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Tuesday, March 3
Saturday, February 28
EVERYTHING THAT RISES MUST BE FILMED
Last night got great. We pushed the limits pretty hard on the autoharp scene, and it was great. The sheet ghost ended up in there, everyone had a part, and there were all sorts of crazy contingencies we made for the painting.
Then we all got under a sheet in a dark room with candles going and made sounds.
Then Lauren and I played "guess that song" through whistling, and it was hard. But Jacob NAILED the Beatles jam. Jacob also let me take the Husker Du board game he found, and I'm hanging it in my room.
This weekend there will be Star Wars and Red Velvet cake.
Then we all got under a sheet in a dark room with candles going and made sounds.
Then Lauren and I played "guess that song" through whistling, and it was hard. But Jacob NAILED the Beatles jam. Jacob also let me take the Husker Du board game he found, and I'm hanging it in my room.
This weekend there will be Star Wars and Red Velvet cake.
Friday, February 27
the penultimate (not the final club)
last night we shot 2 interviews, travis and aurora. it felt a bit creepy to do mine in the dry bathtub by candlelight (like a porn intro or something) but certainly a change of scenery. understandably, i think we are all getting tired, hard to keep going, to get off the couch and shoot.
today we cleanup.
tomorrow we leave the space and george and aurora move in. I think this will be a good time to shoot the opening of the guru's door (who wants to do it! and what's inside??). and a scene of everyone leaving the apartment, maybe after an ill-defined argument or major offscreen event. something ruptures, everyone leaves without much discussion. the sheet ghost leaves with us, and so does the invisible guru?.
but george and aurora move in, happy and relieved and begin setting up. might be fun if everyone brought a sheet tonight and we filmed us all as sheet ghosts... everyone bring sheets!!!
today we cleanup.
tomorrow we leave the space and george and aurora move in. I think this will be a good time to shoot the opening of the guru's door (who wants to do it! and what's inside??). and a scene of everyone leaving the apartment, maybe after an ill-defined argument or major offscreen event. something ruptures, everyone leaves without much discussion. the sheet ghost leaves with us, and so does the invisible guru?.
but george and aurora move in, happy and relieved and begin setting up. might be fun if everyone brought a sheet tonight and we filmed us all as sheet ghosts... everyone bring sheets!!!
Thursday, February 26
A dream of orca whales
Last night I dreamt that I was swimming in the Pacific Ocean, off of some rocky beach. I knew that the Orcas were there, killer whales known for their acrobatics. I swam out a little farther to where they would begin their display, and whoosh! A massive beast the size of a 16 passenger van, all black and white, soared out of the water and went forty feet into the air, and then dove gracefully back in. It continued to do the same incredible soaring dive, but at shorter heights, off into the distance, the way a ball bounces lower and lower.
The experience of being with this dangerous mammal doing its crazy ariel acrobatics was incredibly exhilarating.
The dives were not your standard breaching, where the whale lands on its side or back. The beast was doing a full turn and landing nose first. I could also sense how it was building up speed before bursting through the surface of the water and into the air.
I swam back to shore and someone from FGP - George/Evan/Travis? had been videotaping the whole thing. When we watched the playback, I saw that at the moment the animal swam out a little farther and I had followed it, I had transformed into a baby killer whale. This was probably why the thing had not eaten me.
A dream like this can only portend good things. Reminds me of this song.
The experience of being with this dangerous mammal doing its crazy ariel acrobatics was incredibly exhilarating.
The dives were not your standard breaching, where the whale lands on its side or back. The beast was doing a full turn and landing nose first. I could also sense how it was building up speed before bursting through the surface of the water and into the air.
I swam back to shore and someone from FGP - George/Evan/Travis? had been videotaping the whole thing. When we watched the playback, I saw that at the moment the animal swam out a little farther and I had followed it, I had transformed into a baby killer whale. This was probably why the thing had not eaten me.
A dream like this can only portend good things. Reminds me of this song.
Some last ideas
I've been thinking of new things to do based on old things and stranded ideas. I've also been thinking about how to make the best use of time while keeping in mind the actions that need to be taken to close out the process. So here's an idea I'd like to start and see if we can develop for tonight or tomorrow.
We once had the idea of putting everything in the apartment into one room. I think we should do this. We can designate one room as the "stuff room" and start to pile stuff there. I can imagine it being movie-painted, with an anchor-puppeteer who stays in the room, and can squeeze people to go get something else and bring it back. From there, we have a lot of options: dialog, another puppeteer that tries to make a different room the stuff room, a command for organization and break down of stuff based on different attributes. And we can have multiple cameras running to capture the excursions back out into the apartment to find more things. And out in the other rooms, while getting stuff, there can be different commands. There's a lot of loose ends and openness to this. What do people think about that?
Second, a scene that will be shot assuming Michael and Joe are in the same place as me tonight or tomorrow. And if not, we're subbing in.
What I've started to develop a bit for characters being painted.
SHEET GHOST
Tap: Say a (musical) note.
Squeeze: Imitate auto-harp.
JOE
Tap: Ask a song title.
Squeeze: Open/close window.
Scratch: Drink tea.
JACOB
Tap: Talk about finding things outside.
Squeeze: Eat a snack.
Scratch: Offer a snack.
MICHAEL
Just keep on playin' that auto-harp and respond to the dialog around you tonally.
George has some really good ideas about how positions and camera will change and affect the painting process. What do other people think about this? Again, there's so much opportunity here, I want to here what everyone else thinks.
We once had the idea of putting everything in the apartment into one room. I think we should do this. We can designate one room as the "stuff room" and start to pile stuff there. I can imagine it being movie-painted, with an anchor-puppeteer who stays in the room, and can squeeze people to go get something else and bring it back. From there, we have a lot of options: dialog, another puppeteer that tries to make a different room the stuff room, a command for organization and break down of stuff based on different attributes. And we can have multiple cameras running to capture the excursions back out into the apartment to find more things. And out in the other rooms, while getting stuff, there can be different commands. There's a lot of loose ends and openness to this. What do people think about that?
Second, a scene that will be shot assuming Michael and Joe are in the same place as me tonight or tomorrow. And if not, we're subbing in.
What I've started to develop a bit for characters being painted.
SHEET GHOST
Tap: Say a (musical) note.
Squeeze: Imitate auto-harp.
JOE
Tap: Ask a song title.
Squeeze: Open/close window.
Scratch: Drink tea.
JACOB
Tap: Talk about finding things outside.
Squeeze: Eat a snack.
Scratch: Offer a snack.
MICHAEL
Just keep on playin' that auto-harp and respond to the dialog around you tonally.
George has some really good ideas about how positions and camera will change and affect the painting process. What do other people think about this? Again, there's so much opportunity here, I want to here what everyone else thinks.
Wednesday, February 25
thank you
i wanted to thank george and aurora for opening up their future home to the lot of us and putting up with us and feeding us every night for the better part of the last 25 days (i know other people have cooked too and bought stuff so thank you too). i wanted to thank you two publicly because I wanted to reiterate to the group that without this initial gesture and continued tolerance of our wild and gregarious crew we would not have had such an interesting month.
I think last weekend when I was making a list of all the things we had shot, it was really a list of our accomplishments to be proud of, and it came together for me in tonight's scene. even if no one else was into it, when everyone began moving the mattress boat toward the fresh baked cookie room was possibly the most inner child pleasing moment of the whole month for me, and even if you thought it was overkill or a waste, it made me very happy so thank you.
evan said earlier that without the apartment to come to every night he would be in a bad place, considering all the shit that has gone down with his job recently. jacob said he spent three months in social isolation only to be suddenly surrounded and supported by his friends. given the various shits going down in my own life, I am infinitely better off for having had the mirror of my friends to help me reflect on the state of my life. So for at least the three of us I would say that we have had a good month and even if many of you feel down about the state of whatever it is we are working on, at least we have had a good time at whatever it is we have been doing and I am only optimistic about this entire process (which may seem a surprising reversal). cheers. and lets get 10 minutes of room tone tomorrow.
I think last weekend when I was making a list of all the things we had shot, it was really a list of our accomplishments to be proud of, and it came together for me in tonight's scene. even if no one else was into it, when everyone began moving the mattress boat toward the fresh baked cookie room was possibly the most inner child pleasing moment of the whole month for me, and even if you thought it was overkill or a waste, it made me very happy so thank you.
evan said earlier that without the apartment to come to every night he would be in a bad place, considering all the shit that has gone down with his job recently. jacob said he spent three months in social isolation only to be suddenly surrounded and supported by his friends. given the various shits going down in my own life, I am infinitely better off for having had the mirror of my friends to help me reflect on the state of my life. So for at least the three of us I would say that we have had a good month and even if many of you feel down about the state of whatever it is we are working on, at least we have had a good time at whatever it is we have been doing and I am only optimistic about this entire process (which may seem a surprising reversal). cheers. and lets get 10 minutes of room tone tomorrow.
Imminence
Tonight was a delicious dinner.
I was a frustrating, stubborn element. I'm going to avoid that for the next two days and try to stay in a better zone.
We only shot for a little while, a mattress setting sail on a lava sea. It was hilarious and fun and Travis says it looks great. I think this is all I could ask for.
I was a frustrating, stubborn element. I'm going to avoid that for the next two days and try to stay in a better zone.
We only shot for a little while, a mattress setting sail on a lava sea. It was hilarious and fun and Travis says it looks great. I think this is all I could ask for.
Francesca & Lauren
We proceeded with the interviews, Francesca behind the door in the blue room and Lauren standing next to the front door, in each case we remembered scenes and tried to put them in similar situations (I forgot to ask Francesca if she thinks she looks like Maud, damn!). We watched the end of Return of the Jedi ("Chub Nub"), ate sushi and tofu, noodles and bok choy. It is fun to work on the same thing each night -- the interviews are a good directing exercise because we try to get the interviewees to portray themselves a certain way by asking the right questions -- and I think we are getting better, but we are also getting tired more and more quickly. Maybe it is inevitable.
Tuesday, February 24
Dinner 24
We ate spaghetti with tomato sauce and eggplant.
In a response to the project via the blog, Bowman said, "is there any joy left in this project? i hope so." Do you detect a lack of joy on the blog? I am more tired out each day by shooting, so staying up till dawn afterwards to post on the blog has become a chore -- but still, one I think is necessary so we have an account of our process later. Also, I think we've come to an impasse, as far as what is possible given our personalities: about what we can do and how to do it. This is not a bad thing but removes some of the mystery with which we started. Our work is steady but less experimental; unexpected but in ways we are now used to. AND the blog is getting more rote. In this light, the discussion about editing is invigorating because there is still a new part of the process to invent after the end of the month. However we decide to edit and whatever we make of the footage, I hope we will continue to have a presence online in one form or another to share and hear from people like Bowman who care but can't be with us. That people are out there reading and thinking about the project brings me joy.
In a response to the project via the blog, Bowman said, "is there any joy left in this project? i hope so." Do you detect a lack of joy on the blog? I am more tired out each day by shooting, so staying up till dawn afterwards to post on the blog has become a chore -- but still, one I think is necessary so we have an account of our process later. Also, I think we've come to an impasse, as far as what is possible given our personalities: about what we can do and how to do it. This is not a bad thing but removes some of the mystery with which we started. Our work is steady but less experimental; unexpected but in ways we are now used to. AND the blog is getting more rote. In this light, the discussion about editing is invigorating because there is still a new part of the process to invent after the end of the month. However we decide to edit and whatever we make of the footage, I hope we will continue to have a presence online in one form or another to share and hear from people like Bowman who care but can't be with us. That people are out there reading and thinking about the project brings me joy.
