so they are still around

I think that the Microcinema is an essential part to the success of art cinema. It brings back the natural or raw form of watching films.  There is no sugar coated big theater experience, it is real cinema. 

The people that come to see these films too are in for the artful experience. They know that what they are coming to see is different and new, and nothing with million dollar budgets.  This is really important because it's pretty much the reason why these films aren't show in big theaters, because they won't bring in enough money.  But, believe it or not, not all filmmakers are about the money.  Some actually enjoy making art through filmmaking, whether it's narrative, doc or experimental.  These microcinemas are so awesome, there should be multiple art house cinemas everywhere.  

Microcinemas are really important for independent filmmakers. They only really get to show their films at festivals, along with many other films.  When films are shown in microcinemas it's like an exclusive viewing, and the director can also answer questions about the film when it's over.  That is really key in understand the motive of the filmmaker, why they made the film. People can perceive a movie in so many different ways, it furthers the experience by talking about the film after watching it and getting a better understanding of why exactly it was made that way.  There is always something new to learn about a film.  

Film is really taken to another level, fully exposed, in microcinemas. When you go to a regular movie theater, you watch it and then you leave, that's it, over. But in microcinemas you have a chance to talk to maybe the filmmakers, but atleast each other about what you just saw.  It brings the film to life really, everyone's personal experience, really digging deep and expecting an active audience.  

After being a film major and being exposed to many avant-garde, foreign, and experimental films it is completely different than mainstream blockbuster movies which I don't think alot of people understand.  I mean, definitely everyone in the major understands, but not any regular citizens that enjoys going to see movies.  I've really gotten over a lot of the films that I used to enjoy, and I'm really proud of that.  I think that microcinemas give a sense of pride to the people that go to them, they understand that they are viewing a piece of art, not another factory made film. 

I wish that I could go to more screenings of art films because it really is a completely different experience.  It takes attention and interpretation to appreciate films that are made for an artistic reason, not to please a large audience and make a lot of loot. 

I've really learned to love and appreciate art cinema way more than hollywood film.  If I do pursue a career in filmmaking I hope that it will be an artistic approach where i can continue to appreciate filmmaking, because it really is incredible and beautiful when it's used to it's full potential. 

music video

first off i am going to say that i am nervous about using super 8 bc i've never gone there before. excited but nervous. ok, russ picked out a really good song for us to use, i really enjoy how mellow and soft it is, acoustic is one of my favorite kinds of music and i think that it adds a personal element to the song.  i think this will benefit our group in using the super 8 because of it's style, grainy, home-video look, i want to say organic....i don't know if that makes sense though. anyways i think it will fit really well with the song and whatever russ's creative vision is. 

usually when i think about music videos i think about the band actually playing in there which isn't really an option for us, but i think that we will be able to work around it and still create a perfect video to accompany the song. i imagined just kind of pure and realistic company, people together enjoying nature and each other and life, simple. the mood of the song is very mellow so i think that long shots, long takes, whimsical strolling, airy compositions, play up the sun and shadow, trees and people. russ may be no one near here but i'm totally open to go with whatever concept my group builds up around this song. it'll be good fun. 

i am getting my hands dirty, learning a lot about gaffer/grips which will be handy for helping other senior projs and good sound experience. bring it on

i don't have much experience with working as a grip or gaffer, i know it's creating and sculpting light but that is much harder that most people think-i know you know. it's all going to depend on if the shoot is interior/exterior, the mood of course, the subject we are shooting, and of course the medium - super 8. i have no idea about it, or how it works with lighting, i'm such a newb, i hope that my group can help me out in learning about actual film making. this is exciting real film making, not video. well it will surely be a learning experience and i hope that my group is patient with my ignorance and i hope that i will still be able to bring a lot to the production and i have really high hopes for this music video, i really think it will turn out amazing. 

out of focus

i want my self portrait to show the abstraction of my world when i don't have my contacts or -6.00 prescription glasses on. it's not a serious threat in my life, but it is kind of scary to think that if someone came into my house when i'm sleeping i wouldn't be able to open my eyes and see them, ahh! it's funny too though, i've gotten used to do alot w/out them but i definitely feel handicapped when i can't see anything more than about a foot away. obviously the focus of the lens is what i'm going to play up the most, but i'm not sure how i'm going to tie it all together yet.

i'm thinking a lot about this assignment, and i keep looking back at olivers because i really enjoy watching it and i hope that it will inspire e to making something more artistic and creative instead of just daily shots out of focus, boring. 

also after working on our last project, where we were able to manipulate and distort a lot of images, it makes me want to abstract my film to the point where the image isn't necessarily clear anymore. i have some super dope prismatic glasses that create rainbow reflections around sources of light and i really want to incorporate that. it will be easy to do i expect. 

i think that i will structure my self portrait around the fact that everyday i wake up put some contacts in and then at the end of the day i take them out, throw them away - usually on the floor next to my bed (eww)- and then all over...so i'll probably start the film out with a few short clips that represent the process i guess, i don't really care about playing it up that much but i want to use it more to create a rhythm. 

sound wise i have no idea what i'm going to do, probably a sort of voice over monologue like lexi did, but this is not as emotional to me obviously from hers so i'm not sure how to play that out. i need to find out more guidelines on what music we can use and what foley will help create my portrait.  

i need to start working on this.  

Proj 1b

I really liked working on this proj, i just wish that i could've spent more time on it. it was really tough figuring out a starting point, especially when there is no narrative to follow. experimental is definitely my thing, and know that made it easier to separate from the idea of creating a solid soundscape. I tried to mess around with alot of the filters, but i'm still a little unfamiliar with all of the options and techniques to manipulate sound on fcp. now that i've finished the prof i feel like whenever i have free time i might try to make another one, haha that would be fun. the idea of creating the sound before having the images was good because there weren't any guidelines that we had to follow at all really, except the length. i still hear things and try to think how they would sound if i could manipulate them and lay them on a soundtrack, i'm glad that we've had this project and my ears are more open now to all the sounds in the world. I hope that the group that is working on my soundscape is having a good time with it and creating an awesome visual to accompany it. I cant' wait to see what everyone in the class does with this next project.