Cameraless filmmaking thus far...
I haven't exactly been enjoying the scratching, painting, and such so far. But, I think that it is because I haven't been able to see the final product. So, I just feel like I am a bit lost about what I am actually doing. I don't know what will look neat or interesting, so I just don’t know what to do with that. But, I truly enjoyed the magazine transfer exercise that we did in class. It was helpful to see how it turned out, the final product. I found that to be fascinating! I never knew that people did that sort of thing on film. I wasn’t aware that the magazine would stick to the strip like that. I have worked a lot with magazine clippings and other sources throughout the years on projects, but I had no clue that it could look so cool on film. And it was such a simple process. I am still a little nervous about what we are doing for the elements project. I am a bit scared about how it is going to turn out.
Although I mentioned that I wasn’t enjoying that aspect, I think that I will definitely enjoy it more when I get to see how it all turns out. Then I can go back and experiment more with that knowledge. I guess my mind just works that way. I need to see what I am actually doing. But, I haven’t gotten a chance to get into the dark room yet. But I’m excited for that exercise. Cameraless filmmaking is a bit of a mystery and an intrigue for me. The Stan Brakhage film that we watched during the second class truly drew my attention. I was fascinated by the way that the film and the music flowed so well together. It was a bit hypnotizing. I feel like that last time I watched a Brakhage film I was a bit bored. This might be due to the fact that before this class, I knew very little about this sort of filmmaking. Knowing more about the creative processes that create these films helps me appreciate them on a different level. I was unaware of the extensive amount of techniques that are out there in the cameraless filmmaking world. I am intrigued and definitely want to learn more. I am pretty excited about this class, but also, a bit intimidated because I feel like, in many of the cases with the projects, you don’t exactly know what you are making until the very end. That is a bit scary, and a bit exciting I suppose. I feel like these projects will be very helpful in opening up my mind for my future projects outside of this class. This sort of experimenting helps open up the mind to alternative and unique filmmaking, and I like that. In the past, most of my projects have begun as more standard films, yet they always end as totally experimental films. So, I guess this new knowledge will definitely round out that aspect of my work. I wonder where it will take my work? I’m not even sure what has driven me towards the experimental realm when I’m editing or shooting a film. But, something does. My senior seminar project was originally an experimental documentary, and now it has turned into a completely experimental film. A film dealing with death and life and impermanence and cemeteries. But, I wonder if Shannon would be up for us using some of these techniques. Because we are going for a sort of dreamlike/nightmarish effect. Hmmm....