Assignment 2: Who Do You Think You Are?

My documentary will be focused on the insightful, cynical yet humorous, multi-faceted views of Zair Paczkowski. The film will incorporate a random display of images and shots, reflective of my subject's thought process. With this doc I will pose the question: How well do you really know someone?

Francis Alys "Paradox of Praxiz 1" 1997, Walker Art Center

In the video by Francis Alys, I was moved by his decision to focus the entire length of footage on a melting block of ice. It made me consider that the subject of film can be relatively simple. Of course his film wasn't simply about ice melting, but a far greater meaning, one that is revealed to the viewer at the end with the quote, "Sometime making something leads to nothing." With no evidence left that the ice even existed in the first place, is the story leading up to that point worth telling? I think there is meaning in creating something for the sake of making it, not for what it will become. Alys follows the movement of the subject without the use of a tripod and covering what appears to be a lot of ground, varying the camera angles. He tells the story of a man and his ice block, focusing on the action of momentum, and a cause/effect type scenario. The shot of the water puddle and the children laughing  in the final scene adds a humorous and slightly innocent touch. A satisfying end to nothing.   

Assignment 1: Hearing and Seeing With Your Camera

Assignment 1: Shot List

Shot list (in progress):

Shot 1: 

• Close zoom of a construction sign, noise of pounding/hammering/ train whistle in background. 
  
• Blurred orange in frame, slowly zoom out so sign is legible 
• Continue to zoom out at slow pace while the noise of surroundings are still apparent
• When reach about 10-15 feet from sign tilt up to reveal the bridge above the construction and the train overhead
• Then pan from side to side revealing the workers and remainder of the scene
• Repeat steps in reverse: tilt downward and zoom back into sign

Note: location will be on the corner of Raymond and two blocks south of Como in Saint Paul. The camera will be set up on the street corner in safe distance from construction sight. Thoughts to include while shooting include frustration with the noise, detour, etc., as well as the availability of location which may need to be rerouted or changed. 

Assignment 1: Opinion Essay

"Electronic Moon #2"

Nam June Paik

Just as a melody in music uses repetition throughout a composition, Nam June Paik's "Electronic Moon #2," gives a rippling effect of sound with the calming presence of piano keys. As the shot opens, a blank screen is visible, but the music encourages the viewer to listen intently and watch for movement on the screen. His introduction welcomes many as he speaks in more than one language setting the stage for a production. The first shot of water compliments the music beautifully, as the delicate ripples play on screen. The mesmerizing effect of water transitions into a flickering presence of a round shape that one could assume is the "moon." The water is mimicked as movement progresses into a quarter of the moon and spots of color are added. There is a transition between the round object and an amoeba like image flashing to life. Finally, a person's profile appears as the man in the moon? Then a flash of silverware transitioning into another shot of a breast in profile, the feminine quality to the moon. Then a hand comes into view, making contact with the breast, feminine meets masculine? At the conclusion a light flickers and the film ends abruptly.

While I'd be curious to understand more about what June Paik is communicating to the viewer, it appears as if nature collides with technology in a confusing display of beauty and serenity. It is a calming film to watch, as an installation I can imagine people sitting in front of it for long periods of time, or at least that is what I would do. It is the kind of film that make a person wonder will the ending be different this time or will it still remain the same the third time I've watched it? The message it sends is likely one that confuses the viewer while at the same time satisfying an urge to relax and simply give the mind a rest.