David Lynch and The Interview Project.

He’s not for everyone. But after seeing the trailer for this new series The Interview Project premiering June 1st, the typical freak in his work looks to be on hold. His team traveled 20,000 miles across the country and interviewed everyday people asking a series of basic life questions. The starkness of the subjects in the trailer reminds me of Avedon’s classic American West series, mostly because both involve seeking out real people in their natural environment.

Apart from this project, it’s easy to dismiss him as a fucking lunatic, mostly because his films usually include several non-linear storylines that make no sense until the end. (Inland Empire and the giant rabbit costume scene? GENIUS!) He also comes off as an eccentric technophobe when he rants about things like the iPhone, until you see that he’s only concerned with protecting the film experience.

So while he may not be at the forefront of next-gen web stuff, he’s smart enough to use the space to promote and experiment, (his video updates include masks and LA weather reports). More importantly, he focuses on telling a story instead of focusing on the tools used to tell it. I’m guessing here, but someone like him must realize how the walls between all media will eventually go away, and in that case, all you’re left with then are storytellers.

(Small detail, but the resolution and clarity of this clip is probably the clearest thing I’ve seen online in a long time. You can also follow him or the project on Twitter.)