Installation

Our installation hopes to produce something different from what the other groups are trying. We wanted to do something from a more lighthearted perspective, and thus we will approach this installation with a playful approach. It'll be really fun to be in costume and have costume performers wandering the aisles of the audience while we all share this experience. 

The biggest challenge will be able to get people to play along with this. Understandably, I can see why some people probably don't like the idea of drugs, fake or otherwise, and if  they choose not to participate, there's not a lot we can do about this. But the extent to which people will play along, and to see a placebo affect in the audience, that will be the most interesting. 

Overall, this is to be fun. There's nothing heavy handed, our film won't be very violent or abrasive, and the performances should compliment the installation well. I look forward to being a part of it! 

Cucalorus

My first Cucalorus was this past weekend, and all I can say, is that I really need to get a bigger pass for next year. This was some of the most fun I've had all semester, it really was a delightful experience. It was great to meet up with people in the class and roam around the streets of downtown Wilmington and wander into different places and see some fantastic films. Of the six I went to, every single one was spot on. It was terrific. I went into every single screening not knowing a damn thing about what I was about to watch, and I was moved, gripped with fear, crying from laughing and leaving the theatre each time with a huge appreciation for independent filmmakers, and having the opportunity to watch some amazing films in some awesome spots. 

So, to start things off on Thursday, I saw A Short History of Decay, and Willow Creek. These two movies could not be more different from each other. Short History was a charming tale of a man in his mid thirties who after a breakup, goes to visit his ailing parents in Florida (which apparently looks a lot like Wrightsville beach.... almost as if they filmed there... hmmmm). Nothing real daring here, but it was a amazingly well told story that will have you laughing one minute and crying the next. A real go home and hug your parents kind of movie. Willow Creek was a "found footage" movie, a kind that I'm usually pretty skeptical of, but this was done well. I have what I'd call an unhealthy fascination with bigfoot documentaries for some reason, so when it was introduced as a bigfoot movie, the inner wierdo in me celebrated. It was a gripping film, hilarious at first but with a steadily mounting sense of dread. An eye popping 19 minute scene with no cuts was the standout moment of this one for me. Semi scripted, and scary as hell, it was an awesome film. And this was just the first night! 

Friday night we saw The Bounceback and Sacrament. Bounceback made me want to move to Austin. It showcased the city in a fun and delightful way, as if Shannon hadn't already sold us on it already. A hilarious story about a former couple meeting up with friends in Austin and a cat and mouse game that continues throughout the weekend, leaves us with the ultimate realization that these people are moving on after a breakup. A raunchy and hilarious coming of age tale of sorts. Had me laughing so hard my sides hurt. Easily the funniest one I saw this weekend, but smart as well. Fantastic. Leaving Thalian after that hilarity, and climbing the 3,000 steps to City Stage, Sacrament was up next. And it was brutal. Really, really, brutal. Despite being almost an exact retelling of the Jonestown cult from the late 1970's, and another found footage movie of sorts, Sacrament was hard to watch because of the slow decent into cult madness seen unfolding on the screen, but I couldn't look away. My hand turned white from gripping my seat so hard. Probably the best film I saw at Cucalorus this weekend, but not one I could sit down and watch everyday. Just stunning. The weight of the air at the end of the film was so incredibly heavy. I will say after watching a lack of humanity on screen, at the end there was a lady laughing hysterically while we saw the helicopter fly over the compound littered with dead bodies, and I began to realize maybe the psychopaths on screen weren't the only ones in the room. 

On Saturday came I Used to be Darker, and while I would call this another really good film, it was the weakest of the ones I saw. A slow paced movie, but with some fantastic musicianship and song on screen. The actors were incredible, but they were let down a bit by a story struggling to get traction off the line. The film is almost half over before any real story events or character relationships develop. Still, a powerful film in its own right. 

Waking up quite early to go see Act of Killing, I've heard mixed reviews about the film. According to hearsay, it's the best film in the festival, and the worst film. So, anything this polarizing, I must check out. I was a little taken aback by the presentation of this film. It's very analytical and slow paced. The presentation is almost as cold as the killers on screen. It lacked a bit of direction but the way it presents matter of fact mass murderers on screen is unlike anything I've ever see. The audience didn't even know whether to clap at the end of the movie. In my own opinion, it falls somewhere in between. 

Overall this was a fantastic weekend, and I couldn't have been happier with the experience that I had. 

Reflections

I would just like to reflect on my experiences with the class so far. The music video assignment for example, was one that I was very apprehensive about. I'd never directed anything before save a project in 201, so this was something I was a little anxious about. All the planning and whatnot, and the super 8 camera made me long for being able to shoot and see what I've done. But, it turned out we had a lot of fun, and hopefully we will have good footage to look over and edit here soon! This class has challenged me to think about some things differently, and I've went from wanting to be able to look over what I've done through digital technology, to becoming not as skeptical about film. It is what people worked with for the majority of the time that cinema has been around. 

The filmmaking presentations have been another thing that's been quite interesting. Just seeing the diverse backgrounds of different filmmakers I probably wouldn't have heard of otherwise has been rewarding and a great thing to learn about. Not all of them were particularly appealing, but seeing what people can do with a little money and a lot of imagination is inspiring no matter what kind of film you want to make. 

Lastly, at Cucalorus this week I'd really like to go see The Sacrament, Willow Creek, and Bringing it Home. Hopefully we can get a group together and see even more if I'm not too busy at work this weekend! 

Photo Exercise

Self Portrait

For the self portrait assignment, I'm honestly a little torn on what I think that I should do. I feel like this is a chance to both do something meaningful by taking an introspective look at myself, and commit something about myself to film, something I've never tried to do before. Trying to focus on the smaller things, smaller aspects of myself is rather challenging. I kinda regard myself as a bit of a boring person, so it's somewhat of a cop out of me to brush this off, saying that no matter what I choose, it won't be anything of particular interest. Yet at the same time, this is an exciting prospect. 

I'd like to do something humorous, because at heart I really to try and find the humor in everything. I don't like being all serious all the time, and I'd like to do something funny, or at least with a humorous element. After seeing some of the examples, its kind of easy to fall into this artsy trap, trying to make yourself out to be something more, deeper than what you actually are. To glorify oneself just because we are film majors and we are artsy people. I'm not sure if this is something I really want to do. 

I have a love for the ocean, and the beach. It's one of the major reasons that I chose to go to school here in the first place. I've wanted to live by the sea ever since I was a little kid, so in a way this is a dream come true for me. I'd like to mix these maritime images into my self portrait, because standing beside the ocean gives me a feeling like I never get anywhere else. To feel so small, so out of place beside something so vast is a humbling experience. Mixing a humorous element with coastal images probably will be a bit of a difficult task, but I feel like this is the direction that I'll take this self portrait. 

Lastly I'll leave you all with this images of a handsome man, petting a cat