Montage Text

This film is one that is filmed by Katie Holmdahl, a local film maker whom is know attending Film School in Sweden due to her exposer to film through classes at FLC. This film She made on her free time during Easter Weekend while working on the dock, and spending time with her family. The other reason this film is vital to me is upon viewing our montage footage I felt that upon viewing the footage my group has edited concerning montages seem to lack and narational element within the Images. This film offers to me as a viewer and the film maker an naturalistic perspective of approach to a montage which tell the story of an area, in this case the shots of the various the docks, and romms, the Ferry crossing to show a change or movement, ant the beginning and ending with the image of here niece. Also the fact being that most of my experience working with films (writing sound tracks to preset footage) is with Katie so I feel I have a better understanding of how she as a film maker utilizes the tools of cinema.

Montage

Techno comparisons

The above video is a segment from a documentary about techno music called Universal Techno it focuses on the Detroit based DJ's Derrick May, and Jeff Mills. Within a minute into the Doc we as viewers are allowed insight into the the eccentric creative process of Jeff Mills as he is describing to Derrick Mays an film/comic book in which has musical elements with terminology like "the tenth planet each planet is a musical note, and the tenth note completes the scale, and technomicrim," The below video Offers us a view of the composer whom is not only able to work within the limits of techno music, but to expand them. This is shown through the integration/collaboration with the Montpelier Philharmonic Orchestra. this shows the duality in which not only musicians whom perform techno have, but also that of composers and classically trained musicians, and a younger audeince. These videos have helped me to realize the culture within the complexities within the techno movement but also the personalities behind the creation of the genre. These videos also serve as a good research tool to further my understanding of techno music, and the historical concepts of collaboration.

Through working on the film with Chris, I have re-discovered a renewed vigor towards one of my great past times climbing, and towards Sailing Hawks (TSS as I know it as). Through this film I am also learning that the group of people whom I used to climb with at sailing hawks, has risen to another level of skill and passion within the area. This short short fallows the same story concept in which we are utilizing in these ways; it features a primary outdoor bouldering spot, it motives were not to only educate, but to display the community it self, and it was done for a class project by students. From this video I was able to better visualize more effective ways to film subjects in the act of climbing, the build-up attempts at climbing with gratification of completion. As a viewer I was able to gain a complete picture of the Bouldering scene, and being that I have previously spent years climbing the general info I already knew but was vital to a less experienced climber. Being that our film focuses more climbing in the outside venue, and a area in which is undocumented the partnership with Ian (guide book Author) our film is part of a bigger movement.

This video about Wesley Willis initially I thought was a comic spoof, or a video who's massage had been reformed through the directors point of view. The more info I uncovered I realized that Wesley Willis has been performing music since the mid-70's, he was diagnosed with Schitzopharnia during the early-80's. His fans whom felt such a connection to him and his music remained to fallow him, and with support from his manager, label, and social worker he has remained on tour and maintained a living. Other documentaries that came up with this search about Willis were more based on audience reactions, these docs seemed to be more objective, but though for as much mysticism that surrounds him, his fans respect his unique songs and head bumps (Willis greeting). This film did a good job of painting the picture of how Willis interests play a role in his song writing, and even his process in studio.

Doc review

For one of my two reviews I chose to cover The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. The main reason I chose this film is because of its original idea, and setting, and the subjective nature of the topic. The film is set within San Fransisco at the high ground of the city, in a sense a sanctuary within the city. The time that I lived in San Fransisco I have personally walked past this location , but have never been there my self in person. The film and the directors ability to pick a location within the San Fransisco which still holds a sense of mysticism. The film shows a series of character changes that vary from depression to ending with a romantic twist. The plot is able to convey two subjective natures simultaneously both that of Mark Bittner's, and the role of the parrots within a city in which is known for its uniqueness.

The other documentary that I watched was one named Modulations which is a doc that; not only serves to educate the viewer on the evolution of techno music from the advent up into the 20th century, but offers the viewer the perspective of seeing the culture through different perspectives (live performances, in studio, ect.). This film served personally as back around research for an up and coming documentary being made about a techno production in which I am an integral part in, and also gave me personal background that greatly influenced my personal production approach. Through the viewing of the film I have begun to experiment with a more poignant tonal approach towards note selections, and also elements of the genre (crescendo's, Beat tones), and have become a student of Peter Robots in the quest for techno bliss.

