1. Performance-He often challenges acting by doing little or no action. He focuses on the idea that no action or acting, is still acting if its being viewed by an audience.
Minimalism-He doesn't think of himself as a minimalist. Work and effort still goes into his lack of non-action. He therefore, doesn't promote himself as a minimalist.
Fluxus-Some of his films were incredibly simple and there wasn't a focus on giving a "good" performance, rather simply putting on a performance.
2. He wants to present the films and have them show what they intend to show. Almost as if displaying art in a public space.
3. Their growth is related to the interest and education involved in the avant garde at scholarly levels. As more and more film students took an interest in avant garde films Canyon Cinema regularly updated their film library and added content to their existing library.
4. Many of the older generations wanted Canyon to stick with true film, 16mm, 8mm, etc, rather than begin to accept newer technologies associated with video. The younger generation didn't want to completely replace film, but rather wanted Canyon to place their video works beside the films. Angerame didn't really care one way or the other, so long as Canyon Cinema still survived to distribute films
5. The advantage was that they got plenty of money from the NEA and didn't have to worry about funding (something that is always a major concern for the arts). Yet, since it was now under government control, certain films weren't approved in their catalog and Canyon had to drop them. Eventually the government won out, and the NEA dropped the funding from Canyon.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Response 9
1. Benning was very invested in the do it yourself model (a la the punks) and often put a focus on the performance (or lack thereof) of the non-professional actors. Riot Grrl embraced this, however, because Benning was a female filmmaker in a male world, the film had to be much more expressive than most punks would have liked.
2. Milliken uses the term "visual essay" because Benning often uses her own stories, which feel very documented or autobiographical, but she does not limit her films to this kind of style or medium. By doing this Benning can approach virtually any subject and the audience can understand that the film is devoted to her personal feelings or viewpoints. However, while this "radical feminist essayist" might be very thought provoking and open ended, it often does not provide solutions or conflict.
3. Barney can describe his work as sculpture because in a gallery space, the audience can interact with the piece, moving around it, typically not being forced to sit down and watch it, as they would with a more traditional film. It allows the audience to interact with the piece in a more 3D environment, as they would with traditional sculpture pieces.
4. The minimal sculpture is seen as postmodern because it seems that many of those pieces could be recreated by non artists or, at least, by artists with less talent. Many of the pieces also don't seem to have a real signature or theme that define most pieces or artists. Finally, many of the pieces do not elicit much emotion, or the meaning the piece is trying to convey is often unclear to the audience.
5. These artists attempt to test the actual human body as a piece of art. They try to use the body as art, testing some physical and emotional endurance of it.
6. Again, Barney focuses on what the body can be put through and attempts to use this as art. The word blockbuster was used because, for a gallery work, it had a very high budget and publicity, falling very close to a capitalistic kind of model, which is extremely unusual for the art world.
7. Mode of film practice refers to a particular style or practice within the film world. Some examples included classic Hollywood, French new wave, or postmoderism within the avant garde. As long as films follow the guidelines within these schools of though they abide by the mode of film practice. By adhering to these guidelines, it creates an expectation from the audience and often aids the artist in finding ideas, exhibitions, and an audience.
8. While many avant garde films are much more difficult to find then mainstream films, there are still often venues and festivals to see them in. Even now with DVD and the Internet they can be distributed rather easily and in a model similar to a corporate method. Gallery films are much more limited and difficult to access and seem very limited and somewhat limited and elite.
2. Milliken uses the term "visual essay" because Benning often uses her own stories, which feel very documented or autobiographical, but she does not limit her films to this kind of style or medium. By doing this Benning can approach virtually any subject and the audience can understand that the film is devoted to her personal feelings or viewpoints. However, while this "radical feminist essayist" might be very thought provoking and open ended, it often does not provide solutions or conflict.
3. Barney can describe his work as sculpture because in a gallery space, the audience can interact with the piece, moving around it, typically not being forced to sit down and watch it, as they would with a more traditional film. It allows the audience to interact with the piece in a more 3D environment, as they would with traditional sculpture pieces.
4. The minimal sculpture is seen as postmodern because it seems that many of those pieces could be recreated by non artists or, at least, by artists with less talent. Many of the pieces also don't seem to have a real signature or theme that define most pieces or artists. Finally, many of the pieces do not elicit much emotion, or the meaning the piece is trying to convey is often unclear to the audience.
5. These artists attempt to test the actual human body as a piece of art. They try to use the body as art, testing some physical and emotional endurance of it.
6. Again, Barney focuses on what the body can be put through and attempts to use this as art. The word blockbuster was used because, for a gallery work, it had a very high budget and publicity, falling very close to a capitalistic kind of model, which is extremely unusual for the art world.
7. Mode of film practice refers to a particular style or practice within the film world. Some examples included classic Hollywood, French new wave, or postmoderism within the avant garde. As long as films follow the guidelines within these schools of though they abide by the mode of film practice. By adhering to these guidelines, it creates an expectation from the audience and often aids the artist in finding ideas, exhibitions, and an audience.
8. While many avant garde films are much more difficult to find then mainstream films, there are still often venues and festivals to see them in. Even now with DVD and the Internet they can be distributed rather easily and in a model similar to a corporate method. Gallery films are much more limited and difficult to access and seem very limited and somewhat limited and elite.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Responce 8
1. When realists use found footage, they use it to serve as physical evidence to prove a point. These typically are more for TV such as the History Channel or things like that. However, figurative use is when the filmmaker uses found footage to make a metaphorical point in relation to the idea. Baldwin obviously employs the figurative side as all the footage he uses, while real, is meant to extend, and humorously juxtapose, his voice overs.
2. Three similarities between the punk music scene and the punk/no wave film scene are the idea of just attempting to create (pick up a camera or guitar and use it), there is a group outside the mainstream audience that wants to participate or wants to watch/listen to this art, and that the unpolished or unedited work gives a very authentic and real sense of what was actually captured as opposed to the polished and glamorized real world.
3. These five characteristics are: exploiting aspects of specific mediums, the admiration and respect of high art over pop culture, the concept of the autonomy of art, individual sensibility through unique work, and to reflect universal and individual sensibility.
4. Her films often felt very improvised or spontaneous. She rejected high art and more often opted for a more raw and pure (that is, honest) image.
5. She opts to shoot are cheep, homemade Super 8 (as oppose to 16mm), use non-professional actors, and use members of her community to make the film as opposed to experienced filmmakers. This gives a much less polished and more authentic feel to it which the punks were very attracted to. Both just wanted to get out and shoot without learning the art or technique.
6. Typically in pornography, the audience looks and is attracted towards the penis and the confirmation that the male is satisfied. In the color of love, this doesn't play any part since the penis is flaccid and the man is so distorted that we cannot tell if he is gratified or even care.
7. Here Lara Croft, the protagonist, is not violent, but rather uses repeated actions and dream like environments to have her interact with her surroundings.
2. Three similarities between the punk music scene and the punk/no wave film scene are the idea of just attempting to create (pick up a camera or guitar and use it), there is a group outside the mainstream audience that wants to participate or wants to watch/listen to this art, and that the unpolished or unedited work gives a very authentic and real sense of what was actually captured as opposed to the polished and glamorized real world.
3. These five characteristics are: exploiting aspects of specific mediums, the admiration and respect of high art over pop culture, the concept of the autonomy of art, individual sensibility through unique work, and to reflect universal and individual sensibility.
4. Her films often felt very improvised or spontaneous. She rejected high art and more often opted for a more raw and pure (that is, honest) image.
5. She opts to shoot are cheep, homemade Super 8 (as oppose to 16mm), use non-professional actors, and use members of her community to make the film as opposed to experienced filmmakers. This gives a much less polished and more authentic feel to it which the punks were very attracted to. Both just wanted to get out and shoot without learning the art or technique.
6. Typically in pornography, the audience looks and is attracted towards the penis and the confirmation that the male is satisfied. In the color of love, this doesn't play any part since the penis is flaccid and the man is so distorted that we cannot tell if he is gratified or even care.
7. Here Lara Croft, the protagonist, is not violent, but rather uses repeated actions and dream like environments to have her interact with her surroundings.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Responce 6
Response to Nostalgia. I really enjoyed the films we watched yesterday, including Nostalgia. I really felt its simple structure, style, color, and shots (really shot) worked very well for the film. I was almost surprised how much I liked this film. I think the camera placement and choice to burn the photographs on top of a burner was just ingenious and the voice over was just incredibly powerful. It was very humorous at times, but the photographers words just carried so much weight and history it moved this simple film along so well. I also thought it was very cleaver how the filmmaker played with time, memory, and placement in order to create this strange spatial space. It turned what could have been a very simple film (which in many ways it is) to a really though provoking work.
1. To me, Fuses, and some of the other films we are watching is getting a little to far out of my taste and league for avant garde. Making homemade porn and manipulating the film stock just isn't enough for me to call this true cinema, even with its unique editing style. The content didn't bother me, but the fact that this is somehow distinguished in the history of experimental film annoys me. To me, at its core, its just porn with some interesting colors. I really didn't feel any sense of narrative or anything, even with everything we've learned so far and how to approach films differently, this film still just did nothing for me.
2. Structural film tries to capture the sense of the mind or conscience, rather than of they eye. Four of its typical characteristics are the fixed camera, looped film, flicker, and rephotography.
3. The central metaphor to this is the metaphor of consciousness.
4. Sitney is able to argue this because Warhol's films were often very long or had a very small amount of visual action taking place in front of the camera to capture or, more appropriately, hold the viewers attention. It challenged the viewer to pay attention for as long as possible, often attempting to outlast the viewers focus. His films attempted to access the inner workings of consciousness.
5. a. Warhol will often just create a simple scene, set the camera up, and attempt not to adjust anything. He believes that what he capture will automatically be art and not require any more direction, lighting, etc.
b. Warhol sets up the camera and challenges the audience how long they can truly pay attention (tapping into that idea of consciousness) where someone like Snow takes much more consideration in his set up and preparation.
c. Some filmmakers were trying to understand just how the eye perceives physical and real information and then, subsequently, how the mind takes that information and interprets and understands it. Warhol wanted to see how long the mind could be focused on something so simple or minimal and what they mind took out of it or why it got distracted. Structural films, on the other hand, were trying to created an altered state of consciousness.
d. Because, structural films often did not use visual metaphors and forced the viewer to simply interpret exactly what they were seeing in a very simple, physical, and logical way. These films tried to access a very specific state of mind.
6. Consciousness.
1. To me, Fuses, and some of the other films we are watching is getting a little to far out of my taste and league for avant garde. Making homemade porn and manipulating the film stock just isn't enough for me to call this true cinema, even with its unique editing style. The content didn't bother me, but the fact that this is somehow distinguished in the history of experimental film annoys me. To me, at its core, its just porn with some interesting colors. I really didn't feel any sense of narrative or anything, even with everything we've learned so far and how to approach films differently, this film still just did nothing for me.
2. Structural film tries to capture the sense of the mind or conscience, rather than of they eye. Four of its typical characteristics are the fixed camera, looped film, flicker, and rephotography.
3. The central metaphor to this is the metaphor of consciousness.
4. Sitney is able to argue this because Warhol's films were often very long or had a very small amount of visual action taking place in front of the camera to capture or, more appropriately, hold the viewers attention. It challenged the viewer to pay attention for as long as possible, often attempting to outlast the viewers focus. His films attempted to access the inner workings of consciousness.
5. a. Warhol will often just create a simple scene, set the camera up, and attempt not to adjust anything. He believes that what he capture will automatically be art and not require any more direction, lighting, etc.
b. Warhol sets up the camera and challenges the audience how long they can truly pay attention (tapping into that idea of consciousness) where someone like Snow takes much more consideration in his set up and preparation.
c. Some filmmakers were trying to understand just how the eye perceives physical and real information and then, subsequently, how the mind takes that information and interprets and understands it. Warhol wanted to see how long the mind could be focused on something so simple or minimal and what they mind took out of it or why it got distracted. Structural films, on the other hand, were trying to created an altered state of consciousness.
d. Because, structural films often did not use visual metaphors and forced the viewer to simply interpret exactly what they were seeing in a very simple, physical, and logical way. These films tried to access a very specific state of mind.
6. Consciousness.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Responce to Chelse Girls
To be honest, I really was not very satisfied with this film. In fact the shooting style was so outrageous it actually made me dizzy and lightheaded. I'm fine with playing with the camera and all, bu this was just too much for me. I though the Pope part was very funny until he actually hit the girl. After about ten minutes of that I was really conflicted whether it was still funny or serious. I think the real problem was that everyone that was involved with this film was so overwhelmed by drugs that it is just very difficult to take this film with a sober eye. It wasn't even that out there compared to some of the other films we watched, but it was just so difficult to consume at a sensory level that I had a lot of trouble with it. Also, I didn't really like how the sound was exclusively on one reel. I would have rather had it jump back between the two as it was supposed to happen when it was live. I understand there are technical limitations to this, but I really don't think this should have been shown if we couldn't understand or, at least, play with it in its proper way.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Responce 5 + Kiss
I really liked Warhol's kiss because it managed to access and release an incredible amount of emotions for such a short and simple film. Just the image of a couple kissing can trigger so many emotions: happiness, loneliness or disappointment, humor, etc. I also liked how limited the shots and camera movements were. Warhol could have easily gotten very crazy with how he controlled the camera or manipulated the film stock, but he was smart and kept it very simple.
1. Some venues included Bleeker St. Cinema, Cinema 16, and Fashion Industries Auditorium. The Charles Theater (bought by Ed Stine and Walter Langsford) often showcased local artists, jazz concerts, and other rare and unique programs such as displaying Kurbrick's rare first film.
2. Mekas associates Baudelairean cinema with filmmakers such as Jack Smith, Ron Rice, and Ken Jacobs. Mekas used this term as many of the same characteristics these filmmakers were using were used by French poet Baudelairean. These filmmakers attempted to explore cinema and tired to access all the inner workings of the medium without being inhibited by social norms or conventions.
3. Both of Jack Smiths films, Flaming Creatures and Normal Love ran into legal trouble when they were displayed in NYC. Strangely enough around this time, Kenneth Anger's Scorpio Rising caused protests in LA leading to additional arrests.
4. When Ronald Tavel worked with Warhol, he seemed to purposefully sabotage his own scripts making them very bad on purpose. Vinal took the novel (not the movie) of A Clockwork Orange and constructed the plot only around its crucial moments, giving it the bare amount of story necessary to understand. Edie Sedgewick ended up stealing the show with her very powerful trance and dream like performance.
5. Some of the more popular underground films began to make their ways into larger venues during this time. Film such as The Cheetah Girls and Breathdeath were shown all over NYC and even found their ways into other major cities such as Buffalo, Chicago, even as far south as Atlanta. While most film critics felt it was okay to show these types of films in private venues, as soon as they entered main, more distinguished venues, they were received very negatively.
6. Mike Getz was a significant player in the crossover of the underground because his uncle owned several mainstream movie theaters. He was able to set up several showings of underground films in these movie theaters. These screenings were often very successful and began to get mainstream America accustom or interested in underground cinema.
7. Hoberman and Rosenbaum claim that Warhol's post '67 films took the styles of his early films, but only changed in terms of shock value. Their use of taboo drugs or sexual content increased, but otherwise were very similar in style to his older work.
1. Some venues included Bleeker St. Cinema, Cinema 16, and Fashion Industries Auditorium. The Charles Theater (bought by Ed Stine and Walter Langsford) often showcased local artists, jazz concerts, and other rare and unique programs such as displaying Kurbrick's rare first film.
2. Mekas associates Baudelairean cinema with filmmakers such as Jack Smith, Ron Rice, and Ken Jacobs. Mekas used this term as many of the same characteristics these filmmakers were using were used by French poet Baudelairean. These filmmakers attempted to explore cinema and tired to access all the inner workings of the medium without being inhibited by social norms or conventions.
3. Both of Jack Smiths films, Flaming Creatures and Normal Love ran into legal trouble when they were displayed in NYC. Strangely enough around this time, Kenneth Anger's Scorpio Rising caused protests in LA leading to additional arrests.
4. When Ronald Tavel worked with Warhol, he seemed to purposefully sabotage his own scripts making them very bad on purpose. Vinal took the novel (not the movie) of A Clockwork Orange and constructed the plot only around its crucial moments, giving it the bare amount of story necessary to understand. Edie Sedgewick ended up stealing the show with her very powerful trance and dream like performance.
5. Some of the more popular underground films began to make their ways into larger venues during this time. Film such as The Cheetah Girls and Breathdeath were shown all over NYC and even found their ways into other major cities such as Buffalo, Chicago, even as far south as Atlanta. While most film critics felt it was okay to show these types of films in private venues, as soon as they entered main, more distinguished venues, they were received very negatively.
6. Mike Getz was a significant player in the crossover of the underground because his uncle owned several mainstream movie theaters. He was able to set up several showings of underground films in these movie theaters. These screenings were often very successful and began to get mainstream America accustom or interested in underground cinema.
7. Hoberman and Rosenbaum claim that Warhol's post '67 films took the styles of his early films, but only changed in terms of shock value. Their use of taboo drugs or sexual content increased, but otherwise were very similar in style to his older work.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Responce 4
1. I chose to watch Joe Jones Smoking. To me, it fits well into the fluxfilm category, very similar to the one where Ono stops smiling. It does use an extremely slow motion camera which, as I stated in class, I feel kind breaks the fluxfilm rules. It is an incredibly interesting and beautiful image though, personally, I felt I would have enjoyed and appreciated it more if were a bit faster. To me, these slow motion type films are just too slow. I feel there has to be some higher level of movement in this to truly appreciate it. But, again, that is just personal.
2. Fluxus films don't fit Sitney's definition of the avent-garde and, thusly, aren't there because, according to him, the avent-garde should represent the human mind, but fluxus films are just created for the sake of creating something. They aren't about (or don't have to) representing anything other than the art of creation.
3. To Jack Smith, Maria Montez seemed to be this image of liberation and compete freedom from this world. She seemed to create her own world and then make you apart and comfortable with it. She was, in some ways, also seen as a drag queen. Not that she was a drag queen, but her costumes were so elaborate and daring (as in Cobra Woman) that she was seen as a very liberating figure. Smith states that he couldn't tear his eyes away from her during the film. While I would agree with one of the interviewees that she doesn't appear to be a good actor, she certain seems to bring a strong presence and her design is just gorgeous. She almost seems like a proto-Lady Gaga.
4. Many filmmakers, including Jack Smith, often used garbage and trash that department stores, or really anyone, was throwing away in order to make their film sets, costumes, or props. Hollywood often spent huge amounts of money to hide these sorts of things, making the world look flawless, where people like Smith would put them right out in the open for everyone to see. The material was very cheap, if not free, and gave his films amazing unique looks.
5. Jonas Mekas began showing Flaming Creatures around the country, putting it almost on tour. He took much of the money and fame from doing this and gave little on no credit to Smith. Even by being arrested it seemed he was the one defying the culture not smith. The metaphor of a lobster was used and he was often referred to as "Uncle Fishhook".
6. Normal Love appeared to be the true reality of people. That it was more real than the world most people walk through everyday. It was their imagination and their dreamlike states let loose and allowed people to live these kinds of dreams and "realities" through his film. Many people copied Smith's image and look (as he called the "icing") but failed to see the importances and messages of his film. They entirely overlooked the freedom they provided and simply focused on his aesthetics.
7. Jack, unlike Warhol and others, refused to let capitalism take his art and turn it into a commercial product or, at least, to not let capitalism change his art's meaning. He wanted so badly to resist the idea of capitalism and make art something unique and enjoyable, and something not for the masses. No more masterpieces meant that once art became a masterpiece, it was something known and desired by the masses and, more importantly, people wanted and desired as a piece of status or monetary value. When something reached that state, to Smith, it was no longer art.
