I enjoy the editing and the painting, I don't enjoy the selling or the marketing."
Meredith credits his mother, Julie, who lives in Florida, with the spark of inspiration. With so much footage in the can, he began compiling collections of it and sent her some. She played them for residents at a nursing home where she works as a creative director.
"She called me and said, 'I think you ought to make something for the Alzheimer's victims in particular,'" Meredith recalled.
During this informal test marketing, Meredith discovered that people with Alzheimer's disease are captivated by images of children. His Spring film includes footage from a local Easter egg hunt while Fall has scenes of children trick or treating on Halloween. Eyeing a nationwide release, he had to explain in the film why there is snow on the ground during the Easter egg hunt.
A native of suburban New York City, Meredith has a degree in creative writing from Ithaca College and spent four years writing copy for the 11th largest advertising firm in the world. He left that position and New York City to take a job with TV7&4 in 1986. Five years later he began his own video production and consulting business.
Meredith has previously released three outdoor documentaries entitled "Michigan Monsters: Lake Sturgeon," "Hook, Line and Sturgeon" and "Schroom Zoom."
The latter film he terms a 'Where's Waldo' for the black, white, yellow and gray morels that grow in the region. He made this documentary for people who cannot get out into the woods and find their own or who may have moved from the area. He also wanted to bust some common myths about the elusive edible, including pick them when they are small because they won't grow.
"I shot every three or four days and show a mushroom going from a pinky nail size to a plum in just a month," Meredith said, adding wryly: "I don't eat mushrooms - I'll spend five hours a day hunting for them in the woods, but I'll spend five minutes picking them off my pizza."
Despite roots in New York City, northern Michigan has captured Meredith's soul.
"I did it all, have seen it all, in New York City," Meredith noted. "Well, I've lived here 19 years now and I'm still discovering a plethora of subjects to do a documentary on or investigate or just enjoy."