This remnant will be replaced soon. The FAQ is back, with a new design! Are there any Phish videos? Well, that depends on what you mean. There was only one in the conventional "music video" sense, and it did air on MTV, though not much. Ther are also... Esther - Movie - Video - Short - Shows DWD on MTV: There is a video (directed by Mike, assisted by Ted Lymnan, his advisor at UVM) for "Down with Disease", which was shown approximately four times on MTV. A clip was featured in an episode of MTV's Beavis and Butthead which has aired various times. To request the video, fill out a simple form at MTV's Total Request. Small Ball Stall: A 22-minute piece about the Clifford Ball aired on MTV, all that would be released from what had been rumored to be a 90-minute movie in production. Videos circulate (though not widely) of the second set of the second day, with lot footage accompanied by the show's "Maze" in the middle. A Movie after All: Phish recorded a documentary movie, expected to be released sometime in 1999, that covers from the beginning of 1997, through two Europe tours, and ending with the Great Went. (There was a screening for distributors on 6/9/99). Footage: The film draws on a year's worth of filming, beginning at the end of 1997 and including footage of Rochester, The Great Went, some of New Years at MSG, and the U.S. and Europe summer '98 shows. Seriously! This is reportedly "the real deal genuine motion film, not video film" (at $200 per 6-minute roll, with 1 on stage, 1 front of stage, and and 1 at the soundboard; plus labor, rental, developing, editing, etc.Pete Pidgeon <pidgeon316@aol.com> Director Todd Phillips (27 years old) was first hired to film the Great Went but then continued filming through his production company STF (Stranger Than Fiction) Films. Phillips is "an up-and-coming documentary film maker who recently won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival. He won the award for an inside look at fraternities called Frat House [which] ran on HBO [and was later subject to critism as having been staged]." Burth Anson <aburtch@aplny.a-p-l.com> 3/28/98 "and previously directed the graphic film Hated: GG Allin and the Murder Junkies, about the late punk agitator GG Allin" Mike Pelczarski <pella@javanet.com> 6/9/98.) Daniel Meilcarz adds (9/26/98), "Also, Phillips was a taxi driver for two of HBO's "Taxicab Confessions." If anyone hasn't seen these, HBO puts a camera in Taxis and has the cab driver strike up conversations with his passengers that are usually VERY revealing and sometimes depressing. Not to mention his producing credits on "Chicken Hawk" which is a documentary about NAMBLA (the North American Man-Boy Love Association) and "Screwed," an inside look at the magazine "Screw," starring Ron Jeremy as himself." The film is currently being edited by Allan Oxman ("Welcome to the Dollhouse," "Jupiter's Wife," "Happiness"). Description: "Phillips describes the Phish film, which contains concert and behind-the-scenes footage, as 'messy and raw .. it isn't an MTV rockumentary.' The band initially hired Phillips to film its two-day GREAT WENT concert last summer, but Phillips decided to keep filming. Phish's Trey Anastasio says, 'Todd's been shooting off and on for the past year. I haven't seen any footage, but he swears it's good.'" (Rolling Stone p.31, reported by <cworkman@scican.naet> 6/1/98) Slow news: This is something they were "definitely working on" already circa February of 1997, but details only began to be spread in spring 1998, when it was reportedly expected to be complete. Already by March 1998 a press kit was circulating with clips, giving a title Phish vs. The World by the director, and screenings in "art house" theatres were predicted for Spring 1999, but the film didn't receive its first public showing until June 8, 1999. Work is reportedly now being done to attract a film or video distribution deal. Animated Esther: There is also a sorta-video made for "Esther", using a series of graphics slides by Scott Nybokken assembled by ___, who reportedly also did the 1997-98 NYE graphics. It was shown on a stage-back sheet 7-19-91 between sets, and has not been shown since, although a few (rare) copies have circulated on VHS. Short to YEM: Not an official video, but of interest, is the short-film American Road, set to the music of You Enjoy Myself. Circus of Light is a documentary, following the summer 1997 tour. Video Verboten: photography is not allowed at Phish shows. "Stealth" (unauthorized, illegal) videotapers have filmed various Phish shows, and some of these are circulated among traders, but the quality is generally poor (particularly since video loses quality quickly each successive generation), and sale of such tapes is expressly forbidden (including by, for instance, the agreement printed on the back of each ticket.) As well, some televisions appearances (e.g. of 2-16-97) circulate on video tape. Bad Bootleg... Boooo!: Though sold, videos of the Waterbury Ski and Raquet Club show from 4/29/90 are not officially sanctioned by the band. In fact, Dionysian has been in legal proceedings to prevent sales of the tape. 420 Request Live: There was a movement afoot to get the video for "Down with Disease" on MTV's show "Total Request Live" on 4/20/99; a return is expected for next year. Here's info from the ring leader: Voting takes place either by phone requests or online....please don't waste your time on the phone, it takes way too long....vote either at www.mtv.com (MTV Online) or AOL Keyword: MTV...click shows/tubescan and follow it to Total Request Live site. Voting is accepted at all times but only between 3-3:30pm EST are the votes counted on that days countdown The average voter can place votes approximately between 100-150 times during a half an hour period... we are asking that each voter vote as many times as possible! So, PLEASE, visit the site now, while you have a chance to familiarize yourself with the layout! Those interested in helping out or being reminded please send messages to Kat - Kat@concertideas.com. Thanks also to Rob <harpua@shell.super-highway.net> and Harry Childers <foodog@worldnet.att.net>. "It took a lot of convincing, but Elektra finally came around to the idea that Phish is not a hit-single-and-MTV kind of band. We could stop putting out records and continue to grow." -- Manager John Paluska, 7/30/95 New York Times "Live video is forbidden for a few reasons. First, the band and Elektra are the sole copyright holders of the band's performances, and neither wishes to allow video taping at shows. That has always been the policy as far as I know, with very few exceptions. Another reason has to do with commercial bootlegging, which seems to favor video over audio, kind of like the preference for CDR over cassettes. I would hazard a guess that video taping also would require a different level of access (i.e., good sight lines, lighting, etc.) than does audio taping. Can you imagine a huge throbbing section of video techies in front of the front row of each show? Providing live video on the Internet or elsewhere is discouraged because the taping is prohibited and illegal. We don't want to allow people to provide content that they aren't allowed to make. It's inconsistent. That's why we have had to take a stance against unauthorized video distributors online and elsewhere." -- Kevin Shapiro, Phish Archivist, in The Phish Companion This page last updated February 03, 2007. All contents © 1992-2007 Ellis Godard. All rights reserved.