Tuesday, April 29

Today was our final class! We completed course evaluations and prepared for the final. I have to thank you, Dr. Hendricks, for allowing us to opt out of the final!!! It made my day. Actually, it made my whole week :) I really enjoyed this class, and honestly learned a lot!!!

Yosemite

In yesterday's NY Times, there was a neat article on Ansel Adams. The article gave a little background on Adams, but was esentially about how many photographers are venturing to Yosemite National Park in hopes of capturing photos that mirror those of Adams. More than anything, the article made me really jealous and depressed that I'm not there too! :( Oh well, maybe one day I'll be able to see the sites for myself. Until then, Ansel Adams's work will suffice :)

Miley Photos

(Ok, so just ignore Bobby Kennedy in the background! I couldn't find the photo anywhere else)

Ok, so I couldn't resist the temptation to comment on this new "Miley Cirus Crisis" that is apparently all over the news. I must say that the press has blown this up in to some sort of crisis situation when the girl just took some tasteful photos! Granted, the girl is only 15 and I understand that she appeals to children. However, what's so wrong with the photo. There's no nudity, it's not overly sexual...it's just her back. Obviously, as Annie Leibovitz did take the photo after all, it's very beautiful. People really need to relax a little. The poor girl has gone on some apologizing campaign, when she did nothing wrong. Honestly, loosen up people!!

Amores Perros

I recently watched Amores Perros (Love's a Bitch, In English) and I felt like I had to write about it (mostly because it left me GREATLY disturbed!). The film is directed by Iñárritu, the same guy who did Babel. Although the film has a great message, I couldn't get past the disturbing images/violence. The film features MANY dog fighting scenes with graphic violence. The dogs were bloody and crying out in pain. The scenes were so graphic that I still keep thinking about them (over a week later). Firstly, this film once again reinforced the visual power of film. Even though I consciously know that this didn't REALLY happen, I can't help but think of it as reality. However, the film also made me think about how desinsitized I am to violence against humans, but not animals. If the violence had been against a man, woman, or even a child, I honestly think that I would have been okay with it. It's just something about animals...I can't stand to see them hurt :( Nevertheless, I must comment on the film's positive aspects as well. The film is divided into three "chapters" and are not in chronological order (much like Babel I have heard). In doing so, the film's innovative style keeps the viewer entertained and contributes to the film's overall quality.

Thursday, April 24

Today, we looked at 3 different silent films by early filmmakers who were experimenting with film in the 1920s. These films are part of a series called "Light Rythms".

The first film was by Man Ray. This film, "Le Retour a la raison" (return to reason), has no actors or spoken words. This film is clearly a part of the Dada movement. The music and changing images are very important.

The second film was Ballet Mecanique by Leger and Dudley Murphy. This film is a take on the machine age and there are many changing/swinging images which reflect movement and machines. The film seems to represent the relationship between machines and humans.

The final film was Anemic Cinema by Marcel Duchamp. This film alternates between two basic concepts. The first is swirly black and white lines. The second is swirly quirky words. Each time, the images and words change slightly, but are still of this basic concept. The music is extremely important as it changes with each changing image.

Each of the films has a great deal of energy and repitition. They all seem to be reflecting on the modern age and its relationship to humanity.


We completed class by discussing the differences and similarities between Avant garde cinema and Hollywood Classical Cinema.

Avant Garde= difficult to identify with in the same way as classical, deals with unconscious, surrealism

Classical= wants to present normal/average perspective, humanistic identification

Tuesday, April 22

Today, we continued watching films based on Beckett's plays.

We began by watching "Act without words II". This is another silent film. The film features two actors in sacks. The background is a film strip and they appear to be apart of the film strip (thus it is very self reflexive). The first actor awakes and is very depressed. The second actor, however, is much more upbeat. They certainly represent two very different perspectives. Throughout the film, the music and movement is very important in order to represent these perspectives. Again, there is some unkown outside force controlling the men.

We next watched "Come and Go", which was directed by John Crowley. This film features 3 older women sitting side by side. The women are reflecting on their pasts. The entire film is taken in no more than 4 or 5 shots. The movment and clothing is very important. The women seem to represent the complexities of relationships.

We completed class by viewing "play", which is another Beckett film. This one was directed by Anthony Minghella. This film is very unique and features 3 actors talking quickly in some dark, cemetary-esque place. Makeup and the setting are very important for the film's effect. The actors are reflecting on adultery. Although there is no clear interpretation, it seems to convey the impact of adultery.