+
today I showed up around 6:30 and we begin shooting more blurred reality interviews.
i am still very pleased with how they are going, having people talk about new age world on camera creates their character. plot is made by default. quick and easy, though awkward for the subject of the interview I'm sure. we shot George and Jacob today, both did a fine job. during jacob's interview I took a turn as questioner and it ended up transitioning into a tense scene where jacob tried to tell me that he'd been in the Guru's/Archivist's room and I refused to believe him and eventually turned my back on him effectively telling him to leave the apartment never to return.
i would encourage all of you to think ahead about how you want to come across on camera, and to think about scenes that you have been a part of over the course of the last 24 days so that you have a starting point to talk about if you do one of these. it certainly helps to have conversations grounded in "reality" when speaking from your character.
also, it was said tonight (and has been said in the past) that not everyone can run camera at once. the camera isn't sacred and neither is the image. let us run the camera like a ouija board or play king of the camera-hill tomorrow night. i think this is the only way to film our sham fight.
finally, i spearheaded a somewhat unnecessary discussion (sorry) about how we are going to edit next month. think about what you would like to see come from the editing process. while everyone should have absolute access to all of the footage (buy an external hard drive if you want to edit from home), I would hope that we could carry the communal ritual of the last 24 days into the future editing process no matter how difficult or daunting a task that may seem.
i am still very pleased with how they are going, having people talk about new age world on camera creates their character. plot is made by default. quick and easy, though awkward for the subject of the interview I'm sure. we shot George and Jacob today, both did a fine job. during jacob's interview I took a turn as questioner and it ended up transitioning into a tense scene where jacob tried to tell me that he'd been in the Guru's/Archivist's room and I refused to believe him and eventually turned my back on him effectively telling him to leave the apartment never to return.
i would encourage all of you to think ahead about how you want to come across on camera, and to think about scenes that you have been a part of over the course of the last 24 days so that you have a starting point to talk about if you do one of these. it certainly helps to have conversations grounded in "reality" when speaking from your character.
also, it was said tonight (and has been said in the past) that not everyone can run camera at once. the camera isn't sacred and neither is the image. let us run the camera like a ouija board or play king of the camera-hill tomorrow night. i think this is the only way to film our sham fight.
finally, i spearheaded a somewhat unnecessary discussion (sorry) about how we are going to edit next month. think about what you would like to see come from the editing process. while everyone should have absolute access to all of the footage (buy an external hard drive if you want to edit from home), I would hope that we could carry the communal ritual of the last 24 days into the future editing process no matter how difficult or daunting a task that may seem.
Monday, February 23
Blurred
Yesterday, we ate chipotle-spiced seitan fried rice with vegetables, we were ravenous and could have eaten twice as much. I made a killer spreadsheet to think about possible rent schemes in the apartment when we move in. Mickey Rourke did not win the Oscar and Travis was disappointed. I have not seen any of the Best Picture nominees (I believe Evan has seen them all).
And if it isn't clear from Evan and Travis 's posts, we proceeded with Travis's idea
to shoot interviews from inside and outside the movie world. We did an "extensive" lighting set up (my contribution pictured below) and used Michael's good mic to interview Evan about the project as he saw it, his life in the apartment, "epiphanies" he's witnessed, and we ended with a moviepainted moment:
QUESTION: What are you going to do next?
TRAVIS, shooting, interviewing:
Tap = Ask follow-up.
EVAN, interviewee:
Tap = Speak from reality.
Squeeze = Speak from the apartment at the end of the world.
Scratch = Touch face.
Foot Tap = Sip from water.
Evan did a really good job of flowing from reality to reality and I had a blast.
And if it isn't clear from Evan and Travis 's posts, we proceeded with Travis's idea
to shoot interviews from inside and outside the movie world. We did an "extensive" lighting set up (my contribution pictured below) and used Michael's good mic to interview Evan about the project as he saw it, his life in the apartment, "epiphanies" he's witnessed, and we ended with a moviepainted moment:
QUESTION: What are you going to do next?
TRAVIS, shooting, interviewing:
Tap = Ask follow-up.
EVAN, interviewee:
Tap = Speak from reality.
Squeeze = Speak from the apartment at the end of the world.
Scratch = Touch face.
Foot Tap = Sip from water.
Evan did a really good job of flowing from reality to reality and I had a blast.
curio
http://www.offworld.com/2009/02/my-45-seconds-of-uniqueness-vi.html
can't say it relates, can't say it doesn't.
we will proceed with more interviews tonight and today. and we should shoot other stuff too.
can't say it relates, can't say it doesn't.
we will proceed with more interviews tonight and today. and we should shoot other stuff too.
Interviews
I was ambivalent towards Trav's interviews. Now I can't wait to do more.
We actually lit things, even George. Then we jumped into multiple modes of interviewing, with me being the subject first: questions from reality, questions from the movie, and then a total blur. And then George started movie-painting and things got weird (read: good). My cadence is a real benefit for me. I'm halting enough that I can change mid-sentence, which was definitely taken advantage of.
The odd revelation last night I had about the painting: it was easier for me to respond to the talking prompts, even though they required the most generation of content. It made me think about the power of words in a way that George usually does when he talks about how "the text is everything." In this case, it really was. The other side of that revelation was that my twitchy gestures that George cued, which in reality I do often, looked and felt so fake. What gives, fiction?
Overall, great. We gotta keep going. Don't never look away.
We actually lit things, even George. Then we jumped into multiple modes of interviewing, with me being the subject first: questions from reality, questions from the movie, and then a total blur. And then George started movie-painting and things got weird (read: good). My cadence is a real benefit for me. I'm halting enough that I can change mid-sentence, which was definitely taken advantage of.
The odd revelation last night I had about the painting: it was easier for me to respond to the talking prompts, even though they required the most generation of content. It made me think about the power of words in a way that George usually does when he talks about how "the text is everything." In this case, it really was. The other side of that revelation was that my twitchy gestures that George cued, which in reality I do often, looked and felt so fake. What gives, fiction?
Overall, great. We gotta keep going. Don't never look away.
Sunday, February 22
Oscarzzzzzz
Yeah. I just saw Hugh Jackman doing a wacky song and dance number with Béyoncé. It was a real match up: think Dino Stacking meets Busby Berkley meets a dress with a shimmering sequined crotch minus the Dino Stacking.
A zigzag line of 100 tacks
Twonights ago we settled on the idea of Repetition - of a scene, of elements - as the way to bind together the footage we have shot. Think of it as the applesauce that gives moisture and binding power to our vegan cookies.
I liked this idea, but after one night of restaging the Michael and Erin on the Bed scene, we felt kind of meh about it and George even ventured that we were falling into fascistic patterns of filmmaking.
So what I propose over a Kierkegaardian Repetition - the coward seeks novel experiences, the brave man embraces routine- we go the way of Emerson, and trust that,
"There will be an agreement in whatever variety of actions, so they be each honest and natural in their hour. For of one will, the actions will be harmonious, however unlike they seem. These varieties are lost sight of at a little distance, at a little height of thought. One tendency unites them all. The voyage of the best ship is a zigzag line of a hundred tacks. See the line from a sufficient distance and it straightens itself to the average tendency. Your genuine action will explain itself, and will explain your other genuine actions. Your conformity explains nothing."
Of course, our project is not really of 'one will' but there is some uniting principle, I think. I hope...
Perhaps Trav's idea of solo portraits and interviews will give each person the chance to express his or herself and his or her feelings about the FGP experience, and we can use these to cut back and forth to more bizarre things.
characters
First of all I want to say that there is no reason to feel down on FGP. As Evan says the process works enough to keep us going from day to day. And we still have laughing fits and new ideas should be broached, don't hold back.
So, I want to try something.
A lot of our footage, when viewed by the royal "audience" could be said to be about a bunch of characters. And yet I don't think we've done much to establish ourselves as individuals apart from the group, there has been little footage shot of us alone, whether doing a solo "scene" or just us. I think to combat this we need to shoot two kinds of footage of everyone: what I call "video portraits" and also interviews (traditional or otherwise).
To elaborate:
David W. shot a video portrait last night. I put the camera, propped up on a chair in the corner of the green room and shut the door, leaving David to his own devices for like 7 or 8 minutes with the camera. I'm sure he danced and pranced and he said he had this idea of striking different poses to resemble fashion stereotypes, but he didn't do that for some reason (he should have).
I want everyone (and I'm almost at point of being tyrannical about this) to have this experience with the camera. It can be for 5 min or a whole tape, and you can just sit stone still in front of the camera or you can have a dialogue with it, but we need this footage. We can work together to design your portrait.
And I would like everyone to have an on camera interview by one of your peers (George interviews Steph, I interview Evan, Evan - Aurora, Aurora - Michael, whatever). As for questions I think it should be up to the two people involved (or not) but the questions should cover three types of territory:
1. Questions about your life outside the film
2. Questions about your experience with the filmmaking process (including "describe the process as if to a stranger")
3. Questions about your character living in the New Age World (or whatever reality you think the "movie" is taking place in)
And I think we need to be disciplined about this, even if you are camera shy we need you for 5 minutes for each of these things. It will really help the greater footage I think. Further ideas?
So, I want to try something.
A lot of our footage, when viewed by the royal "audience" could be said to be about a bunch of characters. And yet I don't think we've done much to establish ourselves as individuals apart from the group, there has been little footage shot of us alone, whether doing a solo "scene" or just us. I think to combat this we need to shoot two kinds of footage of everyone: what I call "video portraits" and also interviews (traditional or otherwise).
To elaborate:
David W. shot a video portrait last night. I put the camera, propped up on a chair in the corner of the green room and shut the door, leaving David to his own devices for like 7 or 8 minutes with the camera. I'm sure he danced and pranced and he said he had this idea of striking different poses to resemble fashion stereotypes, but he didn't do that for some reason (he should have).
I want everyone (and I'm almost at point of being tyrannical about this) to have this experience with the camera. It can be for 5 min or a whole tape, and you can just sit stone still in front of the camera or you can have a dialogue with it, but we need this footage. We can work together to design your portrait.
And I would like everyone to have an on camera interview by one of your peers (George interviews Steph, I interview Evan, Evan - Aurora, Aurora - Michael, whatever). As for questions I think it should be up to the two people involved (or not) but the questions should cover three types of territory:
1. Questions about your life outside the film
2. Questions about your experience with the filmmaking process (including "describe the process as if to a stranger")
3. Questions about your character living in the New Age World (or whatever reality you think the "movie" is taking place in)
And I think we need to be disciplined about this, even if you are camera shy we need you for 5 minutes for each of these things. It will really help the greater footage I think. Further ideas?
3/4
Today, I described the movie, or should we call it the project, or is that too generous, the experience, to my parents and then one of Jacob's friends. What is it? Have you made any progress? Each day, we progress one day. Seven days left. Like Ernest Rutherford did with the Gold Foil Experiment, we are discovering that what we thought was solid matter is mostly empty space. We are doing what Thomas Pynchon recommended: "as a corollary to writing about what we know, maybe we should add getting familiar with our ignorance." I don't know what I want except that I want to make movies. And I don't know why. And I don't know what "movies" are. I know that people keep coming. And we eat well (burritos yesterday, pasta with chickpea-tomato sauce and kale and chocolate chocolate cookies tonight). We shoot a scene now and again (tonight: dino-stacking divination, first improvised, then movie-painted). We read each other's Tarot. We still have "spirited" discussions and fits of laughter. I am sad to read that the discussion "has really taken its toll on [Evan's] mental health;" but I know what he means. I am tired. I have ideas I don't bother to bring to the group. I talk when I don't want to anymore. Maybe this is a good thing, to work past the point of exhaustion, to work when there is nothing. To work.
Saturday, February 21
No Ampersand
I've been missing in action a bit, which has been mostly terrible, but somewhat useful I guess to take a step back, not be loud, and observe and reflect a bit. I talked with George a lot last night after the shooting ended and my night at Pacific Standard came to a close. It feels like a lot of people believe some kind of impasse has beset us, and there's even a slight panic I can feel about the waning of our time in February.
George gave me a rough and tumble run-down of the goings-on for the past few days. It's pretty remarkable how the process can change so quickly; I just hope we don't lose sight of the process in the hopes of making a movie. Attitudes and opinions about structure, editing, Movies proper, and the neuroses behind wanting something at the end of all this have started to surface with more intensity than perhaps since we started. Exigent new methodologies pop up and take hold, and I can't help but wonder what's changing (this isn't a value judgment).
This fascistic mode George took up last night brings up my own concerns about "community filmmaking;" I don't think it will ever succeed without the full and ready participation of everyone present. That's what makes sporadic attendance and attention spans such a complicator. Self-governing has come not just on the group level, but the personal level. Two nights ago, the chaotic performance model was not something I was interested in or liked at all; I don't begrudge it happening, but since I reduced myself to a non-participant, I removed myself from the film for that evening. I think maybe that's a little unfair to the process, and probably more than a little bit selfish, but in the end more constructive.
