Epimetheus

What more can I say about cameraless filmmaking?

It was pretty awesome. I really enjoyed it, and it wasn’t as tedious as I had originally expected. I thought it was going to be days and days of my life devoted toward the end of making something beautiful happen, but it was really just an afternoon pouring over my film strip and letting my imagination do what it does best (run amuck).

Are there some things I would change? Absolutely. That’s just the nature of art though. No matter how good we get at it we always think there’s something better—if we are no longer able to learn from our mistakes then we aren’t doing it right.

I colored my rayograms rainbow colored, and it looked really good in my hand. I was sad to see that it didn’t look as cool on the projector. My thought is that given more film to cover that it would have the desired effect, but I won’t know for sure until I stretch the film out in Final Cut. It would be a really cool to try in the future, and I know that I plan to further experiment with rayograms if I can find a project that requires it.

I would really like to do a rhythmic edit with manipulated film—even though it would be really expensive. I wonder if there’s a good way to repeat the same cycles.

I wish that I could have tried printing directly onto the film, but I missed that class so, I didn’t really understand the concept when I talked about it with my group. Cassandra and Barrett were both quite successful with their printing, and it looked really cool.

The scratching and manipulation from thadpovey was a little above our skill level. I really enjoy the texture that their manipulations yielded. I felt that mine lacked a certain amount of texture despite my scratching and the feel of the film in my hand.

I guess ultimately, the lesson that I’ve learned is bigger is better and more is more. In order to achieve texture and use of the whole frame in the name of giving new context to either the film or clear leader is to really go nuts.

This assignment was really fun and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I can’t think of another class where you get to take old film and make brand new beautiful things.

(Wo)Man With(out) a Movie Camera

Where to begin?


Barrett taught me how to do a magazine transfer during the last class—since I missed last Monday—and that was pretty sweet.

I got to see more of cute little Kai and how to make the incredible texture that is actual film get turned up to 11.

I got to do some pretty sweet hand painting with ink and oil, which I’ve always wanted to do.


I’m still not sure what was the coolest thing.


Obviously, seeing the Kai footage with the little extra oomph was awesome. I mean, who doesn’t love adorable children? But actually getting my hands dirty was incredible. The magazine transfer was super cool, and I can’t wait to show other people how to do it. The hand painting was one of the most rewarding and tactile experiences of my life—mostly because I got to experiment with the tape and figure out how to make things absolutely ridiculous.

I have to say, this is the least anxious I have ever been while filmmaking. I didn’t have to worry about whether or not my variable shutter knob was in the right position; there was not hunting to find the perfect bit of found footage to fit my agenda; I don’t have to hunt for the quote in an interview I did months ago that I may not have taken the best notes about.
I felt liberated.

Not that the camera is too restrictive! It’s an incredible device. With almost nothing (just film stock and light) it captures life rather than just imitating it, which is what makes it so beautifully unique and separate from the other arts. In making that kind of art, it too is liberating, but without it I am without worry or fear. I don’t have to stress about the frame since it’s already decided. My job is simply to manipulate it and let it be what it wants to be—like sculpture, I merely have to shape the clay and find emulate its essence, only I get to determine what about its essence I want to share.