The State of Media Making

Based on what I've gathered from the journal Senses of Cinema, film making today continues to evolve as an art form where people from all different backgrounds, professions and interests can offer their unique interpretations about the world we live in.

Journal Entry #2

http://archive.sensesofcinema.com/contents/directors/02/lynch.html

In Thomas Caldwell's essay "The Evil That Men Do" he tries to examine what the overall theme seems to be in most of David Lynch's film work. The esteemed director was once asked what this exact theme was in his paintings and films and he replied that instead of being interested in global issues, he was concerned with what happens in the surrounding small communities because "home is a place where things can go wrong." Although Caldwell briefly notes that Lynch himself had an unstable childhood because of moving around a lot, the author of this essay quickly moves away from this point and rightfully focuses on the films themselves.

"Eraserhead" is somewhat of an exception as it was Lynch's first major feature and therefore, quite personal given the time it was made. The film reflects Lynch's disgust for the industrial/violent climate of Philadelphia as portrayed by the decaying setting the story takes place in. We also see his anxieties of becoming a father manifested in the deformed baby monster. "Blue Velvet" is an examination of a patriarchal society and its violent underbelly. "Lost Highway" and "Mulholland Drive" deal with characters who create illusions to escape from the reality they cannot bear, like Fred creating the character of Pete Dayton to avoid the realization he has killed his wife in LH or Diane's misguided interpretation of events in MD that eventually leads to her killing her female lover.

Caldwell goes on to summarize the article and Lynch by stating that "...Lynch's films are tragedies about the overwhelming tendency for people to condemn themselves to a world of darkness and confusion, by succumbing to violence and the desire to control others." I guess the only thing I can offer as to how I personally relate to Lynch's films is that even though I may not exactly understand what is going on in his films, the stories, tone and atmosphere he portrays is very identifiable to things I've experienced in my own life. I've felt the disgust of industrialization and anxiety of parenthood like in "Eraserhead." The late-night debauchery in "Blue Velvet" is something I've seen firsthand while growing up in small Mid-Western college towns; drinking, drugs, sex and violence. And perhaps my own misgivings in these areas have led me to create a false reality or rationalization like the characters in "Lost Highway" and "Mulholland Drive." All I know is that the surreal symbolism and other techniques used by David Lynch in his films have shown to be something that I can identify with and that to me makes Lynch and his work relevant.

Listen up!

I'd like to examine two pieces from the program, Break in the Chain of Light, and they are "Brilliant Noise" and "Observando el Cielo" Both share the same quality, that Aaron Ximm describes as atmosphere, in that they both have a celestial/sci-fi vibe that examines outer space and all its mysterious treasures. They both incorporate the use of radio recordings, white noise and instruments like the guitar/piano to convey an atmosphere of chaotic frenzy and majestic splendor at the same time. Both also translate the physical/non-physical manifestations of their subjects into audio representations. Ximm called this "the way things sound like objects, people, animals, plants, places, spaces and events of the world ". In "Brilliant Noise" the intensity of the sun's brightness, energetic particles and solar wind are directly translated into audio representation and manipulation; we are essentially hearing what the sun looks like. And in "Observando el Cielo" natural VLF radio recordings of the magnetosphere allow the universe above to have its own voice and essence. However, even though these two pieces share these qualities, I felt that they had one major difference between them and that is the use of silence.

Kubrick took a lot of guff for "2001: A Space Odyssey," and his use of silence in the majority of the exterior space scenes (The Simpson's parody is a funny example). But it was an effective technique and not only because of its realistic portrayal of space. It gave it that isolated feeling that one must surely experience in space and shares that quality of majestic awe that works when there is sound. The absence of sound is a direct manifestation of the unknown abyss that is outer space. In "Brilliant Noise," I wonder what the film would have been like if we were given moments of silence while watching the sun and its chaotic physicality but the white noise and instrumentation never let up. "Observando el Cielo" does incorporate silence with its images but is poetically used with shots taken from the perspective of Earth looking up into the heavens while shots closer to celestial happenings are filled with the psychedelic ambiance discussed earlier. So does the use of silence have an important effect on the film? I think both pieces do function as entertaining studies of outer space so I guess it depends on your perspective of the subject as art. But the difference is there nonetheless.

