Assignment recap

1. Bolex Long Take- I love bolex.... its that simple. I first got to use one in shannons doc class and absolutely fell in love. I have always been fond of capturing light and images on celluloid and getting lost in dark rooms but before that bolex experience, I had only had the pleasure of working with stills. Ever since seeing the surf film "Shelter" as a boy, I have dreamed about filming on 16mm. The added aspect of filming processing and transfering all in a couple hours made it even more exciting. I truly enjoyed this assignment fully.
2.  Film Manipulation- Scratching, painting, cutting, contact printing, drawing. This assignment put me back to grade school in the only good way possible. I felt like I was back in Mrs. Applegate's 1st grade art class. The freedom to create whatever I could ever imagine was amazing. I had a blast with this project and also really ended up loving the final result. I will most likely use this actual footage in future films in credits or a graphic for a company.
3. Crowdsourcing- Just the concept of this project got me giddy. As soon as Andre showed the Johnny Cash Project video, I was hooked. Also, the past semester class's work was so phenomenal that it gave me something to strive for. I had a really fun time drawing, for it had been a while since I last did. Also, it allowed some of my friends to share in this fun, and they were very appreciative for the opportunity to create also. Also, the soundscape was very fun to work through, so many ways to go. I am so excited to see the final result tonight.
4.Anaglyph 3d- This assignment was surprisingly really fun. Although I am not the most savvy with crafts and creating things out of cardboard, I actually truly enjoyed it. It was also really exciting to get in front of the camera as I dont ever get to do that. The creating 3d part was very exciting and complex. The filming was tedious and so was the work in after effects. However, it totally paid off when watching it with the glasses on for the first time.
5. Animation- This assignment was very interesting to say the least. It had two extremes. During the beginning process of production, I was the most miserable I have ever been on set. Our group had no ideas and were struggling to find any and time was a-ticking away. But as soon as we found our golden ticket we took off. It was definitely fun but such a tedious and time consuming task for such little reward (10 shots for 1 second!) that it was still tough. After putting it into premiere, though, and seeing what we created, I realized we had done something really awesome and was super stoked. I definitely see myself using something similar in future films I create.
6. Media Fast Long Take- Honestly, I really had a hard time with this project. I really enjoyed the fast and when we were presented with the task of creating a 1 minute long take to reflect it, ideas were pouring in along with excitement. The trouble was I just couldn't put my mind around any of them. I felt like this was an opportunity to really do something creative and cool but my brainhole failed me. I liked the project we put forth but wasnt crazy about it.

Rough Theatre Reflection

While reading the article assigned on rough theatre, so many similarities to film were running through my head. Especially in this class, the characteristics of rough theatre were very present. In each project there was this overall sense of doing something new and exploring unchartered territory. This made me nervous but also excited. These feelings while creating were definitely reflected in the films made because of the freedom and improvisation in this new world of film. For the anaglyph, film manipulation, bolex, and animation especially, our ability to be creative on the run was stretched for sure. I feel like this aspect of rough theatre has been somewhat lost in film today because of how much planning goes into making films. This is because to get funded you must present something solid and concrete to the money peoples. No one will give you money if you say "Im thinking of doing an animation, and I have all these items here but no solid plan, just gonna let it come to me." I think for this reason is why I enjoyed the freedom to create so much and I believe that it will have a lasting influence on me the rest of my film career.

Film Manipulation:Reflection

The project of cameraless filmmaking was one of my favorite of all time. I not only learned some awesome and cool techniques for making unique films in the future but it also reaffirmed my love for physical, celluloid film. I have always wanted to work with 16mm and 8mm film ever since I first got an old minolta still film camera. I have a super 8 that doesnt work and a regular 8mm brownie but still have yet to be able to use them. I am excited not only to shoot and develop film with these but also, now, will be able to manipulate the film in ways that will make all my films unique to me. The idea of turning film into more hands on, in the getting dirty sense, has always been attractive to me and this gives me another outlet for that. When I shared this cameraless film with friends they all thought it was so rad, and it really wasnt even a film of anything besides somewhat random wild colors. This got me dreaming of what I could do with footage that is actually mine and I had a purpose to manipulate with. I am very excited for this.

Thoughts on Crowdsourcing

I love it! Crowdsourcing that is. First of all, I am super excited for the frame drawing crowdsourcing assignment. The example from last semester looked rad and I cant wait to see what our class comes up with. I admit, it does feel a little weird handing over work to others that I feel as if I should be doing but   anxious to see what they come up with. The whole idea of crowd sourcing is so progressive and unique that I really want to explore different projects that utilize it in the future. I realized just the other day that this class wasnt my first encounter with crowdsourcing. Richard Linklater's film "Waking Life" is an epic example of crowdsourcing. I knew there was a reason I loved that film. Also, more relevant to some of the stuff I dream about doing, recently world renowned surf film director Taylor Steele came out with "Here and Now" which is a documentary of surfing but shot all in one day all over the world by many different filmmakers. It was awesome. I cant wait to experiment more with this, but first i look forward to the finishing of our classes project.

Acoustic Ecology

      Sound is an aspect of life that I have ignored and taken for granted the majority of my time on this earth. I would walk through this world and focus solely on the stimulation received from eye balls. This was especially true when I would wander in nature. I would be so caught up in the beautiful images around me that I wouldn't even notice the intricate soundscape being created right in front of my ears. In the past few years I have gained an appreciation for foreign world of sound that surrounds me everyday. Now I take time to pause in the midst of busyness and other stimulation to listen and hear the sounds around me. Nature and its sounds have had a very big impact on my life, but after reading the Cummings article on Acoustic Ecology, I have realized that human produced sound also has had a big impact on nature, although in a much more negative sense. I had known about the effects of sonar on whales but I was not aware of anything beyond that. The fact of the matter is that as long as humans, animals and nature in general occupy the same spaces, they will have significant impacts on each other through the medium of sound. We, as humans, just need to become more conscious of where and how these impacts are effecting the earth.

Synesthesia

So, Synesthesia… Until reading these articles and viewing the assigned videos, I knew very little about it. I had heard stories, sort of like those ones that go around different social scenes that usually go, “Hey, did you know there’s a disease where you can see sound and taste sight?” Well, I’ve come to find that those stories were a bit embellished and I am definitely guilty of passing them along. Now that I know the truth about Synesthesia I am much more amazed. I had only been looking at the surface of it, thinking about how cool it would be to walk around and see colors that represented different sounds and associations. This would be pretty rad, but the real beauty comes when these people with the condition apply their “disability” to art. They are able to create pieces that truly capture the feeling and raw power of the subjects they focus their art on. “Normal” artists can only dream of being able to see and create what they do, and often times attempt just that. I would truly love to try some sort of simulator so that I could get a taste of what it would feel like to have Synesthesia. 

Norman Mclaren- Thoughts

I saw colors and lines. These were no ordinary colors and lines. They were engaged in a dance with moves the likes I have never seen before. This dance was mesmerizing, abut it also sent me elsewhere. During the first and third act I was very engaged, hanging on ever detail and soaking in as much as I possibly could. During the second act, however, I found my mind had drifted elsewhere. I began thinking of my own art, then of my grumbling stomach, the still of how I would go about ceasing the disturbance in my belly. All the while gazing directly at the waltz up on the screen. I wonder which came first, the score or the cut? I think Norman cut this to the already existing score, but wouldn't it be rad if it was the other way around? I really enjoyed the experience of watching this film. I was amazed at some of the frames because of their complexity. I hope this class will help me understand better how this was made and even teach me to make similar art.