Collected Writings for January 29th

Amateur versus Professional by Maya Deren

I appreciated the difference between how amateur is connoted normally and how Deren describes it. So truthful is the idea that amateurs feel inferior and inadequate when starting out, to the point of giving up or being stuck in the "never started in the first place" realm of fear. Yet even more true is the idea that professionals, who derive their living from their craft, envy the freedom of artistry and time that the amateur possesses. Commercial film making and photography face the scrutiny of boards, committees, clients, whereas an amateur can shoot beautiful images for the sake of shooting. This is a rather enviable position to be in and should not be taken lightly. It is a good reminder to enjoy this time in my life when mistakes won't cost me a client or production days, just maybe a moment of disgust over wasted paper, film, or splicing tape after which I can simply try again and create something even better. The key is to get out and do it. Stop procrastinating, stop making excuses and get out there, for that is the only way that images will take shape is if I make them do so.

Excerpts from Stan Brakhage

We as humans are trained from birth to name things and see things a certain way, but Brakhage wishes that we could get outside of the spoken word and also outside of the cliche sight of society to experience things on a new plane of existence. These short bits speak about vision and seeing things differently. Experimentation and going against what is considered the right way to see something or comprehend something is what differentiates an experimental artist from a commercial artist. Trying different angles, lenses, glass, film stocks, shooting hours, etc to bend and stretch the medium to its limits and then go even further will give birth to work that is truly art.

A Call for a New Generation of Film-Makers by Jonas Mekas

This article encourages the independent film-maker to embrace the 16mm film style and make films that are truthful and not cramped and killed by the "little Hollywoods" and distributors or television that would refuse to create them. The idea in this article is similar to Deren's article in that the independent film-maker, or amateur in reference to Deren, is free. They are free to imagine, to experiment, to improvise and use spontaneity which are things that professionals are unable to do because of budgets, schedules, contracts, guidelines, restrictions, etc. The call to new forms and truthful cinema is like what this generation is doing with video cameras and iMovie in creating videos for YouTube and other similar venues. It is the movies by the people and for the people. There are no budgets, the filmmaker is free to "speak their mind" and people are free to tune in or not. The message is able to get out across the airwaves with limited restriction and are not privy to distributors or Hollywood studios and the red tape associated there. YouTube and other such websites may be a passing whim, but maybe they will set the stage for truthful independent film makers to get their stories told in a cost effective manner, yet instantly to a very wide audience.

The Illuminated Room by Nathaniel Dorsky

The act of seeing has been interpreted in a variety of ways throughout history; whether we see and thereby create the existence around us or whether existence is always there and we merely observe it. The light we see comes into the dark cavern of our skull and like in a dark movie theater illuminates or mind and we understand the images in front of us as they have been taught to us.

Michael Snow's "So Is This"

Michael Snow's work requires interaction from an audience for full impact. Last year we viewed his "Line Describing a Cone" work and had to move around the work and interact with it physically. This week's film required fixed attention. The previous film required only as much interaction as the viewer desired, whereas "So Is This" required the viewer to remain glued to the screen throughout the film so as not to miss a critical word. The group dynamic, listening to laughter and other reactions from the audience, binds us together in the shared experience that is going on solely inside our minds as we individually take in the words on the screen.

This experience is not unlike the iPod rave-like gatherings, where all members listen to whatever iPod media they choose in a collective dance environment. The room is silent and each in their own experience, yet at the same time all together, to collectively create a shared event common to the group.

I wonder if Snow could have predicted that the individually experienced, yet collectively shared, style of his work with show up in mainstream media culture? He is considered to be a renaissance man, and I would add a trend setter, having been born in 1929.

--Trisha

Week One: January 22-28

Welcome to all who will be reading this. I hope that the entries provided here will prove to be insightful and above all interesting!

This week has gotten off to a shaky start. That tends to happen at the beginning of a new semester when so many new ideas and expectations are thrust at students in the course of a few hours. I have the distinct pleasure of three back to back classes on Mondays and Wednesdays and one class Tuesday and Thursday mornings this Spring. It will prove to be challenging, yet I think that each class will be engaging and thoroughly enjoyable for its own uniqueness.

I will endeavor to have multiple entries per week if I have time, to break up the posting sizes, we'll see how that goes, I won't promise anything. :)

--Trisha