Installation- Minute!

It was great getting feedback from the class for the project. We had been focusing so much on the interactive element that we did leave out the main video streaming part of the project. We were still unsure how to go about the project after discussing it with the class. After a long group meeting we were able to find a great median. We decided to still keep the idea of the clock but simplify it a bit and have the 4 people who are the second hand attempt to finish their minute as soon as the minute video is over. We are going to play with fast a slower edits and styles to see if that will affect the time the groups finish.

We loved that we can still incorporate the clock concept as well as experience time with everyone through our videos. I think overall it will be easier to follow and I really hope the audience has fun with it. It will be nice to have people moving around since it will be so cold out. We may not be as tech savvy as the other groups but I still feel that this will be very visual and interactive!

Time Instillation Ideas

So I’m very excited about this time instillation. As I’ve been brainstorming more and more there are several ways that we can go ahead with this project. My main hope is to really delve into the concept of time and how we are all ‘living in the moment’ without really absorbing it. I also like the idea of the past- so each moment that happens now will soon become just a time in our past. I don’t know how much I will go into the future aspect but I really want to focus on the current present time.

There are several images that we can project on the screen- maybe images of clocks entwined with different colors –the idea of how time can affect you with the different sight of color. Also there could be images of people growing old before our eyes but that might get tricky since I don’t think we have much experience technically to represent that well. We could also project images of the audience in present time with clocks spinning in the background to show visually that time is passing them all by in this very moment.

I really want to focus on the interactive element of this instillation and have the audience experience this with us. I thought a neat idea would be to display an image of a couple clocks and ask them to determine what is wrong with the image. This would just be a “waste of time” for the audience but would hopefully open their eyes a bit to how important each minute is.

Also I really like how the past can be different than we remember since our memory isn’t always the best resource. So it might be neat to ask the audience to remember certain moments in the past- although I mostly want to focus on time and not so much memory so we shall see.

One of the films from Cucalorus talked about living lie to the fullest. I really want the audience leaving with the idea that everything they do matters and each moment is important. I also want to close the instillation with celebrating cinema and photography because it is the only way that you can really “capture” time. I’m definitely struggling with how the best way to interact the audience but hopefully when we narrow our ideas it will become more concrete. 

CUCALORUS

Cucalorus is such a great film festival! I was so happy that I was able to attend the screenings and can’t wait to see everyone else’s thoughts about it. I attended the Flesh Jelly Shorts. I really enjoyed it even though it kept me squirming in my seat and confused my brain the whole time!  The first initial thought was that the cinematography in each was spectacular. The quality and scenery of the shots made it so enjoyable to watch. This was my first festival I have attended so for me it was so fun to enjoy really great cinematography in every production. 

My favorite short from this block was by far was the closing one: Blackstory. Although the bloody shots were a little hard to watch, I thought it was genius. This was a film that I would watch over and over again. The use of multiple screens showing at once MADE this film. I don’t think it could have had such a strong impact without this unique addition. The multiple screens combined with reading foreign dialogue made it so difficult to follow along with each individual shot- yet that is what made it so great! It was so suspenseful and yet rewarding throughout the film. You already know the fait of these characters from the beginning, so seeing them get closer and closer to their death was pretty exhilarating to watch. I liked the idea of knowing that these characters will die from the start. There is still a lot of mystery since it is hard to tell how each character was killed- so some of the fun is putting all the pieces together. It was also funny because the whole time I was anticipated their death yet not really wanting them to die. This is crazy to me since none of them had characteristics that would make you wish them well- but you are on this journey with them so you can’t help but watch. Our music video idea was generated from the design of using multiple screens so seeing this film really showed how it can be carried out well. This film really played with my head and I loved it!

I also loved the idea of the Chance film. Some people did not like this one as much, and I do agree that it lagged a bit; but I thought it came full circle in the end. From the start, you know that this killer is not messing around-, which provided the suspense from the beginning. I especially liked the moment that he was speaking with Catherine (I think was her name- the one that ends up living) and talked about how she will grow old and look back on her life and how she never accomplished anything. Dying is a scary thought and what he said is so true- we all need to live to the fullest cause you never know what will happen. I really liked the spin that it took at the end too. Hearing the other characters say her name, you assume that this means she will die- but in the end she gets to live. It was crazy to me too because you almost feel more sorry for her than the others that are about to die- knowing she has to live with that fear of him returning and the sadness of the others that she watched die for the rest of her life. I really enjoyed the film and I thought it was a great discussion opener.

Also loved Journey to Planet X. This was not part of the shorts but I wanted to mention it. I love documentary and I thought this one especially is the reason I love them so much. I was laughing the whole film and it was such a joy to watch. It was also great speaking with the directors after! Loved the festival and can’t wait to go again next year when I’m 21:) 

Self-Portrait

I am very excited about this self-portrait. Being born in France, I have had the luxury of traveling a lot in my life. I go to France fairly often to visit family and go on vacation. I was also able to spend this past summer living in LA. I love traveling and want to portray that in my video. I never want to stay in one place for too long and I really enjoy different cultures. I’m a very up beat and happy individual. I think showing a lot of colors and movement would help illustrate that. I’m a bit nervous on what I will be doing for music but I’m sure I can come up with something. It will be neat to edit an experimental version of myself :) 

Film Festivals

I'm so happy that Wilmington has started up the Dirt Poor Film Festival. It was so much fun when I went last time. It was just neat to get a lot of film students together to enjoy cinema together. It is always enjoyable to grab a drink with friends and share things together. Dirt poor is able to do this at such a reasonable price. It is also very smart that they have it once a month so that it isn’t too much but still a good amount. Hope that makes sense!

I would really like to see more foreign films brought to local festivals. I'm from Cary and there is a smaller movie theater called the Galaxy theater. http://www.mygalaxycinema.com/ It is so much fun to go to this theater. Most of the films are either foreign or independent films. I love going to this theater because you're able to get a glass of wine and beer at a reasonable price. There was a big dispute that occurred last month. There was a feud over having a Harris Teeter getting built and taking down the theater. Thankfully the theater was able to win it over. It is such a shame that huge corporations even attempt to remove small businesses like that.

From Art House to "Microcinema"

I found this article very interesting. It was such an enjoyable and simple read since we have already learned a bit about the Aurora Picture Show. Theaters are getting so expensive these days that it is so nice to know that there are outlets like these available. I’m so happy that Wilmington was able to create such a hip and interactive Dirt Poor festival. I love the idea of how intimate the experience is with less people. This is something that I have yet to experience and would really love to. I thought it was really neat how one place screened films inside of a school bus! I’d love to know how they went about doing that.

So many people are able to pick up a camera these days and film and create something. I feel that this generation, more than ever needs an outlet like microcinemas in order to show their work. It is not so easy to make it to California, so I think these outlets are great ways to promote the joy of film making and screening. 

Music Video AD

I’m very excited about the music video project! The group I have is really great and everyone is able to work well together. So far we have some great ideas. We would like to highlight great parts of downtown Wilmington and the beach with this song. We want a lot of movement and freedom shown throughout. As Assistant Director, I will be making sure everything looks great when shooting. I’m happy to help out the Director with anything he may need. We are going to be using 1 or 2 actors for the main set up for the video. We might also find people off the streets and incorporate them into the video. I will be in charge of making sure all the props are ready on set for the day of the shoots. I’m happy to assist with any style to represent for the actors and set. I would love to incorporate colors and movement if possible. It will be neat to use super 8 video and I’m eager to see how the footage will come out. I'll eventually be the main editor. We are planning to have several boxes on the screen so this is a new concept I'm excited to learn about!