As for the new directions, I don't see any need to break form and set our sights on defined, limited goals for the next week. What the process has produced so far is working; if it's workable, that's another story. Regardless, I worry about veering too close to the fascistic order George finds so reprehensible or inversely the chaos-performance of the night I left. Both quash the thinking and creativity we've been engaging in up to this point, and both put too much weight on sense and spectacle, respectively.
Issues of documentary and experimental film and Kaprow-style happenings have all been raised, especially last night, and I don't know if I can think about them anymore. The application of shared elements from each of these styles as well as conjecturing about their manifestation has really taken its toll on my mental health. At this point, I feel like the only thing I can do is to just keep going. The nodal, associative, thematic, and entropic filmmaking we've engaged in still works for me.
George asked what we all thought our best scenes were. The Michael/Erin bed scene and the auto-harp scene are my picks. I have dragged my feet and been a victim of the apathy I already derided, and so I'm going to try to correct that. Those scenes, placed next to each other, make sense in the space and the world. But with the commonality of Michael, I want to expand on it. I want to reshoot the auto-harp scene, painted or scripted. I want a close-up, improvisatory scene that captures Michael's disdain for the so-called horrible auto-harp. Those three scenes together work, and like Lodge Kerrigan's Keane, have every right to be single shot, or not, if people want to "make movies." The great benefit is that a tarot card reading could have Michael walking through the back, and serve to unite the space even more.
Scattershot and rambly. I'm just looking forward to tonight.
George gave me a rough and tumble run-down of the goings-on for the past few days. It's pretty remarkable how the process can change so quickly; I just hope we don't lose sight of the process in the hopes of making a movie. Attitudes and opinions about structure, editing, Movies proper, and the neuroses behind wanting something at the end of all this have started to surface with more intensity than perhaps since we started. Exigent new methodologies pop up and take hold, and I can't help but wonder what's changing (this isn't a value judgment).
This fascistic mode George took up last night brings up my own concerns about "community filmmaking;" I don't think it will ever succeed without the full and ready participation of everyone present. That's what makes sporadic attendance and attention spans such a complicator. Self-governing has come not just on the group level, but the personal level. Two nights ago, the chaotic performance model was not something I was interested in or liked at all; I don't begrudge it happening, but since I reduced myself to a non-participant, I removed myself from the film for that evening. I think maybe that's a little unfair to the process, and probably more than a little bit selfish, but in the end more constructive.
As for the new directions, I don't see any need to break form and set our sights on defined, limited goals for the next week. What the process has produced so far is working; if it's workable, that's another story. Regardless, I worry about veering too close to the fascistic order George finds so reprehensible or inversely the chaos-performance of the night I left. Both quash the thinking and creativity we've been engaging in up to this point, and both put too much weight on sense and spectacle, respectively.
Issues of documentary and experimental film and Kaprow-style happenings have all been raised, especially last night, and I don't know if I can think about them anymore. The application of shared elements from each of these styles as well as conjecturing about their manifestation has really taken its toll on my mental health. At this point, I feel like the only thing I can do is to just keep going. The nodal, associative, thematic, and entropic filmmaking we've engaged in still works for me.
George asked what we all thought our best scenes were. The Michael/Erin bed scene and the auto-harp scene are my picks. I have dragged my feet and been a victim of the apathy I already derided, and so I'm going to try to correct that. Those scenes, placed next to each other, make sense in the space and the world. But with the commonality of Michael, I want to expand on it. I want to reshoot the auto-harp scene, painted or scripted. I want a close-up, improvisatory scene that captures Michael's disdain for the so-called horrible auto-harp. Those three scenes together work, and like Lodge Kerrigan's Keane, have every right to be single shot, or not, if people want to "make movies." The great benefit is that a tarot card reading could have Michael walking through the back, and serve to unite the space even more.
Scattershot and rambly. I'm just looking forward to tonight.
Order & Chaos
The only comments on the last four posts were two comments by Travis on his own posts. Pariticipation is waning. . . I realized tonight that I want to make a movie like that painting of the dog with the funny tail next to the front door. Then I realized, it's already been made, it's the painting. . . We experimented a little with fascism: I directed a scene I had written, got coverage, made sure we were in focus, that we got our camera moves right, white-balanced, clean (crappy) sound -- made movies the way you make Movies, very sad. . . Evan expressed disinterest in the idea of trying to reign in the chaos, he thinks we should proceed as normal or reshoot maybe scenes we liked from the past (but not over and over, just enough to get them right). I don't know anymore. Jacob and I are going to the Coop tomorrow.
Friday, February 20
My idea:
1. INT. BLUE BEDROOM -- NIGHT
The BLUE MATTRESS on the floor with a LAMP on the floor beside it. ERIN (names here refer to characters not particular actors) is in bed with TAROT CARDS.
MICHAEL enters. Erin begins to tell Michael about the significator she has chosen for him and in so doing is forced to share her disparaging observations of his character. At some point we cut to a shot that leaves an off screen space for a moviepainter to access the actors (a second camera records this person), with the lamp in shot.
BOTH:
Tap = Deliver line
Squeeze = Turn on/off lamp
At some point when the lamp is on it begins to flicker and then goes out entirely. BLACKOUT! In the darkness the room is full of people who together make music (soundpainted).
2. INT. MAINROOM -- EARLIER and LATER
Earlier, eating dinner, and later, eating cookies, we all discuss the scene, how to make it better, the project and movies in general, etc. We stick strictly to a pre-decided seating arrangement, the chairs do not move and the same people sit in the same places always, leaving empty spaces for those who are not present on particular nights.
- Repeat for eight nights with changes (of actors, props, dialogue, shots, sound, puppeteers, conductors, directors, camera operators, etc.).
- On the ninth night shoot Alex, Aurora and George moving in (mythological correspondence: to receive knowledge of the runes, Odin hanged from Yggdrasil, the world tree, for nine days and nine nights, offering himself to himself, in literal self-sacrifice).
- Post fragments online as we edit; screen rough cut with live musical accompaniment on the last week of March.
The BLUE MATTRESS on the floor with a LAMP on the floor beside it. ERIN (names here refer to characters not particular actors) is in bed with TAROT CARDS.
MICHAEL enters. Erin begins to tell Michael about the significator she has chosen for him and in so doing is forced to share her disparaging observations of his character. At some point we cut to a shot that leaves an off screen space for a moviepainter to access the actors (a second camera records this person), with the lamp in shot.
BOTH:
Tap = Deliver line
Squeeze = Turn on/off lamp
At some point when the lamp is on it begins to flicker and then goes out entirely. BLACKOUT! In the darkness the room is full of people who together make music (soundpainted).
2. INT. MAINROOM -- EARLIER and LATER
Earlier, eating dinner, and later, eating cookies, we all discuss the scene, how to make it better, the project and movies in general, etc. We stick strictly to a pre-decided seating arrangement, the chairs do not move and the same people sit in the same places always, leaving empty spaces for those who are not present on particular nights.
- Repeat for eight nights with changes (of actors, props, dialogue, shots, sound, puppeteers, conductors, directors, camera operators, etc.).
- On the ninth night shoot Alex, Aurora and George moving in (mythological correspondence: to receive knowledge of the runes, Odin hanged from Yggdrasil, the world tree, for nine days and nine nights, offering himself to himself, in literal self-sacrifice).
- Post fragments online as we edit; screen rough cut with live musical accompaniment on the last week of March.
Davids
I never posted about Wednesday's work: Ariel, Aurora and I had pasta with cabbage for dinner. Travis arrived and we tried redoing the Erin/Michael/lamp scene with Aurora puppeteering me and Travis "free," that is, without a puppeteer. Ariel left (we continued to shoot two cameras with no operators). We tried another version in which a tap from Aurora cued me to deliver a line about my diet and a scratch to respond to Travis -- this was fun for me because if Travis responded to me and I then received a tap I had to change topics to not respond even though previously a tap had initiated the same subject matter, example:
GEORGE (TAP)
I made kale for dinner tonight.
TRAVIS
How did you cook it?
GEORGE (TAP)
I still drink too much soda.
TRAVIS
Do we have any soda, I'm thirsty.
GEORGE (SCRATCH)
I don't think soda is good for you if you feel sick.
TRAVIS
Get me water at least.
GEORGE (TAP)
I make cookies because I like the process.
I don't know if that's clear, but I enjoyed myself. To create a scene with more shape we tried having a normal conversation (about setting fireworks off in the apartment), but when Aurora squeezed us we were to act as if we heard a sound coming from the guru's room. We forgot to decide on an ending for the scene beforehand and it kind of plateaued after a while without going anywhere. Again, I enjoyed this scene because I felt I couldn't talk about the sound except when I was cued so I would ignore Travis's inquiries about what I was hearing and continued to talk about fireworks.
Tonight, two Davids joined us. David M. brought two ideas to the moviepainting experiments, of which we only tried one. First, a scene that we wind up and let go, that has rules but no puppeteers, we tried this and created a funny scene in which a whole crowd ended up trying to help Jacob move Travis off the mattress. David's other idea is more controversial, to try moviepainting with voice cues -- so far we have ruled this out for sound reasons, but maybe we should reconsider: why hide the artifice? (Or, fix it in post.)
David W. brought the idea to create a apartment-wide scene (two wandering cameras) in which the characters whisper rules into each others' ears throughout so it changes over time. Somehow this led to us lighting the fireworks off in the bathroom (!). This scene was much crazier, harder to shoot, but more varied in tone (the kind of thing you want to do for an entire evening -- also a lot like a summer camp game, for better or for worse?).
After that, in a controversial decision, we ended the night early and made our way to the bar for Ariel's birthday (happy happy!) -- we are all tired. However, we continued to talk about the movie, always easier off-site (and away from the cameras). The conversation went a few ways but I think we agreed that so far we have lacked discipline and it would be nice to try for the last eight days(!) to stick to one thing. To this end we discussed ideas. Chris (with the hookah) is bringing a written scene on Saturday, I thought we could use it. Another idea, originally Erin's, to discuss one topic every night in the same place and combine the conversations -- very formal/conceptual, far from what we've been doing so far. Travis said his favorite part of the experience has been that we've had fun and been engaged doing so many varied things and he thinks we should create a scene over the next eight days that synthesizes everything, one scene that includes elements of everything we've done (tarot, blackouts, moviepainting, making-of, the guru, etc.). I thought it might be easier to redo one scene we've done over and over for the rest of the time, so I asked everyone what their favorite scene has been (I meant to ask what the "best" scene we've done so far is):
JACOB: 1) Moviepainting Erin/Michael/lamp, 2) Soundpainting
JOE: 1) Moviepainting Erin/Michael/lamp, 2) Moviepainting Joe/Lauren/Aurora/bag/door
MICHAEL: Moviepainting Erin/Michael/lamp
ARIEL: Music in the dark after blackout
STEPH: Eating burritos
ERIN: Making-of moviepainting Erin/Michael/lamp (shot of George puppeteering)
AURORA: Music in the dark after blackout
FRANCESCA: George reading Chris's tarot (for the awkwardness)
DOMINIQUE: Soundpainting
A number of people still need to respond -- I have no favorite scene but I think our best scene is probably one of the funny moviepainting scenes: Erin/Michael/lamp or Dominique/Joe/mess/clean AND as David W. observed I love talking/arguing about the movie. Therefore, my idea for shooting is this:
1) In bed in the blue room, Erin awkwardly reads Michael's tarot, they fight over the light (moviepainted, puppeteer also recorded), the power goes out, they make a song in the dark. 2) Afterwards we all eat burritos (and/or cookies?) and discuss the moviemaking process.
I propose we shoot this diptych (or something very close to it) everyday from now on. When Erin and/or Michael aren't available, we sub in other people for their characters (in the same costumes?). We eat the same food, sitting in the same seats everyday. At the beginning of the month we worried that seeing two characters in bed implicates them in some intimate relationship and that we shouldn't make a movie about movies -- I say, fuck it, let's embrace these things and go for broke.
