I (Balloon) LA

This weekend a group of friends got together in our loft, blew up 400 helium balloons and distributed them around downtown L.A. The idea was born a few weeks ago when we met to brainstorm ideas for a call for 2-minute video projects that would be broadcast on LA metro buses. Mike came up with the initial idea of giving out balloons and we all fleshed out the concept.

We started with 1/3 of the balloons and went to Skid Row - When I say "we", I mean everyone but me. I woke up with a tenuous stomach and felt a little uncertain about leaving the house so I missed that section in my photo documenting. I felt a little better after lunch and joined the second foray which took us from our apartment through Pershing Square, up to the MOCA, Disney Concert Hall, Music Center and finally Olivera Street. I was clutching 50 balloons, which made photographing a challenge, but I took as many shots as I could.

Overall, the response was extraordinary. We were concerned that going into Skid Row to hand out balloons might not be well received, but they were some of the most enthusiastic and appreciative, though many people from all walks of life were rather delighted. When people asked why we were doing this, we said something like "We're handing out smiles", or "Just because". It was actually quite a lot of fun and when we handed out our last balloon, we felt a bit (excuse the pun) "deflated". For a moment we were rock stars, and then just like that we were back to being everyday people.




[View the Full Photo Set Here]

And here is the video: