tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920521805292134723.post4241910915869513073..comments2012-09-15T00:21:51.088-05:00Comments on FILM 116: Reflective Response #3 (Image)Glenn Bachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00623252725909826749noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920521805292134723.post-20408213168892826962008-04-07T03:35:00.000-05:002008-04-07T03:35:00.000-05:00Summary and Thoughts from On the Nature and Functi...<B>Summary and Thoughts from</B> <BR/>On the Nature and Function of the Experimental (Poetic) Film<BR/><I>by Gideon Bachmann</I><BR/><BR/>1. The article I selected was Bachmann’s “On the Nature and Function of the Experimental (Poetic) Film.” I really liked how this reading was in the form of a discussion just like what you would see on online forums. I think forums are the future and so I mainly choose this article because I wanted to voice my opinion on that. Bachmann, Tyler, Hugo, Vogel, and Jacobs discuss the matters of experimental film in a step by step analysis of what Experimental Film is all about. <BR/><BR/>2. To explain the main points of the article I’ve decided to take a bunch of quotes, not cite them, and mix them around to explain how my mind enjoyed it: <BR/><BR/>“I play with images.” “What happens between A and B.” “There has been insufficient emphasis on form and too much on content.” “Imagination is what makes the world go round”. “Films that in various ways attempt to deal with the whole question of war or that deal with problems of emotional or sexual adjustment”.<BR/><BR/>3. Before reading this article I never really thought about how structured non-experimental films are. At the beginning of this class we watched some of last year’s students’ final short experimental films and I had the idea “this is weird” in my head. In general, the generality of experimental films according to Bachmann and Friends is what makes it so unique. Narrative is still within these films yet possibilities of how to present your narrative, your imagination, are endless beyond comprehension. This article, I feel, has helped loosen my mind up, changing my original idea of “this is weird.” For my Drift 3, I hope to get as “weird” as possible with some narrative I see forming as my footage continues to shape.<BR/><BR/>Michael Curtis<BR/>4Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920521805292134723.post-75616010814043000232008-04-06T17:46:00.000-05:002008-04-06T17:46:00.000-05:001. I chose the American Experimental Film article ...1. I chose the American Experimental Film article because I find experimental film to be an incredibly in depth study full of some of the greatest thinkers of the past century. Its interesting to learn of all of the sub-genres of experimental film and the key influences behind them, especially because I can recognize a lot of them or was unaware that they were part of the movement.<BR/><BR/>2. The article makes note of the various influences from Hollywood like German expressionism, Soviet Constructivists, and French Trick Film-makers, arguing that the movement could have actually started on the East coast right outside of Hollywood. The article defines the experimental aspect as non-traditional visual storytelling or anything out of place in traditional Hollywood films. The articles identify New-York's avant-garde movements with a number of popular artists, designers, and musicians, most theorists in their field as far back as the 40s. Experimental film styles have sprung out of the editing of existing footage or controversial subjects from artistically sexual explicit scenes, homoeroticism, to the JFK assassination. The idea of a medium defining the message of a work is also a product of experimental film. Finally the article goes on to explain how American underground, avant-garde movements have spread internationally affecting international film as much as Hollywood is able to. <BR/><BR/>3. As a media artist, I find it important to constantly be redefining the idea of film, just as experimental film attempts to do. It was interesting to learn of Charles and Ray Eames and John Cages direct involvement in the movement, proving that design and music are just as plausible backgrounds for film as any other. Experimental film seems to be a great alternative form of art for any artist as a film can easily incorporate photography, music, design, and poetry. It’s like a gateway between the art world and one that should be used to its full potential.<BR/><BR/>Daniel Dillig<BR/>Seth Warren - CrowDanny Jaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15590382020345163933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920521805292134723.post-35758037089778900912008-03-14T22:13:00.000-05:002008-03-14T22:13:00.000-05:00The article that I have chosen was American Experi...The article that I have chosen was American Experimental Film by GreenCine. There were many reasons why I chose this article, the first is because it used terms I was famillar with such as German Expressionism, and Soviet constructivism. This article also included theorist that I have read works on such as Eisenstin, Wein, and Lang. In fact I watched Lang’s movie M last week. Another reason why I chose this article was because I liked the idea of expanding beyond the covenantal narrative and experimenting with new ideas and conventions.<BR/><BR/>As I was reading there were many main points that stood out at me, the first being that “Topical subjects were occasionally addressed in experimental films” such as protest in Vietnam in the 60’s or the murders of John F. and Bobby Kennedy. This lets experimental films still be in the conventional narrative but still communicate sensitive topics. Another point that I found interesting was the actual process of making film becomes a meaning of work. . “Simply deconstructing or re-editing an existing film made for a revolution in how we view and perceive the notion of cinema.”<BR/><BR/><BR/>This article is relevant to my own practice as a media artist because as a filmmaker I try to experiment with new ways of editing and filming. I expand beyond the covenantal narrative, and by doing this it allows me to explore new possibilities that I had never thought of before. Especially in this class, I have to experiment with things that go outside of my comfort zone, the rule of thirds, I had no idea what that was until I read about it and now, it is behind one of my rough sketches in my drift 2 assignment.<BR/><BR/>Jon Elliott<BR/>Lab 1<BR/>DavidJon Elliotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05558639749837794343noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920521805292134723.post-86276552139475383212008-03-14T15:52:00.000-05:002008-03-14T15:52:00.000-05:001. I chose to read and write about Write and Site...1. I chose to read and write about Write and Sites " A Manifesto For A New Walking Culture". I chose this article because I thought the layout and use of imagery to help explain the concepts in the article to be extremely interesting. The imagery also helped me get an idea of what the authors were trying to say.