Announcing 'The Sidewalks of New York', a documentary film by Jordan Liles

Logo: Wohlman Studios.

Today September 6, 2016, I am proud to announce that production began in early 2016 for “The Sidewalks of New York,” a new documentary that will tell one of the most fascinating stories in New York history. I am thrilled to be able to shed light on such an interesting tale, and to allow people to discover several long forgotten historical figures.

It's important to remember that even in this digital age, one cannot find everything online. So much history is still locked away in the attics of homes and basements of museums. And sometimes, as with “The Sidewalks of New York,” there's an incredible story available to anyone with an internet connection, but it's in pieces. An article here. A photo there. An address in an old directory. History is much more than meets the eye. We just need to spend some time looking.

“The Sidewalks of New York” takes the bold step of being a documentary without interviews, instead opting for a sweeping presentation with a beautiful soundtrack. I am completing all research and opinion gathering, spanning century-old sources including books, newspapers, magazines, city directories, census records, photographs and films, many of which will appear in the film. These sources will provide the legitimacy and trust that audiences usually receive from interviews.

I was inspired to create this film after watching the entirety of “New York: A Documentary Film,” created by Ric Burns and Steeplechase Films. With the advent of today's incredible technology and access to information, no longer do documentaries necessarily require multiple crew members and even slightly sizable budgets, nor must the documentaries be restricted to the unwritten rules of the past. We can create films that are singular, representing only the vision of the one creator. It’s exciting that now, for the first time in history, anyone can create a documentary and show it to the world for free.

In the past, free films often had the stigma as likely being free for a reason. The tools so readily available to today's creators provide the ability to reach the world with amazing tales. And time spent on a project can often equal a great level of quality storytelling. I hope I am able to accomplish this with “The Sidewalks of New York.”

The film comes in at about an hour long, shorter than most documentaries but certainly longer than most online videos. Instead of editing down to a shorter running time to sacrifice moments in history and satisfy a very broad audience, my thought process has always been to not let that be a factor. I make this film for those who love New York history, and it’s directed, written and edited so that it moves quickly with a variety of strong and eye-opening moments, and overall is hopefully an enjoyable experience.

The teaser for “The Sidewalks of New York” is set to release soon, and a release date for the film's YouTube debut will be announced the same day. Visit jordanliles.com, follow Jordan Liles Films and subscribe on YouTube.