Joseph Gordon-Levitt collaborates with Philadelphia

Since he was a child, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has been charming millions with his earnest grin and undeniable talent. He snagged me as a fan with his portrayal of Tommy Solomon in NBC’s “3rd Rock from the Sun,” and as Cameron James in the quintessential ’90s chick-flick, “10 Things I Hate About You.” His later roles, including those in “Mysterious Skin,” “(500) Days of Summer,” “Inception,” and “50/50,” cemented his title as a passionate and versatile player in Hollywood. 

However, Gordon-Levitt is not a person who lets his massive fame get to his head. In a 2007 article from the San Francisco Chronicle, Gordon-Levitt stated, “Even back then [in the ’90s], I really didn’t like the whole idolatry that goes on with actors and found the celebrity thing distasteful. I still do.” 

In 2000, he took a small break from acting to study history, literature, and French poetry at Columbia University. After leaving Columbia, he founded the website hitRECord, which was originally a place for him to share videos and short films that he had made. Eventually, he opened the website up to the public to encourage artistic collaborations. Today, the site has over 10,000 members and has allowed those members to publish their short stories, screen their films at Sundance, and present other collaborations in venues all across the world. HitRECord works so that half of all money made from the collaborations goes to the company and the other half goes to the collaborators–regular people like you and me. 

Most recently, hitRECord embarked on a tour across the east coast to share these collaborations. On Nov. 19th, Gordon-Levitt made his last stop of the hitRECord tour in Philadelphia at the Kimmel Center’s Merriam Theater. The ground floor and both balconies were filled to capacity with a pleasant mixture of hitRECord users and people who have had a crush on Gordon-Levitt since they first saw his cute mug in the ’90s. As the lights in the theater dimmed to signal the beginning of the show, a short video reminded all audience members to turn their cameras and cellphones on. Yes, that’s right. ON. Anyone caught not recording the performance would be frowned at personally by Gordon-Levitt himself. Probably. 

Those recording devices shortly came in handy, as Gordon-Levitt made his highly-anticipated entrance. Camera lights flashed and shrieks echoed throughout the hall as audience members realized that the actor is just as adorable in person as he is on screen. Someone even yelled out, “I LOVE YOU.” Ever faithful to his anti-celebrity views, Gordon-Levitt retorted, “Thank you, now shut the f*** up.” 

The show continued and it became clear that Gordon-Levitt would be more interested in sharing the work of others than gabbing with fans about his latest projects. He introduced each collaboration with a beaming grin that revealed his immense pride for everyone involved. Some animated shorts, like “Mademoiselle Noir,” which was made for a Levi’s campaign, entranced the audience with their heartfelt messages and somberly beautiful soundtracks. Other short films, like “Strawberry Bootlaces,” just made the audience laugh. 

Not content to have a stagnant audience, Gordon-Levitt constantly encouraged us to record the events of the night and share the footage on the hitRECord site. Additionally, he brought audience members up on stage to dance, sing, and discuss tweets that they had sent him (@hitRECordjoe) during the show. It was a unique concert-like experience that ended up inspiring more artists and creating more works of art than were present before the show.

Toeveryone’s delight, Gordon-Levitt also ann-ounced that hitRECord is in the process of being made into a television show. He claims that it will be along the lines of “The Chapelle Show,” with a host and original skits.

Those looking to be a part of the fantastically creative hitRECord community need only to visit www.hitRECord.org. There, they will be greeted by a video of Gordon-Levitt explaining how the site works. He encourages writers, singers, animators, and all other creators to jump in and start collaborating. But those who are shy don’t have to worry: “If you feel like lurking around for a while, I won’t fault you for it,” he assures. 

Molly Herbison is a second-year student majoring in English and minoring in Spanish. She can be reached at MH757997@wcupa.edu.