Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Reading Response Eight
3. Filmmakers who influenced Poe, Mitchell and Dick include filmmakers of the new-wave movement, including Godard, Rohmer, Warhol, Truffant and all other influential artists of this era.
5. By "double voicing" Zryd means saying one thing and meaning another. For example, the ironic voice-over in the film contrasting with the image of the Chiquita banana label. Relating this technique to politics, Zryd describes the "demonizing" of leftist government in order to justify right wing operations. in relation, the film "Tribulation 99" uses the extreme racist conservative and Christian fundamentalist in order to illustrate the message of extreme left-wing ideals (thus "faking right, going left).
6. "Realist" found footage is usually found in mainstream documentary films. It is "illustrative or analogical." This is historical or archival footage that is usually overlapped by voice-over to reinforce the main argument. "Figurative" footage is metaphorical and is often used in experimental films. He does argue that all footage, in experimental or nonexperimental films, can be metaphorical and illustrative. Figurative footage is more important in "Tribulation 99" because most of it's images are symbolic and the footage is not historically from the events that might be being represented. For example, the use of a Chiquita banana label to represents economic priorities of corrupt corporations. A realist approach would be to actually show footage of these corporations.
7. "Media jujitsu" applies to the use of found footage as an icon to criticize the culture from which it came. When films use a symbol that represents a cultural icon in a certain way, they can be reversed to actually critique that very organization, etc. that it represents.
8. By including science documentaries, conservative conspiracy narratives, and fundamental Christian apocalypse films, Baldwin is not only criticizing extremist conspiracy groups, as well as making a statement that these groups are "distilled manifestations of extreme political positions," or the bases of U.S. political culture. He uses the example of right-wing militarism and it's roots in Christianity, with it's connections to American government and ideology.
5. By "double voicing" Zryd means saying one thing and meaning another. For example, the ironic voice-over in the film contrasting with the image of the Chiquita banana label. Relating this technique to politics, Zryd describes the "demonizing" of leftist government in order to justify right wing operations. in relation, the film "Tribulation 99" uses the extreme racist conservative and Christian fundamentalist in order to illustrate the message of extreme left-wing ideals (thus "faking right, going left).
6. "Realist" found footage is usually found in mainstream documentary films. It is "illustrative or analogical." This is historical or archival footage that is usually overlapped by voice-over to reinforce the main argument. "Figurative" footage is metaphorical and is often used in experimental films. He does argue that all footage, in experimental or nonexperimental films, can be metaphorical and illustrative. Figurative footage is more important in "Tribulation 99" because most of it's images are symbolic and the footage is not historically from the events that might be being represented. For example, the use of a Chiquita banana label to represents economic priorities of corrupt corporations. A realist approach would be to actually show footage of these corporations.
7. "Media jujitsu" applies to the use of found footage as an icon to criticize the culture from which it came. When films use a symbol that represents a cultural icon in a certain way, they can be reversed to actually critique that very organization, etc. that it represents.
8. By including science documentaries, conservative conspiracy narratives, and fundamental Christian apocalypse films, Baldwin is not only criticizing extremist conspiracy groups, as well as making a statement that these groups are "distilled manifestations of extreme political positions," or the bases of U.S. political culture. He uses the example of right-wing militarism and it's roots in Christianity, with it's connections to American government and ideology.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Reading Response Seven
4a. Warhol calls himself an "anti-romantic," and Sitney agrees. Warhol practiced Abstract Expressionalism, which is normally a romantic genre. However, Sitney argues that Warhol's style was on a completely different level and was not romantic at all, rather it was a logical viewing experience that was meant to make the viewer perceive.
4b. Sitney argues that the poles between Warhol's style and that of Snow and Gehr cannot be reconciled because of the different meanings behind the camera movement (or lack there of). Their techniques are similar, but spirituality behind them is vastly different. Warhol started with a stationary camera, using zooms mainly, then moved to in-camera editing. The still camera work of Snow and Gehr is utilized for a different purpose. It is meant as a "mythical contemplation of a portion of space," meaning it's trying to get a different type of reflection from the viewer. Warhol's goals are much less romantic, promoting complete awareness and concentration on more logical activities.
4c. "Conscious ontology of the viewing experience" refers to, as Sitney puts it, Warhol's goal of challenging the viewer to endure a film for a very long time, all the while being completely aware of what's going happening onscreen. This is why Warhol showed some of his films at 16 fps when they were actually 24. The slightly slowed motion forces the viewer to sit through the entire experience, dissecting and studying the image(s) before him or her as if studying it to a science. This relates to structural films because, after Warhol introduced this technique, structural filmmakers had to take films like these and give them purpose. They made films that attempted to guide the viewer to an ending impression or goal.
4d. Sitney responds to Warhol's attack on structural films by describing Michael Snow's "Wavelength." He describes a 45 minute forward zoom in which a room in explored in great detail and duration. Activities outside are taking place and filters and effects are adding for style. The camera finally comes to rest on a photograph of waves. "The insight that space, and cinema by implication, is potential is an axiom of the structural film." Sitney is trying to show the difference between Warhol and Snow, and thus Warhol and structural film, by described Snow's need to illustrate some sort of message to the viewer. By closing in on this room and suggestion the outside world, then ending on a photograph that contains waves of a vast sea, Snow is portraying a message about space. Warhol would've made this film differently. There would have been no underlying message, no metaphors or deep meaning, only a deep, detailed inspection of this room and things going on outside of it. It would've been purely observatory, purely for perceptive purposes. This greatly contrasts the agenda of a structural film.
4b. Sitney argues that the poles between Warhol's style and that of Snow and Gehr cannot be reconciled because of the different meanings behind the camera movement (or lack there of). Their techniques are similar, but spirituality behind them is vastly different. Warhol started with a stationary camera, using zooms mainly, then moved to in-camera editing. The still camera work of Snow and Gehr is utilized for a different purpose. It is meant as a "mythical contemplation of a portion of space," meaning it's trying to get a different type of reflection from the viewer. Warhol's goals are much less romantic, promoting complete awareness and concentration on more logical activities.
4c. "Conscious ontology of the viewing experience" refers to, as Sitney puts it, Warhol's goal of challenging the viewer to endure a film for a very long time, all the while being completely aware of what's going happening onscreen. This is why Warhol showed some of his films at 16 fps when they were actually 24. The slightly slowed motion forces the viewer to sit through the entire experience, dissecting and studying the image(s) before him or her as if studying it to a science. This relates to structural films because, after Warhol introduced this technique, structural filmmakers had to take films like these and give them purpose. They made films that attempted to guide the viewer to an ending impression or goal.
4d. Sitney responds to Warhol's attack on structural films by describing Michael Snow's "Wavelength." He describes a 45 minute forward zoom in which a room in explored in great detail and duration. Activities outside are taking place and filters and effects are adding for style. The camera finally comes to rest on a photograph of waves. "The insight that space, and cinema by implication, is potential is an axiom of the structural film." Sitney is trying to show the difference between Warhol and Snow, and thus Warhol and structural film, by described Snow's need to illustrate some sort of message to the viewer. By closing in on this room and suggestion the outside world, then ending on a photograph that contains waves of a vast sea, Snow is portraying a message about space. Warhol would've made this film differently. There would have been no underlying message, no metaphors or deep meaning, only a deep, detailed inspection of this room and things going on outside of it. It would've been purely observatory, purely for perceptive purposes. This greatly contrasts the agenda of a structural film.
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