For the visual poem assignment, I’d like to do a kind of “visual portrait” of Port Authority terminal. While stations like Grand Central and Penn Station (more so the old Penn Station) are often seen as emblematic symbols of the city, Port Authority is often dismissed. In many ways it is a chaotic, messy, badly designed station, but it has a great deal of character. Bus travel, the people waiting for greyhounds going far out of state, or upstate, as well as the job of working at a place like PA, have always really interested me. I would love to make a short “visual poem” documenting the strange world of Port Authority terminal.
There are two major concerns when it comes to this idea: one is light, I’m not sure if the light quality of the station will be easy to work with. More importantly, I’m worried that the police and security in the station won’t be happy about me filming. It’s very possible that this idea isn’t feasible because of these issues—but I’d like to do a couple of test visits/shots to see. I have a backup plan, in case this doesn’t work. I should know by the end of the week whether this plan is workable.