That said, the basic tension that has run through the entire process has been between individuals making decisions and for us all to come to a consensus/compromise -- I would like for the group to decide on something to shoot for the rest of the time, but can we? How? Should we vote? Should we argue until everyone submits (and one subdues)? Can there be no decisions and must we continue without direction but with hope?
Please reply with comments and posts.
P.S. On the 27th we need to clean up somewhat and on the 28th Alex, Aurora and I are moving (all our furniture/stuff) in -- take this into consideration.
GEORGE (TAP)
I made kale for dinner tonight.
TRAVIS
How did you cook it?
GEORGE (TAP)
I still drink too much soda.
TRAVIS
Do we have any soda, I'm thirsty.
GEORGE (SCRATCH)
I don't think soda is good for you if you feel sick.
TRAVIS
Get me water at least.
GEORGE (TAP)
I make cookies because I like the process.
I don't know if that's clear, but I enjoyed myself. To create a scene with more shape we tried having a normal conversation (about setting fireworks off in the apartment), but when Aurora squeezed us we were to act as if we heard a sound coming from the guru's room. We forgot to decide on an ending for the scene beforehand and it kind of plateaued after a while without going anywhere. Again, I enjoyed this scene because I felt I couldn't talk about the sound except when I was cued so I would ignore Travis's inquiries about what I was hearing and continued to talk about fireworks.
Tonight, two Davids joined us. David M. brought two ideas to the moviepainting experiments, of which we only tried one. First, a scene that we wind up and let go, that has rules but no puppeteers, we tried this and created a funny scene in which a whole crowd ended up trying to help Jacob move Travis off the mattress. David's other idea is more controversial, to try moviepainting with voice cues -- so far we have ruled this out for sound reasons, but maybe we should reconsider: why hide the artifice? (Or, fix it in post.)
David W. brought the idea to create a apartment-wide scene (two wandering cameras) in which the characters whisper rules into each others' ears throughout so it changes over time. Somehow this led to us lighting the fireworks off in the bathroom (!). This scene was much crazier, harder to shoot, but more varied in tone (the kind of thing you want to do for an entire evening -- also a lot like a summer camp game, for better or for worse?).
After that, in a controversial decision, we ended the night early and made our way to the bar for Ariel's birthday (happy happy!) -- we are all tired. However, we continued to talk about the movie, always easier off-site (and away from the cameras). The conversation went a few ways but I think we agreed that so far we have lacked discipline and it would be nice to try for the last eight days(!) to stick to one thing. To this end we discussed ideas. Chris (with the hookah) is bringing a written scene on Saturday, I thought we could use it. Another idea, originally Erin's, to discuss one topic every night in the same place and combine the conversations -- very formal/conceptual, far from what we've been doing so far. Travis said his favorite part of the experience has been that we've had fun and been engaged doing so many varied things and he thinks we should create a scene over the next eight days that synthesizes everything, one scene that includes elements of everything we've done (tarot, blackouts, moviepainting, making-of, the guru, etc.). I thought it might be easier to redo one scene we've done over and over for the rest of the time, so I asked everyone what their favorite scene has been (I meant to ask what the "best" scene we've done so far is):
JACOB: 1) Moviepainting Erin/Michael/lamp, 2) Soundpainting
JOE: 1) Moviepainting Erin/Michael/lamp, 2) Moviepainting Joe/Lauren/Aurora/bag/door
MICHAEL: Moviepainting Erin/Michael/lamp
ARIEL: Music in the dark after blackout
STEPH: Eating burritos
ERIN: Making-of moviepainting Erin/Michael/lamp (shot of George puppeteering)
AURORA: Music in the dark after blackout
FRANCESCA: George reading Chris's tarot (for the awkwardness)
DOMINIQUE: Soundpainting
A number of people still need to respond -- I have no favorite scene but I think our best scene is probably one of the funny moviepainting scenes: Erin/Michael/lamp or Dominique/Joe/mess/clean AND as David W. observed I love talking/arguing about the movie. Therefore, my idea for shooting is this:
1) In bed in the blue room, Erin awkwardly reads Michael's tarot, they fight over the light (moviepainted, puppeteer also recorded), the power goes out, they make a song in the dark. 2) Afterwards we all eat burritos (and/or cookies?) and discuss the moviemaking process.
I propose we shoot this diptych (or something very close to it) everyday from now on. When Erin and/or Michael aren't available, we sub in other people for their characters (in the same costumes?). We eat the same food, sitting in the same seats everyday. At the beginning of the month we worried that seeing two characters in bed implicates them in some intimate relationship and that we shouldn't make a movie about movies -- I say, fuck it, let's embrace these things and go for broke.
That said, the basic tension that has run through the entire process has been between individuals making decisions and for us all to come to a consensus/compromise -- I would like for the group to decide on something to shoot for the rest of the time, but can we? How? Should we vote? Should we argue until everyone submits (and one subdues)? Can there be no decisions and must we continue without direction but with hope?
Please reply with comments and posts.
P.S. On the 27th we need to clean up somewhat and on the 28th Alex, Aurora and I are moving (all our furniture/stuff) in -- take this into consideration.
Thursday, February 19
Wednesday, February 18
Moviepainting (Intrpt'd)
Jacob and I went for a walk in Fort Greene park and stood shortly on the roof. Alex visited and left. Aurora, Evan and I ate sushi and leftovers. Travis joined us. Erin arrived with end-of-the-day pastries from Colson. We didn't shoot anything except some contentious arguments about, to borrow a phrase, "life, the universe, and everything." It came out (again) that I believe in nothing (maybe). Erin and Evan left. Lauren and Jacob returned and left. We cleaned up and left.
Tuesday, February 17
Moviepainting (Cont'd)
Moviepainting is our present mode and seems to be working well -- mostly, I think, because it gives us structure without putting anyone in charge, even if someone designs the scenes and acts as painter or puppetmaster (dare I say, "director"), to a great degree the camera operator(s) and actor(s) decide where the scene goes. AND there's still lots of room for everyone to share ideas about where to put the camera, what the actors actions should be, topics for dialogue, etc. etc.
Quick update, yesterday we basically took the day off, Jacob, Lauren and Joe showed up in the evening, did dishes (thank you!) and baked a delicious loaf of bread. I stopped by the apartment later in the evening, read Walden and Schott's Miscellany, ate spicey egg-rice (a la Michael) with veggies (carrot, onion and bok choy). Unfortunately, no shooting.
Today, we met in the early afternoon for pancakes, fried plantains, scrambled eggs and hash brown potatoes. The crowd ebbed and flowed, and we ate a late dinner of chickpea carrot salad and eggplant lo mein -- a great day for food.
We moviepainted our way through a number of scenes. Three examples:
1. MAIN ROOM
AURORA, on the couch:
SQUEEZE 1 = Peel grapefruit
SQUEEZE 2 = Offer slices to the others
ARIEL and EVAN, on the couch, practicing Shofar:
SQUEEZE = hand the Shofar to the other person
JOE cleans up the coffee table
DOMINIQUE makes a mess of the coffee table
ALL:
TAP = Deliver a line
2. AT THE DOOR
Inside, one puppeteer/camera:
LAUREN and AURORA:
SQUEEZE = Open or shut the door
TAP = Whisper a line
SCRATCH = Allow Joe in
Outside, a second puppeteer/camera, there is no light in the stairwell:
JOE, belligerent, claims to have a desired bag:
SQUEEZE = Knock
TAP = Deliver a line
HIP TAP = Try to push his way in
SCRATCH = Enter
3. MAIN ROOM
Around the table. There are no electric lights, only candles on the tabletop light the scene.
JACOB stacks dinos:
SQUEEZE = Change tone skeptical to sincere or vice versa
CJ, in sunglasses:
SQUEEZE = Put out one candle
CHRIS, just returned from Bali:
SQUEEZE = Light one candle
TRAVIS:
SQUEEZE 1 = Cock head
SQUEEZE 2 = Uncock
SQUEEZE 3 = Hold Chris's hand
SQUEEZE 4 = Let go
REPEAT
ALL:
TAP = Deliver a line
UP/DOWN LEG = Increase/decrease speed
KNOCK KNEE = Exit
HOLD FOOT = Blow out ALL the candles
Next, I think we need to try 1) scenes with "free" characters, improvisers without puppeteers, 2) setting more characters in loops, like Dominique and Joe in the first scene above. I also have an idea that characters can be free or in loops until certain conditions are met, for example:
JOE:
SQUEEZE 1 = Put on coat
SQUEEZE 2 = Exit
GEORGE, paces until JOE exits, then:
SQUEEZE 1 = Puts on hat
SQUEEZE 2 = Screams
Goes to BG
FREE until Joe re-enters, then resumes pacing . . .
AURORA:
FREE until George screams, then comes to FG
SQUEEZE 1 = Peels a grapefruit . . .
I mention foreground/background only because I'm thinking that the puppet characters need to be close to the camera in order for there to be off-screen space from which puppeteers can deliver cues. We should also try: 3) continuing to experiment with multiple cameras/puppeteer set-ups as in the second scene and 4) experimenting with more complicated series of actions as with Travis in the third scene. A possibility would be also to write lines of dialogue to be delivered in series, at random, or when cued by the puppeteers but I like that so far the scenes have been action-based with random dialogue and therefore more kinetic/visual and, for the most part, funny.
Quick update, yesterday we basically took the day off, Jacob, Lauren and Joe showed up in the evening, did dishes (thank you!) and baked a delicious loaf of bread. I stopped by the apartment later in the evening, read Walden and Schott's Miscellany, ate spicey egg-rice (a la Michael) with veggies (carrot, onion and bok choy). Unfortunately, no shooting.
Today, we met in the early afternoon for pancakes, fried plantains, scrambled eggs and hash brown potatoes. The crowd ebbed and flowed, and we ate a late dinner of chickpea carrot salad and eggplant lo mein -- a great day for food.
We moviepainted our way through a number of scenes. Three examples:
1. MAIN ROOM
AURORA, on the couch:
SQUEEZE 1 = Peel grapefruit
SQUEEZE 2 = Offer slices to the others
ARIEL and EVAN, on the couch, practicing Shofar:
SQUEEZE = hand the Shofar to the other person
JOE cleans up the coffee table
DOMINIQUE makes a mess of the coffee table
ALL:
TAP = Deliver a line
2. AT THE DOOR
Inside, one puppeteer/camera:
LAUREN and AURORA:
SQUEEZE = Open or shut the door
TAP = Whisper a line
SCRATCH = Allow Joe in
Outside, a second puppeteer/camera, there is no light in the stairwell:
JOE, belligerent, claims to have a desired bag:
SQUEEZE = Knock
TAP = Deliver a line
HIP TAP = Try to push his way in
SCRATCH = Enter
3. MAIN ROOM
Around the table. There are no electric lights, only candles on the tabletop light the scene.
JACOB stacks dinos:
SQUEEZE = Change tone skeptical to sincere or vice versa
CJ, in sunglasses:
SQUEEZE = Put out one candle
CHRIS, just returned from Bali:
SQUEEZE = Light one candle
TRAVIS:
SQUEEZE 1 = Cock head
SQUEEZE 2 = Uncock
SQUEEZE 3 = Hold Chris's hand
SQUEEZE 4 = Let go
REPEAT
ALL:
TAP = Deliver a line
UP/DOWN LEG = Increase/decrease speed
KNOCK KNEE = Exit
HOLD FOOT = Blow out ALL the candles
Next, I think we need to try 1) scenes with "free" characters, improvisers without puppeteers, 2) setting more characters in loops, like Dominique and Joe in the first scene above. I also have an idea that characters can be free or in loops until certain conditions are met, for example:
JOE:
SQUEEZE 1 = Put on coat
SQUEEZE 2 = Exit
GEORGE, paces until JOE exits, then:
SQUEEZE 1 = Puts on hat
SQUEEZE 2 = Screams
Goes to BG
FREE until Joe re-enters, then resumes pacing . . .
AURORA:
FREE until George screams, then comes to FG
SQUEEZE 1 = Peels a grapefruit . . .
I mention foreground/background only because I'm thinking that the puppet characters need to be close to the camera in order for there to be off-screen space from which puppeteers can deliver cues. We should also try: 3) continuing to experiment with multiple cameras/puppeteer set-ups as in the second scene and 4) experimenting with more complicated series of actions as with Travis in the third scene. A possibility would be also to write lines of dialogue to be delivered in series, at random, or when cued by the puppeteers but I like that so far the scenes have been action-based with random dialogue and therefore more kinetic/visual and, for the most part, funny.
