Working on my paper

As I am working on my final paper and looking back at all of our past works that we viewed, its becoming increasingly hard to make connections between the works and use works that were from three different mediums. My thesis is experimental cinema is aggressive. I know the works I want to use but for some reason I just can't connect the ideas. I will continue to work on this obviously and hopefully send Sarah a version of it so I know if I am even doing it right.

Hamilton

Overall I liked the film. When Carl talked about how this film really used the idea that less is more, I thought of the reading I did in Film 210 of David Mamet. He talks about how it works better in film to not try and put in the directors views, or try to create drama, you have to put uninflickted images together. Mamet uses the example of showing a stick being broken, and then an image of a deer lifting its head. These two images could have been shot at different times, in completely different locations, but the viewer doesn't know that. When they are put together, it gives a sense of alertness, and fear. If someone looks at each image seperatly.....they don't have any significance. Hamilton really used this idea because none of the shots were crazy or that interesting. They were all just put together in a way that got the meaning across. I really liked how there was only a little bit of dialouge. As far as is being a silent film, I think that if he did that then the scenes when it was silent it wouldn't have been as powerful. I would have to agree that the scene when he is with his mother, is the most tense car ride I have ever seen in a film.

Jennifer Montgomery

The first of her works that we watch, How to Use Equipment, I enjoyed and thought that it was funny. I really like the documentary feel to it and how each person explained how to use a simple object that almost everyone can use. I especially liked the one girl that didn't know how to tell time and she talked about how when she would ask people what time it was and if they showed her their watch she would just be like oh alright without actually knowing what time it was. By using Super-8 it really seemed like a home video and everyone was comfortable on the screen.

Love with a Little L was alright. I didn't see the point of pubic urination or the part when someone urinated on the girl in the tub. Maybe it is because I am a guy and I never went through a stage like this in my life. During the entire film I didn't know what was going on, and all I could get from it was that Jennifer is obsessed with herself. I'm not even sure what it was, but I couldn't help but feel like she was making this film soley for her, and by showing it to others, that we weren't at the same level as her, and we never would be as good as her. Even when she talked I got the sense that she was talking down to me. I can't even pinpoint what made me feel like that, so if someone else felt the same let me know.

Notes on the Death of Kodachrome, for the main part of it was good and I enjoyed it. The opening film with the lady painting with her blood though, made me sick. I thought it was really disgusting and it made me want to throw up. I have never seen anything like that before. So starting out I didn't like this film, but as she talked to the people about her equipment I found their stories interesting, and maybe it was just because it was someone elses point of view. I did find it a little odd that she would go to all of these places so far apart just to get her equipment back. Also the reason she wanted her equipment back was to make a film that was all about her. This is another instance I got that she was all about herself. Overall I didn't really like Jennifer.

Camera Obscuras and Viewmasters

Since I forgot to talk about the Camera Obscure I will talk about that in this blog as well. I thought that it was really interesting, as well as different from what I expected. I heard that the Camera Obscura was a room that had the outside world projected onto the walls. So when I saw that it was just on one wall I was a little disappointed. Then after watching it for a view minutes, I got sucked in. I never would have thought that looking at the street could be so interesting. Even though it was just the street with some cars and people going by, it was such a novelty. I was amazed at how clear it came through and perfectly went onto the wall. I felt that the experience had at this was up to the viewer. Anyone could just walk in and then leave. Ethan really has no control as to what the viewer gets out of it.

The viewmasters I felt, had complete control over the viewer. Yes, the person could just flip through the pictures, but no one did. The tapes told the viewer exactly when to do what. I really enjoyed the viewmasters as well. I had never had one that told a story like those and that was really interesting.

Laura Marks

I thought she did a good job of talking about the films she presented and it was very interesting. I really liked the one with the guy vacuuming snow. It was funny at first, because I don't think that I have ever even thought about vacumming snow, and then I was thinking about if it would even work. I am so used to living in an enviornment with snow that it rarely occurs to me that there are people that have never seen it. The same can go with film. I am so used to watching american films and I know what I enjoy. Its hard for me to even understand that there are people that wouldn't even be able to understand some of the most basic films.

The Lost Ones was really weird for me to watch. I was waiting the entire film for the people to be vampires or something. I didnt know that they were standing on top of a temple, so I completely missed the meaning behind the film. The animated one with the spinning designs and awesome music was the same way for me. I had no idea the designs were religous and that it was a big deal to put those images together with that music.

Long Pans

I can't believe I actually stayed awake for all of D'Est. When I heard that we were watching a film that only consisted of long pans I was far from excited. I was very pleasently surprised. It was actually very interesting. The only thing that bothered was some of the shots lasted a very, very long time. I got a little restless after a few of those shots. The few shots of people just sitting there in small rooms was kind of akward and it seemed like they were uncomfortable in front of the camera. I believe this was in Russia, and I noticed that it seems everyone in Russia waits outside for something.

Day Two

I was thinking more about the film Data Diaries today and I had two very different view points on it. My first is that it was really interesting and I never would have thought to do that on my computer. It's weird thinking that when you are checking your email thats what it looks like to your computer. The only thing that would have made it better was if he mentioned what he was doing on his computer that made that image and sound. I think Maria also mentioned something about that in her blog. The other view I had on this film was that it was really boring. Nothing really happend and aside from a few minor details it was pretty much the same thing over and over. The view I would side more with would probibly be right in the middle. I would have liked it a lot more if he had subtitles as to what he was doing during that time and if he added music in the background.