8. Warhol's early films were very simple, minimalistic, and silent. Things like Kiss, Haircut, Empire, etc, were extremely long and "publicity films". They were not all the same, however. Empire was a camera on a tripod, rolling for hours where Sleep and different angles filed at different intervals and edited together.
9. Screen tests basically documented everyone or anything that came through Warhol's factory. He seemed to feel that everything was important or, perhaps, equally unimportant, but nonetheless he shot everything he could. Style or uniqueness was not important and he often shot people over and over in similar or identical fashions.
10. Warhol's first sound films were much like his earlier films and seemed to be portrait or documentary like films. Many of these films Restaurant, Afternoon, etc. followed Edie Sedgwick and Warhol's right hand man for sound was Ronald Tavel.
2. Fluxus films don't fit Sitney's definition of the avent-garde and, thusly, aren't there because, according to him, the avent-garde should represent the human mind, but fluxus films are just created for the sake of creating something. They aren't about (or don't have to) representing anything other than the art of creation.
3. To Jack Smith, Maria Montez seemed to be this image of liberation and compete freedom from this world. She seemed to create her own world and then make you apart and comfortable with it. She was, in some ways, also seen as a drag queen. Not that she was a drag queen, but her costumes were so elaborate and daring (as in Cobra Woman) that she was seen as a very liberating figure. Smith states that he couldn't tear his eyes away from her during the film. While I would agree with one of the interviewees that she doesn't appear to be a good actor, she certain seems to bring a strong presence and her design is just gorgeous. She almost seems like a proto-Lady Gaga.
4. Many filmmakers, including Jack Smith, often used garbage and trash that department stores, or really anyone, was throwing away in order to make their film sets, costumes, or props. Hollywood often spent huge amounts of money to hide these sorts of things, making the world look flawless, where people like Smith would put them right out in the open for everyone to see. The material was very cheap, if not free, and gave his films amazing unique looks.
5. Jonas Mekas began showing Flaming Creatures around the country, putting it almost on tour. He took much of the money and fame from doing this and gave little on no credit to Smith. Even by being arrested it seemed he was the one defying the culture not smith. The metaphor of a lobster was used and he was often referred to as "Uncle Fishhook".
6. Normal Love appeared to be the true reality of people. That it was more real than the world most people walk through everyday. It was their imagination and their dreamlike states let loose and allowed people to live these kinds of dreams and "realities" through his film. Many people copied Smith's image and look (as he called the "icing") but failed to see the importances and messages of his film. They entirely overlooked the freedom they provided and simply focused on his aesthetics.
7. Jack, unlike Warhol and others, refused to let capitalism take his art and turn it into a commercial product or, at least, to not let capitalism change his art's meaning. He wanted so badly to resist the idea of capitalism and make art something unique and enjoyable, and something not for the masses. No more masterpieces meant that once art became a masterpiece, it was something known and desired by the masses and, more importantly, people wanted and desired as a piece of status or monetary value. When something reached that state, to Smith, it was no longer art.
8. Warhol's early films were very simple, minimalistic, and silent. Things like Kiss, Haircut, Empire, etc, were extremely long and "publicity films". They were not all the same, however. Empire was a camera on a tripod, rolling for hours where Sleep and different angles filed at different intervals and edited together.
9. Screen tests basically documented everyone or anything that came through Warhol's factory. He seemed to feel that everything was important or, perhaps, equally unimportant, but nonetheless he shot everything he could. Style or uniqueness was not important and he often shot people over and over in similar or identical fashions.
10. Warhol's first sound films were much like his earlier films and seemed to be portrait or documentary like films. Many of these films Restaurant, Afternoon, etc. followed Edie Sedgwick and Warhol's right hand man for sound was Ronald Tavel.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Responce 3
1. I really enjoyed the clash of all the variety of images and subjects within Dog Star Man. The color in particular struck me as exceptionally beautiful. It wasn't very elaborate, extreme, or surreal as Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome, nonetheless they were very vivid and breathtaking. The reds, oranges, and blacks in the blood and sun standout in my mind, but the greens on the mountain were also very beautiful. I'm not sure if I would quite have gotten the story without it being explained to me though. And, as always, I really think Brakhage's films benefit largely without sound.
2. Sitney argues that the endings of episodes within The End, help to predict ideas and events in subsequent episodes. The film knows more than the viewer doesn't and foreshadows what will occur. Brakhage loved the idea of the episodic and attempted to emulate them in future films. Dog Star Man is the prime example, having a prelude and four sections for the main story arch.
3. Both filmmakers liked to use their own signature film styles and technical discoveries within their films. Both loved to play with the camera and find new and interesting tricks to give each film its own unique look. Conner, typically edited in the style where he kept his ideas and messages within the same episode whereas Maclaine liked to foreshadow and predict his own future episodes.
