Some Excursions(with camera): Week 2, January 29- February 4

Tomonari Nishikaka's Market Street(2005) creates a 1 fps film that is able to enthrall the viewer and present them with an alternate way of seeing. Below, a shot of his film strip gives us insight into the patience and foresight it takes to make a film like this. It appears that he used specialized lens allowing him to properly frame the shots which lead to a reocurring pattern of moving shapes. At one point in the film he switches to a standard 24 fps shot of the street, allowing the viewer to compare and contrast the two different ways of seeing. Nishikaka creates suspense and insight reminiscent of early cinema of attraction films. The only dissapointing part of this film is how short it is (5 minutes).

Nishikaka's Next film (Clear Blue Sky) attempts to give another obscure way of seeing. He uses a pinhole technique to alter/blur the image. Blurred images of a sunny day at a park are presented concurrently with clear audio. The contrast in sound and image is the strongpoint of this piece but other than that Clear Blue Sky is a somewhate painful view of the world; as someone mentioned in discussion of the film it is like viewing through the eyes of a person with horrible vision who has misplaced their glasses. This concept of vision or act of seeing is explored in a different context with Diane Kitchen's 2001 film entitled Wot the Ancient Sod. Kitchen's use of the close-up and her overall knowledge of 16mm filmmaking are impressive and apparent in this film but watching proves to be painful. In focus close-up shots of the leaves make the piece interesting and almost climatic. Though there is an obvious point behind showing the majority of the images blurred it still, in my opinion, cannot make up for their annoyance and uninteresting, repetitive use.

- Discussing films of this nature with peers really makes me question the use of the critique in art. No matter how similar a persons interests their perception of film, and art in general, is all preference and/or personal interpretation. Who is to say what is quality art to other individuals? The idea of someone else telling me what I, or others like is upsetting and ultimately ridiculous.
- How is artwork effectively graded and critiqued by one individual?

In a selection called Metaphors on Vision filmmaker Stan Brakhage says, "Imagine an eye unruled by man made laws of perspective, an eye unprejudiced by compostitional logic, an eye which does not respond to the name of everything but which must know each object encountered in life through an adventure of perception." His film Commingled Containers is an obvious exploration of this idea. Brakhage presents everyday sights in a way that the eye is not accustomed to seeing. He presents different perspectives and views that make some objects(i.e water) unidentifiable and in return more beautiful. Brakhage's obscure flow of images and test of the camera in this film test perception and traditional use of the camera.

- Nathaniel Dorsky's 16 mm short Variations seems to either influence American Beauty or is influenced by it with the famous "wind blown bag" sequence.
-Dorsky's presentation of different planes and depths of field was interesting.
- His pan over a blanket in a reserved lighting almost made the film look technicolor.
- The way Dorsky presents his images allows the viewer to obtain a different point of focus.
- His shot of the pastel colored houses remind me of Edward Scissorhands.
- It is interesting to see a film that is not bound by any sort of subject matter or focal point. Complete mystery of what is coming next could also be perceived as a new way of seeing.

3 1/2 weeks worth of walking captured in 3 1/2 minutes of video is Oscar Fischinger's Munich-Berlin Walking Trip(1927). What surprises me the most about this film is the lack of footage involving the urban areas Munich or Berlin. What this seems to do is emphasize the journey; 'its not where you're going, its how you got there.' His short scenes of vast open land. moving skies, and country life combined oddly well. The film almost seems like an installment of a three part series in which we are missing the beginning and end, but for some reason it is acceptable.

For Further insight check www.soundtransit.nl/

Some Words; Some Boundaries: Week 1, January 22-28

Michael Snow challenges his viewers in unique and provocative ways centered in the medium of time. His work demonstrates a cultural commentary and relevance, as seen to the right and in his challenging 1982 film So Is This. Snow makes a very tough film to watch, which is almost constantly building some sort of unknown anticipation which never really comes, though getting to the end is a reward in itself. While it may be tough to watch at first So Is This gives a great insight and perspective to those viewers willing to watch (and not lsiten). Lack of sound and real image pits the audience in an oddly comfortable situation of silent group reading. The written dialogue on-screen is presented with rhythm and in a time that manages to make statements carry and emotion or meaningful movement with them, just as a standard film. His simplicity allows for a greater interpretation and understanding. His use of rhythm and language is a surprisingly powerful culture commentary with many allusions to society.
To me the best parts of this film were the images, which is surprising because they are just single words on a black screen. Snow's manipulation of time changes these ordinary words into something else and his way of presenting them with slightly varying different visual qualities(size, his shots of his film on another screen, the slight use of color) allows for alternate ways of viewing. For some reason his film reminded me of a sort of slightly arrogant, all knowing, witty robot/alien talking to me like i was in the movie Sphere.
- I wonder if Snow studied or researched anything related to subtitles in order to make this film.
- Staring at the words on the screen for long periods of time sometimes transformed them into other objects or words.
- Trying to please everybody is not the best policy.
- The fact that he knew how many frames he wanted each word to occupy before he shot anything is unbelieveable.
- "If you don't learn from history it is bound to repeat itself." Just like our current situation in Iraq is all too similar to the time period and commentary of Snow.


Topics covered in class relate to Film 210 and the concepts presented by John Berger in his book Ways of Seeing. Berger says, "Seeing comes before words. The child looks and recognizes before it can speak...The way we see things is affected by what we know or what we believe." However what we know never quite agrees with what we see. Magritte puts this concept in a surrealist painting entitled The Key of Dreams.

The films and concepts also give insight and inspiration to the 16 mm film project in film 220: Basic Elements of Filmmaking I.

In succession to Snow's piece was a more modern, straightforward digital animation by filmmaker Jacqueline Goss. Her short entitled There There Square (2002) seemed to me like an insightful commentary on perspectives. Her information and this way it was presented not only carried a deeper meaning but it was also interesting to read. While the animation was primitive and almost annoyingly bright the movement and text kept attention. Goss is also able to make a personal connection with many people through a video which is not only silent but does not present any real visually entertaining objects besides pictures of individual interpretations of a United States map. Most impressive is Goss' ability to use such a "deceptively simple," principle to produce potential revelations (personal, political, historical).

- It is interesting to think that the "correct" version of the United States now was completely based off of personal perspective, which is often good intentioned but still incorrect.

- The film carries a dominant, controlling feel addressing the audience as "you," sometimes even telling them about themselves. When it is true it becomes very effective, but it could also alienate viewers if they cannot assimilate with what she is saying.