Manifestation, Jon Savage and a Ritual in Transfigured time....

The manifestation of the piece is starting to take place and although it is still in progression I now have a better idea of what this piece will look like. I have started experimentation's with a HD camera and have started looking into the location of the piece. I feel that the strongest option would be a studio based piece as this would suit better than a location externally.

Also I have started to read 'Teenager' by Jon Savage. This book looks at the beginning of youth culture and the emergance of Britains first teenagers. The book covers a time period form 1875 -1945.  I have also ordered Time Travel by the same author. I am hoping that these will serve as a reference and give me a clarified field of vision towards my FMP.  Although both books are quite substabtial and I may not read them fully I intend to make as much progress with them as possible.

Finally, As I have been looking for visual material to serve as inspiration from artists such as Maya Deren, Cheryl Donegan,  Marcel Duchamp, Hans Richter and several collaboration pieces by john Cage, I have picked out a few that stand out as defined influences for the piece.  Maya Deren's 'Ritual in Transfigured Time (1946) is in many ways one of several pieces that share some of the themes that I am trying to preserve throughout my work.  The piece uses choreaographed movements and ritualistic materials to portrays a sense of alterior motion throughout the piece. Key pieces such as the winding of the string and the daning hall stand out as focal points for Derens dream logistics and way of thinking.

FMP Proposal

I have posted the final draft of the proposal which outlines the specifics of my project and what I will eventually achieve

Blackburn College: Creative Arts & Construction Curriculum Centre

University of the Arts, London: Art & Design Foundation Diploma

Final Project Proposal Template

Name	Ben Earnshaw
Project Title	Looking Back/Moving Forward

Review

Throughout the duration of the course I have acquired knowledge of a wide field of themes and techniques which have been an essential part of my progression. I have studied the Futurist movement and the work of Luigi Russolo for the Experimental Audio unit. Looked into Religious beliefs on ‘limbo’, Extensively researched the Free Cinema Movement of the 1950’s and explored psychedelics in film. Using my existing skills I will research further into themes I have already covered in previous work and through experience in previous units I will accurately plan my progression and document my progress daily.

Ideas and Concept

My selected idea is a combination of concepts. I intend to plan and produce a short film exploring how society looks back on the past to move forward and how people ritualize certain aspects of their lives. I will identify how influence from the past has fuelled progressive movements, styles and genres. The work will highlight how ritualization manifests itself in people’s lives. I believe that the concepts behind the project will give me plenty of versatility in terms of techniques, allowing room for experimentation in the allotted time we have to complete the project.

Contextual Research

Whilst preparing for this unit, I have tried to narrow down my main influences to the Experimental film Pioneer Maya Deren, more specifically ‘Ritual in transfigured time’ (1946). Furthermore I will use my existing knowledge of Youth Culture and its progression since the beginning of post-war Britain. The contextual aspects at this stage are pre dominantly Ritualization and how this has grown through the changes in Youth Culture, music, film etc. Primarily, I will research existing pieces of work that encompass this notion and also how ritualization can be defined in how it co exists in our lives.

Techniques and Presentation

Using camera techniques and methods that I have practiced in previous units and screen testing I will use manual focus primarily. I intend to explore screen cropping in post-production and how I can shoot a sequence in stages and arrange it in separate thirds of the screen. In terms of final presentation one monitor on a wall will be the best way to present with artefacts used in the film displayed in front on podiums. Most of the materials and resources are readily available from Internet sources and libraries as most of my research will be visual.

Evaluation and Progression

The ideas for the project will be evaluated in a conclusive written evaluation as well as potentially asking for audience feedback at the exhibition. Furthermore, correspondence from tutors will also provide me with advice and I intend to consult my tutors at every stage of the process.

Update

I have been progressing with my initial ideas and also thinking ahead for the presentation of the piece in an exhibition format. 
The manifestation of the piece is very much ongoing and is an aspect that constantly changes and re evaluates itself.  The specific aim of the video is not for me to indulge in aesthetics and create visualised pieces that have the content but lack any contextual meaning.  This is definitely a difficult stage and I will keep consulting my tutors and look for further work to reference. 