Great concept video

Calypso Education

Calypso music, whats that?, It's kinda like Reggae right? Questions of this nature have made me realize the importance of ehthnomusicialigy, and role of the narrator. This video serves as a catalyst for awareness much to what I work to achieve on some simpler level. This topical issue has issued an higher awareness of the choices I have made in the past, and also present and their role within my notion of my portrayal of the musical form calypso, and the Afro-Caribbean culture. This has lead me to conduct an three part personal study/survey of how I as an narrator interpret the pillars of the nature of calypso, and Afro-Caribbeans culture. Each survey will document different aspects of the narration process; the personal process of preforming, or creating calypsos so as to adhere to as much traditional aspects as possible, The second is education/diffusion of the Afro-Caribbean culture (music, lyrics, culture)to a group of three individual followed by a live performance, compared and contrasted with the findings from the first survey. The third being Sans Ritual Project an analysis similar to the next one, but contains 12 musician's from five different ethnic backgrounds, musical experiences, applies concepts of myth and culture. I hope to conclude from these to reflexively prove how we are just as much as humans prone to the same faults, and the act of subjectively judging/narrating foreign notions (music, language, race, etc)is from personal experience, and there fore there is no circumstance one truly valid narrator to be found in any culture through the world.

Calypso education

Video Reaction

In this video the musicians are playing two intsruments that have a historical values as for back as the time of slavery. the cigar box guitar, and can bass are world renouned for theie unique sound and historical remnince. Many fomous historcal musians like Bo-Diddly,Muddy Waters,The Mighty Sparrow have used this instrument. I personally own two One being an electric punch cigar box like the one the guy is playing, but with three Strings. The other one is also a punch that I am building myself, with a studibaker hub cap as a resonator. Since the great depresion Cigar box giuitars have been evolving in to the subculture of crafty inginuitive musicians. You tube has also acted as a catalyst for this evolution. This is through the idea of being able to list a challenge like (RE: Make your own hand made instruments)to a billion plus people, and being able to engage individuals in an artistic venture(s) (Film, Art).

Calypso Girl

This video serves as a perfect example of an biography of the all, but lost culture of the once mighty Afro-Caribbean. I have realized how the history of the early Africans and how the recreation of that history through the eyes of euro centrism. This can even be seen through the repression of such cultural elements as Music. Calypso music is the precursor or parent to Reggae, hop-hop, and blues, yet 8/10 musicians of that genre do not have any knowledge of this fact. As a band leader and producer I have trained fifteen different musicians from different backgrounds, ethnicity's, generations in this genre, but they all actively still perform many of the songs with other groups. That is what I have committed my last five years of my life to spreading the awareness of a music that serves as a cultural (religious, historical, art, self expression) land mark. We as an autonomous body of human beings must bring back the past, Becuase in this age of computers history seems all but forgotten.

Blog

The blog the I chose to look at was Ameila's as a whole her blog was well formated and she utilized many different things from her personality. I realy was mystified by the short she chose to use for many reasons the first being that the theme played off the old adage "eat a watermelon seed and a watermelon will grow out of your stomuch." The director used it as a metaphor more as life coming from life, but in this circumstance I feel the plants serve as a representative of the life on earth we take for granted (plants, Animals, Hiolistic medicen). The part when the character uses the peptobismal to try to stop the plants, and only aids in the growth shows As an example of how modern medicine serves as a sub-dominant under that of the holistic approach.

Video

This video utilizes many tools, and cinamatic methodes which I find to be very effective. The firtst being the use of the stop animation using action figures, I find this plot and approach very reminiciant of Robot chicken, but more sensicle. I personally practice aspects of the voodoo religion on a daily basis, I feel that the creater used the voodoo religion in a more relative sense than most cinamatic representations of the voodoo culture. For instance the use of the skeleton to detian the villain, is very repsentative of the encompansation of the soul by evil, or possion. The other tool used is the music that is proformed by The Voodoo Organiist, a musicain that has been playing the organ since he was ten and now has created his own genre as a means to maintian his self-expression as an individual. He use a thurman, while singing, and playing the organ and his left foot is simotaniasly playing the bass line on a moog synth. board, while being acompinied by a drummer.

