I really liked this film!
In the beginning, cool use of sound collage, using the spoken word rhythm element.
-Poetry, words, voices of characters over the b-roll used to introduce them.
-The sesame streetesque "snap lesson," this was a great way to show you black gay male culture in a light, funny way. Growing up watching Sesame Street I have a special fondness for this style of sharing information.
-Marlon Riggs chooses to follow the story of himself and his constituency in a very controlled/manufactured way, yet still making it a documentary. It has a different flavor to watch someone work in this model instead of the anthropological documentary I am used to seeing.
-I like Riggs' use of closeups on lips to show rhythm and make sound for the film. We are having a discussion with lips and body parts as much as people.
-I really liked the poetry of Essex Hemphill, this thread running through the film kept me engaged and told the story of these people in a beautiful as well as educational way. Through poetry I learned the different facets of oppression in the black gay male community.
and very "Silence is my cloak, it smothers, Silence is my sword, it stabs." In this poem the character is expressing how black gay men spend most of there lives in silence torn between there identities isolated.
"My body contains as much anger as water."
"Are you more black or gay? its like saying are you more your right testicle or you left?
"Part your eyelids, resounding refrain of two grown men making love"
-In the film there is an inside conversation and an outside conversation similar to TQ. I want to study this film more to get a sense of how they play this neutral ground.
- I learned that as a black gay man you learn many different cultures and to speak the language of all different groups. The white man language, the black man language, the gay language and the secret black gay man language.
This film was beautifully crafted and a cool experimental documentary to watch.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Thursday, November 8, 2007
"Outlaw" Film viewing notes
The film was conducted in a gym to show dignity and strength of trans people. Kate Bornstein is seen working out, something she does every week. She uses the gym to "Sweat out the bad energy inside her body from the negative messages of society."
I found this film to be a good ally training video. Some of the techniques used to express trans identity were interesting but there was not much complexity to the film.
There is a shot of Bornstein getting dressed in the "Obligatory tie scene." she puts on a suit, the quintessential male wear trade mark. I thought about how this is used in movies about gender, getting dressed is often a key feature in trans movies, the process of changing ones self on the outside to conform to how they want to be seen and how they feel on the inside. I have thought about whether I want a getting dressed scene in TQ. In some ways I think it limits the ideas of gender saying you dress as what you feel so that is what you are. I also see it as an easy way for allies to understand what Bornstein is talking about. This goes into the bigger question of how to weave TQ so that it speaks to a queer audience and a non-queer audience? I think I want to get a straight ally to be the editor to help with this discussion.
The final line I liked in the movie was "Where we go becomes dangerous, the places we are our not dangerous." I liked this point on seeing trans people as humans that are oppressed by society not freaks that are trying to hurt and convert people.
I found this film to be a good ally training video. Some of the techniques used to express trans identity were interesting but there was not much complexity to the film.
There is a shot of Bornstein getting dressed in the "Obligatory tie scene." she puts on a suit, the quintessential male wear trade mark. I thought about how this is used in movies about gender, getting dressed is often a key feature in trans movies, the process of changing ones self on the outside to conform to how they want to be seen and how they feel on the inside. I have thought about whether I want a getting dressed scene in TQ. In some ways I think it limits the ideas of gender saying you dress as what you feel so that is what you are. I also see it as an easy way for allies to understand what Bornstein is talking about. This goes into the bigger question of how to weave TQ so that it speaks to a queer audience and a non-queer audience? I think I want to get a straight ally to be the editor to help with this discussion.
The final line I liked in the movie was "Where we go becomes dangerous, the places we are our not dangerous." I liked this point on seeing trans people as humans that are oppressed by society not freaks that are trying to hurt and convert people.
Week1 through week6 weekly Schedules for Fall
Week 2 week schedule
Week 1, Beginning The Contract
Learning how to make a documentary film Post Production
Logged footage of summer 2007 interviews of Mijda, Scratch, Jenni and DebraKate for extended trailer footage
Read “In The Blink of an Eye” editing book where I learned about different techniques for editing. (See readings for longer description)
Finished syllabus
Talked to friend about tutoring on Final Cut pro
Had phone meeting with film team about interns and post- production schedule. Refined ideas for Interns and their roles in the project
Week 2, Learning final cut pro
Logged/captured/edited sequences for extended trailer with tutor and film team
Through doing this I learned the ins and outs of Final cut pro, this was a crash course in how to use this program.
