Sound and Images

Here are some excerpts of some sound creators along with video. I did not appreciate some of them, but there are people who do. I know sound is a great aspect in making movies; it is a building block and is essential in film making. But when you have sound that is just nonsense with movies you get crap. Anyone who has experienced bad sound with their movies knows that it is crucial to have wonderful sound to complement their vision.




John Cage

What I'm not going to show you (but you may want to brace yourself when viewing) are some videos of abstract sound creators.
John Cage is considered a great composer of sound, but I do not favor his work. Perhaps Hitler's impression of some of his work can best explain my own attitude for the time being, but is subject to change.



...and then there is this experimentle film called "Boomerang" by Nancy Holt and Richard Serra.




I just want to rip my ears off and plug them with corks or cement. This video was so annoying, it makes me just want to smack the woman upside the head and knock the headphones off her. If you get through the rest of the video, I commend you, but you must not have anything better to do with your life. I had to watch this video as part of my class regarding sound, so I have a better excuse than you.

Then there is Gary Hill, his vision and sound just confuse the viewers. It’s a funny combination but most people who seen this video were confused about what was going on. The images and dialog are hard to focus on at the same time.  This experimental film is profound and I do credit the artist for creating it. Enjoy this film.

Gary Hill - Around and About (1980)

Last, but not least, is Jay Rosenblatt. His use of images and narration in "The Smell of Burning Ants" is very intriguing. I was very impressed with the images and how the dialogue made you correspond to what was going on. This is definitely a must watch film. Some images have been cut because they are too graphic for YouTube. If you can get a hold of the original film, it is one to add to your collection of great film makers.

Editing..

Editing is the building block of any film. Without good editing your film is pointless. Don’t get me wrong, camera shots have to be just as great. But, the editing of the shots must be considered to emphasis the vision of the film and in return to encapsulate the viewer. To broaden my perspective and to realize great aspects of good editing, the following films show the magic of great editing.

The Battleship Potemkin - Sergei Eisenstein - 1925 Odessa steps -



Do any of these scenes look familiar? A majority of the films we see today have used these same concepts and editing techniques from the Odessa steps from the film “The Battleship Potemkin". These are foundation techniques that should be used in any film maker’s films.

Here is an example:



 





Some other great examples of great film editing is the movie “Psycho” by Alfred Hitchcock.

Alfred Hitchcock

 

In the shower scene, there are numerous shots to convey the murder. Not once does the knife actually penetrate the victim. The editing of this particular scene is marvelous in respect to express the enclosed space between the murderer and the victim. The transitions from the swirling of the water down the drain with the victim’s eye are also remarkable.

 

Now, another great movie, with of course great film editing, is the movie “Apocalypse Now” by Francis Ford Coppola.



 

I didn’t realize the awesome editing for the opening scene of this movie, until I was revisited with it in class the other day. This scene alone screams watch me! I can remember in my high school days watching this movie religiously with a couple of friends and not realizing till now the sheer vibrancy from the work that was done to make this spectacular movie.  The rhythm of the helicopters flying by, the smoke blowing in the wind, the music in the background and the queue of Jim Morrison singing “This is the End” with the explosion, illuminates raw power of this opening scene! This movie should be a cornerstone standard building block for every film maker/editor out there!



Working with Duration & Performance

In my own opinion, these films, accept for a few, are very nail bending, hair pulling and are utterly despicable in taste when it comes to film. But as required, I am to give my own interpretation on the genres of film, so here is my two cents.

There were a series of film artist's that were presented to me regarding duration and performance. In my opinion, some of these film artist's didn't appeal or even make me want to watch their work again. They are as follows:



Bruce Nauman

Bruce Nauman created films that were of the abstract nature and were very lengthy in manner. There is no plot, just repetitive motions in the films that I see by him which include "Stamping in the Studio" and also "Walking in an Exaggerated Manner...”. I did not like them, I did not understand them nor do I even care to.

Joan Jonas

Joan Jonas and her film "Vertical Roll" hurt my eyes and gave me a head ache. The constant flickering of the film and the vague images were not very appealing but appalling. Although there was a nude woman in the film, it took forever to actually make out that it was in fact a nude woman. Apparently at the end of the film, the message is that the person in the film is watching you watching them.

