"Experimental film, experimental cinema or Avant-Garde Cinema is not so much a genre of film as mode of filmmaking that rigorously re-evaluates cinematic conventions and explores non-narrative forms, as well as alternatives to traditional narratives or methods of working."
- Found on Wikipedia, I feel like this definition is explaining to me that when you call something an experimental film your not referring to its genre but instead to the interesting and unique way in which its made.
- Found on Wikipedia, I feel like this definition is explaining to me that when you call something an experimental film your not referring to its genre but instead to the interesting and unique way in which its made.
"In one sense, it refers to anything that defies the conventions of traditional narrative and documentary cinema. It doesn't have to tell a story. There don't have to be characters. There doesn't even necessarily need to be a message of any kind... On the other hand, experimental film is an aesthetic and aural art form. Film inherently takes some of the most expressive elements from other artistic mediums and combines them into a magnificent smörgåsbord of sight and sound."
- Found on No Film School, This definition explains again that is about how its made and mainly it is called experimental because it defies normal film conventions in some way. However it then goes on to talk about how it is also a very visually aware art form which combines many different elements of any kind to make something which visually is striking.
These two definitions along with other information read make it clear to me that when looking at experimental film I need to think visually about it and also about how it made and how it challenges its own medium. It is all about pushing the boundaries and making something different which doesn't fit the boundaries.
To help me gain a bit more understanding I want to look on YouTube and Vimeo at some experimental pieces to see how they differer from normal conventions:
This piece was made by a student of Sunderland University called Ben Jones back in 2012. What I really like about this is how it really makes a visual impact in an abstract way. He goes on to explain how he made majority of it so simply with a fish tank and food colouring but the way he has captured it makes it seem otherworldly. I love the way the colours dance in time to the music and also I feel like he has edited successfully by playing with the timing of it having it reverse and speed up etc.. Overall I feel like this is a nice and simple example of experimental film because it doesn't follow a clear narrative or characters etc so is defying conventions and is just simply a visual piece of art.
This is an experimental documentary piece which I though was again really interesting because it is so visually striking. It is telling us about a day in Montreal but it is clearly focusing in on the negative aspects of it such as the large consumerism and the excess waste created. It is telling us a story but without using the normal conventions. It instead plays with the speed of the actions and repetition of the important images they want to highlight. It also again uses music as a strong element which fits together with the images to create a really dramatic peice.
This piece I would say is one of the more conventional pieces out of the three I've looked at because it has a main character which we follow however apart from this it still doesn't fit into the boundaries of film. This piece is trying to tell the story of a man dealing with grief. This subject only becomes apparent to you towards the end of the piece which is very confusing but I think this is a deliberate decisions.They want to push the boundaries by making the audience feel disorientated and confused in the same way the character is. I like this piece because it has more meaning behind it and still used some strong visuals but I feel my personal interest is more abstract than this.
All these examples have helped me grasp a better understanding of what kind of things people explore with experimental film and it also makes me even more aware that it is very visual based.
These two definitions along with other information read make it clear to me that when looking at experimental film I need to think visually about it and also about how it made and how it challenges its own medium. It is all about pushing the boundaries and making something different which doesn't fit the boundaries.
This piece was made by a student of Sunderland University called Ben Jones back in 2012. What I really like about this is how it really makes a visual impact in an abstract way. He goes on to explain how he made majority of it so simply with a fish tank and food colouring but the way he has captured it makes it seem otherworldly. I love the way the colours dance in time to the music and also I feel like he has edited successfully by playing with the timing of it having it reverse and speed up etc.. Overall I feel like this is a nice and simple example of experimental film because it doesn't follow a clear narrative or characters etc so is defying conventions and is just simply a visual piece of art.
This is an experimental documentary piece which I though was again really interesting because it is so visually striking. It is telling us about a day in Montreal but it is clearly focusing in on the negative aspects of it such as the large consumerism and the excess waste created. It is telling us a story but without using the normal conventions. It instead plays with the speed of the actions and repetition of the important images they want to highlight. It also again uses music as a strong element which fits together with the images to create a really dramatic peice.
This piece I would say is one of the more conventional pieces out of the three I've looked at because it has a main character which we follow however apart from this it still doesn't fit into the boundaries of film. This piece is trying to tell the story of a man dealing with grief. This subject only becomes apparent to you towards the end of the piece which is very confusing but I think this is a deliberate decisions.They want to push the boundaries by making the audience feel disorientated and confused in the same way the character is. I like this piece because it has more meaning behind it and still used some strong visuals but I feel my personal interest is more abstract than this.
All these examples have helped me grasp a better understanding of what kind of things people explore with experimental film and it also makes me even more aware that it is very visual based.
Hi Billie this is a good reflection based on your independent research. In the original brief sent to you by email and on announcements in myUCA I asked everyone to apply their initial thoughts about experimental film to one of the artists I listed which ranged from Man Ray to Stan Brackhage, Andy Warhol and beyond. Now you have started to explore this concept in a considered way perhaps you could apply your thoughts to one of the artists listed. I look forward to reading about your choice.
ReplyDeleteFirst class research on Pipilotti Rist very well developed. I was lucky enough to go to her exhibition at the Hayward and it was a real sensual and immersive experience. Her use of saturated colour is so celebratory. Good work Billie
ReplyDeleteAs you enjoy Tempo I suggest you look at Koyaanisqatsi(Life out of Balance) by Geofrey Reggio which I would say is probably where this filmmaker got some inspiration from. However I agree with you that it is very well done and the music works well with the pace of the imagery.
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