The Magical Mystery Saturday Shoot

 Overall, the long take Saturday was very fun, it was basically a giant class bonding project. I really enjoyed coming up with a long take on the fly and then shooting it with the Bolex. The only thing that I hated about that, was the fact that in order to operate the Bolex pretty well, you had to be an octopus, or a multi-armed rejected X-men mutant. It was very difficult to focus, shoot, hold, and maneuver the camera at the same time. However, we pulled through.

Being as this was an on the fly assignment of course we ran into the dreaded problem of running late. It got a little hectic at one point...but nothing that the super leaguers of 6x1 couldn't handle. In the end everything got done on schedule.

I am also very proud of myself for the fact that I successfully developed film without it becoming a bastardized film strip, splotched up by light. We were quite fearful in the blackbox that a sliver of light would come in a murder our film strip.

I was very pleased with our film....although I don't quite know what it's about....come to think of it....I don't really know what any body's film was really about....maybe it's meaning on a level I don't understand...maybe not. But one thing about the films....they were pretty hilarious...a lot of fun....a barrel of laughs. I believe every body's project turned out great, and I can't wait to watch them.

It did suck however that it rained while our groups shot....we covered our Bolex with a plastic bag which was annoying. But hey, you gotta do what ya gotta do (as one New Yorker wise man said). I kept thinking that A) I looked like a homeless man making out with a bag, B)That I would be accidentally strangled by this bag, and C) that this bag was a pain in the ass to operate with the camera.

Anyway I'm ready to view the final project and hope it turns out superb.

Second Response

After participating in the construction of a cameraless film, I feel I have a better understanding of the craftsmanship and concepts that go into the formulation of a cameraless. This is my "Second" first response to two cameraless films that were viewed in class. 

These were the initial responses I had in class:

1st one looked completely drawn/painted, inks, pastels and whatnot. Brighter orange, citrusy taste, flavor, warm. Shapes morphing back and forth. If it is drawn, I'm curious about the amount of time spent drawing/ painting it. Shapes interacting. I can't tell if they are using oils and acrylics. Summer. Did like one part where a large square moves from bottom right and changes into a small square at the top left. Shapes performing extraordinary feats.

2nd one used actual footage with drawing/painting added to the image as well. Don't know if it counts as a "found footage film". Tape/magazine transfer done to the extreme. Darker, cooler, from the deep recesses of space. Abstract shapes adding together to form something else (one segment looked like a cigarette being lit) . Particularly like the part where an amorphous black blob that takes over an image of a human figure, then moves out. Very unique use of puncturing throughout. Preferred this short over the last.