Vito Acconci

 

Then there is this nut case- Vito Acconci. He created this film called "Theme Song" that is apparently a theme of someone trying to hit on the viewer using the most horrible pickup lines. The film goes on for about 30 minutes or more with him smoking a cigarette, playing different songs from a tape deck singing horribly to them and trying to get someone to believe his horrible pickup lines. He says things like that he’s so alone and how he wants to be with someone, to be close to them, to have their body close to his body. But, I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder because according to Mabsurda, who uploaded Accnci's Film to You Tube, says "The dynamic tension between 'I and you,' artist and viewer, is perhaps most brilliantly realized in 'Theme Song'...”. I beg to differ.

 

Now, onto some film artist's that are awe inspiring, who knew what they were doing, who had meaning or something eye catching in thier films .

 

William Wegman created some short films that had amusing themes and skits that were more enjoyable to watch then the previouse Film Artist's mentioned. Wegman incorporates his pet dog into his films and also wise cracks that help draw the viewer's attention.  Wegmans Film's are very enjoyable, creative, inspiring and not boring at all.

Then there's this crazy lady who turns everyday kitchen items into weapons!?! Woe to the man that marries and crosses her! Martha Rosler created this film called "Semiotics in the Kitchen" during the Feminist Movement. It depicts an upcoming genre that is out of the ordinary and is along the lines of women burning bras, but using kitchen appliances and cooking utensils in a violent and also destructible manner. I think that the message of the film is to realize that women are not going to be bound to the kitchen as mere house wives anymore and are going to be independent to do as they please.

 

Last but not least is the film maker Corinna Schnitt who made the film" Once upon a Time". This film is awesome; it was so creative whereas it had different animals in a living room. I won’t give any spoiler's because I highly advise that people watch and share this film. It’s cute, clever, creative and not a waste of your time. Unfortunately, I could not find the Video to upload it. But I've attached some clips to give you a sneak preview. Believe me, this film is great!

Heres a link to her Web Site.

http://www.corinnaschnitt.de/



Early Cinema: Seeing Through a Frame

Auguste Lumière and Louis Lumière

The Lumiére Brothers started the innovation of Film by creating the first form of a video camera called the "Cinématographe". Some of their first Movies were "Repas de bébé" ("Baby's Breakfast") and L'Arroseur arrosé("The Sprinkler Sprinkled"). These films were the few of  many that the Lumiére brothers would create and are the basis of the Film Evolution.

Even though these films were a mere form of what we would call a "home video" today, audiences at the beginning of this new invention were in awe at the creation of these films.


Cinématographe


 



Repas de bébé

L'Arroseur arrosé



George Méliès

George Méliès was next in line to create the first visual effects with the invention of the Cinématographe. Méliès began his career as an illusionist and carried that skill into his films. He not only directed his films but also acted in them. Méliès is considered the father of Visual Effects.

With Méliès ingenious style, he has created countless films that revolutionized the film industry. Méliès’s films were cleverly made with backdrops painted to create visual space using perspective. His use of the "Master Shot" and unique transitions are the basis of what we use in films today.
Some of the films that Méliès created were "Le roi du maquillage"(Untameable Whiskers), "Le Voyage dans la lune"(Trip to the Moon) and "Le diable noir"(The Black Imp). These films show Méliès skill as an illusionist but also as a Superb director. These films have influenced the films we see today.

I consider Méliès to be influential in my own film endeavors.

 

 

Maya Deren is another influential film maker who brought about expressionistic and abstract cinema. One of her works that she directed and acted in is "Meshes of the Afternoon". It is a short experimental film that Deren and her husband both worked on.

The film has a very mysterious quality that leaves the viewer in suspense. It has a morbid and eerie dream like state that is different from a lot of films. Not only that, the composer who did the music for Deren -Tiji Ito, creates a song that gives the film a more horrid atmosphere.

I consider the film "Meshes in the Afternoon" similar to that of the T.V series "The Twilight Zone" by Rod Serling.