Act/React

The two exhibits I'd like to compare and contrast are Snow Mirror by Daniel Rozin and Healing #1 by Brian Knep. Both exhibits are a form of digital interactivity that George Fifield talks about in his article. They require some sort of interaction to be realized to their full extent. It's somewhat interesting however to look at the level of passiveness that is involved in Snow Mirror. Unlike Healing #1 where the participant must move around the floor-piece constantly in order to form the psychedelic designs, Rozin's piece requires the subject to remain inactive for a short period of time so that the pixels may form on the screen to produce our image. The relationship that these two pieces, as well as the whole Act/React installation share is that they seem to address the danger of technology overriding artistic human nature that Fifield talks about. This new form of interactive art provides a hybrid of both technology and and art and fully realizes the notion of "2nd person cinema" that Duchamp was a subscriber to.

Journal Entry #1

Article 1

http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/07/45/paul-thomas-anderson.html

This article written by Andre Crous talks about current filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson and his use of the tracking shot. An opening quote by Anderson states that while Steadicam shots are typically overused in his opinion, they can be utilized well if they encompass a floating, dreamlike atmosphere that is inherent in the technique.

Crous goes on to elaborate how Anderson has used a tracking shot in all of his films and has distinguished himself from those who have used the shot in more formal ways than others (Tarantino's Pulp Fiction.) While the typical trajectory of the tracking shot seems to be forward on a horizontal plane, Anderson moves left, right, backwards, forwards, up and down, all in real time. But thats not to say Anderson's operatic movement isn't strictly grounded in realism. Crous mentions that Anderson likes to have a shot linger from high above and descend or roam aimlessly through a given space as if the camera was some kind of god or supernatural force. It is Anderson's combination of the natural/supernatural in the memorable opening sequence of Boogie Nights that has led some to compare it to Scorcese's infamous Steadicam shot in Goodfellas.


Article 2

http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/directors/02/kubrick.html

Keith Uhlich writes a thorough article on the life and work of Stanley Kubrick, one of my favorite directors. He charts his life from magazine photographer to esteemed director and offers great insight on all of Kubrick's films. It's a shame Uhlich hasn't seen Kubrick's first feature, Fear and Desire. Though obviously somewhat amateurish, the film establishes what would become the reoccurring themes of his work: war, violence and the psychology of man and his physical/social entrapment. Uhlich charts Kubrick's maturity as a filmmaker and how with each film he would become more and more meticulous and demanding in regards to actor's performances and technical acheivement. Uhlich also writes how all his films are shrouded in ambiguity in terms of certain meanings, but that are still intriguing to watch because of Kubrick's passion for mise-en scene and music.

Field Report #1- Namibia: The Struggle for Liberation

For independent filmmaker Charles Burnett, making a film like Namibia: The Struggle for Liberation must have been a tremendous task that he wasn't used to as a director. The movie is just around 2 1/2 hours, filled with many intense battle scenes and a storyline that spans over 4 decades. And unlike Killer of Sheep, a story that had its origins from the post-Watts riots era but was about a fictional family, Burnett's latest film is a study in both artifice and reality. Not only did Burnett create a very believable Namibia, a country that actually underwent oppression and eventual liberation from South Africa and German occupation, but the film also follows the true life of Sam Nujoma, who fought for independence his whole life and eventually became Namibia's first president.

Burnett makes full use of the relationship between artifice and realism when dramatizing this film. The musical score is used very conventionally as a means to punctuate the suspense or drama unfolding; the type of scoring you would see in a regular studio film. Settings look completely authentic, granted most of the scenes were shot on location where these events actually unfolded in Namibia. The cinematography is well done, especially the opening shot of a young Sam walking through the desert. Many props go to the acting of Carl Lumbly, who passionately plays the older Sam and also to Danny Glover who plays Father Elias. Burnett also goes great lengths to create some very realistic battle scenes that could compete with anything Michael Bay does, with a 1/4 of the budget most likely. These gory battles, scenes of gruesome torture and another scene where Namibian children are kicking a German's head around like a soccer-ball all add effective, harrowing realism to the story of this war-torn country. Add to the fact that Burnett used mostly African non-actors and even included some actual footage of Namibia after liberation and we have a film that is just as special as Killer of Sheep; skillfully made with the illusion that is film making, but also comes off as very realistic and genuine.

Journal Selection

http://www.sensesofcinema.com

I have decided to follow Senses of Cinema because it is an interesting site that I have been engaged in for quite some time. That isn't to say that I can't find something new to explore. Part of the appeal of this site is that it has a wide variety of articles and essays that cover a very eclectic mix of film artists from all over the world. My favorite place to browse is the 'Great Directors' section.