4. Both of these films are examples of beat sensibility because they display an everyday and innocent hero and his adventures. The Great Blondino manages to show off much of San Fransisco city scape which places it in the picaresque form.
5. Experimental filmmakers such as Stan Brakhage and Kennith Anger often tried to connect the audience with the protagonist, allowing the viewer to get inside and explore the head and psyche of the character. Fluxfilms attempted to destroy this. They wanted the audience to be as absent from the characters in the film as possible. Their goal was to make the viewer question their belief in reality.
6. What Jenkins is trying to explain when he says the democratization in Fluxfilms is that most of the Fluxfilm filmmakers were all working on each others films, contribution their own style (as well as how they marketed them). Films often felt much less personal and auteur.
7. Jenkins claims that Zen for Film fixed material and aesthetic terms for production because it removed many of the technologies of traditional film productions. These types of Fluxfilms avoided using things such as lighting, sound mixing, and many common foundations of basic film production. By removing many of these elements it creates a much more pure and primal film.
2. Sitney argues that the endings of episodes within The End, help to predict ideas and events in subsequent episodes. The film knows more than the viewer doesn't and foreshadows what will occur. Brakhage loved the idea of the episodic and attempted to emulate them in future films. Dog Star Man is the prime example, having a prelude and four sections for the main story arch.
3. Both filmmakers liked to use their own signature film styles and technical discoveries within their films. Both loved to play with the camera and find new and interesting tricks to give each film its own unique look. Conner, typically edited in the style where he kept his ideas and messages within the same episode whereas Maclaine liked to foreshadow and predict his own future episodes.
4. Both of these films are examples of beat sensibility because they display an everyday and innocent hero and his adventures. The Great Blondino manages to show off much of San Fransisco city scape which places it in the picaresque form.
5. Experimental filmmakers such as Stan Brakhage and Kennith Anger often tried to connect the audience with the protagonist, allowing the viewer to get inside and explore the head and psyche of the character. Fluxfilms attempted to destroy this. They wanted the audience to be as absent from the characters in the film as possible. Their goal was to make the viewer question their belief in reality.
6. What Jenkins is trying to explain when he says the democratization in Fluxfilms is that most of the Fluxfilm filmmakers were all working on each others films, contribution their own style (as well as how they marketed them). Films often felt much less personal and auteur.
7. Jenkins claims that Zen for Film fixed material and aesthetic terms for production because it removed many of the technologies of traditional film productions. These types of Fluxfilms avoided using things such as lighting, sound mixing, and many common foundations of basic film production. By removing many of these elements it creates a much more pure and primal film.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Responce 2
1. Sitney argues that Reflections on Black anticipates a lyrical film because the protagonists surroundings aren't presented in a dreamlike state. The camera presents the world almost in a definitive sense, thus giving it someone of a lyrical structure.
2. The camera takes the perspective of the protagonists (that is, first person) and the audience is never removed from this state of mind. It almost goes so far as to suggest that the audience is the protagonist because we are viewing everything through his or her eyes, thus connecting them on another level.
3. Marie Menken was probably the largest influence on Brakhage's move to a lyrical film. Beyond praising his films and unique style, Menken used the camera in a rhythmical, almost predictable sense when applied to the lyrical film. Brakhage later picked up and employed this into many of his films.
4. A soft montage gradually places images together (usually based on pattern, color, or rhythm) allowing the viewer to get a sense of where the image is progressing whereas a hard montage forces images together, usually in a juxtaposing fashion attempting to disorientate the viewer. An example of a soft montage in Anticipation of the Night might be the camera moving its focus from doors to windows to a garden hose, etc. whereas an example of a hard montage from the same film would be the pan across the baby's arm.
5. Brakhage focused on very trivial on apparently meaningless objects. That is, to say, things that are often overlooked everyday by people because of laziness, or simply because they are accustom to seeing so many things. He claims very few people applicate the small details and it is not used in a "spiritual sense". He was often very fascinated with colors, shapes, and patterns and how they play on both the physical eye and the brain.
6. Sitney argues this because many other experimental filmmakers at the time were still stuck on the idea of romantic or tragic life, whereas Brakhage engaged in much more lucid ideas of expressionism. Directly manipulating film and his attention to small everyday or overlooked details (as previously mentioned) allowed him to branch out in a fashion that few filmmakers either dared to explore or never considered. Also, his strong connection between the spiritual and the everyday gave his films a very powerful and liberating sense.
7. The natural cycle of the seasons, man verses nature, a first understanding of conciseness, and sexual imbalance.
8. The Cage employed just about every technique known to man and then even created some to get an extreme sense of disillusion. Multiple camera speeds, edits, and filters were used to disrupt the protagonist (and viewer). These different film techniques went beyond just a visual impact but also, according to Sitney, created metaphors for perception and conscience that changed perspective in experimental films.
9. Both films lack a consistent or, at least, connected narrative and they appear to go around in circles. They also seem to be humorous if you look at it as a almost slapstick like comedy. Finally, several camera tricks were used to create that comedy and move the story forward.
