Getting right to the point, what we saw in class last Monday was really awkward to watch. I didn't know how to react to it. Why, because it was something I never thought I would ever see. The format was set in a little box that kept the action to what was going on in the screen. The first part of the film, where you only heard sound, was the most intriguing part of the whole film. I didn't know what to expect, I just heard running in sync. But as soon as the first 10 minute section ended, which felt like forever, i was sold that this isn't getting any better. Like Hamilton, I knew there wasn't going to be anything special or compelling if I waited for it. I really like the culture aspects that we did discuss in class. Were the girls directed to look at the camera, or cultural. They did it culturally, where the girls in the US, unless directed, would definitely sneak a peak at the camera. Culturally, we love being filmed, or completely hate it.
Diversity, the same uniforms, the same expressions, the stage in the background. We are watching a staged event, a event that is directed. There was no diversity, a ideal government proposition; everyone enjoys the same freedom, the same skills with no bigotry or racial slurs. Lockhart took something pretty familiar to the people in the US and put a different context behind it. The stage reminded me that it was not the way the real world is. Not every has the same ability and motions as the in-sync motions of the girls were. The part where the girls used basketballs, directed or not, was like a play; the girl dropped the ball-forgot a line-improvised. Don't take this paragraph seriously though, it's just a thought.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Hamilton what?
Was I supposed to be intrigued by what the story was about or was I just kidding myself. The events that happend in Hamilton were pretty extreme, but definitly not in a verbal way; exciting as it was.
Weird as it was, Hamilton was pretty straightforward. I delivered on the non-verbal part of the film but definitely lost points on the non-emotional aspect of the film. Throughout the whole film, I didn't see any emotion at all, even in the parts where being more emotional would bring out the characters depicted. EX: The girl that didn't want her husband seeing her child, that girl could have really brought out the character by being really pissed about the child seeing his father but instead the diretor toned down that aspect. The girl was not emotional at all and it made the situation seem not as important as it could have been; it could have drove the story more. I spent more time thinking where the director got the 50 thousand to make the film more than what it's plot and story was.
I did really enjoy the way this film projected it's narrative; along with the last several films we, as a class, experienced. In the last couple of classes I have seen some really awkward way of expression, from Jane Fonda to intimate relations between women; Hamilton was the only to display the emotion in the purest way. At first I thought the work done by J. Montgomery was a depiction of real life, at it's best; thought some the film offended people, I thought that it really brought out some of the aspects of culture that people need to realize. The world is not as anyone person may imagine it, even in class we had a retaliation on what she depicted in her films. But on the contrary, I found that Hamilton was so much more realistic. It really showed the monotony of everyday life, where nothing would happen for days and then it would click in our memory; the days in between lost in our memory. Hamilton showed emotion as constant and above all, this method brought out the real feelings and at the same time a mixed opinion. The audience had a say in the action on screen because it was up to the viewer's own background to determine what the actor meant, but at the same time the viewer had no say in what emotion was present. The duality of silence was evident and extreme in this film.
Overall, I felt that the actor was dealing with life at it fullest; especially at the scene were he gets picked up by his mother. That scene, from beginning to end, was spectacular. The way the cars were passing the kid and his mom gave it a feeling that life doesn't wait for anyone and the silence in the car showed that it is a difficult routine to endure, that is facing your problems day-in and out, where both parties want to fix the problem but are torn with the experience of mistakes. I found that the mother would have had the same mistakes, just by her silent expresion.
The film portrayed some powerfull thoughts, but thoughts they remained. I think Hamilton should have involved more emotion and expression to get the point across. Maybe if it did then the viewers would be more interested and intrigued by its plot instead of being oblivous to it.
Weird as it was, Hamilton was pretty straightforward. I delivered on the non-verbal part of the film but definitely lost points on the non-emotional aspect of the film. Throughout the whole film, I didn't see any emotion at all, even in the parts where being more emotional would bring out the characters depicted. EX: The girl that didn't want her husband seeing her child, that girl could have really brought out the character by being really pissed about the child seeing his father but instead the diretor toned down that aspect. The girl was not emotional at all and it made the situation seem not as important as it could have been; it could have drove the story more. I spent more time thinking where the director got the 50 thousand to make the film more than what it's plot and story was.
I did really enjoy the way this film projected it's narrative; along with the last several films we, as a class, experienced. In the last couple of classes I have seen some really awkward way of expression, from Jane Fonda to intimate relations between women; Hamilton was the only to display the emotion in the purest way. At first I thought the work done by J. Montgomery was a depiction of real life, at it's best; thought some the film offended people, I thought that it really brought out some of the aspects of culture that people need to realize. The world is not as anyone person may imagine it, even in class we had a retaliation on what she depicted in her films. But on the contrary, I found that Hamilton was so much more realistic. It really showed the monotony of everyday life, where nothing would happen for days and then it would click in our memory; the days in between lost in our memory. Hamilton showed emotion as constant and above all, this method brought out the real feelings and at the same time a mixed opinion. The audience had a say in the action on screen because it was up to the viewer's own background to determine what the actor meant, but at the same time the viewer had no say in what emotion was present. The duality of silence was evident and extreme in this film.
