out of my mind

so they are still around

2008-10-22T19:50:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-14T12:16:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-09T11:53:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-03T12:08:00.000-07:00

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.

2008-09-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting by candlelight in my bed thinking of how well i'm going to sleep tonight. The candle's dim glowing and warm tone make my bed seem so comfy and inviting, leaving the far wall and doorway hidden in the darkness. there are hard shadows cast on my little fake flower arrangement as it hovers over the flickering light. looking at all of my random objects that share the table with the small candle I am really interested in how the cups and bottles fade to black at the bottom and only small areas are lit enough to show the color and a vague contour of it's shape. it is very subtle but it's also calming. peaceful and serene. the ominous glow from my computer screen is pretty much all that's keeping me awake...

2008-09-24T16:46:00.000-07:00

Proj 1a

2008-09-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed working on this project, I had a really good group, and it really opened my ears to all the sounds out there. A lot of things that I do now, what are pretty simple tasks like washing dishes or cooking or anything, I hear all the sounds that I make and wish that I could have recorded those for this proj too. The thought of recording sound knowing it's one things and hearing how it changes or is unfamiliar if it's not played with the action that created it, made me think of all the possibilities with the second part of this proj. I was fortunate to have Joselyn and Brandon as my group member. Joselyn was really fun and creative, we knocked out the sound recording part, and thankfully for Brandon's skills in final cut that part wasn't too bad either. I'm looking forward to working on proj b and seeing what the class comes up with.

Sound Journals

2008-09-03T09:04:00.000-07:00

Sleeping with Cicadas

Waking up to the sound of my alarm this morning, I quickly hit snooze. My bed is up against the huge window in my room and all I can hear are cicadas humming and buzzing outside. I feel like they are a choir chanting to me "getttt uppppppp, gettttt UPPPPP, GETTTTTT UPPPP emily!" They're acoustics are dynamic in the way it lowers in sync and then gradually gets louder in an estimated tempo. Like an orchestra opening a concert, buhhhhhhHHH BUHHHHHHHHHZZZ, and then it just fades back out for a second before peaking again. Eventhough they're sound is so dominating, I've become so immune to it. And with the comfort of my bed and the insects' consistent humming outside I easily fall back to sleep.

Starbuxxxx

I am back at starbucks to do my sound log, and it is much more lively this afternoon than last night. I am undercover this time, I don't want to be arrested for writing about the way starbucks sounds on my blog. The primary audio in the cafe is smooth jazz music over the speakers. It is very soothing lounge music that makes me want to catch up with an old friend over a cup of joe on a nice afternoon. Behind the counter I can here the blinder churning, over powering the cooler humming hard to keep the goodies inside fresh and tasty. Some customers are cheerfully greeted by the staff, regulars are a common thing and the barista's work their charm. I can over hear a meeting-style conversation at another table, and I think what an appropriate and professional locale, the local starbuxx. As I'm eaves dropping across the room, I can hear a paper bag rustling as a danish fills it, and the cooler door slam, again to keep the rest of the goodies cold and the flys out. A customer exclaims, "thanks again" as he departs the local coffee house, a peaceful oasis from the burning heat outdoors. This is my local starbucks and I typically come here at least once a day, but I've never really sat down to slow down and take the environment in. Cash registers open and slam shut, seemingly in sync with the more upbeat jazz tune that is now playing. The espresso machine makes kind of a churning noise, creating steam, sounds like chuuhhhhhhhh with a muffled tone. It is definitely hard to distinguish all the sounds that various kitchen installations and utensils are making as the barista's carryout their duties. I hope the corporate head of starbuxx nation doesn't read my blog and sue me.

making it happen

2008-08-26T20:06:00.000-07:00

I dream bigger than I can possibly achieve. My mind is full of what-if's, or maybe i'll do that. I have come to realize that I have no idea what I want to do yet or where I want to be. I want to travel, I want to document beautiful things through film (or video), I want to paint, I want to move to California, and then I want to move to New York city, and I want to go to Europe, and I want to do all of it.

As a filmmaker it's easier for me to say what doesn't interest me. I don't want to work for a huge production company on some weak Hollywood narrative. I don't want to make films that people have seen before, i.e. films that fit in a specific genre. I want to make abstractions, movies that people don't get, that are just pleasing to watch because the image and composition are harmonious and interesting. When I make narratives, I want the audience to not completely understand, movies are so much better when you have to be an active viewer and think about how the movie affects YOU. I am intrigued by cinematography, sound design (maybe), and most definitely making art. I want to stress the making part, like literally work with film (I need to take 6x1). I want to take every film production class that UNCW has to offer honestly. I feel like this subject of film is so new to me that I just want to learn everything so that I can decide who/what I want to be. I'm keeping my mind open.

FST 302: Experimental Prod.

2008-08-25T20:03:00.000-07:00

Introduction to "Avant-Garde Film" - Scott MacDonald

This article addresses avant-garde cinema from a Hollywood and historical approach. He points out that is it necessary for one to be familiar with mainstream cinema and the way movies "should" be in order to respect and understand what makes avant-garde films special. The viewer has to have some the idea of Hollywood film in order to compare/contrast it with experimental, or avant-garde films. The author also touches on how the pioneers of avant-garde are similar to the pioneers of early film (Lumiere Bros, Muybridge, etc) in that they are experimenting with the medium to achieve something new. The general idea of avant-garde is being artistic more inclined than others in your field. Hollywood cinema will never change; it conforms to fit the stereotype that is mainstream, entertainment film. Avant-garde cinema is an important part of the film world because it keeps pushing the medium, and the audience to new limits.

Naming, and Defining, Avant-Garde of Experimental Film - Fred Camper

This article is very helpful in the way that it gives specific guidelines to what qualifies a film as avant-garde or experimental. Some of the main points that Camper addresses are that the film is typically created by one person's vision or idea, and also that this person takes on many roles in the production of his film. Experimental films do not follow general production guidelines where everyone has a specific job, people that work on these films usually work from preproduction through post production, into the editing lab. Also experimental films are very self aware and use the actual medium of the film to create interesting visuals. The author finishes his list with the point that there doesn't need to be any clear message from these movies. They are more ambiguous and controversial, forcing the audience to interpret what they see separately from others. The viewer becomes an "active participant" when watching experimental and avant-garde films.

The film as an art form - Hans Richter

This articles touches on the idea of film being a hybrid, and not authentic form of art. Richter evens goes further to say that Hollywood and mainstream cinema are not works or art on their own but rather performances, and literature on screen. He makes the point, that I find very important, that for a film to be a work of art it has to be so that it is only authentic on screen. In other words, what is filmed would not be artistic if it stood alone, it is only when the action is captured and then projected onto a screen that the real art comes through. Richter used the post-revolutionary films of the Soviet Union, Potemkin, and the post-war films in Italy, Paisan or the Bicycle Thieves, to address some films that are truly works of art. The Soviet Union focused mainly on editing techniques to convey ideas and emotions, while Italian filmmakers where more interested in filming daily tasks and routines. "A film form evolves that is original and not bound by theatrical or literary tradition", Richter says addressing the use of natural locations and unprofessional actors. At the end of his article he notes the idea of "artistic integrity" in avant-garde filmmakers, which is the key to making something a successful work of art.