We watched a Communist work on Monday?

"Just a play on her name. Great work though. I personally took the most delight in the fact that she was the only one she knew of doing that type of work. If the world would flood and Noah picked up different kinds of artist two by two, she would die alone. Then millions of years later, we would find her and her art and say it disproved the word of god him/her self. Thats whats wrong with this country." Now heres Daniel Johnston with the weather. "Its sad outside with a chance of satan." Thanks Johnston, "Not enough people think outside the box. I guess maybe the box got bigger? Any who, The Public Life of Jeremiah Barnes stole the show for me. The whole story was just so sweet. The way every one tried to figure out why the machines were there and then this guy pops out and it was just great. I think that kind of story line would be her bread and butter. Go get em Vlad!"

Q) How many A.D.D. kids does it take to change a light bulb? A) Wanna ride bikes!

I have a hard time with reading. Not that I cant read, it just that my mind wonders. Thats why film works out for me so well. I can be engaged while having enough room in my head and time in the viewing to wonder and ponder through thought. When I get into a really good book this happens a small bit also, but thats only with a really good book.
This lack of controlled ability has plagued me and would explain why I took so many years off of the structured learning circuit. This also translates directly to a poor paper writing ability. I hate writing papers. One may ask, "But Dave, if you want to write films and make films you are going to have to write a lot. Isn't that going to be a problem?" Id say, "No, leave me alone and bother someone else you nosy bastard!" I say this because I have many many note books and word files full of single scenes. These scenes are going to be the structure of my film career (Or so I hope).
Long story short, I am bad at writing papers and am hating writing this paper that I am so eloquently avoiding right now. I shouldn't say that, Im not "bad" at writing papers, Its just a struggle to do it for me. I know Im not the only one.

In Loving Memory of February 5th 2007.

One amazing thing about this class is that I can never seem to get a grip on what is coming next. That being said, the films we saw today were weird. "Third Eye Butterfly" was quit beautiful. Though I saw no recognizable images in the film, aside from the swirl with the eye in the middle, I was stunned by the beauty and delicateness of the images projected. The cutting, spreading, over lapping and multiplying of colors seemed to be more of a product of the music as opposed to the other way around. That being said, I haven't heard to much of that style of music, but what I have heard I loved. I don't even know what category of music it is. I like it. On a down side, it didn't seem to me that the film was cut to match in tempo or dance along with the soundtrack. My big thing as of late has been confessing to take 80% of the blame in not understanding the meaning behind the art I have been exposed to. From film to poetry, if I dont get it, Im blaming myself and not the artist. So as far as the not matching with the music thing, Ill take my 80 in that regard. I think there was a tempo set by the music that was kept in tact through the film, but I would have liked to seen it more on a "on beat" style. But Im a skateboarder and enjoy the way skateboard videos have evolved to sync a song with the skateboarder. So im sort of programed in that way.

"Available light" didn't have enough going on to keep my attention. I like the idea behind the film, but that wasn't enough to keep my mind on track with it. Given my attention span, Im not sure it ever had a chance. Im quick people. Ill even take 90% on this one.

"Night Flight Transmission" was scary as hell. This film was really loud. It seemed as though the timing behind all the cuts were linked directly to my brain and made to freak the s**t out of me. Id show this film to a dog who behaved badly. I kept waiting for blood to start pouring down the screen and for people to start screaming and other really dark thoughts. I think that may have been a part of the point. Did anyone ever see "Altered States"? This film reminded me of the peyote scene in that movie. If you haven't seen it check it out, Its top 10 on my list easy.

"Luminous" is another film that didn't really hold my attention to well. Im sure people with a projectionist back round would love it. I do not have a projectionist back round. I did not love it.

"The Darkroom" had some amazing angles and motion in it. I have no idea how they did it, but I want to know. This film got me on a film makers level more than a strictly art viewing level. The way the waves would come in and out at the same time and curled just made me want to pick Jang's brain on the production side of it. I came to a strange realization in this one to. I realized that the sight of waves is as calming as the sound of waves. Im sure my psychology professor would remind me that sight and sound have some brain wave similarities and that while viewing silent waves my brain would fill in sound on its own or something like that. I was so inthralled with the image while my brain was telling me to take a nap. I fought my way through this one. Now I feel like I was a guinea pig in an experiment. "Mr. Biesel, try to stay awake while we use science to lull you to sleep. Oh, and if you do fall asleep, we will know it from your brain wave read out. Then you will receive and electric shock to help stimulate alertness in the brain." I dont know why I added the "shock" part. Peace!