Overall, I felt that the actor was dealing with life at it fullest; especially at the scene were he gets picked up by his mother. That scene, from beginning to end, was spectacular. The way the cars were passing the kid and his mom gave it a feeling that life doesn't wait for anyone and the silence in the car showed that it is a difficult routine to endure, that is facing your problems day-in and out, where both parties want to fix the problem but are torn with the experience of mistakes. I found that the mother would have had the same mistakes, just by her silent expresion.
The film portrayed some powerfull thoughts, but thoughts they remained. I think Hamilton should have involved more emotion and expression to get the point across. Maybe if it did then the viewers would be more interested and intrigued by its plot instead of being oblivous to it.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
FEELINGSSS!!! OOO FEEEEELLLIINNGGGGSSS!!!
So, in class we were talking about our feelings, not like that though. Reactions to films that make us ask, hey! why did I react like that. Why did i laugh at the guy in sweat pants watching Jane Fonda. Well, he did bring it on himself as soon as he put on those pants and turned on the TV. He was just like Fonda, he was presenting himself for everyone to laugh at him, or join him. The several changes of scenario brought the idea of people talking about her everywhere. But I found it awkward that they didn't much of the real video. To me it seemed like he made two extremes, what she was saying and what he was doing. People sometimes say that what some people say is too extreme for them, no its too crazy; like what she was quoted to say. The man in the film was also doing some extreme movements, who knew we looked like that working out.
Wow, since where on the subject of feelings, I really don't like cops; especially after the French film in Chicago. Those police had this, "I gonna get those muthaf!*&@ng kids." The peaceful demonstration could not have been broken up otherwise but that was still intense. Political films have to be different and have extreme images to get the point across. When was the last time you listened to your parents just talking telling what to do; no you had a demonstration of their power first. What made the film extreme, why did I feel that way. It was the staring eyes of the police, not leaving the camera and staring into the crowds eyes with that grimacing look on their face. It was the emotionless poster board faces that stared the audience down from every angle. It was the violence emerging from the group of fellow teens and students. ITS A JUST A MOVIE! I said BUT IT PISSES ME OFF ANYWAY!
Wow, since where on the subject of feelings, I really don't like cops; especially after the French film in Chicago. Those police had this, "I gonna get those muthaf!*&@ng kids." The peaceful demonstration could not have been broken up otherwise but that was still intense. Political films have to be different and have extreme images to get the point across. When was the last time you listened to your parents just talking telling what to do; no you had a demonstration of their power first. What made the film extreme, why did I feel that way. It was the staring eyes of the police, not leaving the camera and staring into the crowds eyes with that grimacing look on their face. It was the emotionless poster board faces that stared the audience down from every angle. It was the violence emerging from the group of fellow teens and students. ITS A JUST A MOVIE! I said BUT IT PISSES ME OFF ANYWAY!
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Vlad mastery
In class recently, we have had chance to try the vladmasters. In their own little world, they were sweet.
First, what I liked. I really liked the narration that the cd's had; it really gave a personalized vioce for the project. The music fit as well as the vioces with the story. The disks were personalized just as much as the vioce was. They had cool designs and were really awsome by just being put together by hand and idividually. The experience that we had was all on its own also. The 3d images were nice to look at as well as a change from the 2d perspective that films usually create. The timing of the clicks we had to do was crucial and well set up for the narration, expectially with the last set of disks, the music and slide changing were beautifully in sync.
The viewmasters were fun to play with, because either which way you held it, the show was still going on. The viewer was really the master of his/her own destiny because we had the choice wheter to move on or to stay behind; watch the clips while looking up or down, and at our own pace, backwards or fowards.
Some things were just a pain while doing this art. While thinking about what other media this could be offered in, I thought up of a vladmaster type show, but with only one disk. The changing of the disks was really cumbersome, and brought me out of the world i was viewing. Though intentional or not, the pauses between disks brought me back into reality and had me remeber that I was viewing a show. I would like to see a show were one disk is used and the narration and click speed is the key to express the story. Another thing about the viewmasters is how my arm cramped up while holding the device, the disk changing helped, but four shows in a row hurt a little.
At home over the weekend, so far, I played with binoculars while watching T.V. This was really cool, minus the head-ache, because I focused in on the action where I wanted it to be. The whole screen didnt fit in the binocular view so I could pan where I wanted too. This was another great medium for watching a story just like the vladmasters, but it kinda hurt my head after a while, my eyes were in pain too.