Watched films of Sadie Benning with friends (See film viewing notes)
Transferred super 8 film in Seattle
Had alone date to log and capture footage for trailer, first time really working on program alone.
Continued to read “In The Blink Of An Eye” and started “Between the Sheets and in the Streets”(see readings)
Week 3, Learning final cut pro
Wrote a simple storyboard for extended trailer to use for editing
Made a skeleton of footage to edit for trailer
Helped in editing a 8 min. extended trailer for the Seattle Lesbian and Gay film festival which we finished on Thursday the 11th
Read “Between the Sheets and In the Streets” and “The Filmmaker’s Handbook” for technical and theory skills (see readings)
Watched “Paris is Burning” (see film viewing notes)
Week 4, Learning communication and post production film making skills
Started work on fall fundraiser, made invitation, contacted people to come and contacted people to help with event
Watched “Tongues Untied”
Finished “Between The Sheets and in the Streets” (see readings)
Had meeting with Film team to discuss fall fundraiser and interns
Week 5, Learning post production skills and editing skills
Made DVD of TQ extended trailer to watch at Fundraiser
Started to learn sound editing software and IDVD
Met with Julia to discuss progress of project and get feed back on Extended trailer
Watched Benjamin Smoke (See film viewing notes)
Started to read “Intro. To Queer Theory”
Week 6, Learning post production skills and editing skills
Met with Mediator for interpersonal work on the film with film team
Read “Intro to Queer Theory”
Logged/captured footage of Serbia, by region, for rough-cut.
Made new DVD with Julia corrections, learned how to compress film using Compressor software
Watched the films of Jem Cohen and “Outlaw”
Called Universities and posted Intern flyer electronically through out Seattle and Olympia
Had animation meeting with film team to discuss courting animators for our production, timeline for them to submit work and creative ideas for the kind of animation we want
Sent Pal tapes in for transfer to NTSC
Week 1, Beginning The Contract
Learning how to make a documentary film Post Production
Logged footage of summer 2007 interviews of Mijda, Scratch, Jenni and DebraKate for extended trailer footage
Read “In The Blink of an Eye” editing book where I learned about different techniques for editing. (See readings for longer description)
Finished syllabus
Talked to friend about tutoring on Final Cut pro
Had phone meeting with film team about interns and post- production schedule. Refined ideas for Interns and their roles in the project
Week 2, Learning final cut pro
Logged/captured/edited sequences for extended trailer with tutor and film team
Through doing this I learned the ins and outs of Final cut pro, this was a crash course in how to use this program.
Watched films of Sadie Benning with friends (See film viewing notes)
Transferred super 8 film in Seattle
Had alone date to log and capture footage for trailer, first time really working on program alone.
Continued to read “In The Blink Of An Eye” and started “Between the Sheets and in the Streets”(see readings)
Week 3, Learning final cut pro
Wrote a simple storyboard for extended trailer to use for editing
Made a skeleton of footage to edit for trailer
Helped in editing a 8 min. extended trailer for the Seattle Lesbian and Gay film festival which we finished on Thursday the 11th
Read “Between the Sheets and In the Streets” and “The Filmmaker’s Handbook” for technical and theory skills (see readings)
Watched “Paris is Burning” (see film viewing notes)
Week 4, Learning communication and post production film making skills
Started work on fall fundraiser, made invitation, contacted people to come and contacted people to help with event
Watched “Tongues Untied”
Finished “Between The Sheets and in the Streets” (see readings)
Had meeting with Film team to discuss fall fundraiser and interns
Week 5, Learning post production skills and editing skills
Made DVD of TQ extended trailer to watch at Fundraiser
Started to learn sound editing software and IDVD
Met with Julia to discuss progress of project and get feed back on Extended trailer
Watched Benjamin Smoke (See film viewing notes)
Started to read “Intro. To Queer Theory”
Week 6, Learning post production skills and editing skills
Met with Mediator for interpersonal work on the film with film team
Read “Intro to Queer Theory”
Logged/captured footage of Serbia, by region, for rough-cut.
Made new DVD with Julia corrections, learned how to compress film using Compressor software
Watched the films of Jem Cohen and “Outlaw”
Called Universities and posted Intern flyer electronically through out Seattle and Olympia
Had animation meeting with film team to discuss courting animators for our production, timeline for them to submit work and creative ideas for the kind of animation we want
Sent Pal tapes in for transfer to NTSC
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