Experimental - FST 302

I found this guide very helpful, especially the bit about setting “Squad Goals.” Networking is a very important part of film making, for it could lead to an array of opportunities, and as the article says, “a strong crew is key to a strong project.” I find if kind of funny how much group work is required in college. I remember being in high school and strongly disliking group work because of the dependency on other people. Upon entering college, I found group work less of a problem because I realized that the people in said group would take the subject seriously, because we were all passionate about the same thing. The “Look Both Ways” segment really had me thinking… where do I fit in within the media industries? I feel as though that’s a hard question because I truly do not know how to answer it. I am hoping that this class, as well as my other film classes, will point me into the direction of how to answer that question.

Maya Deren’s article shocked me. She provided a whole new light on the idea of an amateur. The word amateur has bad connotation connected to it and to be called such is usually insulting. Deren seems to view the idea of an amateur in a whole different way. She believes being an amateur is one of the best things that can happen to a filmmaker, for it allows more freedom than a “mainstream” film. She describes the idea of this film making freedom as “never [being] forced to sacrifice visual drama and beauty to a stream of words…” which puts the idea of amateur into a different perspective. Amateur filmmakers do not have to conform to a typical Hollywood-esque style and can make any creative decision without any consequence.  I truly liked this article a lot. It is reassuring to know that I shouldn’t feel bad about being an amateur filmmaker.

I never actually stopped to think about what went into naming a film, especially experimental and avant-garde films. It makes sense for a film with a linear story line to have a title relating to such, but what do you call a film that doesn’t necessarily have a plot, much less a script or typical cinematic techniques that are utilized in Hollywood films? According to Camper, if you know exactly what to name an avant-garde film, perhaps it isn’t actually avant-garde, to which I agree. It’s astonishing to think about how you could make an entire film and not even know what to call it. Camper’s list of what makes something avant-garde and experimental was very intriguing. To be completely honest, I always assumed experimental films were literally “free game” and you could do whatever you wanted to do. I never actually thought about certain rules all experimental films followed or anything of that nature, but upon reading this article, I do see a pattern with all experimental films I h...

Hello! My name is Destiny! I'm from Concord, NC, like to bake, and have an unusual obsession with David Bowie. Provided is a photo, because everyone should gaze upon how amazing this man was. Also, check out literally one of the most amazing songs he's ever written,  Sound and Vision My love of film started in middle school roundabout with two films: The Rocky Horror Picture Show  and Jim Henson's Labyrinth  (surprise surprise, right?) As an adolescent, I was usually only exposed to the mainstream films of the summer's blockbuster and whatever Disney films were coming out at the time. It's not like I didn't enjoy them, but they weren't like the greatest movies I have ever experienced. My mom was the one to show me Labyrinth, which happened to be a film she watched when she was younger. I was blown away. The scene that really stuck out to me was the masquerade ball scene. It was so visually beautiful and how they made it so fantasy-like was astonishing, a...