10. Peterson literally took the ideas of his students and shot them on the film. Where most filmmakers would try to connect these ideas in an editing lab, he shot all of the ideas presented (the diver, the rats, the chalk, the ballad) and simply cut them together trying to tell some sort of story. With the music playing over the film, it gives the entire thing a play like feel.
11. I tackle films such as this by simply attempting to enjoy the image and the edits. If I get a sense of plot or message or anything else beyond them, I can apply and enjoy that as well, but with films such as this I simply attempt to enjoy the images and cuts as much as possible. It doesn't always work but it is a good effort. Sitney appears to literally dissect the film by counting images, relating them to time, ratios, etc. This is something very few people do, even for experimental films. The only people who spend that much time with films would be the filmmakers and perhaps film scholars (such as Sitney). Most viewers wouldn't spend that much time with the film (and realistically couldn't until recently in technological history). I don't like that style as it appears to try to scientifically understand art. Yes, there is a certain amount of science and psychology behind art, but you cannot treat it or try to understand it as if it were a definitive science, as he appears to do.
2. The camera takes the perspective of the protagonists (that is, first person) and the audience is never removed from this state of mind. It almost goes so far as to suggest that the audience is the protagonist because we are viewing everything through his or her eyes, thus connecting them on another level.
3. Marie Menken was probably the largest influence on Brakhage's move to a lyrical film. Beyond praising his films and unique style, Menken used the camera in a rhythmical, almost predictable sense when applied to the lyrical film. Brakhage later picked up and employed this into many of his films.
4. A soft montage gradually places images together (usually based on pattern, color, or rhythm) allowing the viewer to get a sense of where the image is progressing whereas a hard montage forces images together, usually in a juxtaposing fashion attempting to disorientate the viewer. An example of a soft montage in Anticipation of the Night might be the camera moving its focus from doors to windows to a garden hose, etc. whereas an example of a hard montage from the same film would be the pan across the baby's arm.
5. Brakhage focused on very trivial on apparently meaningless objects. That is, to say, things that are often overlooked everyday by people because of laziness, or simply because they are accustom to seeing so many things. He claims very few people applicate the small details and it is not used in a "spiritual sense". He was often very fascinated with colors, shapes, and patterns and how they play on both the physical eye and the brain.
6. Sitney argues this because many other experimental filmmakers at the time were still stuck on the idea of romantic or tragic life, whereas Brakhage engaged in much more lucid ideas of expressionism. Directly manipulating film and his attention to small everyday or overlooked details (as previously mentioned) allowed him to branch out in a fashion that few filmmakers either dared to explore or never considered. Also, his strong connection between the spiritual and the everyday gave his films a very powerful and liberating sense.
7. The natural cycle of the seasons, man verses nature, a first understanding of conciseness, and sexual imbalance.
8. The Cage employed just about every technique known to man and then even created some to get an extreme sense of disillusion. Multiple camera speeds, edits, and filters were used to disrupt the protagonist (and viewer). These different film techniques went beyond just a visual impact but also, according to Sitney, created metaphors for perception and conscience that changed perspective in experimental films.
9. Both films lack a consistent or, at least, connected narrative and they appear to go around in circles. They also seem to be humorous if you look at it as a almost slapstick like comedy. Finally, several camera tricks were used to create that comedy and move the story forward.
10. Peterson literally took the ideas of his students and shot them on the film. Where most filmmakers would try to connect these ideas in an editing lab, he shot all of the ideas presented (the diver, the rats, the chalk, the ballad) and simply cut them together trying to tell some sort of story. With the music playing over the film, it gives the entire thing a play like feel.
11. I tackle films such as this by simply attempting to enjoy the image and the edits. If I get a sense of plot or message or anything else beyond them, I can apply and enjoy that as well, but with films such as this I simply attempt to enjoy the images and cuts as much as possible. It doesn't always work but it is a good effort. Sitney appears to literally dissect the film by counting images, relating them to time, ratios, etc. This is something very few people do, even for experimental films. The only people who spend that much time with films would be the filmmakers and perhaps film scholars (such as Sitney). Most viewers wouldn't spend that much time with the film (and realistically couldn't until recently in technological history). I don't like that style as it appears to try to scientifically understand art. Yes, there is a certain amount of science and psychology behind art, but you cannot treat it or try to understand it as if it were a definitive science, as he appears to do.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
The Led Shoes
While I thought many of the visuals were interesting in this film, I did struggle with it. I felt the film to be very inconsistent and was very distracted by its absence, even in visual style. The biggest complaint I had with it was that how the film presented time was very disorienting. At first, with the women, we see her jumping out the window in linear time. Shortly thereafter, the film is reversed and we see what she was doing before she jumped out the window. However, after a few minutes of that, the film again reverses its time and appears to move forward, yet in an alternate timeline. The problem is that it just doesn't present an altered scenario of what might have happened, but rather takes events that we know to happen in the future and then progresses with those future events in a past time. While mildly interesting, I felt it was too confusing and didn't seem to serve the film any more than just not manipulating the time scheme. I thought the diving suit was an awesome element to add though. The love between this woman and the gigantic man just seemed overwhelming and I got a very Romeo and Juliet type feel from it. I also like the footage of the little girl playing with the chalk, but again, had trouble connecting it to the love story.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
1. Typically rituals, sex (or taboo sexual themes), and dreams.
2. Sitney states that the image really drives the narrative more so than events. I.E. rather than the cause and effect style of most narrative films, image and visuals drives the film forward.