<BR/><BR/>2. The main points of the essay follow four different criteria. The first point explains the walker as an artist. They use pictures of signs saying not a play area, which has a deeper meaning to it. The second criteria is the walker must be a writer, which means we must change the way in which we portray and read the city. The third point is the walker as a playful performer, which means the walker must engage with the city not just observe. The fourth criteria is the walker must disrupt his habitual walking patterns and try new routes, which allows one to see new and interesting sites.<BR/><BR/>3. I found this article to be relevant to my practice as an artist because one of the ideas that I walked away from this article was that one must open their eyes and see the irony and humor in our urban landscapes. Whether it be, the sign of a man walking safely to the hospital. If one looks for humor and insight in the sights of one's walk, you will find itcjkaegihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06905231522833278577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920521805292134723.post-86321951744648321252008-03-13T09:13:00.000-05:002008-03-13T09:13:00.000-05:00I chose the article American Experimental Film by ...I chose the article American Experimental Film by Tome Hyland& Jonathan Marlow . The article introduces the art revolution/movement experimental film, with defining its meaning, its desires and the history along with transformation. I find the writers’ attitude to introduce experimental film, unlike some critiques thoroughly fall to publishing the greatness of it, but very apropos. Some of the points about the essential purpose of doing experimentation could be used as a reference to my own practice.<BR/>><BR/>> The main point of the essay is to reawaken the value of experimental film. It first depicts the rise of this new cinema form: influenced by some European art movement, the pioneers grouped the idea of “to expand beyond the rules of conventional narrative.” It states the point of “provide a new way of seeing the world that is free from the traditional sense of storytelling and, instead communicate in a purely visual manner.” In brief, the word experimentation represents a free to conventional restriction. The rest of the article introduces examples of the trailblazers exercised the idea and how did the movement grow and transform. Such as the more involvement of the actual process of making the film, created the “Structural Film” form. In the end, although the writes state the experimental film has influenced by academic institution and identified as an under-appreciated art form, they still do not ignore the unknown possibility of experimental film in the further.<BR/>> I think the most relevant idea I should remember to practice from this article is to drop the awareness of the identified object, equipment rules and acknowledge as much as possible. In front of an scene, the objects I recognized are all under identified, and thus the second when I take out my camera or video to capture them down, I am able to purely communicate with the images.Colleen Kwokhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09053589441226788085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920521805292134723.post-23535997288417807682008-03-12T21:27:00.000-05:002008-03-12T21:27:00.000-05:00The article I chose is "American Experimental Film...The article I chose is "American Experimental Film" by Greencine. I chose this article because I found it interesting that American avant-garde film started in New York. I have always thought that Hollywood was the place for film, but this article opened my eyes a little wider. I also chose this article because it mentions the beginnings of some of the best experimental work that I have have seen. In experimental film screenings, I have seen work by Brackhage, Derren, Mekas, and many other and respect there work; now i know where they got their start of their work. <BR/><BR/>As hinted above, the article dealt with the rise of avant-garde film in New York in the 1950's and 60's. The article includes film artists from German expressionism that influenced artists here to shape experimental films. "Experimental work in the 1950s and 1960s grew out of a desire to expand beyond the rules of conventional narrative and invent a new language for film." The article continues to go over many artists and venues that influence avant-garde cinema that sprung out of New York. This includes Cinema 16's role in distribution of experimental films until it was closed and some of the other companies formed. The article gratifies experimental film being a style where complicated topics can be communicated in a way normal films cannot. Finally, the article ends with the known exposiers of avant-garde films that included the acceptance of Derren's "Meshes in the Afternoon."<BR/><BR/>The ideas that this article produces that can be helpful to me are ones of voyeurism. This article has so many great artists as references that to experience the full effect of the genre, one need to watch films by these artists. "Wavelength" is just as nerve racking as the article states. Derren's films are wonderful and definitely reflect the genre's best. The more films a person views and the more history a person can know greatly influences the work produced by that person. In this case, that person/media artist, is me. <BR/><BR/>David OrawiecDavid Orawiechttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08981873172722096252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920521805292134723.post-11968028926984760752008-03-12T16:04:00.000-05:002008-03-12T16:04:00.000-05:001. I chose the article “American Experimental Fil...1. I chose the article “American Experimental Film” by Tom Hyland & Jonathan Marlow. As someone who hasn’t viewed a great deal of experimental films, this article (though brief) was a welcome insight into the history and evolution of experimental film in America. Seeing that my interest in this field is limited (my area of study is music based), I found this article more appropriate for me than the more analytical/technical, “On the nature and function of the experimental film”.