Film 1 & 2

When I first heard that our theme was the elements I had multiple different images pop into mind. However, as we experimented with different techniques I realized that most of them would not work. I also realized that you don’t have much space to work with. With limited space you really have to pay attention to the details. As a filmmaker I have learned you need patience since 24 frames goes by extremely fast. If you want to see a certain aspect on screen for more than a few seconds, you will be working on it for a while and that can get tiring after the first few frames. When scratching with the knives frame after frame your hand can start to cramp up and you want to move on to something else. Sometimes stopping what you’re doing and coming back to it later helps you to see it in a new perspective. You can add more layers and even in some instances remove layers. With a different mind set you can come up with something pretty interesting even if it’s not what you wanted to start with.

For our project, Cori and I had set out an idea for what we wanted to do. Working on it today we learned that things don’t always turn out like you think they will or how they were planned. Sometimes trying things out on a test strip can help you before you place it on your final piece. 

Create/Destroy

I admit today was a bit easier than yesterday, maybe it’s because I’ve done something similar before (see below). There’s just something about tearing up pieces of paper that brings out your inner kid. At first I randomly placed images together that I liked. I found that when I cut them into small strips that the smaller pieces turned out better than larger pieces of paper. On my second tape collage I thought that if I gave a “theme” it might turn out better. I used three different images each consisting of the colors, blue, green and purple. When I cut this one into strips I really enjoyed how they turned out. Working on this second collage helped me start thinking about our next projects dealing with the elements.

Another thing I noticed today in class was how everyone was getting along pretty well and working together to help one another. Working on something new for the first time can be difficult but when there is someone else to help you then completing the project becomes so much more rewarding. Seeing as it is still the first week it amazes me how quick we’ve come together as a group of filmmakers and what we will be able to achieve in the future.

The picture above was completed in my ART 101 class. It is a picture of my mother and is made from torn pieces of magazine paper.

Mixed Media

Today we were told that all filmmakers should have some experience with film stock. I agreed completely with this seeing as how it was the start of what we now know today. Without a knowledgeable background on a subject how can you make progress?

Experimenting with different mediums in class reminded me of a visual journaling class I took in high school. Each week we would have to use a variety of items to express a certain theme. I was able to test new equipment for future projects and learned more about myself in the process. Every art project I work on allows me to relax and to have some fun. Being a full time student I’ve found it difficult to complete projects like I use to and my stress has increased since. I was reminded today that everyone needs to take a moment out of the day and breath. Enjoy what you are doing and let your mind imagine.

When I first began my path down a film career I thought little of experimental film. As I was introduced to more films of the genre I began to understand why people have a passion towards it. Learning more about the subject allows more options for a filmmaker. After experimenting today I am now looking forward to seeing how all of the strips turn out and to further exploration on what can be done with the filmstrips.

Reflection

In “Amateur Versus Professional,” Maya Deren compares the amateur and the professional filmmaker. Before reading this article I did not know that amateur meant lover even though it makes sense. When someone finds a passion for something it drives him or her to want to be able to replicate it in some way or form. Every filmmaker has had to start somewhere and I believe they have all begun with a love of cinema. In the article she also compares the filmmaker to the still photographer. This drew me in as I started as a still photographer. Everyone knew my mother as a photographer and soon that trait was passed down to me. That devotion started me on my path to film. Now I am able to further experiment with the camera and what I want an audience to see. Her quote “cameras do not make films; filmmakers make films” also spoke to me because of something many people have told my mother and I; “you have a good eye.” The camera is not placing itself, the person behind it is. They are the one controlling every aspect of how the product will result. One is able to experiment and test how they want something to happen. They are able to change settings to make corrections they see fit. However, the product is nonexistent without its creator. Deren explains how the most important thing you can have for a film is yourself, for everything is nothing without creativity and imagination.

Bio

I'm Kyndall Green and I've been living in Wilmington since 2007 when my family moved from the D.C. area. Along with a film major I am pursuing a studio art minor. You could say I've always been around cameras and art supplies. My mom had a strong passion for photography and I can't remember a time she was without her camera. She would also always be doing some kind of painting or arts and crafts. When I was old enough she gave me a cheap camera for trips I would go on and I soon saw why she loved it so much. After she passed in 2010 photography helped me in multiple ways. In eleventh grade I had an English teacher who had a love for film, he and my yearbook advisor (who was also a photography lover) inspired me to look into more opportunities in a career with a camera. Hence the film major. Unlike most of the majors I meet I prefer watching television shows. Some of which made me say that this is the thing I want to do with the rest of my life.

Side note: I have also been to Jurassic Park.