Thursday, April 17

Today, we viewed several short films that are part of the series, "Becket on Film". This series is an attempt to make films out of most of Samuel Beckett's plays. Samuel Beckett was a leading 20th century playwright. He was born in Ireland, but lived in Paris in the 20s and 30s when Paris was the center of the artistic world. He wrote plays that founded the "theater of the absurd". These plays are part of the avant-garde and are largely a response to the world wars. The plays are interesting as they do not tell the audience what to think, they leave that to us.

The first film we looked at was "Breath". This film was directed by Damien Hirst, who is a very famous British artist. The film was very short and was simply a deep inhale and exhale while certain objects floated around. These objects (hospital things, computers, ashtray with a sawstika, trash, etc.) have no order and are quite chaotic. This combination of items and the breathing are indicative of an attempt by Beckett to comment on smoking and its very real negative effects. By showing the hospital items it shows what technology has given us, but the cigarette ashtray shows how easily everything can be taken away. I found the film particularly difficult to watch as my dad passed away from lung cancer. Then again, it also reinforced the power of film as I was deeply affected by a few seconds of film.

The next film we watched was "Act without words 1" which was directed by Karel Reisz. The film features a man trapped in the desert. Throughout the film, objects such as water, boxes, scissors, etc. that could potentially save him appear. However, as soon as the objects are within his reach, they are taken away by some unknown force. This shows again how easily things can be taken away right when they seem to be within grasp.

Tuesday, April 15

Today, we viewed a short film by Buster Keaton entitled "Cops". This film has many similarities to Chaplin's "A Dog's Life", but is also unique in several regards. The film also follows a regular/middle class protagonist, but this character is not quite as down on his luck as Chaplin's tramp. However, both characters are certainly interested in obtaining money and becoming a part of society. Just like the tramp in Chaplin's film, this character wants to find love and the American dream. However, in this film, women are portrayed as money-hungry, which is different from Chaplin's film where women are portrayed as just wanting to get by. The most obvious correlation between the films is the presence of the crime/society theme. Both characters are held down by societal forces that stand in the way of obtaining their dreams. The most obvious difference between the films is their finales. Whereas Chaplin's tramp obtained his happy ending, Keaton's character gives himself up to the police and his dreams are essentially killed.

Stylistically, the films are also different. Chaplin focuses a great deal on his face and the emotions. Thus, he has a more personal involvement. Keaton, however, has many long shots which show large groups of people. Keaton also explores new ways of placing cameras to get more movement. Also, Keaton often shows the character taking on these large crowds/forces. Chaplin, however, also shows the individual taking on 1 or 2 other people.

Thursday, April 10

During class today, we looked at a short film by Charlie Chaplin which approaches several serious topics from a comedic perspective. "A Dog's Life" was created in 1918 and is quite impressive for its time. The film follows the life of a man, played by Chaplin, who is clearly a tramp. This homeless tramp is driven to steal in order to survive after he is unable to find employment. The film clearly mocks the wealthy as each of the wealthy characters are portrayed as stupid. What is interesting about the film is its optimistic perspective, as the film has a happy ending and Chaplin never gives up during the film. This perspective is clearly reminiscent of the American dream.

Camera Angles

After you briefly mentioned the importance of camera angles in film, I was reminded of a movie that I recently viewed for my Latin American Film class. El callejón de los milargros follows the lives of several families who all live in the same neighborhood. Interestingly, the film tells the same story from several different perspectives. The film, which is not in chronological order, is divided into four chapters. Although each chapter tells the same general story, the camera is placed at a different angle in each chapter. In doing so, the film shows the same story from three different perspectives and demonstrates the importance of camera angles. For example, during a scene in the chapter which shows the perspective of a girl named Alma, the camera is outside the window of her house and shows two women in the background. In the next chapter, the film has the exact same scene, but the camera is angled to focus on the women with Alma in the background. Not only does this method of filming make for an interesting work, it also allows the viewer to understand how important perspective is in understanding a story. This method of filming also demonstrates the evolution that film has undergone during the last century. At the advent of film, a majority were shot with little movement and from only one perspective. Today, however, it is quite common to find films with an unbelievable amount of movement that are told from multiple perspectives.

Tuesday, April 8

Today, we left the unit on photography and began our final unit on film. We began the class by discussing a few elements of film:

1. Narrative impulse- tells a story
2. Psychological identification- there is an illusion of reality as there is a manipulation of time. Films are also like dreams (note, we do turn the lights out after all)…film is also connected to myth (meaning, story) as these myths shape us (ex- Snow White/Cinderella/etc)
3. Intensity- film has energy…many films move very fast (especially today) ex- Fast and Furious…it is an illusion of energy
4. Shot- film is based on a shot (a single take)…these shots are edited to created a film
5. Sequences- sequences are several shots in a row…films are put together with numerous sequences

*Classical Hollywood Cinema- a mode of production…economic mode of production designed to make money….it can also be an art, but most think of it as a business

*angles are very important!