<BR/><BR/>2. The article focused itself on the primary cultural centers of this country, New York City and San Francisco, in the 20th century and the films made there that fall outside of the narrative story telling associated with Hollywood films. References to important European filmmakers and their influence on American 20th century film initiated a deeper look into the role of these American and the inter-connectivity between themselves and other art forms. The article goes on to state that institutions like Cinema 16, Anthology Film Archive and the Filmmaker’s Cooperative were rare opportunities for artists to share their creations with a greater community; taking them out of complete obscurity. The importance of organizations like Anthology Film Archives is one that cannot be measured in a world dominated by Hollywood films. Through a series of introspective analysis, the article describes a few artist approaches to bringing their audience out of the typical narrative and into an altered perspective of the given subject matter; regardless how abstract that matter was.<BR/><BR/>3. The fact that all experimental arts are pretty low on the totem pole is very relevant to the work I’m interested in creating. Living in a smaller metropolitan area creates unique challenges to having ones more experimental art represented. I feel that anytime like-minded (as close as possible) artists can find organization within themselves, or outside organizations for that matter, they will help create a cultural outlet for experimental works. It is in my opinion that group effort and organization are vital to an effective community of experimental artists. Over the last 10 years, I’ve seen some of the ebb and flow of this process in our own Milwaukee.collinsdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15476292033099090477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920521805292134723.post-91847540235830924682008-03-12T15:56:00.000-05:002008-03-12T15:56:00.000-05:001.) I choose to select the article: American Exper...1.) I choose to select the article: American Experimental Film. It is about the beginning and rise of experimental or “underground” style of film making in American, starting in the mid 1900s (1950’s). I choose this article because it really helps define and describe how experimental film took off and grew within American. Also I have always been intrigued by the older and timeless short films.<BR/><BR/>2.)There are many main points of this article. The first is when and why experimental films started to be created in American. That was because of the artists wanted to expand beyond the normal conventional rules of film. Eventually artists started too created even there own styles of experimental film. Second is that a lot of the artists choose to have the subjects of there films reflect the things that were going on in history. Like the Vietnam War and or the assignation of JFK. Lastly, the article likes to show how experimental film is now more accepted as works of art as time progresses. One short film has even been accepted into the National Film Registry of Archived Films.<BR/><BR/>3.)This article is relevant to my own practice as a media artist because of one main reason. That would be the first true experimental film artists back in the 1950’s truly pushed the limits of art and took the chance of braking out of the normal rules of film. Despite the beginning lack of interest it got. This relates to me as an artist because I have always liked to break out of the normal conventional rules of society than follow the normal “trend”. Also I have always been interested and found great respect for artists that create new and fresh ideas to express themselves in an artistic manner. <BR/><BR/>Eriks Pukite<BR/>Lab 5<BR/>Lilly CzarneckiEriks Pukitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11922792373152409634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920521805292134723.post-50263209617740040512008-03-12T15:44:00.001-05:002008-03-12T15:44:00.001-05:00I chose the article "American Experimental Film" b...I chose the article "American Experimental Film" by the GreenCine Staff. I chose this article based on my desire to learn more about experimental film. I had little interest in reading about photography, and avant-garde film seemed to me less relevant of a topic to my own practices than experimental film. Also I chose it over the Gideon Bachmann piece because that was an interview which meant that I would mostly be reading opinion. I wanted something less biased and more factual. And while I found that the GreenCine article still had its own bias (in their defense it is difficult not to) it still related a lot of interesting factual information. <BR/>The article serves mainly as a general overview of American experimental film history. It starts by stating the birthplace of American experimental film (it claims New York, but also mentions San Francisco) and quickly goes on to name some of the precursors such as German expressionist cinema. The article then goes on to discuss many of the bigger "players" in the movement and mentions their more well known works on many occasions describing them. The article gives credit where credit is due and mentions that many of the players came out of a visual art background and looked at film as simply another medium or canvas. The problem seems to have been less the amount of work coming out of the experimental film movement and more the distribution of said work. Very few people would ever see any of these films. So to correct the problem "Amos Vogel founded the influential Cinema in 1947." By the early sixties other distributors of independent experimental work began showing up as well. The article closes its history in the nineties when Maya Deren and Stan Brakhage's work (among others) were accepted into the National Film Registry of Archived Films. <BR/>While I don't consider myself an experimental filmmaker, or a media artist, all of film history is important knowledge to me. Sometimes I wish more was written about the thousands of failed, or simply just not beloved feature films and experimental films. A history of any art by looking at the mediums failures would perhaps be more useful than any of the histories of successes that exist. More notably however, this article relates to me and my work in one critical way mentioned in the seventh paragraph. The article states "Clearly, although experimental films are largely free of conventional narrative, they are certainly able to communicate complicated topics in ways that "normal" films still find impossible." You see, even if my desire is to create what GreenCine calls "normal" films, there is still much to be learned from experimental films way of communicating. Experimental film uses specific techniques much different from narrative films to convey meaning. Many of these techniques are very powerful and by learning them they could very well be incorporated into a more "normal" film to startling effect. So, like I said, all film history is important, and it can all relate if you incorporate it into your own work. <BR/><BR/>Alec Beaird<BR/>Lab 2<BR/>Seth Warren-CrowAlec Beairdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06564031538374527202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920521805292134723.post-43330983627821566862008-03-12T15:44:00.000-05:002008-03-12T15:44:00.000-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Colleen Kwokhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09053589441226788085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920521805292134723.post-39749301057706958012008-03-12T15:33:00.000-05:002008-03-12T15:33:00.000-05:00Derrek Carter Jr.I have selected the articled enti...Derrek Carter Jr.