reflections on cinema

morgan daugherty depaul university • • • • • • • • • • "if it can be written or thought, it can be filmed"

[alobotomyandsometights]

Music for Teacups [Samples], 2012 - David Colagiovanni

I cannot thank Brian enough for showing our class Colagiovanni’s work. It is music to my ears. The compositions are beautiful, along with the color and atmosphere of each piece. In his lecture, Colagiovanni specifically mentioned how much time and thought he put into recording these pieces. It is evident in the crispness and resonance of each of the breaking dishes. 

I have never been mindful of the visual quality of my pieces, in terms of HD, SD etc. I typically shoot film (35mm or 16mm), so I forget that the crispness of a video can be just as important as the content itself. I do not think that this film would not be as beautiful and captivating if it wasn’t shot on The Red One and recorded with such excellent sound equipment.

Sonny’s Car, although a separate piece, still speaks to the same sentiments. There is beauty in the chaos of life. By experimenting with shutter speed and timing, Colagiovanni is able to shape the sounds effortlessly in post. He creates beautiful samples of what could be music or foley, hell, I feel comfortable enough to fall asleep listening to these films. 

The repetition of the sounds and visuals throughout the film reiterate how much we miss the little things in life. Any sound can be beautiful if listened to in the right frame of mind. 

[alobotomyandsometights]

Peyote Queen, 1965 - Storm De Hirsch

The in-camera editing displayed throughout this piece is absolutely fascinating. This film captures the mood of the 60′s effortlessly. My favorite pieces of the film are the drawings, done directly on the film itself. Each sequence is mindful in color, movement, and style. There is a sense of unity within all of the chaos. I hope to apply this mentality to my own work. Filmmaking can push boundaries, but there is still an edge to be mindful of. I think De Hirsch created this film with the intention of experimenting with the medium as much as possible, and it works so well for the tone and style of this piece.

[alobotomyandsometights]

Night Music, 1986 - Stan Brakhage

Although I do not always understand Brakhage’s films, Night Music is one of my favorite experimental films out there. The use of color and movement is absolutely groundbreaking. This film feels very much like a moving Jackson Pollack painting. Not to mention, the mere idea of painting on each single frame is absolutely impossible for me to fathom. Sometimes experimental film is not about the product, but rather, it’s about the process. Stan Brakhage’s process is nothing short of fascinating.

[alobotomyandsometights]

Sour Death Balls, 1992 - Jessica Yu

An experimental documentary about extremely sour candies could go one of two ways, you interview the creators, or you interview the consumers. Somehow Jessica Yu brought a third to the table - no need to talk at all. The sour candies do all of the talking for us. Candy is supposed to be delicious and sweet, but what if it tortures you instead? The compositions in this film are beautiful, and each character brings life to the film in a refreshing way. I could watch days of Sour Death Balls. 

[alobotomyandsometights]

Breakaway, 1966 - Bruce Conner

This music video is one of my favorite music videos of all time. It perfectly captures the mood and feeling of the song, and then halfway through the video, the song begins to do what the visuals are doing. The simplicity of the color scheme, style of the shoot, and imagery involved speaks volumes to me as a filmmaker. Movement and motion blur is almost its own medium of filmmaking. Our main character becomes a white paint brush on a black canvas.

[alobotomyandsometights]

Feeder, 2010 - Joseph Ernst

What a disgusting little film. Never have I been so intrigued by something so visually displeasing. The story of a night of overindulgence told through the gaping mouth of our main character is brilliant. The use of diegetic sound is fantastic: the consumption of food, the music of the club, the make out sequence, etc. The conscious decision Ernst made, to film from the inside of the mouth, is innovative and inspiring. There is nothing that can’t be done these days. I need to let go of the idea that all films must be pretty. I have a background in photography, so my mind constantly gets stuck in rut in terms of composition. Not everything in life can beautiful, and that is absolutely okay.

[alobotomyandsometights]

A Movie, 1958 - Bruce Conner

An entire short film created using found footage seems like an impossible feat to me. I have a lot of trouble finding meaning in all of the madness, especially in collage. The juxtapositions throughout the film accentuate the hilarity and over the top nature of Hollywood filmmaking. The violent images against the woman undressing themselves pokes at Hollywood’s obsession with unnecessarily violence. The montage suggests a certain sexualization of violence. I have a hard time with this film. I hope that I will continue to come across intellectual montage like this that forces me to step outside of my comfort zone.

[alobotomyandsometights]

Daybreak Express, 1953 - D.A Pennebaker

I love this short film. The use of a natural color palette, the in-camera editing, the geometric repetition, and the use of movement are incredibly motivated by the song choice and the environment in which it was shot. The human element adds an important physical connection for the viewer. I love his use of natural light, specifically when the sun comes in and out of frame. He also uses window reflections to tell this story. Life is beautiful and life is fleeting.

[alobotomyandsometights]

Viscera, 2004 - Leighton Pierce

This film speaks more to me now than it did at the beginning of the school quarter. I never understood this man’s story, and it bothered my that I couldn’t see a single shot clearly. The use of motion blur and slow shutter speed invokes a sort of anxiety that I haven’t felt elsewhere. Perhaps the blurriness suggests the way we go through life, constantly unaware of our surroundings as we move quickly and without rest.The images of the child bring about the idea of reflecting on the past. and ending the film in water forces me to question whether he is being reborn or if he is choosing to die. The use of repetition to suggest importance is inspiring.

[alobotomyandsometights]

La Retour A La Raison (The Return to Reason), 1923 - Man Ray

The juxtaposition between the circular objects and the hard lines that intersect them throughout the film suggest a conflict that I don’t quite understand yet. At the end of the film Man Ray returns to the girl, which begs the question, “Is she the reason?” I love Man Ray’s use of shadows and reflections interspersed throughout the film. My favorite piece of this work is the final shot. The organic nature of the light shining through the curtains against the natural feminine body suggests that the discord present throughout the film has settled. We, the viewer, can finally breathe again.