The level of interactivity was fun and more exciting than some of the work we have seen so far. Interactivity is becoming a bigger issue these days than it seem to be previously; not only in art but technologically. For example the Nintendo Wii. This uses a remote type controller where the player can point and move with sensors in the remote and out. This brings a new level of gaming as well as being able to be the first to use movement as a key factor in gameplay, you can really get tired of playing the Wii.
First, what I liked. I really liked the narration that the cd's had; it really gave a personalized vioce for the project. The music fit as well as the vioces with the story. The disks were personalized just as much as the vioce was. They had cool designs and were really awsome by just being put together by hand and idividually. The experience that we had was all on its own also. The 3d images were nice to look at as well as a change from the 2d perspective that films usually create. The timing of the clicks we had to do was crucial and well set up for the narration, expectially with the last set of disks, the music and slide changing were beautifully in sync.
The viewmasters were fun to play with, because either which way you held it, the show was still going on. The viewer was really the master of his/her own destiny because we had the choice wheter to move on or to stay behind; watch the clips while looking up or down, and at our own pace, backwards or fowards.
Some things were just a pain while doing this art. While thinking about what other media this could be offered in, I thought up of a vladmaster type show, but with only one disk. The changing of the disks was really cumbersome, and brought me out of the world i was viewing. Though intentional or not, the pauses between disks brought me back into reality and had me remeber that I was viewing a show. I would like to see a show were one disk is used and the narration and click speed is the key to express the story. Another thing about the viewmasters is how my arm cramped up while holding the device, the disk changing helped, but four shows in a row hurt a little.
At home over the weekend, so far, I played with binoculars while watching T.V. This was really cool, minus the head-ache, because I focused in on the action where I wanted it to be. The whole screen didnt fit in the binocular view so I could pan where I wanted too. This was another great medium for watching a story just like the vladmasters, but it kinda hurt my head after a while, my eyes were in pain too.
The level of interactivity was fun and more exciting than some of the work we have seen so far. Interactivity is becoming a bigger issue these days than it seem to be previously; not only in art but technologically. For example the Nintendo Wii. This uses a remote type controller where the player can point and move with sensors in the remote and out. This brings a new level of gaming as well as being able to be the first to use movement as a key factor in gameplay, you can really get tired of playing the Wii.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Spring Break Obsura
The camera obscura was a pretty amazing sight. I never knew that a single hole, with a little attention, could produce the image from the outside. I have even gone ahead and tried it at home so far, well, with minimal luck that is.
I really can see why Ethan would stray away from a single shot images of a camera for this different approach to show images. At Kenilworth, some of the classmates disscussed how he should give the outside a image, or produce a scene on the street to be projected. Though a great idea, we saw Prof. Bogner strutting around the front of the building and some other students doing cart-wheels. For the first time, I saw people engaging with a picture, creating it their own; to some extent.
The time lapsing was my favorite part of the trip. I really thought the clouds projected on a ceiling was a fantastic idea, and a great piece of modern art. I really would like to make something like that at my own home, either projecting the sky or my backyard full of little gnomes and such to make my room look cool. A neat idea I thought of right away was to project water from the outside in and onto the ceiling. An ever-changing ceiling design would blow the lid off visitors and friends. Also, being as cheap or as expensive as one wants it to be, who wouldn't want to try some home experiments with light technology.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Excess is not the term I'm looking for...
I really don't know which was more interesting in the latest class, The Available Light, or the girl sitting in front of me having hyptic jerks through-out the class.(when you fall asleep but then jerk waking up) The style of presentation of two projectors was really a new way of watching a film, but apart from Brent Coughenour, it was more of a experiment than a real image/film.
Start with available light; exposed film? If any two year old was aware that accidentally opening his daddy's film and unraveling it would make a film then all our children are masters of a ever changing art. I really don't have too much to say about this piece, to me it seemed like it would be a great start on something cool to make, but not a finish product. At one point it looked like birds were in the frame, like those flying V's we draw on pictures as kids. A concept of exposing film would be interesting to play with, but presenting this piece by itself was pointless.
Don't get me wrong, I don't have to have a meaning for every film I see. Take Brent's Film for example. The booms and the old projector feel of the film was a devastating scene. The whurr of the projectors fit well with the sound on screen, following some really wicked pictures of the kid on the bike, the forests, roller coaster, this was the only piece that I enjoyed watching. While watching the film I wrote down that it was a visual assault; fitting, I think. The kid on the bike gave me this eerie Damion feeling that echoed while seeing the top of tree and shining light, a god-inspiring image, staring at the sky in that sense could be either good-a new path or such-or like being at a funeral. The film had a different visual tie, something of a horror to nice scenery to action flick, definitely weird and my one of my favorites of the class so far.
