Hey y'all! It's been a while since I've posted about our guy Tee Al. I wanted to give all the mascot supporters an update; as well as ask a strategy question.
Check-In: The reason I haven't posted as much is because I've been working on the Cinema than Couillion as of late. My short film "Évangéline" just premiered at the New Orleans Film Festival last month. It will also play in Lafayette this month, as well as, New Brunswick, Canada (the homeland of the Acadians) . That film is entirely in Cajun French, and was shot in a perfect recreation of an Acadian style home in SW Louisiana. I'm really proud to have created a narrative that shows Cajuns as more than swamp hillbillies. I've also been writing a new script in Louisiana Creole.
I bring all that up because since the beginning of Albineaux's campaign, people have questioned my motives and my credentials/ability to create a character that embodies the Ragin' Cajun spirit (since I am not ethnically Cajun & wasn't born in Lafayette). Some people have said I'm doing all the Albineaux stuff for attention. Anybody can look up my name. I don't need anymore attention. Some people have said I'm chasing after money. If I was a person that cared much about money, I wouldn't be an artist turned filmmaker lol.
What I hope my films demonstrate is that I am a guy that deeply, deeply cares about his community and showcasing Louisiana in ways that haven't been explored before. THAT is why I care about Albineaux so much. And why I refuse to go away, even though the administration (and quite a few fans) would much rather that I do.
If you have an Acadiana flag in your home, you should know that was made by an alum in 1965. He also deeply cared about his community. It took ten years for that flag to become official, but look at all the good it has done now. My goal is for Al to have the same effect.
Update: Things are happening as I thought they would. Most of you can see that attendance at games is still a problem. That's because UL has yet to address its in-game entertainment and marketing issue. A mascot can make great strides in both of those categories, which I'm sure most of you know. People are the most receptive to change when the clear need for change is most apparent. I think we are getting to that point.
My next presentation is going to focus primarily on in-game skits, tailgate interactions, child interactions, and team entrance. It's going to be a read focused document because I need people to READ about Albineaux. So many people don't make it past one image, when I'm not just pitching an image. This campaign is about a fully developed character that will entertain fans for generations.
Expect that to drop within the month.
Question: I've been trying to keep my face away from Albineaux as much as I can. I truly never wanted anyone to think I'm doing this for clout. But I think that might have been hurting my campaigning to the Facebook crowd. I find people in Acadiana are way more receptive to good hearted people who have ambition and work their tail off to achieve, than just concepts, pictures, or words. So I ask all of you (the Ragin Pagin community who has given me so much confidence to continue my pursuit) if I should insert my personal identity more into this project? Do you think it will move more fans into being supportive of Albineaux?
Thanks for reading y'all. Happy to be on this journey with you. Geaux Cajuns.