Sunday, February 15
Two coats!
We're really starting to hit some kind of stride with this new idea of moviepainting. George and Michael headed up some soundpainting sessions the other night, which I lit (eh) and shot (a little less eh). Needless to say, it's a really amazing thing to watch, and I can imagine to participate in. The great thing is the amount of improvisation granted to both the director and the actor; there's room for experimentation on both sides, but also enough reliance on each other to avoid feeling too responsible for the success of the exercise. Mutual dependence is really what frees both participant and guide to do what comes naturally because of the imposed structure.
Needless to say, we needed to transfer this over to movies, and I think it's been pleasantly surprising how well it works. The first go was a very simple scene: Erin and Michael lay on a bed, Erin trying to write a list, Michael trying to go to sleep. They engage in a conversation as each tries to turn the light on or off. The painting in this case used very simple symbols: George sat at the foot of the bed in the offscreen space, squeezing for the action (turning on/off the light) and tapping for the delivery of a line. The result was not only visually beautiful, it was also poignant and totally hilarious. And, best of all, the timing and pace were spot on. This is the biggest advantage in this method; the painter has the ability to craft a rhythm and remove that burden from the improvisatory actors. They can now focus on doing the tasks and delivering the lines that they need to without getting hung up on when to execute. When working with actors like us, this turns out to be the missing element to making scenes workable, I think.
This quick experiment revealed a lot. First off, it's clear that good scenes can be slight affairs. I've always thought this, and I think everyone else has, as well, but it's good to have some pudding for the proof. Second, the director in these scenes really becomes the painter, who is really more of a puppeteer. That terminology is a better fit for this style of tapping and squeezing and physical contact than painting, primarily because it allows the actors to remain engaged in the scene without looking for the cues. Third, this technique tends towards the funny. Can we do a serious scene? Sure, but when humor's your big challenge, it's great to have a shortcut to laughter. Fourth, the method has a big effect on how we shoot. Offscreen space suddenly becomes very important, because the puppeteer needs access to each actor without being seen. Framing, sets, and scenarios have to be thought of and developed to an extent before shooting begins, which is a good thought experiment. Fifth, the most successful scenes seem to be those that have an inherent opposition. Or rather, something that forces the actors to engage with the space and actions undertaken by the other actor. By having Erin and Michael turn on and off the light, there is a conflict and a tension that inevitably grows without the director having to provide the exposition, or even the scene description in full before filming commences.
Our most important finding, though, is that this technique is infinitely malleable and expandable. There's a few technical elements that always need to be taken into account, but there is no limit to the complications and twists that can be added. Multiple puppeteers, a number of cues, more intricate conflicting action sets; all these things are possible. But it requires a lot of practice, not just for the actors, but for the puppeteer, as well.
In our most advanced experiment yet, I figured out how little control the puppeteer has beyond the actual cues. Riffing off the need for everyone to go home last night, we developed a three-person scene where they each had one action command and one speaking command. Joe's action was actually a series in which he had to do a number of things to leave: unlock the door, put on his sweater, put on a scarf, put on a coat, get one last drink, walk out the door. Aurora had a dependent action: she had to undo or obfuscate Joe's last action; if he unlocked the door, she locked the door, if he put on the sweater, she pulled off the sweater. Erin's action had a different type of dependence: she had to repeat the last line of dialogue delivered, no matter who delivered it.
I liked this scene a lot because of how much each of the characters had to engage with each other, even though Erin was just sitting in a chair while Joe and Aurora continually countermanded each other. The series was so great because Joe could not advance to the next action until he completed the first one without it being cancelled out. If he unlocked the door, and then Aurora locked it, the next time he was cued for his action, he had to unlock the door again. Only once the door was unlocked could he advance to putting on his sweater. And even then, if Aurora was given two consecutive action cues, she would have to remove his sweater and then lock the door again. The absurdity was unbelievable, and despite the actors' expressed discomfort, these scenes are among my favorite this month.
Shooting two cameras, one on the actors, one on the puppeteer is the most satisfying. Because you really see how much fun, and how funny, the whole experience can truly be.
Needless to say, we needed to transfer this over to movies, and I think it's been pleasantly surprising how well it works. The first go was a very simple scene: Erin and Michael lay on a bed, Erin trying to write a list, Michael trying to go to sleep. They engage in a conversation as each tries to turn the light on or off. The painting in this case used very simple symbols: George sat at the foot of the bed in the offscreen space, squeezing for the action (turning on/off the light) and tapping for the delivery of a line. The result was not only visually beautiful, it was also poignant and totally hilarious. And, best of all, the timing and pace were spot on. This is the biggest advantage in this method; the painter has the ability to craft a rhythm and remove that burden from the improvisatory actors. They can now focus on doing the tasks and delivering the lines that they need to without getting hung up on when to execute. When working with actors like us, this turns out to be the missing element to making scenes workable, I think.
This quick experiment revealed a lot. First off, it's clear that good scenes can be slight affairs. I've always thought this, and I think everyone else has, as well, but it's good to have some pudding for the proof. Second, the director in these scenes really becomes the painter, who is really more of a puppeteer. That terminology is a better fit for this style of tapping and squeezing and physical contact than painting, primarily because it allows the actors to remain engaged in the scene without looking for the cues. Third, this technique tends towards the funny. Can we do a serious scene? Sure, but when humor's your big challenge, it's great to have a shortcut to laughter. Fourth, the method has a big effect on how we shoot. Offscreen space suddenly becomes very important, because the puppeteer needs access to each actor without being seen. Framing, sets, and scenarios have to be thought of and developed to an extent before shooting begins, which is a good thought experiment. Fifth, the most successful scenes seem to be those that have an inherent opposition. Or rather, something that forces the actors to engage with the space and actions undertaken by the other actor. By having Erin and Michael turn on and off the light, there is a conflict and a tension that inevitably grows without the director having to provide the exposition, or even the scene description in full before filming commences.
Our most important finding, though, is that this technique is infinitely malleable and expandable. There's a few technical elements that always need to be taken into account, but there is no limit to the complications and twists that can be added. Multiple puppeteers, a number of cues, more intricate conflicting action sets; all these things are possible. But it requires a lot of practice, not just for the actors, but for the puppeteer, as well.
In our most advanced experiment yet, I figured out how little control the puppeteer has beyond the actual cues. Riffing off the need for everyone to go home last night, we developed a three-person scene where they each had one action command and one speaking command. Joe's action was actually a series in which he had to do a number of things to leave: unlock the door, put on his sweater, put on a scarf, put on a coat, get one last drink, walk out the door. Aurora had a dependent action: she had to undo or obfuscate Joe's last action; if he unlocked the door, she locked the door, if he put on the sweater, she pulled off the sweater. Erin's action had a different type of dependence: she had to repeat the last line of dialogue delivered, no matter who delivered it.
I liked this scene a lot because of how much each of the characters had to engage with each other, even though Erin was just sitting in a chair while Joe and Aurora continually countermanded each other. The series was so great because Joe could not advance to the next action until he completed the first one without it being cancelled out. If he unlocked the door, and then Aurora locked it, the next time he was cued for his action, he had to unlock the door again. Only once the door was unlocked could he advance to putting on his sweater. And even then, if Aurora was given two consecutive action cues, she would have to remove his sweater and then lock the door again. The absurdity was unbelievable, and despite the actors' expressed discomfort, these scenes are among my favorite this month.
Shooting two cameras, one on the actors, one on the puppeteer is the most satisfying. Because you really see how much fun, and how funny, the whole experience can truly be.
Shortest post yet
Evan and I cleaned up the apartment yesterday.
Later, we shot more moviepainting -- hilarious and fun.
Later, we shot more moviepainting -- hilarious and fun.
Saturday, February 14
Dinner and a movie
Evan and I almost slept at the apartment tonight but we were overcome by the absurdity of it all and left Jacob to sleep alone in the guru's room.
During the day Evan shot me making and explaining the original cookie recipe side by side with the current incarnation (molasses, apple sauce, coconut, walnut, chocolate chunk, oat) and Jacob shot him shooting me. In the evening, Lauren, Jacob, Ariel, Aurora and I combined our powers to make sushi rolls and miso soup. Then we did some soundpainting with Francesca, Erin, Joe, Dominique, Michael, Jonah and Erica with Evan on camera.
Last, we tried a scene "moviepainting," for which I squeezed or tapped Erin and Michael's feet off screen to signal the action -- very exciting, something we need to develop.
During the day Evan shot me making and explaining the original cookie recipe side by side with the current incarnation (molasses, apple sauce, coconut, walnut, chocolate chunk, oat) and Jacob shot him shooting me. In the evening, Lauren, Jacob, Ariel, Aurora and I combined our powers to make sushi rolls and miso soup. Then we did some soundpainting with Francesca, Erin, Joe, Dominique, Michael, Jonah and Erica with Evan on camera.
Last, we tried a scene "moviepainting," for which I squeezed or tapped Erin and Michael's feet off screen to signal the action -- very exciting, something we need to develop.
Friday, February 13
hmm
Thea called the project a "masturbatory fantasy," not as an insult, but she wanted to make sure we knew. I think we know. And none of us are Catholic.
Today, Jacob and I went to Travis's apartment in Greenpoint to watch footage on the projector. I don't think I will describe this experience but we returned to the apartment in Fort Greene for a dinner of peas and pasta with seitan, and started shooting with three cameras instead of one. This means we have to get better about labeling tapes, the system I prefer is camera name, date, tape number (example: Travis, 2/12, Tape 01) -- in the case of Travis's camera also note the format (DV, DVCAM or HDV) -- if you don't know what to label it ASK!
Evan, Travis and I shot a scene where we got back to an older idea, the resemblance of our community to a cult, we tried to make it funny, and it was a little. We picked a significator for Evan (7 of Wands). Evan and I talked till late about what is and what will never be and cookies. Tomorrow, I have to work a PSFC shift for Michael from 3:30-6:15pm but will return to the apartment right after to cook dinner.
Today, Jacob and I went to Travis's apartment in Greenpoint to watch footage on the projector. I don't think I will describe this experience but we returned to the apartment in Fort Greene for a dinner of peas and pasta with seitan, and started shooting with three cameras instead of one. This means we have to get better about labeling tapes, the system I prefer is camera name, date, tape number (example: Travis, 2/12, Tape 01) -- in the case of Travis's camera also note the format (DV, DVCAM or HDV) -- if you don't know what to label it ASK!
Evan, Travis and I shot a scene where we got back to an older idea, the resemblance of our community to a cult, we tried to make it funny, and it was a little. We picked a significator for Evan (7 of Wands). Evan and I talked till late about what is and what will never be and cookies. Tomorrow, I have to work a PSFC shift for Michael from 3:30-6:15pm but will return to the apartment right after to cook dinner.
Thursday, February 12
Time Temperature Science Man
I left Travis and Jacob reading the tarot of the movie. They were saying something about having to work hard -- sounded bogus.
Today, I walked/talked with Jacob bout stuff, biked around, sat on the Promenade with Aurora and Ariel. Michael made dinner for Aurora, Joe and I -- chicken, broccoli rabe and rice. We shot some fun camp game-like sound pieces. Jacob, Lauren (thanks for the thanks for the shout-out) and Travis joined us, and we moved into the bathroom, in the dark, without the camera, to hum in unison with the overhead fan. I made cookies -- again the molasses apple coconut walnut chocolate chip oat -- can't get enough. Thea and company arrived (one of her friends can't eat simple carbohydrates, most difficult-to-please potential-cookie-eater ever encountered). Michael tried to lead a scene but was frustrated.
We decided to start to go over footage tomorrow at Travis's in Williamsburg. We are going to meet there at noon, we might stay through the evening, everyone is welcome (call me for info). We hope to make a best of's reel that more people can see over the weekend, or at the least to make a tape log. What do people think we should look for? We are almost at the halfway point, how do people feel? What are you missing? How do you want to proceed?
