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.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Finale
In discussion today we talked about waiting. Hell, waiting sucks. The installation idea is really cool though. The possibility to put the image outside, looping and not having a beginning or a end. That idea got me going about a film where it has 4 or 5 different parts to it. I mean like a movie that has 3 different perspectives, if you watch all three you'll have the whole story, but if you just want the view of the buff guy, or the petite girl, or the rich guy, its all possible.
In my film 210 class, we have been focusing on perspective lately, the film The Birds to be specific. In many of the experimental films we see the perspective of the camera, but in D'est, the camera isn't feeling like the same old camera. I felt like a tourist in those country's, just waiting and watching while these people dissect me with their eyes. This film does a great job with time also. As with So Is This the filmmaker has the control of when we move on, there is no directed point where the camera moves on when its supposed to. Pretty sweet, but still a drifter, i found myself and the audience restless; I cant stress that enough.
In my film 210 class, we have been focusing on perspective lately, the film The Birds to be specific. In many of the experimental films we see the perspective of the camera, but in D'est, the camera isn't feeling like the same old camera. I felt like a tourist in those country's, just waiting and watching while these people dissect me with their eyes. This film does a great job with time also. As with So Is This the filmmaker has the control of when we move on, there is no directed point where the camera moves on when its supposed to. Pretty sweet, but still a drifter, i found myself and the audience restless; I cant stress that enough.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Alternative Focus
So far in class we have seen many films that focus on the art of viewing, the power that it has when the only sense we are using are our eyes. But, when are we going to focus on something even more powerful, the correlation between sound and images.
The last film we watched, D'Est, had sounds as a stimulant, but not as a main factor. It wasn't the film though that got me think about sound, it was the readings we did by Chantal Akerman. She writes about her motivations, and music is a big motivator. I have the same feeling that I just want to shoot a huge film that focuses on music and the sweet shots that I would put along with that funky sound. For example: The Refused have a song "New Noise" on their A New Noise Theology EP. The song has some crazy footage, but just watch at some points were the music directs the movement. At about 1:30 and 4:00 minutes are a couple of the some distinguishing shots.
Only a few films we have watched have a distinct sound to vision comparison, but have a dominant visual aspect. Like Vertical Roll by Joan Jonas, The constant tapping is a soundtrack, relevant to the image portrayed, but the image commands the sound. The dropping of the frame commands the length between hits. OF course you also have some ambient sound from Lisa Steele's Birthday suit, but that is not a controlled aspect. That sound is just there for the reality of the nude body. It justifies that she is not hiding, not from the viewer or the world.
Music Videos are a great way to express music through visual images, I hope we get to see some in class this semester.
The last film we watched, D'Est, had sounds as a stimulant, but not as a main factor. It wasn't the film though that got me think about sound, it was the readings we did by Chantal Akerman. She writes about her motivations, and music is a big motivator. I have the same feeling that I just want to shoot a huge film that focuses on music and the sweet shots that I would put along with that funky sound. For example: The Refused have a song "New Noise" on their A New Noise Theology EP. The song has some crazy footage, but just watch at some points were the music directs the movement. At about 1:30 and 4:00 minutes are a couple of the some distinguishing shots.
Only a few films we have watched have a distinct sound to vision comparison, but have a dominant visual aspect. Like Vertical Roll by Joan Jonas, The constant tapping is a soundtrack, relevant to the image portrayed, but the image commands the sound. The dropping of the frame commands the length between hits. OF course you also have some ambient sound from Lisa Steele's Birthday suit, but that is not a controlled aspect. That sound is just there for the reality of the nude body. It justifies that she is not hiding, not from the viewer or the world.
Music Videos are a great way to express music through visual images, I hope we get to see some in class this semester.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Cultural explosion
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At the start of the film in class today, I already noticed two main pieces of the scene to declare its background. The drapes were white and clearly polish,I noticed because I come from a very devote polish/European background, and the vehicles that drove passed the window were European; not to mention the window opened to the inside, very classic in Europe, not so much in the US.
A little background on me. I was born in the US, in Chicago Illinois 1988, January 15th. You can go back and walk into that hospital at around 7PM and hear my loud screaming just as I came out of my little room, never to return. I learned polish first before my English and have kept most of my polish traditions, especially the house setup because of my mom, furnishing and such. Also, food at my house is very traditional. Greasy foods that give you most of your vitamins so cholesterol is high, but you stay skinny...Great success!