<BR/><BR/>I have selected the articled entitled "The Art of Instant Gratification" by Stephen Joel Trachtenberg. i chose it because it was the most interesting to me. I use Facebook alot and I take alot of pictures so it was relevant to me.<BR/><BR/>The article went through a very brief history of photography. it started off in the days of old when a photographer had to use darkrooms and when development took a long time. The article showed the evolution that photography has gone through and how much easier it is to get our images quickly now.<BR/><BR/>They are relevant to me because photography is sometimes the best way to remember a great idea you had or just to inspire others. The article talked about hoe easy it is to throw out pictures these days. Maybe as an artist I can practice valuing every shot like it used to be necessary to do.D_Carterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16806462457520081854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920521805292134723.post-54599862075083623532008-03-12T14:58:00.000-05:002008-03-12T14:58:00.000-05:00I chose to read the article "The Art of Instant Gr...I chose to read the article "The Art of Instant Gratification" by Stephen Trachtenberg because it dealt with a rather interesting subject. The concept of giving a camera to a young group of people and letting them freely explore the world around them is very intriguing. The children who havent really seen or played with a camera before took pictures from various angles and of random things in a way we might not think to think about.<BR/><BR/>The point of the article was to show that everyone can be an artist with a camera if given the opportunity. Everyone has a story to tell, how they tell it is simply a choice that each individual decides for themselves. With the technology today, everyone has a chance to get their vision and story across by some means.<BR/><BR/>These concepts are very relevant to our drifts because we, much like the children, our projects are about creating a story through our own unique view. We have a story to tell and we must do it through the technology we have available to us. The article tries to get us to think about what we are able to do with our media, and thinking like this is what is necessary to get an interesting story across.<BR/><BR/>Will Olsen<BR/>Group 2<BR/>SteveWilliam Olsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07050599901133194568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920521805292134723.post-42700439468420308542008-03-12T14:57:00.000-05:002008-03-12T14:57:00.000-05:001. The article I chose was "American Experimental ...1. The article I chose was "American Experimental Film" because I thought that out of the other articles, I found myself really interested in the time line style of how Experimental Film was introduced to America. I also liked learning more about Jonas Mekas because I have seen a couple of his works in other classes and have been to his web site where he has other users submit their own videos and I discovered that Mekas was one of the key pioneers of experimental film-making in America.<BR/><BR/>2. Mekas and other experimental film-makers didn’t want to be pinned to the labels of "avant-garde," "underground" or "non-narrative" film, but the "experimental" genre has two qualities that separates it from other forms of filmmaking; its desire to deconstruct or entirely ignore the “Hollywood” aesthetic. Mekas became one of the innovators of experimental film-making because of the voice that he created within his films. He had tendencies to produce statements that seemed fit for political rallies. He described his style as an attempt to record how we see images in our dreams, and to put our subconscious on the screen. Thematically and symbolically, contemporary subjects were occasionally addressed in experimental films. Protests of social injustice and issues that were significant in popular culture of the time were often addressed within experimental media. Gradually, experimental techniques influenced the rest of the film world. Experimental work is still flourishing, and the influence of experimental film can easily be seen within fast-paced, rapid editing techniques found in television commercials and numerous motion pictures. “More importantly, experimental filmmakers continue to take advantage of every possible use of camera and projector, image and sound, to innovate in the under-appreciated art form.”<BR/><BR/>3. The information and ideas within this article really gave me a better understanding of what it means to be an experimental film-maker. I find it really interesting how Hollywood cinema, and even more substantial popular culture loves to embrace the people who defy them in an attempt to become “the in-crowd” even for those who don’t want to be apart of it. This is a reoccurring trend that exists within our American culture through the popularization of graffiti, hip-hop, and other forms of expression that fight against these industries and ultimately become a commercialized item to be marketed and sold. I think that the ideas from this article will have an influence on me as a media artist because I have a drive to address contemporary subjects to expose them, and to hopefully give the viewer a new sense of the topic in future work. Also, within experimental film-making, you are not limited by any genre restraints, but they have a desire to deconstruct and simultaneously ignore the conventional Hollywood narrative composition. I think that through image-sound relationships and using the camera in new ways, innovations to film-making as an art form will have infinite possibilities because of the various or slight differences that a media artist can do to create a unique piece. I also hope that experimental media could alter our perceptions of main stream media and become a more integral part, rather than the watered-down nature that you typically find when you go to a movie theatre.