Miss Lippy is sick today.

Our substitute teacher brought up some great questions today. The one that caught my ear the most was why would some one be so angry from watching D'Est that he would make a comment like that to a professor? Im going to stop myself from thinking about that question. Mainly because I fear that it will affect my grade if I dont make some sort of effort to not tangent off about weird topics that can be loosely connected to class. Anyone can bull shit there way through these types of classes if they really want to. I want more from this class.
So the question I will go after is "What would be the best way to show D'Est?"

Im really letting this one go so give me some room here.

My concept for showing D'Est consist of a screen about 10 feet by 10 feet (the screen size should make the people in the film 1.5 scale, based on the street panning shots). This screen will be mounted on a circular track with a radius of about 15 feet. The viewers, only about 10 at a time will stand in the middle of the track in a group standing manner. As the film starts the screen will be made to run along the track only when the shot in the film is tracking or panning. When a scene is still, the screen will stand still. The screen will move at a pace that matches perfectly the pace of the pan. This movement will give the viewer a sense of seeing through a 10x10 square, out to a world where they have no control over the corse of sight. Almost a "Being John Malkovich" kind of view.
I think by using this way of viewing you can evoke a crowded feeling and also keep the attention of the viewer by involving their motor skills and what not. Though I think it may be advantageous to shortening the viewing times from the full two hours to about half an hour. Not really sure about that I guess. But this is my perfect idea and in that little world no one says peep about showing separate shorter clips of D'Est.

Day four, I met my first film major (expletive deleted) today!

I feel bad. I know I am supposed to be thinking about film things for this and thinking about D'Est. Every time I think of the scenes from D'Est I hear the words of Jello Biafra! Im really happy about that because I think they fit, its like a link in my brain that helps me remember both experiences. Maybe they will help me remember them both more completely? Or maybe Im going to fail out of class and fight the man? Who knows?

Oh my me, its day three.

Wow. What to say about D'Est. Lets get the bad out of the way first. The sound once again was either recorded to loud or the speakers in that room cant handle what they are asked to put out. That is basically my only complaint about the film.
Suffice to say, I really did like this film. The images were definitely strong enough to not constitute a narrative. I dont quite understand the "documentary bordering on fiction" idea though. I blame myself for this.
The main idea or feeling I got from D'Est was that the tempo of life is vastly different there than it is here. The film helps this feeling along not only by it imagery but by how long the images are shown and at what pace the camera is panned along. The pan shots were great, only being trumped by a couple "key" shots. These key shots for me include the ladies picking what to me appear to be potatoes, the men walking in the cold, the ladies trying to catch a ride and the man quietly destroying a plate of food. Kudos to the man for showing me how a man really eats. I have been emasculated at the diner table.
The ladies working was something I could only compare to the old guy at Wal-Mart who greets you (I know in Wausau they always have them). But these are people grandmother, I cant think of anyones Grandmother that I know who works in a field like that. Let alone sticking their thumbs out for a lift. The cultures clashed and I am humbled.
Oddly enough I had to walk to school this morning. This wouldnt have been a big deal to me had I not went skateboarding last night, stayed up to late doing home work (almost a lie) and not affording myself enough time for the walk this morning. It sucked, it wasnt cold, but my legs were killing me by the time I walked into the theater. Now that I think about it my legs still arent feeling so good. Any who, watching the men walk in the cold made me think about all of the people who will not go anywhere unless they can get a ride. Rubbish I say! I have a bunch of buddies back home who bike around all the time and see their cars as a burden thrust upon them only in the cold cold winter months. Myself, I have been known to walk a fare distance or just skate if I want to get somewhere. But these men dont have a choice I would presume. They do it and that is life to them.
I think this film could be used as a tool to help teach Americans to suck it up and stop being so prissy. I love that about it.



p.s. I posting this after mid night because I went a saw Jello Biafra speak on campus. Those who werent there missed out.

Day two of five!

Day two on this lonely island of a five day blog. The food has ran out, I used my last flare to light my last cigarette and the leaves I use are starting to make my butt itch. I fear I may not last the night let alone four more days. The good news is while I may die, this island has an internet connection. I havent been much able to think of film, though when I have I put it on my youtube account. Please, if and when I die, let it live on in my name. Enjoy. http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Biesus