So, because I speak polish, been to Europe over 7 times in my lifetime so far, I knew where we were after a few shots. Most, if not all, the shots were about culture. The shot of the old couple in the beginning playing cards and just chillin in the morning was typical. The guy eating the home cooked meal was typical, I swear I've seen that same table at my grandma's house and the cabinet setup. The doors, if you noticed, consisted of less wood and more glass or plastic screens. At one point of the Polish orchestra scene, also in the first twenty-thirty minutes, there was a muffled dialogue between the band and speaker, he forgot what the name of the polka song was, he asked the band after he thanked the audience members for attending.
Because the filmmaker was traveling through europe, there was a certain narrative between the long shots of people just standing there and waiting for the train or bus. The producer shot the people waiting and then some cultural aspects of the city or country that was visited, and back to the bus. We definitely started in Poland for a while, then we moved on across the boarder to the current Slovakia, a deeper dialect of polish with less sz and cz sounds. Cool thing is that both languages: Polack and Slovak, even Russian and Ukrainian but not as easy to understand, come hand in hand, one can speak only one but understand both. I knew we were in the Russia/Ukraine section by the establishing shot of the sign sometime into the film with the weird writing on it, the Russian alphabet is funky.
The lines of people were fun to watch. European culture, I thought, was best expressed in those sequences. The way I was taught to treat life is to keep your distance from self expression. Most of the people at the bus stop knew the camera was there and just looked at it funny. I mean the women stared at it, typical of Slavic nations, and the males looked away, but still caught glimpses a little here and there. If that same camera was in the US every self-righteous person who noticed it would be on the spot yelling and screaming. The mentality at the bus stops was don't say anything, it has nothing to do with me, just let them film. There were a few oddballs that criticized the camera filming them, and the woman most likely yelling at teens being dumb, or drunks being dumb, but then waves it off because she knows she can't change anything. In that scene with the older woman yelling, I couldn't understand what she was saying, but just the way she said it convinced me plenty, my mom has the same tone with me, strange, it's very culturally European.
Finally, our crowd which we viewed the film in was great. I mean really, I thought the film was boring and repetitive. The crowd was more restless than a pack of hungry wolves. A huge pile of change dropped, I dropped my cellphone twice, and everyone around me was moving constantly or sleeping. Though culturally explicit, like a culture fist to the face---HYAHHH!! TO THE FACE!!---it was presented in a slow fashion that bored the audience after about thirty minutes in. Personally it may have been fun to scope out the culture differences for me a little, it took the fun out of any narrative that was expected by the typical American.
At the start of the film in class today, I already noticed two main pieces of the scene to declare its background. The drapes were white and clearly polish,I noticed because I come from a very devote polish/European background, and the vehicles that drove passed the window were European; not to mention the window opened to the inside, very classic in Europe, not so much in the US.
A little background on me. I was born in the US, in Chicago Illinois 1988, January 15th. You can go back and walk into that hospital at around 7PM and hear my loud screaming just as I came out of my little room, never to return. I learned polish first before my English and have kept most of my polish traditions, especially the house setup because of my mom, furnishing and such. Also, food at my house is very traditional. Greasy foods that give you most of your vitamins so cholesterol is high, but you stay skinny...Great success!
So, because I speak polish, been to Europe over 7 times in my lifetime so far, I knew where we were after a few shots. Most, if not all, the shots were about culture. The shot of the old couple in the beginning playing cards and just chillin in the morning was typical. The guy eating the home cooked meal was typical, I swear I've seen that same table at my grandma's house and the cabinet setup. The doors, if you noticed, consisted of less wood and more glass or plastic screens. At one point of the Polish orchestra scene, also in the first twenty-thirty minutes, there was a muffled dialogue between the band and speaker, he forgot what the name of the polka song was, he asked the band after he thanked the audience members for attending.
Because the filmmaker was traveling through europe, there was a certain narrative between the long shots of people just standing there and waiting for the train or bus. The producer shot the people waiting and then some cultural aspects of the city or country that was visited, and back to the bus. We definitely started in Poland for a while, then we moved on across the boarder to the current Slovakia, a deeper dialect of polish with less sz and cz sounds. Cool thing is that both languages: Polack and Slovak, even Russian and Ukrainian but not as easy to understand, come hand in hand, one can speak only one but understand both. I knew we were in the Russia/Ukraine section by the establishing shot of the sign sometime into the film with the weird writing on it, the Russian alphabet is funky.