Today, I walked/talked with Jacob bout stuff, biked around, sat on the Promenade with Aurora and Ariel. Michael made dinner for Aurora, Joe and I -- chicken, broccoli rabe and rice. We shot some fun camp game-like sound pieces. Jacob, Lauren (thanks for the thanks for the shout-out) and Travis joined us, and we moved into the bathroom, in the dark, without the camera, to hum in unison with the overhead fan. I made cookies -- again the molasses apple coconut walnut chocolate chip oat -- can't get enough. Thea and company arrived (one of her friends can't eat simple carbohydrates, most difficult-to-please potential-cookie-eater ever encountered). Michael tried to lead a scene but was frustrated.
We decided to start to go over footage tomorrow at Travis's in Williamsburg. We are going to meet there at noon, we might stay through the evening, everyone is welcome (call me for info). We hope to make a best of's reel that more people can see over the weekend, or at the least to make a tape log. What do people think we should look for? We are almost at the halfway point, how do people feel? What are you missing? How do you want to proceed?
Wednesday, February 11
it happened for me, and it will happen for you
I had to find a way to attend the Laite-Schlossenberger Hotel after party for the important film premiere. My sister told me she could get us in. We showed up, dressed best, and the bouncers gave us a pass (what did she whisper to them in that beautiful white?).
Maybe it was that we were early to the show. In the penthouse, sipping stiff drinks from fragile glasses, we talked with the staffers, waiting for the big names to show up. And arrive they did, Mickey and Brad, and the fake blondes and the painted-eyed.
We danced. And drank. Mingled. Fought off boredom and alcohol induced weariness. I met director Steven Soderbergh and he asked me to come be a part of his movie making experiment. My sister and I accompanied him home on the subway, curious.
His house was sparsely decorated, dark, and unnaturally expansive, hard to tell exactly how big something is when you can see every corner or wall. I told him I didn't act, he said that's fine, none of his subjects had been actors before the process I was about to go through, my sister was to remain a bystander. "I will pull a performance out of you, and it will happen despite you."
Steven described the initial scene:
"You will see a young Ethiopian boy named 'Gen' walking up a battle scarred hill. He will try to strike up conversation with you, the newcomer and passerby. Feel free to talk to him, he is friendly and will want to play with you."
And there was Gen, and Steven stood atop a hill that had piled itself into his great hall while my back was turned. Gen smiled to me and asked my name as he matched his stride to mine, hiking up the hill. But a bullet struck him down, and I crouched, crooned as he died in my arms.
And his head was delicate paper, fake, and out crawled a circus of beautiful little automaton puppets that Stan Brakhage and I had made together before I forgot. We planned this together, the three of us, as a reminder to me.
Crying, I laughed, surprised I had surprised myself, tears running down my face and I rose from the film dream, turning back to stoke the embers in the fireplace in Steven's endless, dark, great hall.
"Now you're getting there," he smiled, and we laughed, pleased at the performance we had immortalized.
Maybe it was that we were early to the show. In the penthouse, sipping stiff drinks from fragile glasses, we talked with the staffers, waiting for the big names to show up. And arrive they did, Mickey and Brad, and the fake blondes and the painted-eyed.
We danced. And drank. Mingled. Fought off boredom and alcohol induced weariness. I met director Steven Soderbergh and he asked me to come be a part of his movie making experiment. My sister and I accompanied him home on the subway, curious.
His house was sparsely decorated, dark, and unnaturally expansive, hard to tell exactly how big something is when you can see every corner or wall. I told him I didn't act, he said that's fine, none of his subjects had been actors before the process I was about to go through, my sister was to remain a bystander. "I will pull a performance out of you, and it will happen despite you."
Steven described the initial scene:
"You will see a young Ethiopian boy named 'Gen' walking up a battle scarred hill. He will try to strike up conversation with you, the newcomer and passerby. Feel free to talk to him, he is friendly and will want to play with you."
And there was Gen, and Steven stood atop a hill that had piled itself into his great hall while my back was turned. Gen smiled to me and asked my name as he matched his stride to mine, hiking up the hill. But a bullet struck him down, and I crouched, crooned as he died in my arms.
And his head was delicate paper, fake, and out crawled a circus of beautiful little automaton puppets that Stan Brakhage and I had made together before I forgot. We planned this together, the three of us, as a reminder to me.
Crying, I laughed, surprised I had surprised myself, tears running down my face and I rose from the film dream, turning back to stoke the embers in the fireplace in Steven's endless, dark, great hall.
"Now you're getting there," he smiled, and we laughed, pleased at the performance we had immortalized.
Tarot
Jacob, Travis and I acted out two scenes, in one Travis talks about his day, in the other we argue about the nature of the apartment over tarot. Good progress, but we still need variations in tone/energy.
We brainstormed ideas (a lot of these make no sense, but I just copied them out):
-someone steals (a lamp?) while the others are sleeping
-love interest
-George tries to take control, has a crazy plan
-scavenging, brings back a big haul, people are worried about bed bugs
-build some kind of machine that doesn't work
-not enough chairs for everyone
-someone gets injured
-walk in on people having sex
-someone annoys everyone (is too self-satisfied?)
-weird creature visits (click on videos, fifth from the left: "Two Person Spider")
-someone brings back a bucket of dirty water to drink/bathe with
-rationing
-beggars visit
-someone wakes from a nightmare, tries to explain it, is still dreaming it
-cat (or hedgehog) visits
-go on the roof
-force someone to have an experience/epiphany
-someone has a fit
-disc jockey
-not sharing
-someone dies (we wake up, find them, haul them out)
-we get drunk, have feast
-have a feast, just serve oatmeal
-"Guru's" door is open, room empty
-endless video game sequence (out one side, in the other)... no escape
-dance party (colored gels)
-grumpy music fight (over what to listen to)
-Michael rocks out on the guitar (or folks out)
-riding a sheet horse
-Travis tries to mediate, quell unrest
-kombucha
-Newcomer debunks myth
-George barricades himself in the room/cocoon (end of 2001)
-one shot that goes through the whole space
-2 people "epiphanize" together
-fancy prancer
-no doctors, no health insurance
-ghost hunter
-music lesson
-various hilarious things happen when Darren visits
-leaving the apartment
-rest/repose/sleep
-fight off invaders
-the shut in
-new candle
-someone tries to make a chore wheel
-we deny someone entrance
-baby making argument (who wants, who doesn't)
-empty apartment
-proud of array of scavenged goods
-baby!/daytime
-rejecting 'pifany (Trav)
-chosing
We read tarot for the movie:
Situation: 7 of Pentacles
Obstacle: Ace of Pentacles
Root: Strength
Cause: Ace of Swords (reversed)
Best outcome: 5 of Wands (reversed)
Next step: 2 of Swords
Attitude: Hierophant (reversed)
People involved: Hanged Man (reversed)
Hopes/fears: 4 of Wands (reversed)
Outcome: Judgement
We brainstormed ideas (a lot of these make no sense, but I just copied them out):
-someone steals (a lamp?) while the others are sleeping
-love interest
-George tries to take control, has a crazy plan
-scavenging, brings back a big haul, people are worried about bed bugs
-build some kind of machine that doesn't work
-not enough chairs for everyone
-someone gets injured
-walk in on people having sex
-someone annoys everyone (is too self-satisfied?)
-weird creature visits (click on videos, fifth from the left: "Two Person Spider")
-someone brings back a bucket of dirty water to drink/bathe with
-rationing
-beggars visit
-someone wakes from a nightmare, tries to explain it, is still dreaming it
-cat (or hedgehog) visits
-go on the roof
-force someone to have an experience/epiphany
-someone has a fit
-disc jockey
-not sharing
-someone dies (we wake up, find them, haul them out)
-we get drunk, have feast
-have a feast, just serve oatmeal
-"Guru's" door is open, room empty
-endless video game sequence (out one side, in the other)... no escape
-dance party (colored gels)
-grumpy music fight (over what to listen to)
-Michael rocks out on the guitar (or folks out)
-riding a sheet horse
-Travis tries to mediate, quell unrest
-kombucha
-Newcomer debunks myth
-George barricades himself in the room/cocoon (end of 2001)
-one shot that goes through the whole space
-2 people "epiphanize" together
-fancy prancer
-no doctors, no health insurance
-ghost hunter
-music lesson
-various hilarious things happen when Darren visits
-leaving the apartment
-rest/repose/sleep
-fight off invaders
-the shut in
-new candle
-someone tries to make a chore wheel
-we deny someone entrance
-baby making argument (who wants, who doesn't)
-empty apartment
-proud of array of scavenged goods
-baby!/daytime
-rejecting 'pifany (Trav)
-chosing
We read tarot for the movie:
Situation: 7 of Pentacles
Obstacle: Ace of Pentacles
Root: Strength
Cause: Ace of Swords (reversed)
Best outcome: 5 of Wands (reversed)
Next step: 2 of Swords
Attitude: Hierophant (reversed)
People involved: Hanged Man (reversed)
Hopes/fears: 4 of Wands (reversed)
Outcome: Judgement
Tuesday, February 10
from Caroline
My friend Caroline from high school who is a really cool artist is interested in the project and sent me these linx
http://www.jorgecolombo.com/
http://www.danslenoir.com/
http://www.darkdiningprojects.
From her blog that she no longer updates:
"I am training myself in being present, a rigorous experiment in habit.
My projects are lived and may eventually lose any connection to Art."
I think we may be a watered down version of this.
She has also done this project
Subway Swing
The most noticeable effect of working in the dark is that everyone is more sleepy.
Yesterday, we cooked dinner by candlelight. We ate by the light of one electric lamp. Lauren brought us presents, among them: Schott's Miscellany 2008, a Massachusetts firefighters calendar 2009, a wristwatch-pedometer, and a sock-knitting kit. We staged a shadow puppet show that evolved into a dino stacking contest. We shot most of this, however darkly, and with overmuch "outside" talk (especially now that we have a sensitive microphone thanks to Travis!). The experience is related to method acting -- I was wearing my costume and I soon learned to stuff my pockets with the things I needed (flashlight, lighter, water bottle, etc.) to keep from losing them. Others gathered near candles to work, or sat still in the dark, just talking. So, we are learning to function without light (I peed sitting down), but what's the next step? Will the process yield a product on tape? Do we care? People seem to be down on the movie. We are eating and keeping house too much, spending too much time just hanging out. I am happiest when cooking and talking about things other than the movie, does this mean the project is failing? I was looking at Aurora's drawings again and and Joe's facebook photos and wondering wondering how I would feel if we made a group personal documentary about renting an apartment, trying to figure out what to do with ourselves and how to make a movie. Is that a defeatist attitude?
Carrot Butternut Soup
Yesterday I went on a really long walk from FGP4 to Red Hook. It was kind of scenic. I saw some empty doomsday piers and scary giraffe I met up with Aurora and Ariel at the Ikea to buy some housewares. It was spooky, and I am not sure why I went in the first place.
When I got back, Trav and George were already in the dark, shooting by candlelight. I cooked by candlelight, and butternut squash soup which was (for me) the high point of the evening. Maud and Lauren came over, and we all had a very tasty dinner-- soup, and spicy greens and potatoes.
Ariel asked for the soup recipe:
_______
1 Butternut Squash
2 Onions
2 inch finger of Ginger
Olive Oil
Pepper
Hot Pepper Flakes
6 Carrots
4-5 cups water
2 bay leaves
SALT
Yogurt (optional, and if that shit is cream-top don't you DARE stir it.)
1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Split squash down the middle, rub olive oil on exposed flesh and put it it face down on a metal sheet in the oven; roast for about 30 min.
3. While squash is roasting, peel and chop onions and carrots. (I did not peel the carrots, but most people do, I think)
4. Sauté onions and carrots in olive oil in the bottom of a soup pot. Add black pepper and red pepper flakes. Grate fresh ginger into pot. When onions are soft, add water and bay leaves. Simmer.
5. Remove roasted squash from oven, allow it to cool, then peel it. Chop into little chunks and add them to the pot.
6. Add SALT to taste
7. Cook until flavors meld and squash is squishy.
You could blend this, but we had it chunky.
8. Serve by candle light with yogurt.
_____
After dinner we did a dinosaur shadow puppet show. I think it looked pretty good. Lauren filmed it and assures me it will look cool set to music.
