WASTELANDS: New Video Series Follows Urban Explorers Into the Depths of Philly

Earlier this week I shared a video made by local filmographer Cory Popp. It captures collector Betsy Alexander’s home in Fitler Square, which she has turned into a veritable toy and art museum with trinkets she’s been amassing since she was a tot.

I was pretty taken with the short film, so I chatted with Popp to find out what he’s up to next. Coincidentally, he has a new four-part film series debuting next week. “Wastelands” follows Philly urban explorers like Streets Dept‘s Conrad Brenner and Ruin Porn‘s Tracy Levesque as they traverse into the depths of Philadelphia to document some of our forgotten—often fascinating–landscapes.

“I think urban-exploring gets a bad wrap sometimes, so I’m specifically filming the stories of people who use the space for inspiration to create,” Popp tells me.

The first part of the series won’t air till next week, but Popp has released a trailer that features his first subject, Conrad Benner, photographing graffiti in what looks to be an abandoned subway station. Check it out below. For more information on the project, and to keep track of episodes as they debut, go here.