<BR/><BR/>--Nick Reindl, LAB 3nreindlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02197448079918676879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920521805292134723.post-39201582197775685612008-03-12T14:53:00.000-05:002008-03-12T14:53:00.000-05:001. I choose the Gideon Bachmann article because I ...1. I choose the Gideon Bachmann article because I always found it difficult to describe what experimental film really is, and how it is different than commercial film. It is very easy to watch an experimental film and know it is different, but expressing it in words is a more challenging process. In reading what other artists said about the aspects of experimental film, it became easier to understand what experimental film is all about.<BR/><BR/>2. The article focus's on the goal's or challenges of experimental film. Experimental film deals with life in the now, contemporary issues that inescapably affect the world over. Experimental film uses the same tools as commercial film however, it strives to use techniques of the present and future. This in turn can sometimes have a negative effect losing focus on content, form and personal connections, leaving only the creation of new techniques to be desired. However, those that succeed in the balance of mixing technical and form, leave the audience in a state of mental participation in order to take meaning from the film. This is sometimes to much of a jolt for the audience member who has not been exposed to this type of media before.<BR/><BR/>3. This article is exceptional relevant to a media artist. It is a wonderful outline to follow in attempts to make a successful experimental project, which strives for exploration but not at the expense of the meaning or personal message of the peace. This is exactly what we are trying to do. A drift is an exploration to present new meaning in the way we look at our surroundings. As it says in the article film is linear and should flow from one frame to the next. A drift is no different, we explore new surroundings on our walk but in the process of editing we take these surroundings to create a linear mapping for others to follow.Jon Agenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00259712823794983264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920521805292134723.post-41030962854171915022008-03-12T14:51:00.000-05:002008-03-12T14:51:00.000-05:00The article I have chosen is GreenCineStaffs' Amer...The article I have chosen is GreenCineStaffs' American Experimental Film. This article, although not insightful, is something I found expository. I have never known the roots of experimental film in America and here I'm given names of directors and films from the start of the movement until today. I'm sure I won't be able to see all these films, but it points me in a direction so I will at least know what to look for.<BR/><BR/>The writers at GreenCineStaff have constructed a summary of an experimental film database. From the early influences of German Expressionists, Soviet Constructivists and the French Trick filmmakers; American filmmakers found something striking: films could exist outside the mold of Hollywood. Jonas Mekas highlighted indepented underground films with Anthology Film Archives and Film Culture, the staff see him to be a significant turning point in experimental film. The article links each person or organization to their contribution to the movement, which heavily resided in NYC and San Francisco. It turns into a sort of family tree, despite some of the filmmakers never crossing paths, but the advancement of experimental film itself, from protest oriented films to the film process or "pure film". Essentially, the GreenCineStaff has presented a history report on American experimental films. They do not only boast the filmmakers but stress their work and affect on the present state of the movement.<BR/><BR/>This article does not quite make any true arguments for experimental film. I'm sure someone could debate who was more significant in the underground movement of film, but it's not me. Instead, I use it as a guide for films that will either have something to say or be striking and original. I find that the community built around these films is important due to the fact that these are small independent films. Even more important is the idea of these artists as a collective, sharing and exploring each others works and ideas. In the article, James Benning was mentioned and last semester I watched his film "11x14". I hope among the works cited here I can find others like his to inspire me or at the very least get me thinking in a different direction of cinema.Corey Finniganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02566449100813315951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920521805292134723.post-2710166330397032972008-03-12T14:49:00.000-05:002008-03-12T14:49:00.000-05:001. Identify the article you have selected and why ...1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.<BR/><BR/>I chose, American Experimental Film by Tom Hyland & Jonathan Marlow, mostly because Experimental film is one of the reasons I chose Milwaukee. Exposure to these inventive ways of looking at “space” is what will shape the future of my expressions’.<BR/><BR/><BR/>2. What are the main points of the essay?<BR/><BR/>The article mostly gives a background to Experimental film. It documents a rise from the 1960’s, when the cost of film had been lowered. It also speaks on how some people’s paths through the medium of film brought them to or through New York. <BR/><BR/><BR/>3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?<BR/>I guess I could relate this to the growing feeling of wanting to break away from “cookie cutter” film. The mere thought of seeing something that slightly resembles something I have in post production would make me cancel it. It has now become a growing obsession towards originality. No matter how many things have been done, there is always a different way of doing it. There will always be an infinite number of combinations of variables that I control from different angles that will allow me to produce such original work. The extra time spent researching similar pieces will allow me to guarantee that my work is original. The creation of new Medias just opens the door for new genres of collaboration. <BR/>-Dusty VollmerDusty Vollmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06297711572954653903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920521805292134723.post-45543563348452849792008-03-12T14:48:00.000-05:002008-03-12T14:48:00.000-05:00The article I have chosen to respond to is “The Ar...The article I have chosen to respond to is “The Art of Instant Gratification” by Stephen Joel Trachtenberg. Watching how photography has progressed from 35 mm film to digital and the different rituals surrounding the two has interested me a lot in recent years. His article focusses on the differences between the two at a human feelings