Project 3: A movie about artists

For this project, I am making a movie about artists. However, I am interested in interviewing artists not only in the US, but also in Iran in the coming summer.

This is going to be an exciting project. I am an artist, and I am always interested in learning about what inspires/motivates and moves an artist to create. Through this exploration, other aspects of society, culture, and tradition will be revealed.

To find the artists that are interested, i have placed an add on Craigslist that has the format of the above image. To see what it says, please click on the image.

So far, in only one day, the responses have been incredible! This is very exciting.

Project 2: Celebrating the Persian New Year

It just so happened that this project coincided with the persian new year... so it seemed like a great opportunity to tell people who who have never heard about it about what norooz is... The way I chose to do this was by describing a bit about the Hafsin, or the "seven 's'"

here it is: Norooz Movie

a super cool film i watched and studied today

The following is my analysis and observation for the editing style in relationship to the content of:

Fast, Cheap and Out of Control
a film by Errol Morris

I asked around for what films I should watch from some of the ITP film experts. One of the recommendations for documentary style (since I am interested in this genre) was "Fast, Cheap and out of Control". I was interested in learning how an author would combine several stories together into a cohesive whole. I was pleased with what I saw!

In the beginning of the film, there are
Images from old movies being shown of:
Robots. Clowns. Circus. Gardens. Fighting with a lion.

conversations about a city behind the mountains. From old style film we switch to a more contemporary style...

Then we see someone being interviewed, and he says, "When I was a kid, I wanted to be a wild animal trainer."

Here, for example, the author connects the stories by theme:

the author introduces all of the characters by describing how each person first became interested in or was inspired regarding robots/mole-rats/topiary gardening/training wild animals...(the four characters)

the author also connects the story through style:

images are used from magazines, old clippings, contemporary filming of events they are talking about, cartoons, but these images are used in all of the different peoples stories, and they are used consistently... therefore, even with all of the variety, they all flow together into a cohesive whole.

the author connects the story also by things as simple as camera angle:

When the 4 main people are introduced, after a new person is introduced (in the beginning) there is an extreme close up shot on only their eyes, not even the mouth. you start to see a distinction between the characters.

Slowly, as it becomes clear that there are 4 characters, Morris begins to link the stories in other ways in addition to the ones noted above. He also connects the characters using things such as movement (robot moves, elephant moves, etc) or subject (elephant in a circus, elephant shaped plant in the garden, to switch from one thing to the next).

He also links what is being said to the whole. When the mole-rat specialist starts talking about the incredible feats of the mole-rat, you see not only the mole-rat, but the scene ends with a visual of the incredible feats of humans, such as the acrobatic dance in the circus, women spinning elegantly along.

Again, the camera goes from black and white to color, to comic, to cartoon, to different angles. there are really no limits, and they all come together like a scarf that is woven with multiple colors.

Topics covered include:

Removal.
Speaking about the removal of the mole-rat's home to put them on display, or the removal of leaves and branches in the gardeners case.

Challenges.
Challenges faced in dealing with lions. Challenges for mole-rats to live. how one will die for the sake of all. the whole documentary was also extremely informative.
Challenges for the robot... it is really only just a set of processes... again this is linked to the simplicity of human beings, showing us again the man in the circus, fighting with the lion....

Problems they have faced.
Power failure in the circus (with lions in a cage with you!!!)
if one mole-rat will die, it will sacrifice itself.
Snow-storm or bad weather may hurt or damage the "green animal" garden.

Building your own baby.
Understand life by building what is life-like. People understand themselves by understanding what is bigger than themselves. The other is not something to be feared, but to be looked at, and explored

Random thoughts.
"Consciousness is put there by God, as an interface to what we're thinking" --robot maker
"Never roast peanuts during a wild animal act"
"They are all different though, like people."--animal trainer
"It's just cut and wait. Cut and wait."

Parallels are constantly being drawn between insects to humans, humans to mole-rats, making gardens to making robots, gardens to mole-rats, animal training to robot training, and so on; however, not through the use of direct comparison,,, but by using the narrative of one thing while showing visually, something else. This allows the viewer to create new relationships, and to grasp the parallel as intended by Morris.

It is the editing style that makes this story extremely powerful and cohesive. Everything is carefully planned so that you never feel that any moment is out of place. The whole thing is a thrill to watch, while being intimate, personal, as well as informative. I truly loved this film, and I appreciate the thoughtfulness put into it!!!

Pomegranate movie: Phase 1

go to this page then click the pomegranate link!!