The Point is a lysergic acid diethylamide driven adventure that tackles the ideas nonconformity, tolerance and individuality.
The story revolves around Oblio, a child born without a point on his head. Due to an incident involving a game of triangle toss, and the son of the count, Oblio is banished to the pointless forest along with his dog, Arrow. During his time there, they meet a myriad people and things, each with a point. In the end, Oblio finds his way home and everyone around him begins losing his point, while Oblio grows one on his head.
This story seems to be a moral tale that explains each person has something of value to say, or a "point", even if it is different from everyone else's. Oblio's lack of a "point" is a pun on a person without drive or perspective. His journey is a lesson to all that we all have unique and valid ideas, even if the majority of society believes otherwise. Oblio's "point", in the end, is just as real as those of all his peers. This alludes to the idea that any person's idea, even if it is not accepted by most people, is still real and valid, as long as he believes it.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Friday, March 29, 2013
VDB Experimental
The Video I am reviewing is Shirley Clarke and the Camera, as seen on VDB.
There is a great deal of static in the opening and soon a woman holding a camera is seen. She is playing with the new found technological wonder and is still learning to use it. A man helps her understand the functions of the camera, and she is intrigued by its nature. What makes the scene so interesting is not the subject, but the background. Behind her is a clutter of bottles and books on a shelf, with a couple posters littering the walls. It is strangely innocent: an odd peer into the life of this woman whose life seems to be messy, unorganized and unstructured. Yet she is happily learning to use a film camera, one of the most advanced creations in human history. She then explains what she wishes to do with the camera, perhaps with the technical know-how to do so, perhaps not. Under further watching, the viewer realizes that she is in fact on set and may be in fact be the director of a film, which adds to the intrigue of the situation. How can such a woman, who seems to need help operating the most fundamental piece of filmmaking equipment, be directing her own film? The video then cuts off, leaving the audience forever pondering the strange irony of the situation.
There is a great deal of static in the opening and soon a woman holding a camera is seen. She is playing with the new found technological wonder and is still learning to use it. A man helps her understand the functions of the camera, and she is intrigued by its nature. What makes the scene so interesting is not the subject, but the background. Behind her is a clutter of bottles and books on a shelf, with a couple posters littering the walls. It is strangely innocent: an odd peer into the life of this woman whose life seems to be messy, unorganized and unstructured. Yet she is happily learning to use a film camera, one of the most advanced creations in human history. She then explains what she wishes to do with the camera, perhaps with the technical know-how to do so, perhaps not. Under further watching, the viewer realizes that she is in fact on set and may be in fact be the director of a film, which adds to the intrigue of the situation. How can such a woman, who seems to need help operating the most fundamental piece of filmmaking equipment, be directing her own film? The video then cuts off, leaving the audience forever pondering the strange irony of the situation.
Blog Post 8: Narrative
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0BxrF5Cs8s
TURBO the movie by David Lehre.
David Lehre is an independent video maker/director/actor turned singer from Michigan. He employs a high production value aesthetic to his short films and often appears in his own movies. The genre of this video is science fiction and the style is production forward and faced paced.
David Lehre is originally from Detroit, Michigan, and began making movies in his teenage years with nothing more than a hand held camcorder and a small group of friends. David Lehre and his friends began posting their videos on youtube. He would soon have his first breakout success with Myspace: The Movie. He then started his own film studio and quickly gained recognition through interviews on Letterman, and a 400,000 dollar contract with Fox Studios. While producing various rap and hip hop music videos, he began incorporating ideas and techniques from Korean music videos, as he felt he had exhausted the inspiration locally. After gaining mild recognition in Korea by directing and producing music videos for korean pop musicians, he began his own music career as a popular music singer.
The genre of this film is a mix between martial arts, action and science fiction. It incorporates a lot of science fiction elements such as a futuristic setting, technology that does not currently exist, and the use of a universe with its own accepted paradigms. It also uses martial arts elements as within the video game, players control digital fighters and do combat within a digital arena. There is homage to Hong Kong martial arts cinema through the exaggerated and overly fluid fight choreography. Lastly, it has the "get the girl" motif seen in almost every action movie: The underdog finds his inner strength to overcome evil, and the female protagonist falls in love with him in the process.
The style of this movie is high production value and faced paced. Because it is a short film, character development is difficult and to an extent: limited. However, the primary appeal of this video is the special effects and lighting fast combat choreography. The flashing lights in the background, the glowing "special attacks" inside the video game, and the floating displays, are all incredibly detailed and advanced visual effects that would have been considered difficult even for major film studios, thus it is incredible that an independent artist is capable of creating such elements.
TURBO the movie by David Lehre.
David Lehre is an independent video maker/director/actor turned singer from Michigan. He employs a high production value aesthetic to his short films and often appears in his own movies. The genre of this video is science fiction and the style is production forward and faced paced.