level, saying that digital on screen images don’t have the same “intimacy of touch,” (paragraph 9 of the article) that a tangible print would have. In my opinion, his thoughts on the topic were interesting, as my focus on the differences between the two formats has been mostly technical. <BR/><BR/> This article starts with a brief history of photography and the cameras themselves. In the beginning photographs were revered by some, as they thought the image captured a part of the persons soul and kept it forever. The whole process of taking a photo at which point the light was trapped inside the camera until it was developed inside a dark room, and then “miraculously [appeared] on a previously blank piece of paper,” (paragraph 2 of the article). Photography came to the average person with the advent of the Brownie camera from Kodak. Like today’s disposable cameras, where you take all the exposures then drop the whole camera off at a developing center, except the camera was not disposable. Instead the roll of film was replaced and you got the camera back. One didn’t bring them to a developing center either, they sent the camera in to Kodak, who were they only ones with the technology to develop the roll of film and replace it with a new one. This was one step closer to instant gratification photography, but it finally happened in the late 1940s with Polaroid’s instant camera. Now, with digital cameras, photography is “faster than instant,” (paragraph 7 of the article). One can instantly share a digital photo with the entire world, but the photos are rarely printed out, so having a tangible photo to hold in your hands and touch is getting rarer. <BR/><BR/> When I’ve considered the differences between digital and film, it’s always seemed to be about the technical differences. Some people are partial to film, and I’ve gotten in a few arguments over how much better digital is and how you can instantly tell if your shot was in focus and if the shutter speed and aperture size you chose worked. This article talked about other differences like not having a physical photograph to hold and touch in your hands. Also about how the boxes of photographs that were so special are quickly becoming a thing of the past. We now have the same thing, just in the digital form with our computers’ digital photo libraries. There must be some kind of connection with a paper print of a photo that’s not there on the screen though Although I've never consciously thought about why, I find myself still wanting to make prints of my favorite photos, so I can pass them around to guests, or display them in a frame. As far as instant gratification goes, I've noticed a peculiar phenomenon in the generation of children right now who have grown up with only digital cameras, and not had experience with film. The second a picture is taken the first thing that comes out of their mouth is, “let me see.” This is something that 10 years ago wouldn’t have been possible, but now happens without any thought at all.<BR/><BR/>Jordan Steffen<BR/>Group 1Jordan Steffenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12344226430464158789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920521805292134723.post-58873996564887521762008-03-12T14:47:00.000-05:002008-03-12T14:47:00.000-05:00Justin TilleyI chose "On the Nature and Function o...Justin Tilley<BR/><BR/>I chose "On the Nature and Function of the Experimental (Poetic) Film" for it seemed to be more of an overview of experimental film as opposed to being focused on one specific area thus easier to write about, or it would seem. <BR/> I believe the main points of this essay, or conversation, is to say that film is, or at least can be, more than just entertainment and it doesn’t necessarily need to have a coherent a to b type of structure. Film is an art form like music or painting but it seems at times that it isn’t allowed to be taken seriously like other art forms when in fact it has the ability to incorporate all forms of art, visual, audio and so on.<BR/> The ideas and arguments are relevant to me because I too believe that not all movies need to hold the hand of the viewer and manipulate their feelings and drag them in the direction that the filmmaker wants to go. I believe in allowing the audience to have a more personal attachment with a film by keeping it open allowing one to be pulled in but not know where to go, or not be told, following their own intuition and all that sort of thing. A lot of people think that experimental films are pretentious and some people are insulted by them because they fear that they do not get it. But in reality I think experimental films (the ones that aren’t pretentious) are not trying to insult their audience but are in fact taking their audience more seriously and treating them with much more respect than those who just want to distract and amuse them with some bland grey mush that goes down easy but has no taste.jstilleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04931135855586292693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920521805292134723.post-73559622231944684052008-03-12T14:46:00.000-05:002008-03-12T14:46:00.000-05:00Introduction to the “Avant-Garde Film”Scott MacDon...Introduction to the “Avant-Garde Film”<BR/>Scott MacDonald<BR/>I choose this article because I very much enjoy Avant-Garde film.<BR/><BR/> MacDonald makes a point in this article to ex plane how and why people reacted to Avant-Garde film.<BR/> Most people see an Avant-Garde film after seeing hundreds of main stream movies, and most have a preconceived notion of what a movie is and should be. Many are uncomfortable with Avant-Garde film because it uses a very familiar medium “cinema its on a screen, its motion picture” in an unfamiliar way that challenges preconceived notions of movies. <BR/> MacDonald mentions many common responses to Avant-Garde film “this isn't a movie” “you call this a movie.” We are taught to think of movies as structured linear narratives that are to be understood. Avant-Garde film doesn't abide by the rules of a movie, MacDonald compares Avant-Garde film to music, or painting. Art forms that are less structured, and more conceptual feeling.<BR/> I have ran across this sort of thing before when I watched the Fountain by Darren Aronofsky. Many people did not understand this major Hollywood picture because it did not have a linear narrative it really had more of a parallel narrative. People were frustrated by this because it was hard to understand but it came from Hollywood so that shouldn't happen.<BR/> Most don't understand the Avant-Garde, but I don't think Avant-Garde is meant to be understood by most.