"SLAM NATION."
Using those words a man began to speak on stage, but the scene on the screen changed quickly. Now an audience was laughing. Now another man was speaking on the stage. Then the ceiling of the theatre, then the walls -- but now no voice was heard.

It was the beginning of Paul Devlin’s film called "Slam Nation." Devlin says he
"tries always to have conflicts in his films, and questions!"

Devlin is a film and video producer from America who shoots documentary films. His first was the award-winning television pilot "Slammin" (1995), which has been broadcast on several US public television shows, including New York’s Reel Life and Chicago’s Image Union. It was nominated in two categories for New York Emmy Awards. As a video editor, he has extensive credits, including commercials, music videos and weekly television shows, according to the website www.slamnation.com.
On February 17, Devlin gave a lecture at American Academy in Tbilisi. He showed several excerpts from his films, and explained why it’s important to have conflicts and questions.

"Conflicts can always make people interested; people wonder what’s the result of that conflict," he said. Devlin also said a producer should find "a major
dramatic question at the beginning (of a project), then try to answer the question.

"Will people pay for electricity?" and "Will they have electricity?" Audiences had such questions when Devlin showed excerpts from his film "Power Trip," which documents the challenges faced by an American energy company trying to supply
electricity in Georgia. As he showed it, Devlin described "trying to keep his "subject tight" so viewers will continue to have questions they want answered.

"Power Trip" was called a "real-life thriller" by LA Weekly. When an old woman shouts at a man who demands money for electricity, the students attending Devlin’s lecture couldn’t help stop laughing. "Producers have to use the facts to make a film not only cognitive, but interesting," Devlin said.

Devlin said he often worked alone with a small Mini DV camera. He couldn’t use some equipment because he was working alone, and admitted he did not have enough money for good equipment. But he said he discovered that sometimes it was better not to use a tripod or lighting because he got a "more interesting picture."

"The most important point is to find access to a story, to be able to work with people, to make them be your collaborators," Devlin said. Devlin recently gave a similar lecture in Alaska. Will he continue to lecture? He doesn’t know. But he will continue to shoot movies.