The lines of people were fun to watch. European culture, I thought, was best expressed in those sequences. The way I was taught to treat life is to keep your distance from self expression. Most of the people at the bus stop knew the camera was there and just looked at it funny. I mean the women stared at it, typical of Slavic nations, and the males looked away, but still caught glimpses a little here and there. If that same camera was in the US every self-righteous person who noticed it would be on the spot yelling and screaming. The mentality at the bus stops was don't say anything, it has nothing to do with me, just let them film. There were a few oddballs that criticized the camera filming them, and the woman most likely yelling at teens being dumb, or drunks being dumb, but then waves it off because she knows she can't change anything. In that scene with the older woman yelling, I couldn't understand what she was saying, but just the way she said it convinced me plenty, my mom has the same tone with me, strange, it's very culturally European.
Finally, our crowd which we viewed the film in was great. I mean really, I thought the film was boring and repetitive. The crowd was more restless than a pack of hungry wolves. A huge pile of change dropped, I dropped my cellphone twice, and everyone around me was moving constantly or sleeping. Though culturally explicit, like a culture fist to the face---HYAHHH!! TO THE FACE!!---it was presented in a slow fashion that bored the audience after about thirty minutes in. Personally it may have been fun to scope out the culture differences for me a little, it took the fun out of any narrative that was expected by the typical American.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
So you want to be a gangsta
Picture this, your driving down the street and its pretty late. Downtown chicago and you drive up to a streetlight. Awkward, no one around...red light taking forevvvveeerrrr.......and BOOM! A frickin cracked out baby on your windshield.First reactions, hit the gas, boom...your dead
Stairway thoughts: Where the hell did that baby come from...what am I doing in Chicago...why is that baby doing coke?
A change of situation,
Your chillin' in a apartment, California smog...errr, air blowing through the window and you see some really nice scenery outside and you want to film it. Get some music, drink a little tea(always good for a hangover too on those groggy Sunday mornings) and go out to film this.
Later you show this film to friends and whoever would like to see a cool little strip of just some nice shots.
So, what are the similarity's between these two scenario's. Well, let me answer that for you, Both have no point, both are pretty random and pretty sweet, and both don't have a meaning.
Going back to the mad scientist film and even new films we have see in class like the computer show by Cory Archangel, we don't always have a meaning for what we want to film, nor a meaning for what we have filmed. The world is full of beauty and its just waiting to be captured and treasured forever. All we have to remember beauty is our memory, but memory's don't last forever.
Experimental Media is all about the feeling people have when they either film something or view a piece of it. To see what colors and sounds a computer made were really cool, but my feeling was, "Hey! this is really really annoying and it has to stop" Another great feeling/emotion I felt that was really vivid in Theme Song, the warmth and comfort that Vito showed, even on the big screen. I wanted to climb into the screen and smoke a cigarette with this guy and just philosophize about anything and everything.
Well, see you cats later!
Saturday, February 17, 2007
As hard as it doesnt seem
Jonas mekas has a drive, a drive that takes time and dedication. To be able to post a blog or post a film everyday is not only a commitment, but a test of memory. Being the second, but now my first entry of the five, I can now see the dedication that Mekas has to his 365!.
I saw on the internet a parody of a person who also took pictures everyday(probably not though) for eight years. it was really cool to see that person transform into the final picture, done in mid-teens to early twenties.
Unlike the video we walked into on last monday, the 8 year progression had to words or other meaning than the change of looks. The presentation with writing though was a lot more interesting than the simple look change.
IF you want to check it out! here ya go. http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1710434
I saw on the internet a parody of a person who also took pictures everyday(probably not though) for eight years. it was really cool to see that person transform into the final picture, done in mid-teens to early twenties.
Unlike the video we walked into on last monday, the 8 year progression had to words or other meaning than the change of looks. The presentation with writing though was a lot more interesting than the simple look change.
IF you want to check it out! here ya go. http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1710434
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Number 1
If you go to this website and watch this movie, a stop motion fight, I think it would be worthwhile for you guys. http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1727961
It involves you guys using those clicker thingy's to make a short film. It's really cool how they did the whole fight sequence and I think we can relate it to the single frame shots of Market Street, single frames make up the whole movie. The focus put in on the single frame in this short are just as relevant.