MICHAEL: dinoshadowpuppetopus.
George won the dinosaur stacking contest. Then Aurora filmed George and Lauren trying to figure out the pedometer watch that she gave him. I think that will be pretty good footage, except Maud and I were yammering in the background.
George ran back and forth to test the pedometer, and I think that sort of thing is the solution to low energy situations. Running around by candle light.
Does anyone have a kerosene lantern?
Monday, February 9
costumes
Though we are now masking lots of continuity problems with darkness, I wanted to make a plea for people wearing the same clothes every time they come to the apt so that we can have consistent costumes. This will only help when editing comes around as we can cut things together more easily.
A place that is no place
Travis thought of an exciting way to proceed: our default so far has been to have the lights ON when we plan/discuss and to turn them off to shoot; he proposes we reverse this process, keeping as many lights OFF as possible (to the point of holding discussion in total darkness) and turning on only those lights absolutely necessary to shoot (a few candles, a flashlight, etc.). This nicely meshes a number of overlapping ideas we've discussed: the rolling blackouts, that the apartment has little or no utilities, Ad Reinhardt's black paintings and the glow of video-black. It could help us get away from the ceiling lights, conceal microphones, mask poor production design and continuity errors. Also, I think, it could focus the groups' energy and give us a basic look to work from (DARK!). But for this to work, we need to make a serious effort to bring:
candles
candleholders
flashlights
lamps
lightbulbs of all wattages, colors, sizes, etc.
lighters
matches
(email me other ideas and I will update this post)
This gets at another, more basic, issue: more and more we are trying to make the apartment into a live set in which we are not strictly ourselves, but versions of ourselves in a context as fantastical as we make it through our actions. If we keep shooting as we have been, documenting ourselves hanging out and interjecting scenes we create, the "realistic" portion of the movie will only be as far from reality as we choose to comport ourselves in the space... MEANING if we choose to discuss the project itself, movies, current events, internet anecdotes, college gossip, our jobs, etc. the movie will be partly about those things -- this is not necessarily a bad thing, but we should consider it. On the other hand, if we each avoid discussing those things we personally don't want in the movie (except when we are in the room where we keep our coats and video equipment), we can construct an alternate dimension in life and on tape that conforms to our design. Really it comes down to self-direction, each of us needs to decide what part of ourselves we want on tape and to be only that part of ourselves when we are in the space (including creating a costume and always wearing it in the apartment) -- I for one am going to try to stop talking about the movie itself and movies in general in the space, please, feel free to call me out on this when I slip. What do people think of this idea?
A quick summary of the day's events: Jacob and I went shopping at the PSFC and brought back lots of dinners and less snacks (hint hint). Aurora, Francesca, Joe, Jen and I ate pasta primavera, Travis arrived and shared his idea. Then Stewart, Aleksei and Casey joined us in the dark (lit only by votives and two flashlights). Stewart and I made cookies -- dee-licious. Aleksei and Casey shot a puppet show in which a bouquet of cloth flowers, a tape measure and Susan Sontag mingled. And we ended early to, I hope, get some sleep.
Tomorrow, Travis and I are planning to go to B&H for Panasonic tapes, and maybe a microphone (we NEED to work out sound, we can't make a movie until we have the basic tools of the craft). Then we're going to plunge head-first into the darkness, with Jacob's butternut squash soup for dinner and a list of scene ideas from Travis.
candles
candleholders
flashlights
lamps
lightbulbs of all wattages, colors, sizes, etc.
lighters
matches
(email me other ideas and I will update this post)
This gets at another, more basic, issue: more and more we are trying to make the apartment into a live set in which we are not strictly ourselves, but versions of ourselves in a context as fantastical as we make it through our actions. If we keep shooting as we have been, documenting ourselves hanging out and interjecting scenes we create, the "realistic" portion of the movie will only be as far from reality as we choose to comport ourselves in the space... MEANING if we choose to discuss the project itself, movies, current events, internet anecdotes, college gossip, our jobs, etc. the movie will be partly about those things -- this is not necessarily a bad thing, but we should consider it. On the other hand, if we each avoid discussing those things we personally don't want in the movie (except when we are in the room where we keep our coats and video equipment), we can construct an alternate dimension in life and on tape that conforms to our design. Really it comes down to self-direction, each of us needs to decide what part of ourselves we want on tape and to be only that part of ourselves when we are in the space (including creating a costume and always wearing it in the apartment) -- I for one am going to try to stop talking about the movie itself and movies in general in the space, please, feel free to call me out on this when I slip. What do people think of this idea?
A quick summary of the day's events: Jacob and I went shopping at the PSFC and brought back lots of dinners and less snacks (hint hint). Aurora, Francesca, Joe, Jen and I ate pasta primavera, Travis arrived and shared his idea. Then Stewart, Aleksei and Casey joined us in the dark (lit only by votives and two flashlights). Stewart and I made cookies -- dee-licious. Aleksei and Casey shot a puppet show in which a bouquet of cloth flowers, a tape measure and Susan Sontag mingled. And we ended early to, I hope, get some sleep.
Tomorrow, Travis and I are planning to go to B&H for Panasonic tapes, and maybe a microphone (we NEED to work out sound, we can't make a movie until we have the basic tools of the craft). Then we're going to plunge head-first into the darkness, with Jacob's butternut squash soup for dinner and a list of scene ideas from Travis.
Sunday, February 8
1/4
The title of Jacob's post sums it up nicely: the work that started on Saturday, February 7, and ended at 4 o'clock in the morning, February 8, puts us one quarter of the way through the project. There is more time ahead than behind, but the quicksands in the hourglass are definitely palpable beneath our feet.
Michael choreographed a scene and Steph lead us through exciting improvised dialogues (I want to hear more!). I dealt simple tarot readings for Jacob and Travis. I'm rereading the Borges story "Tlön, Uqbar and Orbis Tertius" in which, among other things, is described one author's "imaginary community ... which other men later founded, in imitation of his foredescription."
Aurora gave me a helpful way to think about what we have shot so far and how to proceed: just to imagine what is missing, as if we are making one thing and have left just a few pieces out. What are those pieces? The apartment empty of inhabitants, people alone, daylight. What else?
Michael choreographed a scene and Steph lead us through exciting improvised dialogues (I want to hear more!). I dealt simple tarot readings for Jacob and Travis. I'm rereading the Borges story "Tlön, Uqbar and Orbis Tertius" in which, among other things, is described one author's "imaginary community ... which other men later founded, in imitation of his foredescription."
Aurora gave me a helpful way to think about what we have shot so far and how to proceed: just to imagine what is missing, as if we are making one thing and have left just a few pieces out. What are those pieces? The apartment empty of inhabitants, people alone, daylight. What else?
Saturday Feb 8th
Today I officially moved in to FGP#4. I hauled my bedroll and belongings up the stairs around 2 (after waking George with an all-too-early 11AM phone call. We spent about 2 hours reviewing footage from the previous night - dinner party, tarot cards, Chris came over, Hookah, and power-outage— which I had not attended. The footage had its strong moments. Lots of close-ups in CJ's shooting style.
Then we went for some chai/hot chocolate, gathered up a posse (Aurora&Joe) walked to Fort Green Park — a very possible muddy post apocalyptic venue— and then hoofed it over to a burger place on 5th Avenue. Very tasty. I ate Pulled Wild Boar, which was good, but I would have preffered a straight barbecue sauce to the mustardy business they put on it. Then we met up with Michael and headed back to FGP4.
I tried some exercises with Aurora while George gave Nate back his tripod -- it was essentially me putting down my bedroll and interacting with Michael and Joe -- I don't think that went well. It was my second time on camera in this project and my armpits soon stank with fear sweat. When George got back we tried some exercises to get more comfortable on camera -- superfast Q&A : whatsyourfavoritebeer? whoseyourleastfavotiteJapaneseauthor? that kind of thing. It helped a bit, then Evan and I tried some exercises with Casey's deleted scripts.
Francesca and Steph arrived and Trav and Evan came by with Magic Cards. They, with Michael tried to teach me to play - it is a nerdy nerdy enterprise. But I respect that. Evan was a champ in his day, wreaking magical havoc on tearful men of all ages, earning treasure to defend his magical kingdom.
While we were geeking out, the other kids were doing noise and singing work with a shofar and feedback. It was a rad din.
The high point of the night was Michael taking a turn directing. Trav was on camera and George was on lights. M right away had a very elaborate coreographed idea involving interchanging conversation partners and skeevy flirting. Steph was flirting with Joe, and then Aurora started skeeving on Steph, then I switched in for Joe during a pan, and then Francesca switched in for 'rora, and then Joe got back in the mix. . . it got super skeezy.
This was a success I think. Once again however, it could benefit from some tweaked dialog and a couple more rehearsals. Also, I do wish it was grounded in some kind of fictional reality. Or a dream?
I was really into the mixed light tungsten flourescent hybrid that George constructed and I think we should try it out in a white walled room for a more dramatic effect.
All in all a good day.
Friday, February 6
Concrete Ideas
Aurora is going to shoot a thing in which two people paint a room, no dialogue.
I love the video Steph posted:
These are both examples of things that I think are compelling in and of themselves. If we shoot enough stuff like that, all in the same apartment, with our limited cast of characters, I think we could end up with something that is greater than the sum of its parts. What do you think? Start bringing ideas. No idea is too stupid.
Tonight, we're shooting CJ's neighbor-visits-potluck, I don't know what it is exactly but I'm excited.
After that, I am going to restage the last scenes of some movies I like from memory (Late Spring, Barry Lyndon, etc.).
I love the video Steph posted:
These are both examples of things that I think are compelling in and of themselves. If we shoot enough stuff like that, all in the same apartment, with our limited cast of characters, I think we could end up with something that is greater than the sum of its parts. What do you think? Start bringing ideas. No idea is too stupid.
Tonight, we're shooting CJ's neighbor-visits-potluck, I don't know what it is exactly but I'm excited.
After that, I am going to restage the last scenes of some movies I like from memory (Late Spring, Barry Lyndon, etc.).
Onwards
Each day I have a harder and harder time summarizing what happened:
I returned the DVX to Naje and he said to me, "I can't wait to see it." Eek!
Travis and I spent a long time discussing something but I'm not sure what exactly. We up-ended the couch and sat on cushions on the floor, definitely an improvement.
Aurora arrived and we began the making-of documentary in earnest, which actually helped us think about how we act when we're not acting and therefore how to act ourselves, as well as illuminating Symbiopsycotaxiplasm.
Joe arrived and wanted to know what he missed last night so we tried the erasure text reading exercise with him. Joe, Travis and I read the nonsense lines as characters who were trying to convince Joe to jump (me) or not jump (Trav) off a bridge. Second, we tried improvising "sensical" lines for the same scene. Third, we made up a scene with same dynamic within our fictional apartment, trying to convince Joe to break or not break down the door into the locked room. Fourth, we reduced distractions, added props, lighting, a little wardrobe and tried the same scene again. It worked pretty well, the scene was definitely the realest we've come to so far, but when I was reviewing the footage the problem with the scene seemed to be that we were so seriously and realistically discussing such a crappy premise instead of just some mundane thing from real life, like "Joe, you should call that girl!" I'm going to post the video to youtube tonight, I'll put it up here ASAP. Sound off about what you think.
Travis left, Aurora, Joe and I ate dinner (as threatened, I made turnips, brussels sprouts and seitan over couscous). Joe and I talked long and hard about thinking about the science fiction element as more surreal -- not worrying about "is there still electricity" but thinking of the weirdness as dream-like experiences. Joe somehow came to a new concept of the guru storyline in which we've come to the apartment not to be transformed but to have experiences (like the drug experiences that Travis discussed) and that the existence/influence of the owner behind the locked door could still be an element but we wouldn't have to feel burdened to show the character arcs, just mundane living together scenes and creative trip/dream/experience scenes. Also, we had the idea that we could focus on conceiving the mundane scenes and make the "dream" scenes by re-staging the scenes in successive versions changing one element at a time. Scenes 1, 2, 3 are normal. Then we make scenes 1a, 2a, 2b, 2c, 3a, 3b, etc. But the relationships between iterations becomes less explicit and maybe disintegrates completely.