I have been looking into how the piece will be shown on a screen. I have been drawing up ideas for a split screen showing using quarters.  the piece will start in one of the four quarters and then potentially operate in a random order, avoiding any predictability for the audience. Any inspiration from this has definitely been drawn the work of Nam June Paik and the ways in which he presented his body of work.  Usage of numerous monitors, triptychs and synchronised projection were very common within his style of presentation and I believe that these are effective ways to encourage the audience to commit to watching.

At this stage it is important to keep the production simple and stay away from elaboration to a certain degree. The last thing I want is to plan and produce a piece that would in many cases be costly in terms of time scale and performance.

So it begins....

Over the past week I've been looking at potential starting points for the piece in which I am about to start.
I would like one of the over ruling objectives of the piece to coin the notion of a 'full circle'.  This will serve as visual metaphor for the constant recycling in Culture.

I feel that my will say a lot of about me as well as the original themes.  I like the idea of using records from different era's for the starting point.  More specifically, I would choose 5-6 that represent changes in culture and signify different movements in history.

This would manifest itself in the form a record (s) being played  and shooting this from an overhead angle to give meaning to the shot.  The revolutions of the vinyl may get faster or slower as the piece plays, always cutting back to the records playing and the changing of the record as the person gets bored and moves on.

Looking back/ Moving forward

After Tuesdays pitch for my FMP, I am extremely pleased with the feedback I got and am ready to get started on an extensive research programme over the Easter holiday.  By the time we reconvene I will hopefully be in a position to get some initial test shoots done and then go straight into production. 

My piece will be based on the idea of 'Looking back on the past to move forward'. This was inspired by looking at aspects of culture such as Contempary film, music, Fashion and Fine Art and how many of the processes involved are coming around in a circular motion. This idea will also incorporate some of the themes that were oultined in my alternate pitch.  The video will incorporate a combination of themes whilst keeping to the path which I have chosen.

I am also going to use plenty of visual material as a form on inspiration throughout the process and keep posting any material I find useful on this page.

This is going to be pinnacle of my work and will demonstrate the progression I have made not just as a film maker, but as a person.

'Every good painter paints what he is' - Jackson Pollock

'A sense of Perspective' Pt2.

I have just recieved the final edit of the Documentray we shot at Tate Liverpool last week.  The final piece looks great and quite pleased to see a decent percentage of footage which I shot.


Enjoy.....

Jolly Jolly good Stephans

Lindsay Anderson.  A man who time forgot. I remember vividly my first experience of a Lindsay Anderson film in the form of IF...(1968).  An illicit look at the public school systems in the 1960's. A tale of Depravity, rebellion and ......Motor acrobatics?

If.. to me is British film at its best. The combination of eccentricity, whit and daring story lines makes this film a true classic and an essential part of anybodies collection.  The intense, almost comedic look into the life of Mick Travis, our protagonist and archetypal hell raiser.  Not content with dormetary inspections, communal showering and 'Molusc Kings', Travis and friends ruffle the freathers of there peers, Teachers and Whips by waging all out war on the entire school.  Malcolm McDowell plus Bren gun makes a fearsome enemy in any situation.

O'Lucky man

Another great example of Anderson's genious.  Written originally by Malcolm McDowell about his experiences in the Coffee industry and 'Adapted' by Lindsay Anderson and David Sherwin, The film carries on the adventures of Mick Travis as he navigates the North East of England, Getting stuck in 'Treacle tarts' along the way.   One performance that really did bring laughter was the many talents of Arthur Lowe.  One minute he's the foreman of Imperial Coffee, next he's Dr Munda, Man of many talents or what?

Whilst on his travels, Travis becomes tangled in a web of sadistic experimentation and a bizarre relationship with Helen Mirren. Mixing with the cream of industry, Travis becomes trapped in estranged dealings with a contigency of crazed diplomats, ultimatley senidng him to prison where he reforms and beigns his life of solitude.  The ending is a true reflection of McDowells real life story ending with the casting for his first feature role witha cameo from Lindsay Anderson himself.

I really could go on and on about this, my favoutite topic but I feel that there is no blog big enough to accomadate these ramblings.

'You'll be a failure in catering unless you know what to do with your leftovers'.....so true, So true!