The tracks in the grass, the emotional poses and reactions are right on and come on, floating teens is just cool. Hope you guys like it
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1727961
It involves you guys using those clicker thingy's to make a short film. It's really cool how they did the whole fight sequence and I think we can relate it to the single frame shots of Market Street, single frames make up the whole movie. The focus put in on the single frame in this short are just as relevant.
The tracks in the grass, the emotional poses and reactions are right on and come on, floating teens is just cool. Hope you guys like it
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1727961
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Filming
Yo, peeps, if you guys need someone, or even know someone who would need someone, for a filming project or just for fun, feel free to comment me. I'm looking forward to hearing and hopefully experiencing other people perspective on films and such.
Thanks!
Dave~
Thanks!
Dave~
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Hey! Dont leave ME out!
Film 201 is turning out to be a sweet, warm(theme song), and well organized video voyage. Several of the "experimental" films feature a diverse camera work that is far from the professional cut by cut we have grown to love in feature films. Hope you enjoy my critical eye, the eye of critics, evil eye, all-seeing-eye, the close and asleep eye, or however you want to view my interpretation of the work I have interpreted and in thus put on this page. Haha! N'Joy
1. Joan Jonas - Vertical Roll
Here is a interesting piece of art. In this I felt she was dressed as a exotic dancer for the reason of the roll. Her small movements off the screen gave her a rolling effect like a belly dancer. Though the belly dancer did not originate in Japan, that wood block was ridiculously loud, but fitting. With every skip^ there would be a loud thud^ and annoying thud^ that drove me insane. The presentation of the female body in such a way was quite awkward I also thought. She showed her body, with the thud^ gyrations, but only showed her face as the constant. She seemed to signify that her body may change THUD^ but her mind will stay that same.
2. Miranda July - The Amateurist
This video captured the exact thought that I have produced for a variety of instructors. "Maybe the director or filmmaker didn't do this for a specific reason, maybe it was a accident and it was sweet. Or it was a just a good shot, no reason behind it besides the filmmakers emotion." (David's Mind, Left Hemisphere) The Mad scientist type examines the video feed, hours upon hours, read up on related images and styles (wait...numbers...she is making numbers, BRILLIANT!) Sometimes, I think your first emotion, your initial reaction is the most true and real. This is the filmmakers true intention of making the film, the first reaction captures this, every viewing and critical viewing afterwards is a comparison of different emotions and strays from the real deal.
Hope you guys enjoyed the readings so far, lest you be sober don't bother reading them again.
A quote to live by, "Act stoned when you're not or act more stoned than you are, flaunt ignorance, materialize your dreams" (Mike Rose, Lives on the Boundary)
Davey Havoc - Vocality beyond self
1. Joan Jonas - Vertical Roll
Here is a interesting piece of art. In this I felt she was dressed as a exotic dancer for the reason of the roll. Her small movements off the screen gave her a rolling effect like a belly dancer. Though the belly dancer did not originate in Japan, that wood block was ridiculously loud, but fitting. With every skip^ there would be a loud thud^ and annoying thud^ that drove me insane. The presentation of the female body in such a way was quite awkward I also thought. She showed her body, with the thud^ gyrations, but only showed her face as the constant. She seemed to signify that her body may change THUD^ but her mind will stay that same.
2. Miranda July - The Amateurist
This video captured the exact thought that I have produced for a variety of instructors. "Maybe the director or filmmaker didn't do this for a specific reason, maybe it was a accident and it was sweet. Or it was a just a good shot, no reason behind it besides the filmmakers emotion." (David's Mind, Left Hemisphere) The Mad scientist type examines the video feed, hours upon hours, read up on related images and styles (wait...numbers...she is making numbers, BRILLIANT!) Sometimes, I think your first emotion, your initial reaction is the most true and real. This is the filmmakers true intention of making the film, the first reaction captures this, every viewing and critical viewing afterwards is a comparison of different emotions and strays from the real deal.
Hope you guys enjoyed the readings so far, lest you be sober don't bother reading them again.
A quote to live by, "Act stoned when you're not or act more stoned than you are, flaunt ignorance, materialize your dreams" (Mike Rose, Lives on the Boundary)
Davey Havoc - Vocality beyond self
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Hey!
Hey Guys! This David O from disscusion and I'm please to meet all of you. So if you have any questions about anything feel free to ask me.
Have fun
Have fun
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