David Lehre is originally from Detroit, Michigan, and began making movies in his teenage years with nothing more than a hand held camcorder and a small group of friends. David Lehre and his friends began posting their videos on youtube. He would soon have his first breakout success with Myspace: The Movie. He then started his own film studio and quickly gained recognition through interviews on Letterman, and a 400,000 dollar contract with Fox Studios. While producing various rap and hip hop music videos, he began incorporating ideas and techniques from Korean music videos, as he felt he had exhausted the inspiration locally. After gaining mild recognition in Korea by directing and producing music videos for korean pop musicians, he began his own music career as a popular music singer.
The genre of this film is a mix between martial arts, action and science fiction. It incorporates a lot of science fiction elements such as a futuristic setting, technology that does not currently exist, and the use of a universe with its own accepted paradigms. It also uses martial arts elements as within the video game, players control digital fighters and do combat within a digital arena. There is homage to Hong Kong martial arts cinema through the exaggerated and overly fluid fight choreography. Lastly, it has the "get the girl" motif seen in almost every action movie: The underdog finds his inner strength to overcome evil, and the female protagonist falls in love with him in the process.
The style of this movie is high production value and faced paced. Because it is a short film, character development is difficult and to an extent: limited. However, the primary appeal of this video is the special effects and lighting fast combat choreography. The flashing lights in the background, the glowing "special attacks" inside the video game, and the floating displays, are all incredibly detailed and advanced visual effects that would have been considered difficult even for major film studios, thus it is incredible that an independent artist is capable of creating such elements.
Blog 7: Music Video
The song I am writing about is Red Flag by Billy Talent.
Billy Talent is a canadian Punk Rock band.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2UktJtKpFw
The video begins with singing and a red flag being superimposed. There are short scenes of hand cuffs locking children away. As the children escape, shaky handheld camerawork is used to convey the uneasy journey of the children. One of the experimental techniques used is a reflection shot of the children running through the streets through a store display window. As more children escape, they begin covering more and more objects in red flags, covering buildings, military tanks, boats and houses in their path. The red flags, although commonly associated with communism and violence is, in this case, used to symbolize peace and youth culture.
One of the most commonly used experimental techniques used is behind-the-wall shot, in which the subject is behind a veil, or a wall, or a cage and is seen as being encaged behind a barrier. This creates a feeling of confinement and claustrophobia, which parallels the video's "break out" message.
The close ups of the band's instruments and faces are turbulent and unstable, communicating the same sense: the conditions of the video, the freeing of children, the voicing of the oppressed. These are all turbulent matters.
Billy Talent is a canadian Punk Rock band.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2UktJtKpFw
The video begins with singing and a red flag being superimposed. There are short scenes of hand cuffs locking children away. As the children escape, shaky handheld camerawork is used to convey the uneasy journey of the children. One of the experimental techniques used is a reflection shot of the children running through the streets through a store display window. As more children escape, they begin covering more and more objects in red flags, covering buildings, military tanks, boats and houses in their path. The red flags, although commonly associated with communism and violence is, in this case, used to symbolize peace and youth culture.
One of the most commonly used experimental techniques used is behind-the-wall shot, in which the subject is behind a veil, or a wall, or a cage and is seen as being encaged behind a barrier. This creates a feeling of confinement and claustrophobia, which parallels the video's "break out" message.
The close ups of the band's instruments and faces are turbulent and unstable, communicating the same sense: the conditions of the video, the freeing of children, the voicing of the oppressed. These are all turbulent matters.
Blog 6: Experimental Music Video
The music video I am analyzing is Heffy End by Seo Taiji.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yafnZGVaLrM
Seo Taiji is a contemporary korean artist whose style is said to be the foundation for modern korean popular music. He is considered one of the first korean artists to embrace American influence to the full extent and become a symbol of artistic integration. His music videos often use experimental techniques to match the emotion of his music.
The song Heffy End is about a woman who cannot bear her lover leaving her and decides then to abduct him and keep him imprisoned in her basement so that they can be together "forever".
The song begins a strange collection of scenes: a woman sitting, a girl scribbling, an extreme close up of the pencil pressed against paper, depositing a dark hue onto the snow white paper. Then there is the bouncing of a rotoscoped ball, akin to the one seen in the cartoon in the television. The pencil is placed in a pencil sharpener, and the camera angle makes it seem as if a bullet is being loaded into a revolver. Then a girl places burning letters into order with tweezers, spelling out the title: Heffy End as eerie carnival music plays in the background. Then the song begins.
As the band plays, there is rotoscoping and film scratching. Also, the video is seen through a vignette and strange clips of objects being destroyed are superimposed over the band playing. Then a scene of a woman painting a face on a masked man. The face she paints is smiling but "drawn" tears fall down its face. This suggests that she wants her lover to be happy with her but deep inside he resents it and is unhappy with the arrangement. Then, just as the emotions of the woman and the man split between happy and anguish, the music suddenly goes from soft and instrumental, the raging with screamed vocals, and then suddenly become soft again. This continues for a while.
