Cucalorus Game Plan

Because I will be working on a school production set Saturday and Sunday, my plan for Cucalorus is to view as many screenings as I can Wednesday through Friday . After a minor complication in getting my Digasoarus pass I was able to acquire it just in time to catch the events first narrative. Seoul Station, I am a sucker for a zombie flick. I plan to kick off Cucalorus with this international film, and from there spend the next two days catching more narrative titles. I will get around to a shorts block, however since I do not recognize any of these titles it will come at random when ones name catches my ear. I bought extra tickets so that my friends could attend with me. After hearing all of the hype and attention over The Shining I would be amiss to not be in attendance. I will spend down time in between showings at my place of business, where I am sure other Cucalorus fans will be dining.

Skies Never the Limit

 

This picture screams to me the skies never the limit. What we see here is grand, but what lies beyond is spectacular. Their is quite possibly a limitless number of opportunities out there, this is the beauty of the unknown. I challenge the notion that we cannot achieve what we put our minds too, no matter the scale.

Reflective Self

To capture a self portrait, I must first conceive what that self is through deep inner reflection. It is in this meditative state that I can separate truth from fiction, and catch a glimpse of myself at my rawest form. I see myself surfing through life, the board gliding across all of my happiest memories. Now unfortunately as poetic as reflective Parker sounds, real Parker cannot actually surf. However, my long boarding skills are quite advanced; and, the way I ride my board over pavement I consider to be surfing. For this project I plan on recording myself on my long board; however, my face will not be the sole subject. I believe the idea of one's self cannot be captured in a mere profile, nor through conventional camera shots. I plan to mobilize the camera just as I myself am mobile riding my long board. Keeping the camera steady can be accomplished with my GoPro's steady mount. To break into the bounds of unconventional camera work I am thinking a single continuous shot, incorporating the help of others to mobilize props to follow my trek. The band Ok Go's music videos really inspire me. It is there degree of pushing what can be done in one continuous shot that I want to mimic. It is a tall order, but I can envision how it will play out. I see the allure in simplicity. The above mentioned props can be rudimentary in design by all means. It is choreographing my assistants, and nailing correct beats that will prove to be challenging. I will utilize all of the knowledge I have learned taking my blocking course here at UNCW, but it is basic knowledge so only time will tell if I had what it took to pull this arduous shot off.

Taking the Lead

A Directors Tale

I was assigned the role of director and editor for my experimental music video. I could not be more excited because I would get to film my ideas, and edit them as I mentally build the story. Right away I had an idea for a battle balled, and the idea caught on quick. I see myself less as the  babysitter, and more as the promoter. My crew is all very talented across the board, so as director it is easy to work with there ideas because they work well with what has already been planned. I have found the biggest difficulty has been corralling the crew together. We work best as a whole, but everyone's demanding schedules challenges this notion. I would not be surprised if I found myself filming for our DP one day while our producer operates lights. That is the spirit of indie film making, no one person has just one job. When it comes to editing I plan on spending a majority of time working on the audio. Because of what our plan requires, special attention is going to be spent on blending audio tracks together. As editor it will get tricky layering two separate languages over one another. I took charge as key grip and built a set out of PVC piping for my crew. I found that I can be quite handy with tools on the fly when I need to be. My hand sewing skills also came in handy when stitching together costumes. Certain affects would not have been accomplished without the additions made possible by this skill. As director I felt it was appropriate to be present at the audio recording sessions. It was a good idea that I was, I was able to insert slight changes to the recording process to better embody the feel I was going for.

Art House too Microcinema 

The ever evolving world of movie theaters

Cinema, much as other aspects of culture in our global society come and go in waves we typically call fads. Art house cinema's may be on the decline due to over saturation of films, and a change in how we as an audience view cinema. Microcinemas was films way back into the limelight of rural America. Too many of us go to the movies purely for what is on the screen, but not the atmosphere of the theater or the aesthetic of the crowd. The annual Rocky Horror Picture Show typically played during the Halloween season is a perfect example of what it means to view a film in an art house. Fans come dressed as the characters, patrons discuss their favorite scenes, and of course tucked under their arms are all the props viewers could use to interact with the film. Truly this attitude toward a single film is what art house cinema tried to embody.

Asahi Pentax

I went into this project expecting to struggle with the transition, I have never photographed on raw film before. The difference between digital and film seemed alien at first. To my surprise however, I transitioned across the gap with ease. I found that I quite enjoyed the old school manner of setting up the perfect shot. I started with a roll of practice film to polish the technique, and headed to the beach for good exposure. I felt more intimate with my subject whether it was a stack of docked boats or waves rolling past my feet. It is as if you must see the shot you want to take before you even set it up. You cannot simply snap your picture and be off, you must sit and dissect your environment. Feeling the sun beating on my back I learned how to correct the light and reverse it when the sun disappeared. I learned most importantly that with a little patience, the perfect shot will come to you. Light will find ways to manipulate itself naturally, it was my job to capture it at that perfect moment. The biggest difficulty I found with film came when I had to load and unload the film stock. I missed lining the celluloid on the tracks up properly so when it came time to rewind my film the celluloid ripped. Digital cameras will forever have quicker and easier loading mechanisms being that the SD card pops in and out with no fear of tearing. However, like with all technology SD cards have the ability to become corrupted with no prompt or reason. Film, as long as it stays out of exposure, will stay reliable. What you snapped is what you get. The pictures I take have the same feel as all my old pictures of me growing up, It is the best way to capture that aesthetic.

Grey Skies Above

The skies are as grey as steel wool today, beams of light break through the clouds sending the light meter all over the place. This is the first instance in which I had to lock down the dial to compensate for the fluctuating needle, and only after careful calibration was I ready to snap the picture. By shaking the camera I hoped to capture the beams of light, and use their intensity to brighten the shot I had taken. It is fascinating that light will still travel through grey clouds at such a high intensity. One cannot be foolish and think the opposite while setting up the perfect shot.