<BR/><BR/>Andrew PageAndrew Pagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17078206944501690151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920521805292134723.post-54291253644563963342008-03-12T14:30:00.000-05:002008-03-12T14:30:00.000-05:001. I chose the article by Scott MacDonald, "An Int...1. I chose the article by Scott MacDonald, "An Introduction to Avant-Garde Film". I picked this article because I have always had an interest in Avant-Garde film but have never really persued that interest. I do have a respect for most things Avant-Garde, and I feel it is something I have a general understanding of. <BR/><BR/>2. The article starts off with the origin of Avant-Garde film. It also explains its place amoung commercial film, and the struggle it has ensued to be appreciated. It then discusses the work of the 15 most important creators of Avant-Garde film. The article places their work into sub-catagories of the Avant-Garde film movement and defends their relavancy in the genre. <BR/><BR/>3. Even though I was not familiar with any of the films; I was familir with many of the artists and I do know their work outside of film. Artist like Man Ray, Duchamp, Salvador Dali, Yoko Ono, Eadweard Muybridge all have influenced me as an artist and I would be very interested in seein their Film works. I also feel for those in the Avant-Garde field for the reason that it is such and unappreciated field of art. As a photographer I have chosen a path that disregards all that I know about a taking a "good photograph", and rely on my intuition and experimental nature. I believe this my be closely related to the field of Avant-Garde works, especially when you consider some of the content of my work.Kellen Kroeninghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18439488292735489152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920521805292134723.post-35301516007362992992008-03-12T14:09:00.000-05:002008-03-12T14:09:00.000-05:00Max BourilFilm 1161. Identify the article you have...Max Bouril<BR/>Film 116<BR/>1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.<BR/><BR/> I Chose Scott MacDonald’s Introduction to “Avant-Garde Film” because I did not know very much about Avant-Garde film. I fell into the category of moviegoer that MacDonald describes I had seen a Avant-Garde film until I was in my late teens and I had a response similar he expected, I was a little confused at first. After learning more about film and filmmaking, the history and everything that has gone into it, I have come to appreciate viewing something new from a fresh perspective. Also MacDonald gives a brief overview of some historical achievements in Avant-Garde film, which also interests me.<BR/><BR/>2. What are the main points of the essay?<BR/><BR/> Be that this is the Introduction of a much longer piece of work it seems that Macdonald is briefly touching on numerous subjects. It seems that in the chapters that follow the intro are movies that exemplify what Macdonald is trying to say about Avant-Garde film. The two subjects that he goes into the most detail about are surrealism and abstraction. The beginnings of which was first seen in France and Germany in the 1920’s. Although these films were not screened widely through out the west it influenced other filmmakers. By having something besides commercial film to be influenced by was the start of the expansion of Avant-Garde film. Macdonald discusses two filmmakers that introduced two ways of looking at Avant-Garde film the first being Eadweard Muybridge and the Lumiere brothers. Muybrigde was more interested in the study of motion and looked at like a science. Where as the Lumiere brothers developed a way to look at the beauty of everyday activities and life. Macdonald distinguishes the two in a sentence, “If Muybridge can be said to represent the analysis of reality so that it can be studied, the Lumieres can be said to represent the synthesis of reality so it can be compared.” I believe that this is just the start of what Macdonald is getting at in his book but is seems like a good base for learning about Avant-Garde Filmmaking.<BR/><BR/>3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?<BR/> I went into this article with just a few ideas of what Avant-Garde filmmaking meant but now it is almost seems that Avant-Garde filmmaking can be anything that breaks the rules of commercial filmmaking. I didn’t know about anybody else but it seems that the Hollywood style of filmmaking is getting extremely predictable so I been about of older film. After learning more about Avant-Garde film I believe this is a genre of film that I would like to explore more.Maxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05235764335591661346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920521805292134723.post-70692858198692341032008-03-12T14:08:00.000-05:002008-03-12T14:08:00.000-05:001. Identify the article you have selected and why ...1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.<BR/><BR/>I chose "The Art of Instant Gratification" by Stephen Joel Trachtenburg because it discusses the art of photography possession a "magical quality." It intrigues me to think that unlike film or sound that basic photos capture the soul of the individual or scene.<BR/><BR/>2. What are the main points of the essay?<BR/><BR/>One point the author expresses is that even though technological aspects of photography have changed, the fundamentals haven't. People still use photos as a means of capturing memories which they can share with each other or themselves as longs as the photo exists. They are almost a visual storage device of memory, and are so important that people will go out of their way to protect them.<BR/><BR/>3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?<BR/><BR/>These ideas are relevant to being a media artist because, like the author suggests, photos capture a person's soul. They have the ability to convince the viewer of the mood of the situation. Photography is special in that the situation can almost be never fully reproduced, and it is the artist's to make sure that moment is preserved.Dave Myszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15114944117192499999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920521805292134723.post-8083040942212217852008-03-12T13:54:00.000-05:002008-03-12T13:54:00.000-05:00I chose the article “The Art of Instant Gratificat...I chose the article “The Art of Instant Gratification” by Stephen Joel Trachtenberg because the main conflict of his article is the ever-increasing rise of digital technology and the effect that is having on the market place as far as that goes for media artists. I have and continue to use both digital and film when it comes to photography and I can understand the appeal of both of them, and I even prefer one in certain situations and the other at a different time. The difference in overall labor and man hours invested in projects between the two is without a question not even comparable