Script Reading

For the scpript assignment I chose to read The Bus Of Doom, which is a low budget film about a group of students systematically being killed upon a bus. I chose this script because it relates to my film in the concept of the horror genre, also I found it humorous which is a key element of my film. My film is about a group of hippie zombies whom attack a metal group, one group member survives, and aided by the powerful hips of elvis they go on to destroy the hippie zombie race. The element of humor that I found within the Bus Of Doom, is reminiceant of many aspects of my script The Un-Graetful-ly Dead:The Revolt of the Hippies. The format of the script itself also served as a template for me to use as a format for a d-rated horror film, which often just by the stylistic quilities serves as a catalyst of humor.

video reaction

The flight of the concords are known for their humor and their ability to incorperate experimental video into this format. This video relates to my film through the use of music, and the use of a dark back drop to create tension. This video is useful to my fiction for many reasons; the first being that of the use of only six settings in which all relate and are simplistic in nature but each have there own light quilities (dark , light). The other is the use of a topical song, also the use of camera angles and how the create a sense of unbalnce with the use of movement. Also how the use of clothing (shiny, metallic object adds a deerper sense of visual astectics.

This videeo, and song stands out to me for many reasons; The most dominant being that
The use of images used (video clips, shot choices), and the hardshipeds that were faced, and endured by the population of New Orleans (dominantly the African Americans). How the directer of this video used the Sense of space by begginning in the studio with the bands in isolated sound boothes and then pans to a conjoined shot, and as the creshendo builds it expands to an arena proves to be a useful tool of cinama. Throughout this time the video clips show an situation within New orleans of skies Riddelled with planes, and helicopers fighting to re-build the levee. The ending shot is a sign that says "Not as Seen on TV," This in my mind shows that reality is not as we see it on tv. The unfortunate circomstance is that we as Americans at and watch people struggle, die, the last of the afro-carribean culture washed away, and difussed. Now most people in America have seem to forgotten what they saw, and still can't grasp the notion that half the city of New Orleans is still standing in a condemmed state (houses, people, music) and the goverment know has appropiated much of that land for themselve. As the video first image said "PARADISE," but that sure isnt in New Orleans any more.

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When looking to find new inovations in music my #1 new source is you tube. This video caught my eye because Yuri Lanes ability to mix the genres of Blues/Hip-Hop, and recreate an instrument that has been in existence for hundreds of years. I also like the Black and white format I feel that it offers the viewers a more historical lens, and this this aids in the conception of the audio. Being a hormonica player I have my self been trying to establish new concepts with the intstrument. Personally I have been utilyzing three effects pedals (Boss m-50, Digitech Vocal Hormonizer, and a digitech rpg 80), For amps I run a stereo mix of a Fender Deluxe, and a Vox Reverb, with a vintage Green Bullet microphone. Primarily I use this set-up when proforming Techno/Hip-Hop with The Christan Bryant Trio, and local DJ Peter Robot. Soon I will have the First midi driven power glove (yes that thing from Duck Hunt) that when linked to a mic, and with the help of a computer will allow me to do hundreds of effects, and drum, vocal and bass tracks with the movement of my fingers? Experimentation is soon to come, and here to stay!

Manual Monestel is one of the few living calypsonians in Costa Rica whom, maintains and revitalizes the world Calypso scene as we know it. Manual Monestel studied calypso music with Walter Fergusion for fifteen years before his death. Calypso music, and the Afro-Caribbean has had an personal impact on my life. While living in Cost Rica; I was lucky enough to have met Manual Monestel and many other calypsonians, exchanged thoughts on cultural ideas, and learn first hand the theory behind calypso music.
Since returning from CR I have produced, and performed in the only four calypso ever in the Durango area. The groups varied from 4-12 performers, and often Incorporated dancers for the performances. Currently I am soon to finish an album of my original Calypsos. and a few traditional ones that I have been working on for two years. There are 16 musicians which have recorded tracks on it, and many more to to come. So listen to Calypso and free your self, an free your mind!