last blog post :-(

I’m not sure what I thought I was expecting from this class at the beginning of the semester but I certainly never thought I would learn and grow as much as I did.  My groups and I made some really great art that I’m still incredibly proud of and probably will continue to be.  I was really nervous about taking an intermediate production class because I feel like everyone is always more knowledgeable or talented or confident than I am.  But now I know that that’s not true.  I have always been intrigued by experimental film and I think it’s a shame that so many people, even filmmakers, don’t really understand it and think that you can make a bunch of mistakes and call it experimental.  After taking this class, I confirmed what I had been thinking about which was that experimental is definitely my niche.  I don’t have as much of an interest in narrative or documentary, and creating the work that I did in this class was so much more fulfilling to me than anything narrative I’ve ever worked on.  I can’t believe how close our class has grown, it’s honestly insane.  I have never been a fan of working with other people but shuffling the groups around made it so that I really got to know my classmates as people and as artists.  I have so much more of an appreciation for experimental artists and just how much work and thought they put into their work, and I will fight anyone to the literal death who thinks avant-garde/experimental is dumb or not worth creating (I’ve met several of those).  I also think I learned a lot about myself as a filmmaker and about my personal style and niche.  Working with others has really helped me grow as a sound designer, and having our assignments broken up step by step helped me to learn to take my time and really work my hands into the metaphorical oobleck of art if you will. 

sorry i'm the worst but: late cucalorus post

First of all I suck for forgetting to post this.  This has probably been the worst semester of all time so I’ve been a little scatter-brained.  But Cucalorus was a pretty good experience for me overall.  I didn’t get to go to as many screenings/events as I would’ve liked to, but I did see all of the ones I had planned on which is good.  The animated shorts were my favorite, as there was experimental work as well as narrative that was screened.  I got to see a little bit into the world of film festivals that I wasn’t really familiar with, and although I was on a tight schedule, I did get to talk to several filmmakers while I was there, which was my big goal.  I ended up chickening out on asking a question during a panel but I’m really glad I stayed for them because putting a face to a name in the credits is the coolest part about these kinds of screenings.  The biggest thing I learned about was the process of getting your films into festivals, which I think will really help me in my programming job for Visions.  It was really cool to hear the filmmakers from the covered wagon shorts talking about submission and organization.  I also liked hearing the producer from Birthday Cake talk about balancing being a producer and being the lead actor and how that changed the roles she took on.  I was really surprised by how small some of the venues were, especially by the fact that blocks were scheduled for Thalian Black, as well as Tragedy Girls, which seemed like it should’ve been in a bigger theater.  I was also surprised by how many people I knew that I ran into at the festival.  I think if I were a filmmaker presenting at a festival I would like to have my film screened at mid-sized festivals like Cucalorus because you have a lot of people see your work, but you also have the time and resources to meet and really talk to other filmmakers.  I also now know that it would be good to go to as many events and parties as I could to network with other people in the business.

filmmaker presentation responses

I had never heard of Michel Gondry but apparently he’s directed so many of my favorite music videos??? Learning about him has come at such a blessed time because I’m writing a big paper for another class about how music videos evolved from a tradition of avant garde film and that modern music videos still evoke aspects of experimental cinema.  And now I have a whole new artist to focus on! Also Parker’s presentation was gorgeous and I loved that Bjork was the one to guide us through Gondry’s body of work.  The energy Parker brought made for a much more exciting presentation than normal.

Wow Martha Colburn is so cool. Her style really reminds me of Smith’s Heaven and Earth Magic, but more fun to watch and less excruciating.  I’m really fascinated by cutout animation and I would like to learn more about her process and her in-camera edits, which I have no fathomable idea of how to do.  I loved that Maddie clearly was very inspired by Colburn, and she really seemed to be interested in her work and her life.  I love learning about female filmmakers who work in the experimental area because it’s often easier for me to connect to their work.  

installation ideas

I’ve always been interested in art installations/museum culture but I’ve never really learned much about it or known how it could relate to film but I am really excited to finally work with film in a way that’s more layered and multi-faceted and tactile.  When I was in 11^th grade I went on a theatre field trip to NYC and we went to the MOMA and I remember seeing an installation where a film was projected on all 4 walls and the floor/ceiling and I thought it was the coolest thing ever but I sadly can’t remember the artist which I will be beating myself up about forever.  I’m hoping for our installation that we can do something with texture and touch and possibly multiple projectors but I’m not really sure how to completely formulate an idea.  I’m honestly a bit overwhelmed with the possibilities! I definitely want to explore the idea of being able to TOUCH film as opposed to just see/hear it.  I would say I want to get all 5 senses involved but smells make me really nervous so idk about that.

pre-cucalorus

What I am most excited for about Cucalorus is that not only will it be my first film festival besides Visions, but I will be able to possibly meet and talk to other young filmmakers. I feel like, aside from talent and hard work, networking is the one thing people say that you need in order to become successful, “it’s all about who you know” or whatever.  I want to listen to as many panels as I can and try to take advantage of all the opportunities that will arise.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t afford anything bigger than the 5-ticket pass, so I feel like there will be a lot there that I won’t get to take part in.  However, I do feel like it will give me good ideas and insight into what I might be able to expect from Visions next year.  I know for a fact that I will be going to the screening of Tragedy Girls, since I already have the ticket for that.  The other screenings I definitely want to go to are the Cabbage Head block, My Life as a Zucchini, the Covered Wagon block, and World of Tomorrow.  I love animation and feel like I don’t get to see enough independent animated films.  I don’t think I’m going to have time to attend any parties because I am up to my eyeballs in work, but I am really going to try to go to at least one.  I also am going to try to see Rebekah Todd play on Saturday night.  One challenge that I’m setting for myself is to approach a filmmaker who is presenting their work at the festival and introduce myself and find out more about them (I’m very shy one on one, so this is going to be difficult).  I’m also challenging myself to ask questions during a panel, which is something I never do.

ideas about music video

I was so terrified by being assigned the position of producer and I continue to be terrified. Luckily, my group is very supportive and knowledgeable so I'm confident that they will be able to help me out along the way.  I was most excited about location scouting and we had a really productive day finding places around town that inspired us.  I'm actually really excited now to learn about how to schedule and write up the treatment.  organization terrifies me but when I do it I find it therapeutic.

self portrait reflection

my self portrait was a deeply vulnerable experience, which was hard for me because I am a very emotional and open person, but it's always been difficult to find what I consider to be my true self.   my whole life I've been trying to distinguish what is "me" from my various illnesses and the things I enjoy superficially.  I've always tended to define myself by what I like and don't like and the people I surround myself with rather than what actually comes from myself.  I define myself my being sick and by my favorite music. I explored this a bit in my project, but I tried to connect with what actually makes up my identity.  The medium I chose is perhaps what was most dear to me about this project.  I am very passionate about sound editing and design and I feel like I poured my heart and soul into this the only way I really know how.