Talking to Evan about it later on gchat, he pointed out that the difference between "Joe, you should call that girl!" and "Joe, break down the door into the mystical room!" which seemed bad to us was the same as what would result from the process we thought of to get away from it, that having electricity could be the element we remove in successive versions. At that point my head exploded. Comment, think, call me tomorrow.
I returned the DVX to Naje and he said to me, "I can't wait to see it." Eek!
Travis and I spent a long time discussing something but I'm not sure what exactly. We up-ended the couch and sat on cushions on the floor, definitely an improvement.
Aurora arrived and we began the making-of documentary in earnest, which actually helped us think about how we act when we're not acting and therefore how to act ourselves, as well as illuminating Symbiopsycotaxiplasm.
Joe arrived and wanted to know what he missed last night so we tried the erasure text reading exercise with him. Joe, Travis and I read the nonsense lines as characters who were trying to convince Joe to jump (me) or not jump (Trav) off a bridge. Second, we tried improvising "sensical" lines for the same scene. Third, we made up a scene with same dynamic within our fictional apartment, trying to convince Joe to break or not break down the door into the locked room. Fourth, we reduced distractions, added props, lighting, a little wardrobe and tried the same scene again. It worked pretty well, the scene was definitely the realest we've come to so far, but when I was reviewing the footage the problem with the scene seemed to be that we were so seriously and realistically discussing such a crappy premise instead of just some mundane thing from real life, like "Joe, you should call that girl!" I'm going to post the video to youtube tonight, I'll put it up here ASAP. Sound off about what you think.
Travis left, Aurora, Joe and I ate dinner (as threatened, I made turnips, brussels sprouts and seitan over couscous). Joe and I talked long and hard about thinking about the science fiction element as more surreal -- not worrying about "is there still electricity" but thinking of the weirdness as dream-like experiences. Joe somehow came to a new concept of the guru storyline in which we've come to the apartment not to be transformed but to have experiences (like the drug experiences that Travis discussed) and that the existence/influence of the owner behind the locked door could still be an element but we wouldn't have to feel burdened to show the character arcs, just mundane living together scenes and creative trip/dream/experience scenes. Also, we had the idea that we could focus on conceiving the mundane scenes and make the "dream" scenes by re-staging the scenes in successive versions changing one element at a time. Scenes 1, 2, 3 are normal. Then we make scenes 1a, 2a, 2b, 2c, 3a, 3b, etc. But the relationships between iterations becomes less explicit and maybe disintegrates completely.
Talking to Evan about it later on gchat, he pointed out that the difference between "Joe, you should call that girl!" and "Joe, break down the door into the mystical room!" which seemed bad to us was the same as what would result from the process we thought of to get away from it, that having electricity could be the element we remove in successive versions. At that point my head exploded. Comment, think, call me tomorrow.
Thursday, February 5
structure?
I like the way this comic takes one character and mashes all his actions into one frame, so all the mundane stuff he does ends up adding up to a disturbing whole. not to say we have to be disturbing, but as a structure that comics can produce, is there an equivalent, or similar way of making that we can use for our movie? this is like rat king style in comic form. one character who can't escape his other actions, his other selves. something to mull over?
Will Smith and Jellyfish
While George and I were on our ill-fated toilet paper expedition yesterday, we stopped into a bodega to get some Marcal (recycled of course). In there were a group of highschoolers discussing Will Smith's movie Seven Pounds.
SPOILER ALERT!
This movie has an incredible premise. Will Smith is responsible for the death of 7 people. So he finds 7 people who need healthy organs. Then he KILLS HIMSELF WITH A JELLYFISH IN A BATHTUB so his organs can be safely harvested to save the lives of 7 strangers. The 7 pounds are probably: heart, 2 kidneys, liver, both testicles (one pound each), and his stomach.
I think that this gets back to debates about plot, form, and premise. No matter how perfectly stunning your plot is (see above) you can end up with a terrible movie (the kids in the bodega said it was way too over-dramatic).
All I'm saying is, New Beginning at The End of The World is as good a premise as any: its what we do with it, and how we do it, that counts.
I wish I had been there for last night's shenanigans. I will be gone tonight and back tomorrow -- I'll be moving some things into the apartment to live/work/entwine my tail with others.
address
isn't the apartment #3 not #4 as in the blog title?
the correct buzzer to use is the top black buzzer on the left, not the top white buzzer on the right. wonder what that activates?
the correct buzzer to use is the top black buzzer on the left, not the top white buzzer on the right. wonder what that activates?
Rat King
A mummified rat king.I'll be in Santa Barbara for work until next Wednesday. In the mean time, I'm going to try writing. And maybe even send some stuff. Until then!
Progress
had a fit and they remixed it remixed it
Tonight was the first time I left the clubhouse feeling better than when I arrived. Among my goals for the project was to create a space in which to make movies but also in which to live our lives (eat, sleep, hang out) and where we could safely express/explore our inner lives (ideas, worries, fantasies, etc.). But I started the day feeling that we couldn't make progress because we had no mechanism by which to make decisions. Also, as I wrote in my last post, I was sure that the semi-decision of the previous night was a mistake and that we needed to abandon a "normal" narrative entirely. I hadn't been getting enough sleep, I was unhappy, stressed and angry.
Each day I arrive at the apartment and spend a strange indeterminate time being alone in the space. Today, I listened to Joy Division, ate Kix, drank orange juice and scribbled a few notes. When Francesca arrived, we looked over and discussed the erasure texts Casey sent to the Google group. Then we left the apartment to get hot chocolate and coffee. We walked to Atlantic Terminal and talked about personal, non-movie stuff. It was such a relief to talk about something other than the movie, I was sad to go back.
Isaac and Jacob arrived, we talked about process and goals for the project, we tried to work together towards a piece of writing to shoot in the evening, Francesca and Isaac left, and then we went out again, Jacob and I, on an errand. Trader Joe's was out of toilet paper, so the long walk turned out to have been unnecessary, but again, it was nice to be outside the movie space, even though we talked about the movie -- and we got pretty negative about ourselves and the project. Before dinner, Jacob left to celebrate his and Lauren's year anniversary (congrats!). Ariel, Travis, Evan and I ate dinner together, lentil soup (lots of soup left in our huge pot), collards and apple cider (Ariel's contribution, along with chips and grapes, thank you!), which we had to drink from the bottle because we were using the mugs as bowls. Ariel talked about therapy.
Travis had an idea about mime/charades-like acting exercises, which we tried it out in the ugly empty green room. We shot with the Flip, acting as a Rubik's cube, La-Z-Boy chair, bow and arrow, sprinkler, etc. It was fun. Then Ariel shot the three guys reading lines from Casey's erasure scripts at each other, trying to make sense of them. That was even more fun and after Ariel left we kept reading (not on camera) until we got into a discussion about the kinds of texts we want to try, the kinds of texts we need and how to produce them.
Of course, it disintegrated into a discussion of what process we should use to make decisions and to make the movie in general, whether we should write a manifesto and what kind of product, if any, is possible. I talked about how I originally envisioned the place as a coop to live and make movies in. Also, how I don't want to loose my way of life to make movies. That I don't like much of the process of movie-making but want, contradictorily, to make them. It was like therapy for me (or the movie monastery Aurora suggested I might want to start), Evan and Travis helped me to understand some of my movie beliefs, material impermanence and inner peace. We questioned the necessity of a text to make images. Travis offered the possibility that good/cool production design could lead to ideas as opposed to my own way of thinking that ideas lead to production design -- it could work. We agreed that we should go forward with yesterday's tentative consensus for the idea: the beginning of a new world after the end of the world as we know it (like Ragnarok in Norse mythology, after calamity the world is sinks into the waters only to rise again, fertile and reborn). My original idea was about a group of people who gather, work and wait for a epiphany. This is along the same lines but even more ambitious, not only to search for meaning but to make it, to build order out of chaos -- and it still reflects the process but is more optimistic about what is possible. I am excited. If you haven't already, start thinking of ideas, writing scripts, thinking of prompts and gathering stuff to fill the apartment -- we might rent a UHaul soon and pick stuff up from everybody (does anyone have access to a car or van). We also need lamps/lights and a way to record sound (boom, mic and 10' XLR cable, at least).
I need to sleep till noon tomorrow to keep from getting sick. Call me if you want to come over in the afternoon or evening. Dinner is turnips, brussel sprouts and seitan over couscous with leftover soup for dessert.
From Francesca's notes:
"the resulting clutter -- collection, hoarding, lenses, associations"
Tonight was the first time I left the clubhouse feeling better than when I arrived. Among my goals for the project was to create a space in which to make movies but also in which to live our lives (eat, sleep, hang out) and where we could safely express/explore our inner lives (ideas, worries, fantasies, etc.). But I started the day feeling that we couldn't make progress because we had no mechanism by which to make decisions. Also, as I wrote in my last post, I was sure that the semi-decision of the previous night was a mistake and that we needed to abandon a "normal" narrative entirely. I hadn't been getting enough sleep, I was unhappy, stressed and angry.
Each day I arrive at the apartment and spend a strange indeterminate time being alone in the space. Today, I listened to Joy Division, ate Kix, drank orange juice and scribbled a few notes. When Francesca arrived, we looked over and discussed the erasure texts Casey sent to the Google group. Then we left the apartment to get hot chocolate and coffee. We walked to Atlantic Terminal and talked about personal, non-movie stuff. It was such a relief to talk about something other than the movie, I was sad to go back.
Isaac and Jacob arrived, we talked about process and goals for the project, we tried to work together towards a piece of writing to shoot in the evening, Francesca and Isaac left, and then we went out again, Jacob and I, on an errand. Trader Joe's was out of toilet paper, so the long walk turned out to have been unnecessary, but again, it was nice to be outside the movie space, even though we talked about the movie -- and we got pretty negative about ourselves and the project. Before dinner, Jacob left to celebrate his and Lauren's year anniversary (congrats!). Ariel, Travis, Evan and I ate dinner together, lentil soup (lots of soup left in our huge pot), collards and apple cider (Ariel's contribution, along with chips and grapes, thank you!), which we had to drink from the bottle because we were using the mugs as bowls. Ariel talked about therapy.
Travis had an idea about mime/charades-like acting exercises, which we tried it out in the ugly empty green room. We shot with the Flip, acting as a Rubik's cube, La-Z-Boy chair, bow and arrow, sprinkler, etc. It was fun. Then Ariel shot the three guys reading lines from Casey's erasure scripts at each other, trying to make sense of them. That was even more fun and after Ariel left we kept reading (not on camera) until we got into a discussion about the kinds of texts we want to try, the kinds of texts we need and how to produce them.
Of course, it disintegrated into a discussion of what process we should use to make decisions and to make the movie in general, whether we should write a manifesto and what kind of product, if any, is possible. I talked about how I originally envisioned the place as a coop to live and make movies in. Also, how I don't want to loose my way of life to make movies. That I don't like much of the process of movie-making but want, contradictorily, to make them. It was like therapy for me (or the movie monastery Aurora suggested I might want to start), Evan and Travis helped me to understand some of my movie beliefs, material impermanence and inner peace. We questioned the necessity of a text to make images. Travis offered the possibility that good/cool production design could lead to ideas as opposed to my own way of thinking that ideas lead to production design -- it could work. We agreed that we should go forward with yesterday's tentative consensus for the idea: the beginning of a new world after the end of the world as we know it (like Ragnarok in Norse mythology, after calamity the world is sinks into the waters only to rise again, fertile and reborn). My original idea was about a group of people who gather, work and wait for a epiphany. This is along the same lines but even more ambitious, not only to search for meaning but to make it, to build order out of chaos -- and it still reflects the process but is more optimistic about what is possible. I am excited. If you haven't already, start thinking of ideas, writing scripts, thinking of prompts and gathering stuff to fill the apartment -- we might rent a UHaul soon and pick stuff up from everybody (does anyone have access to a car or van). We also need lamps/lights and a way to record sound (boom, mic and 10' XLR cable, at least).
I need to sleep till noon tomorrow to keep from getting sick. Call me if you want to come over in the afternoon or evening. Dinner is turnips, brussel sprouts and seitan over couscous with leftover soup for dessert.
From Francesca's notes:
"the resulting clutter -- collection, hoarding, lenses, associations"
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