FINAL REFLECTION

I have learned a lot in this class. I took experimental because it is the mode of film making I feel that I can successfully practice at this time. The possibilities of experimental cinema far exceed that of narrative. That is a fact that this classed especially underlined. In experimental cinema there are no rules. There is less pressure to create a manufactured or commercial object. Experimental cinema is born from passion only. In this class I learned about many film makers through lectures and presentations that now I am very interested in such as Martha Colburn and Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould for example. I learned technical aspects of being a film maker related to technique, style, equipment, and editing. I really learned a lot about discipline through Shannon who is harsh on all of us only to better us as filmmakers. We also learned a lot about the use of sound. I have grown as a film maker because of this. I really struggled with sound before this class and would not even make an attempt to record my own sound. Now I have been forced to try to make soundscapes and it is still difficult for me but I feel much more confident about the effort. I have learned more film makers in the class and there fore have become a more aware filmmaker myself. I want to keep pushing myself and my work and this class was a good exercise for me to work. I can take my new knowledge of film makers and networks with me. I now have so many new interests that I can research and apply to my own efforts. I can now tolerate working with others but now I know for certain that I can only work with others if it is a true connection without a film becoming a pseudo  work. I know my strengths through practicing making these film and my weaknesses and I know where to strive to expand.

Aaron Koblin presentation

Anthony & Charles presented on Aaron Koblin. I had never heard of him before. He is a very intriguing artist because it seems as though cinema is not necessarily what defines him yet it is relevant to his identity as an artist because it is a medium that supports his work and collaborations. His methods are pushing the envelope of the future in a way I had not contemplated before this presentation.

Guy Maddin presentation

Guy Maddin is a filmmaker that I found interest in through my interest in David Lynch. Destiny & Daniel presented good examples from his works. They provided correct examples of his influences as well. Guy Maddin is so unique in his style and is a special experimental film maker who breaks into the mainstream.

Martha Colburn presentation

Martha Colburn is an artist I have never heard of before.  Thanks to Marika & Amy I now have knowledge about her. I find Colburn to be one of the more interesting experimental film makers I have learned about. Her style of animation is so particular and recognizable. It is really cool to see someone from the punk community in Baltimore be such a successful and respected artist. It really comes as no surprise though. I am going to seek out Colburn's films for sure.

Marlon Riggs presentation

Austin and Molly presented on Marlon Riggs. The presentation was truthful to Riggs legacy. The personal context of Riggs life was something I learned for the first time during the presentation. I think Molly and Austin did a lot of good research on Riggs and it was nicely informative with good examples. I enjoyed the examples from more of Riggs works other than Tongues Untied like Ethnic Notions because it gave more context for his growth as an artist.

My self portrait was difficult to make. I knew it would be time consuming. There were times that I feared that the exports from datamoshing would break my MacBook. I continued to make the film though despite the effort and time it took to make it. It was difficult to find space in which I could access the emotions in my brain I wanted to express in the video. I took many videos of my eye for example and I really wanted my eye to communicate pain and so I would sit in front of the camera and play music that reminded me of certain things and I would try my best to go to the places that were difficult to face. I struggled to learn the software for data moshing as well. There was a learning curve that I had to learn that was even more difficult considering that each time I edited, a new video would export. The audio was difficult to conceptualize as well. I did not go into the video with an idea of the audio track since for me the video was more visually oriented. I ended up writing something very personal for me and then decided to distort the audio to match the distortion of the image. After I showed the film in class I added music as well. I am now happy with how it turned out. There are things in there that make me sweat but to others there is just pixels and a dark tone. I wanted the content to be anonymous. I am ultimately happy with the final product. This datamoshing with my own footage is something I am interested in revisiting soon.

Video Installation meeting

When we had a group meeting in class we came up with a direction for our project and left with some agreement and disagreement. We knew we wanted the project to be dark but some wanted it to be more dark and disturbing than others. We agreed that the project will incorporate found footage into the project. The group met again on Monday night but I was unable to make it due to having a final during the meeting. I contacted the director Austin and he filled me in on the meeting. I know what we will be projecting images onto as well as a tighter tone. Charles is going to search for a band to play during the installation, destiny and I are going to search for found footage and edit it together under Austin's direction. We have a good group and I am confident that our installation will be a success. We seem to be on the right track.