and that is the one thing that is a little dissappointing because now eveybody is so bombarded with images, some diigtal some not, that many don't appeciate the technicality and precision that goes in to some really amazing work because people just assume its all done digitally. This article is totally relevant to me because it is one of the most difficult challenges that my peers and I will have to face as we approach the field of professinal media artists, and I do think it may be a struggle to convince people not go digital for everything. <BR/><BR/>Jonathan Lindenberg<BR/>Lab 5JonathanLindenberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09752818516714316016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920521805292134723.post-6747517313431377742008-03-12T13:46:00.000-05:002008-03-12T13:46:00.000-05:00The article I read was “Material Memories: Time an...The article I read was “Material Memories: Time and the Cinematic Image” by Paul D. Miller (DJ Spooky). I read it because I was intrigued by the fact that he makes music as a DJ. His writing still is very interesting and I enjoyed reading a musicians perceptions, being one myself.<BR/> “Material Memories” concentrated on the changing face/existence of time. DJ Spooky talked about time as it relates to society and society as it relates to time. He described time as being a script that we must follow and the Surrealist's idea of total freedom was, “walking into a crowd firing blindly, a psycho-social critique of the way that time and culture had been regimented in an industrial society.” DJ Spooky explained that the way time and information were structured, created a set mold or path that we must follow and encouraged the reader to examine their own “path”. He also talked about how information is a constant assault on the brain, a river of pixels that if changed slightly, can completely reverse one’s way of thinking. Lastly he talked about when people view an image they create a form in their head after heavily filtering and sorting the information they absorb, “the end-product of this palimpsest of perception is a composite of all the thoughts and actions you sift through over the last several micro-seconds ? a soundbite reflection of a process that's a new update of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.” DJ Spooky examined the relationship between time and information as it plays out in society. He also encouraged the reader to examine their own path as it relates to the constrictions of time.<BR/> These ideas are relevant to me as a media artist and as a person because it focuses on increasing your awareness of the world and realizing the unnecessary chains that hold you down. As an artist I want to do the same as well as encourage people to look at themselves. My work is not for me, it is for the people that take it as an experience and use it to enhance themselves and this can be done by examining the role of time in your life. We humans need each other and I want my work to strengthen the connection between us and that can be done be examining the similarities in our restrictions we have as citizens/men/women/children/people who have been loved/people who have been hurt/laughers/criers/lonely people/ hopeful people/disappointed people/people with big smiles on their faces/people who don’t sleep well sometimes…<BR/>Jack Lawless<BR/>Lab 4<BR/>Julie MurrayJack Lawlesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16775523131340153269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2920521805292134723.post-54784672550885767702008-03-12T13:38:00.000-05:002008-03-12T13:38:00.000-05:001. Identify the article you have selected and why ...1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.<BR/>I chose Scott Macdonald’s introduction to “Avant Garde Film”. I chose this article not only because it was interesting but also for the purpose of discourse. Since I wholly disagree with some statements made by Scott Macdonald I wanted a chance to express my opinion on the matter in a healthy and constructive manner. I would only be able to illustrate my own viewpoints by choosing this article in particular. I also found many of the ideas that Macdonald portrayed to be intriguing. This intrigue I found elicits the need to delve into Macdonald’s argument and break it down piece by piece in order to better understand it. <BR/><BR/>2. What are the main points of the essay?<BR/><BR/>In the first paragraph Macdonald argues that the reason we reject avant garde film initially is because we have been nurtured in such a way as we mature that we consider mainstream Hollywood cinema to be the standard in the film making world. This is the reason he explains that we cast Avant Garde film to the fringes of the film world. This in my opinion is not true whatsoever. Maturation only plays half the role in our psychological and social development. The Hollywood narrative style and continuity were developed to not only feel natural but originate from the literary world. Stories have been around and told in such a matter for a long time; as far back as the bible. So in essence it is really literature that determined how we want to read a film. The argument that Macdonald makes assumes the audience does not know how to read a film, a mistake made all to often by individuals. Today’s audience is both intelligent, observant, and open minded. The reason that Avant Garde is rejected as a standard is simple; the audience cannot immerse themselves in it, or enjoy it. If our economy is based in capitalism, then the audience determines the standard based upon what they are willing to watch or spend their money to see. Since the audience feels comfortable with the current standard they will be willing to spend their money in order to produce more of that standard as opposed to radical cinema.<BR/><BR/>3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?<BR/><BR/>I would have to say that in earnest these ideas are not relevant to my own practice as an artist considering that I plan to embrace the Hollywood style cinema later in my career. I would only say that this article made me aware of styles of film that do not work, when it comes to making a profit. It made me aware that there are still starving artists out there that enjoy creating pieces for the art rather than the monetary compensation, and I respect them for that however I would never emulate them. In whole I would say that this article in no way applies to my works of art as a film maker with the exception of the work I do in this class. The way in which this class limits my creative abilities as a film maker I would have to say it very much so applies to the work I do in that regard.<BR/><BR/>-Brian Sheabrian sheahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15512543469530226676noreply@blogger.com