This class has been instrumental in my development as a filmmaker who wants to work in mainstream cinema yet still embrace the cinema as an art form. I love the emphasis that experimental filmmakers put on the medium itself. It shows a true love of their art and tests the boundaries of what art can remain suspended in time on a roll of celluloid. Experimental films reflect a love of the cinema, they congregate together like a circle of schoolboys showing each other the new tricks they invented for their awesome new yoyo. But this is not to take away from the raw talent, technical ability and creative genius of the filmmakers who created this kind of alternative art. I want all of my work to reflect this love of the craft itself and I intend to continue to find new ways to create with the camera.
Recently I have realized that many of my favorite films contain elements of experimental filmmaking, and although they remain clandestine to the general viewing population (shhhh, don't tell them- they might get scared) in the past few months they have delighted me with the realization of what their magic has always been for me. There is a shot in the film "Sherlock Holmes" that begins with an upside-down shot of a cobblestone street (something you would not expect to find in a classic Hollywood style film), but this experimental element is justified as the camera tilts 180 degrees as it follows a running character and ends in an upright position. Little moments that are influenced by the experimental cinephile community have the ability to add a large amount of intrigue and suspense to an otherwise mainstream film.
I have also discovered a love for cinematography itself- nothing excites me more than setting up a beautiful shot. That is my niche, it is something I would be totally happy spending my life doing. I think very visually, I am drawn to stories that I can tell visually with enough space for the audience to insert their experiences as the subtext for my story progression. I want to be able to tell stories that the audience can interpret- a story I create may be based upon something I have experienced but I write about the emotion of it- not a sequence of events. When I show a film, I want to give it to the audience- it is not mine anymore because that keeps it small. I want my films to be a bit different for everyone- with enough space for that interaction. This semester was the first time I was allowed to truly experiment with this type of ambiguity and it has captured my senses and intoxicated me with the option to tell everyone's story in a moment of light shining through transparent tape. Because we all feel the same things, the triggers are just vastly different. Leaving room for interpretation, letting the art breath, will open a story up to endless fascinating possibilities.
This is not to say I thing a story should have a plot with gaping holes- I am talking about using shots that serve as metaphors and props that indicate additional ideas or characterizations to allow the story world to breath with its own life. We do not need everything slammed down our throats in the form of coverage and straight edits. We do not need to hear other characters characterize their fellow actors. So much of the delicate beauty of film is being lost in the stampede of big budget films. So many filmmakers either seem to go super mainstream in their style or drop off the deep-end in a pool of racked focus and canted angles. It is time for a more middle-ground filmmaker who emphasizes shape or light in a romantic comedy. Mainstream films are like novels while experimental films are more like poems- both have a story to tell; but a poem concentrates on conveying the intangible and while a novel emphasizes causation. Imagine how arresting a film that combined the two approaches would be. And this is already evident in the work of many of the filmmaking greats: a moment here and there where the filmmaker indulges themselves with a shot that is not purely meant to tell the story in the most straightforward manner possible.
I also have recently discovered a love for the T2i camera you introduced mid-semester, which I have used for many projects subsequently and I just checked out the H4n portable recorder for another project which was also introduced to me in this class. I had never set up the lighting scheme for a project and I had not been able to create a film that was truly my own before this class. Now I know more about my filmmaking style outside of a democratic group and that has awakened my love for cinema and kindled it into a burning flame. And my editing skills were incredibly basic- I had never attempted to assemble a film on my own but although that was a daunting task, my ability to use the software and my confidence in my ability to navigate it has grown tremendously. I started out in this class as a 2 out of 10 in my confidence with FinalCut, now I would have to call it a 6... or maybe even a 6.5! :)
This class has already visibly influenced my other work- I was asked to give a presentation on an animator and I chose an experimental animator who takes video footage, turns it into photographs and animates them in a way that emphasizes their shape and their rhythmic quality. I am also making my final animation as a multimedia piece. I photographed oil paintings that I created and animated them in After Effects. I layered live footage of an actor in front of a green screen in front to the paintings and I am currently making her look like she is walking through the painting.
I am so excited about the new ways I am learning to create films that can double as art. My filmmaker presentation was so helpful and inspiring for me because Miranda July manages to create experimental films that are quite accessible and she has a similar wide range of interests. Looking at how hyper busy she is really spoke to my lifestyle and both of us are involved in multiple art disciplines outside of film (music, dance, and performance). She has inspired me to continue to create beauty through multiple mediums and allow this to fill out who I am as an artist instead of trying to compartmentalize all of my creative endeavors.
This class obviously had a huge impact on my development as an artist and has reignited my passion for the art and beauty of filmmaking. It showed me new ways to create a piece, even embracing backwards soundtracks and super 8 cameras! It allowed me to play in the medium I love and now I am more aware of the little elements that can be manipulated and emphasized in film. I notice the sounds around me with more clarity and I think about the lighting scheme when I watch a movie ("Atonement" has some very fascinating lighting manipulations including scene where the lights shut off rhythmically as the protagonist of the story walks past them down a long echoing hallway.) I think more about ways to manipulate a film image before the editing stage and I also know that I don't want to be an editor! Haha
This semester has been quite a journey and I have explored myself as an artist and as a person. The films I made allowed me to express the concepts and feelings I keep to myself because they do not have words that can express them. I am so thankful for the ways I have grown as an artist through this class. Thank you Ms. Shannon for facilitating my exploration and giving me new tools to express myself. It has been wonderful.
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