Syllabus for
“The Nature of Documentary, Editing and Theory of Travel Queeries”
By, Margaritte Knezek
Texts I will read:
Technical Skill:
“In the Blink of an Eye: A Perspective on Film Editing” Murch, Walter.
“The Visual Story: Seeing the Structure of Film, TV and New Media” Block, Bruce
“The Filmmaker's Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for the Digital Age” Ascher and
Pincus.
“FinalCut6 Pro Guide”
Critical History, Theory:
“Intro to Queer Theory” By, Jagose, Annemarie
“Between the Sheets and in the Streets, Queer, Lesbian, and Gay Documentary” Holmlund, Chris
Documentaries I will watch:
“Trembling Before G-D”
“Wild Life”
“Me and Ruby Fruit” and other films by Sadie Benning
“Paris is Burning”
“Word is out”
“Before Stonewall”
“The Gleaners and I”
“Films of Jem Cohen”
“Benjamin Smoke”
“Boy I am”
“Tongues Untied”
“ Outlaw”
“Juggling Gender”
“Nomads and No Zones”
Week by week schedule
Logging/capturing/editing footage
Reading
Writing on blog which includes, a film viewing journal, notes on my readings and various treatments and plans for the final version of the film. Also a week by week schedule.
Meeting with film team
Watching films
Working on fund raisers
Week 1 September 25-28th
Find and meet with tutor on final cut pro
Find editor intern/ PR intern/ titles intern for winter and Spring Quarter
Meet with film team to begin editing short piece for Seattle lesbian and gay film festival
Start to read “In the Blink of an Eye”
Watch “Nomads and No-Zones” with film group
Write on academic blog about my readings and learning as well as Treatment for short piece
Meet with Julia to go over syllabus
Week 2 October 1-5th
Meet with tutor on final cut pro
Log/capture/edit footage for short
Continue looking for Interns
Read “In the Blink of an Eye” start “Between the sheets and in the streets”
Meet with film group to watch “Me and Ruby fruit” and other Sadie Benning movies
Write on academic blog about my readings and learning
Week 3 October 8-12th
Have short piece ready for the Seattle gay and Lesbian film festival on the 14th
Watch “Paris is burning”
Read “Between the sheets” Start to read excerpts from “A Filmmaker’s Handbook”
Write on academic blog about my readings and learning
Week 4 October 15-19th
Start work on fundraiser party set for November 18th, make evite and start inviting people
Watch “Tongues Untied”
Read more excerpts from “A Filmmaker’s handbook” and start “ Intro. To Queer Theory”
Write on academic blog about my readings and learning
Week 5 October 22nd-26th
Log/capture footage for rough-cut screening set for spring 08, work with short we created and add on.
Work on fundraiser party by burning DVD and getting together food donations
Meet with Julia to discuss progress
Watch “Benjamin Smoke”
Read “Intro. To Queer Theory”
Write on academic blog about my readings and learning
Week 6 October 29th-November 2nd
Log/capture footage for rough-cut screening
Continue learning Final Cut with a book
Do university research for Production and PR interns for Jan.08-June 08
Watch “Outlaw” and The Films of “Jem Cohen”
Start to read “The Visual Story”
Write on academic blog about my readings and learning
Week 7 November 5-9th
Log/capture/edit footage for rough-cut screening
Continue learning Final Cut with a book
Work on fundraiser party
Watch “Word is out” and “Before Stonewall”
Finish reading “The Visual Story”
Write on academic blog about my readings and learning
Week 8 November 12-16th
Log/capture footage for rough-cut screening
Continue learning Final Cut with a book
Have Fundraiser Fall Soriee party in Seattle!
Start work on my reverse storyboard final project
Watch “Juggling Gender” and “Trembling before G-D” with film group
Write on academic blog about my learning and about the fundraiser
Week 9 November 26-30th
Log/capture footage for rough-cut screening
Watch “Wild Life” with film group
Continue learning Final Cut with a book
Work on reverse storyboard
Send thank you notes to attendees of fundraiser
Start holiday letter writing fundraiser for TQ
Write on academic blog about my readings, learning
Week 10 December 3rd-7th
Have final reverse storyboard done to show to Julia
Continue holiday letter writing fundraiser for TQ
Watch “Boy I am” with film group
Write Self Evaluation
Evaluative blog on the quarter and my thought on the final project
Week 11 December 10-14th Eval Week
Faculty evaluation from Julia
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Notes on "Benjamin Smoke"
A sense of mystery starts this beautifully documented film. Snatches of a person in darkness, close-ups of different body parts in grainy black and white. This film sets up a good sense of place and texture.
-Monologues-slowly inform the viewer of the story, extreme full frame close ups as Benjamin talks.
-I like the use of sound in darkness making you guess what is going to happen, the next shot is slowly coming in and out of a simple banjo rhythm, setting the stage for this performers work.
-The technical skill and choices in this film are what drew me in the most. I wanted to take up art photography again, I learned about different visual tactics for using super8, I learned to see the art of cinematography.
-Jem Cohen introduced people by doing mug shots in Super 8 with them talking over the still, quiet, shots.
-The choice of having him work fast forward cooking in the kitchen as b-roll was an accurate representation of his speed addiction. I liked the shot of his collections around the house; a fast shot with slow music makes a nice contrast and identifies his personality.
-The whole film was very intimate, him in his bed, walking around, lying down, you were really getting to know this person in there full humanity.
-The “stuff” of the cabbage town community as signifiers of what this town is, its identity shared through the objects that end up there.
-A beautiful color night shot showing the evening urban landscape, similar to a long exposure color photograph.