3. The architectonic film.
4. I did not preform nearly as deep of an analysis as Stiney. Whenever viewing the film, I simply try to figure out the "puzzle" that the film presents. That would be figuring out the order of sequence of events, which woman corresponded to which time frame, etc. I am also simply fascinated by the visuals and camera techniques. The cloaked figure with the mirror for a face has always struck me as particularly horrific and stunning.
5. Experimental filmmakers in the 1940s saw the image that was being captured (that is, what is really going on in the world) more as an image to be interpreted by the camera. With the camera being able to capture these actions, we as people can than interpret what actually occurred.
6. That everyone is trapped within the Magus.
7. Cinema 16 showed films that weren't regularly available to the general public or, at least, in a wide or accessible viewing. They were not just experiential films, there were things such as educational films and early stages of independent or small budget films as well. Films were presented in a manner where they often were shown in no logical or connected order so that people could truly concentrate on a single film and not try to combine feelings with different films.
8. Typically colleges with some type of film club or small art houses.
9. By exposing New York (a major center for the film and art industry) it forced people to attempt to accept or emulate this style of design for films. It challenged people to view and make films that were traditional or did not follow normal narrative parameters. It also heavily challenged censorship laws and issues that were very strict in New York.
10. Mostly economic. Most of Europe was bankrupt after fighting this terrible war and people had very little money for things like food, let alone film. Those who did have some money still had limited access to funds and equipment. They couldn't get big stars to star in a big film and even if they could be produced many people wouldn't necessarily see them because of the lack of money. Many of these people were upset with the government, so filmmakers used this political turmoil and unrest to create what is now known as the avent-garde film.
11. Abstract art attempted to move past the natural world. It tried to find the elements that built up this natural (or material) world while staying on a very broad are all inclusive level.
2. Sitney states that the image really drives the narrative more so than events. I.E. rather than the cause and effect style of most narrative films, image and visuals drives the film forward.
3. The architectonic film.
4. I did not preform nearly as deep of an analysis as Stiney. Whenever viewing the film, I simply try to figure out the "puzzle" that the film presents. That would be figuring out the order of sequence of events, which woman corresponded to which time frame, etc. I am also simply fascinated by the visuals and camera techniques. The cloaked figure with the mirror for a face has always struck me as particularly horrific and stunning.
5. Experimental filmmakers in the 1940s saw the image that was being captured (that is, what is really going on in the world) more as an image to be interpreted by the camera. With the camera being able to capture these actions, we as people can than interpret what actually occurred.
6. That everyone is trapped within the Magus.
7. Cinema 16 showed films that weren't regularly available to the general public or, at least, in a wide or accessible viewing. They were not just experiential films, there were things such as educational films and early stages of independent or small budget films as well. Films were presented in a manner where they often were shown in no logical or connected order so that people could truly concentrate on a single film and not try to combine feelings with different films.
8. Typically colleges with some type of film club or small art houses.
9. By exposing New York (a major center for the film and art industry) it forced people to attempt to accept or emulate this style of design for films. It challenged people to view and make films that were traditional or did not follow normal narrative parameters. It also heavily challenged censorship laws and issues that were very strict in New York.
10. Mostly economic. Most of Europe was bankrupt after fighting this terrible war and people had very little money for things like food, let alone film. Those who did have some money still had limited access to funds and equipment. They couldn't get big stars to star in a big film and even if they could be produced many people wouldn't necessarily see them because of the lack of money. Many of these people were upset with the government, so filmmakers used this political turmoil and unrest to create what is now known as the avent-garde film.
11. Abstract art attempted to move past the natural world. It tried to find the elements that built up this natural (or material) world while staying on a very broad are all inclusive level.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome
This certainly was a strange film. As I was watching the film I kept trying to organize some ideas or themes this film could be about. Earlier, I felt consumption was a large theme, as many of the main actor (who played several characters) was regularly seen eating forms of jewelry. I felt as if he kept consuming items from a material world or, possibly, that these items were being forced upon him. Later in the film I felt some sort of struggle between natural beauty and artificial beauty. Specifically with the masks and make up, I felt that these were covering up many of the characters natural beauty. To me, the image of the girl in the bird's cage encapsulated this idea. The one character with elaborate makeup and long nails seemed very pleased by the idea of the masking of these characters as did the "emperor" or was covered in green or purple makeup. Both the color and editing throughout the film was eccentric and over the top seeming to cover up the "natural" beauty of the film. I'm not suggesting that one is better than the other, but the elaborate colors and several layers of film created something that, clearly, was not captured on the set giving it a radically different feel. Yet there was so much contained within this film, I feel almost guilty trying to judge it off of one viewing alone.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)