Start with available light; exposed film? If any two year old was aware that accidentally opening his daddy's film and unraveling it would make a film then all our children are masters of a ever changing art. I really don't have too much to say about this piece, to me it seemed like it would be a great start on something cool to make, but not a finish product. At one point it looked like birds were in the frame, like those flying V's we draw on pictures as kids. A concept of exposing film would be interesting to play with, but presenting this piece by itself was pointless.
Don't get me wrong, I don't have to have a meaning for every film I see. Take Brent's Film for example. The booms and the old projector feel of the film was a devastating scene. The whurr of the projectors fit well with the sound on screen, following some really wicked pictures of the kid on the bike, the forests, roller coaster, this was the only piece that I enjoyed watching. While watching the film I wrote down that it was a visual assault; fitting, I think. The kid on the bike gave me this eerie Damion feeling that echoed while seeing the top of tree and shining light, a god-inspiring image, staring at the sky in that sense could be either good-a new path or such-or like being at a funeral. The film had a different visual tie, something of a horror to nice scenery to action flick, definitely weird and my one of my favorites of the class so far.
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Middle East
Being lost is a bad feeling. Any kind of lost bring about the feeling of despair and anxiety. Whether it be lost in a town, lost at wal-mart, or lost within yourself not knowing what to do or feel. The first video we watched, the installation of Vacuum, gave me that impression first. Secondary impressions brought me recognize the elimination of something but not being about to and only pushing it aside. We all know we cannot vacuum snow, the snow is merely pushed aside; a culture pushed aside, a race that is put off and exiled here and there. This is a sad feeling many of us in the U.S. will never feel, exile and a lack of country.
Though not a feeling I would want to feel, the people in Lebanon had to feel it, the feeling of disparity that was shown in The lost ones. The people on the building signified a feeling of being outside the community, far away from the beauty of the town. Those people did not even look at each other, lost together, looking for a old culture that is not existing anymore. The music, unlike many of the experimental videos we have seen---many did not even involve music---set the mood. The mood of disparity and difference, any other music could shows a different meaning. Music could have set the mood of happiness even, it would have needed a different set of shots though. The shots in the film were really sweet too, the girl laying over the edge with her arms out, the man holding on to the top of the building, really informative shots.
The film with the belly dancing music was the best though. It put the music first, something I have been waiting to see in a experimental sense. It reminded me of a B&W film call The Man with the Movie Camera. Both films followed the power of the music, changing with the beat, moving faster or slower or changing pictures. The power of music is a compelling force, it, like a good narrative, could evoke several emotions. A scene of a father son reuniting, cast with good narrative, gives me tears sometimes. With good music, goose-bumps form on my body, a feeling of fear could form waiting for a change in scene--horror movies--Lots of things need to be taken into account when looking at films and music is a huge aspect.
The reason I look at music so much is that I enjoy it. I really feel the music when I hear it, for example Silent Hill. That movie had a decent plot and such, but the music was brought from the 4 games that have been put out before the movie. It just brought a different perspective to the movie, where the people who have heard or played the game before could relate the score.
This trailer has a few of the games soundtrack in it, a fuzzed radio means death is near, or monsters. Sound is more meaningful that sight sometimes I think. imagine the sound of packing cigarettes, it could never be anything else if you think about it.
Though not a feeling I would want to feel, the people in Lebanon had to feel it, the feeling of disparity that was shown in The lost ones. The people on the building signified a feeling of being outside the community, far away from the beauty of the town. Those people did not even look at each other, lost together, looking for a old culture that is not existing anymore. The music, unlike many of the experimental videos we have seen---many did not even involve music---set the mood. The mood of disparity and difference, any other music could shows a different meaning. Music could have set the mood of happiness even, it would have needed a different set of shots though. The shots in the film were really sweet too, the girl laying over the edge with her arms out, the man holding on to the top of the building, really informative shots.
The film with the belly dancing music was the best though. It put the music first, something I have been waiting to see in a experimental sense. It reminded me of a B&W film call The Man with the Movie Camera. Both films followed the power of the music, changing with the beat, moving faster or slower or changing pictures. The power of music is a compelling force, it, like a good narrative, could evoke several emotions. A scene of a father son reuniting, cast with good narrative, gives me tears sometimes. With good music, goose-bumps form on my body, a feeling of fear could form waiting for a change in scene--horror movies--Lots of things need to be taken into account when looking at films and music is a huge aspect.
The reason I look at music so much is that I enjoy it. I really feel the music when I hear it, for example Silent Hill. That movie had a decent plot and such, but the music was brought from the 4 games that have been put out before the movie. It just brought a different perspective to the movie, where the people who have heard or played the game before could relate the score.
This trailer has a few of the games soundtrack in it, a fuzzed radio means death is near, or monsters. Sound is more meaningful that sight sometimes I think. imagine the sound of packing cigarettes, it could never be anything else if you think about it.
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