-The sounds of the South, buzzing night signs glowing, loud crickets, good mood sound
-Close up of Ben staring into camera with city night light behind him, I like all the simple face on shots used to share this person with you.
-“What is beautiful and difficult?”
-Jumpy close-ups while telling his life story in the middle of the documentary instead of the beginning testimonial style in black and white, I would like to use this style in TQ.
-Sound collage of random conversation, showing the people sitting together smoking weed, with the audio of the conversation dubbed over the top, this creates a nice mood and is a dynamic way of using sound.
-After his death, audio with photos, sad, good use of photos as a document, flashes of the whole movie dispersed in between holga like photos of him.
-I liked how they did not end the film with his death; they even showed live footage of him afterward.
- I liked reading the DVD pamphlet afterward and it sharing how the filmmakers followed Benjamin for years and documented with whatever they were able to afford at the time. This left the film with a diversity of mediums covered that really added to the character sketch of this person Benjamin. I really liked this documentary and was thoroughly inspired to shoot as artistically as Jem Cohen.
-Monologues-slowly inform the viewer of the story, extreme full frame close ups as Benjamin talks.
-I like the use of sound in darkness making you guess what is going to happen, the next shot is slowly coming in and out of a simple banjo rhythm, setting the stage for this performers work.
-The technical skill and choices in this film are what drew me in the most. I wanted to take up art photography again, I learned about different visual tactics for using super8, I learned to see the art of cinematography.
-Jem Cohen introduced people by doing mug shots in Super 8 with them talking over the still, quiet, shots.
-The choice of having him work fast forward cooking in the kitchen as b-roll was an accurate representation of his speed addiction. I liked the shot of his collections around the house; a fast shot with slow music makes a nice contrast and identifies his personality.
-The whole film was very intimate, him in his bed, walking around, lying down, you were really getting to know this person in there full humanity.
-The “stuff” of the cabbage town community as signifiers of what this town is, its identity shared through the objects that end up there.
-A beautiful color night shot showing the evening urban landscape, similar to a long exposure color photograph.
-The sounds of the South, buzzing night signs glowing, loud crickets, good mood sound
-Close up of Ben staring into camera with city night light behind him, I like all the simple face on shots used to share this person with you.
-“What is beautiful and difficult?”
-Jumpy close-ups while telling his life story in the middle of the documentary instead of the beginning testimonial style in black and white, I would like to use this style in TQ.
-Sound collage of random conversation, showing the people sitting together smoking weed, with the audio of the conversation dubbed over the top, this creates a nice mood and is a dynamic way of using sound.
-After his death, audio with photos, sad, good use of photos as a document, flashes of the whole movie dispersed in between holga like photos of him.
-I liked how they did not end the film with his death; they even showed live footage of him afterward.
- I liked reading the DVD pamphlet afterward and it sharing how the filmmakers followed Benjamin for years and documented with whatever they were able to afford at the time. This left the film with a diversity of mediums covered that really added to the character sketch of this person Benjamin. I really liked this documentary and was thoroughly inspired to shoot as artistically as Jem Cohen.
Notes on the Videos of Sadie Benning
“I’ve been waiting for that day when I could walk the streets and people would look at me and say, “That’s a dyke.” And if they didn’t like it, they would fall into the center of the earth and deal with themselves”
“Me and Rubyfriut” The videos of Sadie Benning
“If Every Girl Had a Diary” In this technically well done video the eyes of the character start to portray a face, without a mouth. You are looking at a lesbian, facing this queer person who is coming out without showing her mouth. In Benning’s videos she often uses metaphor. In one shot she closes shutters to hint at her friend becoming a Nazi, closing herself up to this fate. This work inspired me to think of using B-roll for Symbolism when making TQ.
Benning’s use of place, being stuck behind the bars on her window, an empty couch to signify aloneness, all set the stage for these deeply emotional interactions with the camera. We the viewer become her diary. The single hand to gesture as she speaks was mesmerizing to watch. Benning shares a story through the gestures of a single hand, her hand, to examine one body part and give it a life. I really liked this observational narrative.
“Me and Rubyfruit” I appreciated Benning’s use of text and notes to have a dialogue with you the viewer and herself. There is no “Other,” just a teen alone telling a story. In this video the eyes start to become objects not related to a body, they become foreign, almost grotesque without the context of a person behind them. Benning talks about how her stomach hurts and then shows a series of heterosexual porn. I like how it is always linked back to her body and feelings, Benning relates to the world from a somatic place that makes you immediately feel connected to her and her struggles.
“Me and Rubyfriut” The videos of Sadie Benning
“If Every Girl Had a Diary” In this technically well done video the eyes of the character start to portray a face, without a mouth. You are looking at a lesbian, facing this queer person who is coming out without showing her mouth. In Benning’s videos she often uses metaphor. In one shot she closes shutters to hint at her friend becoming a Nazi, closing herself up to this fate. This work inspired me to think of using B-roll for Symbolism when making TQ.
Benning’s use of place, being stuck behind the bars on her window, an empty couch to signify aloneness, all set the stage for these deeply emotional interactions with the camera. We the viewer become her diary. The single hand to gesture as she speaks was mesmerizing to watch. Benning shares a story through the gestures of a single hand, her hand, to examine one body part and give it a life. I really liked this observational narrative.
“Me and Rubyfruit” I appreciated Benning’s use of text and notes to have a dialogue with you the viewer and herself. There is no “Other,” just a teen alone telling a story. In this video the eyes start to become objects not related to a body, they become foreign, almost grotesque without the context of a person behind them. Benning talks about how her stomach hurts and then shows a series of heterosexual porn. I like how it is always linked back to her body and feelings, Benning relates to the world from a somatic place that makes you immediately feel connected to her and her struggles.
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