In the end, the masked man plots his escape and eventually kills his ex lover in order to do so, then the words "Do what you dream" are shown burning, with definitions floating next to each word.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yafnZGVaLrM
Seo Taiji is a contemporary korean artist whose style is said to be the foundation for modern korean popular music. He is considered one of the first korean artists to embrace American influence to the full extent and become a symbol of artistic integration. His music videos often use experimental techniques to match the emotion of his music.
The song Heffy End is about a woman who cannot bear her lover leaving her and decides then to abduct him and keep him imprisoned in her basement so that they can be together "forever".
The song begins a strange collection of scenes: a woman sitting, a girl scribbling, an extreme close up of the pencil pressed against paper, depositing a dark hue onto the snow white paper. Then there is the bouncing of a rotoscoped ball, akin to the one seen in the cartoon in the television. The pencil is placed in a pencil sharpener, and the camera angle makes it seem as if a bullet is being loaded into a revolver. Then a girl places burning letters into order with tweezers, spelling out the title: Heffy End as eerie carnival music plays in the background. Then the song begins.
As the band plays, there is rotoscoping and film scratching. Also, the video is seen through a vignette and strange clips of objects being destroyed are superimposed over the band playing. Then a scene of a woman painting a face on a masked man. The face she paints is smiling but "drawn" tears fall down its face. This suggests that she wants her lover to be happy with her but deep inside he resents it and is unhappy with the arrangement. Then, just as the emotions of the woman and the man split between happy and anguish, the music suddenly goes from soft and instrumental, the raging with screamed vocals, and then suddenly become soft again. This continues for a while.
In the end, the masked man plots his escape and eventually kills his ex lover in order to do so, then the words "Do what you dream" are shown burning, with definitions floating next to each word.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Manifesto
1) Free Cinema Manifesto:
Abridged: Create films that tell "the truth". This means that they avoid superfluous and unnecessary shots and techniques. Also, films are also low budget and "honest" and not overproduced. Films are also to be personal and discuss topics that the director understands (and topics that the audience can understand).
2) I dislike this idea. I believe that film exists for the sole purpose of showing to others realities that we cannot possibly have. Realms of pure imagination come to life as actors, artists and computers come together to create the illusion of a fantastical, or simply unreal world. I can understand "realistic" movies, but usually there is a twist on real life; a set of paradigms that must be followed based on the movie itself.
3) The Imaginary World Film Manifesto:
a) A film should use as many resources as necessary to show the best possible version of an imaginary world created by a writer.
b) Realistic films should pay mind to the realism of the set and story, however, should remember that the primary focus of the film is to tell a story, thus specific details should be congruent with the story and help develop it.
c) A film is storytelling; it is the modern way of telling a story and twisting a new, impossible world into existence, thus the plot and universe should drive the film.
d) A film should have a very developed universe: For example, the history of Lord Of The Rings is developed to the point which it can be studied in depth by historians. The Star Wars and Inception universes are the same. Therefore, a film should do its best to expand its universe (single, standalone films obviously have less developed universes than trilogies such as The Matrix).
e) The size of the universe does not matter; for example, the entire film can take place in a small neighborhood. However, the idea is that paradigms and natures of the neighborhood is well thought out, no matter how little or much resemblance it bears to the real world.
Abridged: Create films that tell "the truth". This means that they avoid superfluous and unnecessary shots and techniques. Also, films are also low budget and "honest" and not overproduced. Films are also to be personal and discuss topics that the director understands (and topics that the audience can understand).
2) I dislike this idea. I believe that film exists for the sole purpose of showing to others realities that we cannot possibly have. Realms of pure imagination come to life as actors, artists and computers come together to create the illusion of a fantastical, or simply unreal world. I can understand "realistic" movies, but usually there is a twist on real life; a set of paradigms that must be followed based on the movie itself.
3) The Imaginary World Film Manifesto:
a) A film should use as many resources as necessary to show the best possible version of an imaginary world created by a writer.
b) Realistic films should pay mind to the realism of the set and story, however, should remember that the primary focus of the film is to tell a story, thus specific details should be congruent with the story and help develop it.
c) A film is storytelling; it is the modern way of telling a story and twisting a new, impossible world into existence, thus the plot and universe should drive the film.
d) A film should have a very developed universe: For example, the history of Lord Of The Rings is developed to the point which it can be studied in depth by historians. The Star Wars and Inception universes are the same. Therefore, a film should do its best to expand its universe (single, standalone films obviously have less developed universes than trilogies such as The Matrix).
e) The size of the universe does not matter; for example, the entire film can take place in a small neighborhood. However, the idea is that paradigms and natures of the neighborhood is well thought out, no matter how little or much resemblance it bears to the real world.
Power Of 10
Having seen the power of 10 before, I was not surprised by the video itself. However, I do have a new found appreciation for the funding and work that went in to making the video. Given that IBM was a mega-corporation at the time (its market went into military and government applications, as well as scientific calculations, type writers and other devices), it is not surprising that the video was capable of what it did. I also noticed the cell art used for the sub atomic parts.
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