*When analyzing film, one must first ask, What does it mean? What is it trying to say? Does it have a particular point of view?


We next watched Madonna's 1989 controversial music video, "Like a Prayer".
The music video has a number of religious references (burning crosses, Jesus icon, etc.). The video is sort of a dream sequence as she falls asleep in the church and reawakens in the end of the video. Although the video is controversial, it shows the physical power of religion to move people and was a good video to begin the film unit!

Tuesday, March 25

*KEY TERMS
*Photomontage is the process (and result) of making a composite photograph by cutting and joining a number of other photographs. The composite picture was sometimes photographed so that the final image is converted back into a seamless photographic print. The same method is accomplished today using image-editing software. The technique is referred to by professionals as "compositing", and in casual usage is often called "photoshopping". Hannah Hoch is known for her photomontages.

*Hannah Höch (1889-1978) was a Dada artist born in Gotha, Germany. Worked during the early 20th century primarily. She is best known for her work of the Weimar period, when she was one of the originators of photomontage. Höch's most famous piece is Cut With The Kitchen Knife, a critique on Weimar Germany in 1919. This piece combines images from newspapers of the time re-created to make a new statement about life and art in the Dada movement. She was also very interested in combining images to convey feminist messages.

*John Heartfield (1891–1968) is the anglicized name of the German photomontage artist Helmut Herzfeld. He chose to call himself Heartfield in 1916, to criticize the rabid nationalism and anti-British sentiment prevalent in Germany during World War I. His images were very anti-nazi and mocked the Nazi party. He worked during the 1920s, 30s, and 40s.

*Man Ray- an American photographer and artist who worked in Paris in the 1920s and 30s. He “invented” the rayograph (a negative reversal process that influenced avant garde photography), also important with regards to surrealism.

*Barbara Kruger- (born 1945) is an American conceptual artist who is a post-modernist photographer. She continues to produce images. She has less emphasis on the image and takes a more multimedia approach with text. Much of Kruger's graphic work consists of black-and-white photographs with overlaid captions set in white-on-red Futura Bold Oblique. The phrases included in her work are usually declarative, and make common use of such pronouns as "you," "I," "we," and "they."

*Loretta Lux- (born 1969) Lux is a German fine art photographer and known for her surreal portraits of young children. She manipulates the background and features of the image to produce an image that is surreal, but also very engaging. The artist executes her compositions using a combination of photography, painting and digital manipulation.

*"Photoshopping" is slang for the digital editing of photos. The term originates from Adobe Photoshop, the image editor most commonly used by professionals for this purpose. Photoshop is widely used as a verb, both colloquially and academically, to refer to retouching, compositing, and color correction carried out in the course of graphic design, commercial publishing, and image editing.

*Paul Outerbridge, Jr. (1896-1958) was an American photographer noted for early use and experiments in color photography. Outerbridge was a fashion and commercial photographer, an early pioneer and teacher of color photography, and an artist who created erotic nudes photographs that could not be exhibited in his lifetime. Outerbridge's vivid color nudes studies included early fetish photos and were too indecent to find broad public acceptance.

*Clarence John Laughlin (1905 - 1985) was a United States photographer, best known for his surrealist photographs of the U.S. South. Laughlin was born in to a middle class family in Lake Charles, Louisiana. His rocky childhood, southern heritage, and interest in literature influenced his work greatly. He used reflections/mirrors/ etc. in his images and creates surreal images that emphasize the unconscious. He had a particular interest in history.

*Diane Arbus (1923 –1971) was an American photographer, noted for her portraits of people on the fringes of society, such as transvestites, dwarfs, giants, prostitutes, and ordinary citizens in unconventional poses and settings. Of her most famous works, is the black and white image of Twins that is featured in the text book. In July 1971, Arbus committed suicide in Greenwich Village at the age of 48 by ingesting a large quantity of barbiturates and then slashing her wrists.

*Joel-Peter Witkin (1939) is an American photographer. He worked as war photographer between 1961 and 1964 during the Vietnam war. In 1967, he decided to work as a freelance photographer. He deals a great deal with the grotesque and Witkin claims that his vision and sensibility were initiated by an episode he witnessed when he was just a small child, a car accident that occurred in front of his house in which a little girl was decapitated.

*Surrealism- is a cultural movement that began in the early-1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members. The works feature the element of surprise, unexpected juxtapositions and non sequitur, however many Surrealist artists and writers regard their work as an expression of the philosophical movement first and foremost with the works being an artifact. An example is the work of Man Ray.