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.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Notes 2 on "Between The Sheets and in The Streets"
The ability to hold together intense devotion to something with a simultaneous irony or even derision towards it is characteristic of much gay culture.” Richard Dryer
Film and video is analyzed in this series of essays in a way that made me understand new ways to express my ideas on documentation and analysis of queer documentary. I was able to engage with such terms as cinema verite, “the reflective cinema verite camera is regarded not as a fly on the wall, but as an engaged participant. Such “interactive” films typically foreground the camera, its operator, and the present-tense filming situation.” This description made me think about weather Travel Queeries could be likened to a fly on the wall or me the filmmaker as an engaged participate? I learned more about the term ethnography, “to know and experience the life and community of another.” Travel Queeries could become even more of an intriguing document and window into an “other” culture by looking through the ethnographic lens. At the same time I want to make TQ a mirror reflecting back into itself and the community I, as a filmmaker, choose to document. The film wears these two hats. As I become more familiar with the footage I will be able to construct a story arch that will express both of these realms.
In Chris Holmlund’s essay “When Autobiography Meets Ethnography: The Dyke Docs of Sadie Benning and Su Friedrich,” Holmlund comments on how these two filmmakers are put into the box of making “autobiographical” work. “Most critics easily label them autobiographies, diaries, or confessions. However, almost no one discusses these works as ethnographies. No mention is made of Benning’s consistent condemnation of homophobia, racism and sexism and no recognition is given to her general concern with young people and women. It is as if “autobiography” were understood solely as the inscription of a self-absorbed subjectivity uninvolved with others.”
In the context of TQ I could see how my work could be viewed in similar terms. Hearing the story of a life from the person who has lived it and who is making the document by themselves is very powerful and can tell you a lot about the demographic they are representing. I was impressed and inspired with Benning’s work. In “If every girl had a diary” and “Jollies” I was able to see her filming skills progress and her metaphors become deeper as she got older. I noticed her complete un-self-consciousness of sharing her world and stories with the viewer. I will share more about this in my film viewing post. The dyke doc’s chapter taught me how to reference autobiography and see it as more then just subjectivity but as an actual document through the filmmaker’s eyes.
Film and video is analyzed in this series of essays in a way that made me understand new ways to express my ideas on documentation and analysis of queer documentary. I was able to engage with such terms as cinema verite, “the reflective cinema verite camera is regarded not as a fly on the wall, but as an engaged participant. Such “interactive” films typically foreground the camera, its operator, and the present-tense filming situation.” This description made me think about weather Travel Queeries could be likened to a fly on the wall or me the filmmaker as an engaged participate? I learned more about the term ethnography, “to know and experience the life and community of another.” Travel Queeries could become even more of an intriguing document and window into an “other” culture by looking through the ethnographic lens. At the same time I want to make TQ a mirror reflecting back into itself and the community I, as a filmmaker, choose to document. The film wears these two hats. As I become more familiar with the footage I will be able to construct a story arch that will express both of these realms.
In Chris Holmlund’s essay “When Autobiography Meets Ethnography: The Dyke Docs of Sadie Benning and Su Friedrich,” Holmlund comments on how these two filmmakers are put into the box of making “autobiographical” work. “Most critics easily label them autobiographies, diaries, or confessions. However, almost no one discusses these works as ethnographies. No mention is made of Benning’s consistent condemnation of homophobia, racism and sexism and no recognition is given to her general concern with young people and women. It is as if “autobiography” were understood solely as the inscription of a self-absorbed subjectivity uninvolved with others.”
In the context of TQ I could see how my work could be viewed in similar terms. Hearing the story of a life from the person who has lived it and who is making the document by themselves is very powerful and can tell you a lot about the demographic they are representing. I was impressed and inspired with Benning’s work. In “If every girl had a diary” and “Jollies” I was able to see her filming skills progress and her metaphors become deeper as she got older. I noticed her complete un-self-consciousness of sharing her world and stories with the viewer. I will share more about this in my film viewing post. The dyke doc’s chapter taught me how to reference autobiography and see it as more then just subjectivity but as an actual document through the filmmaker’s eyes.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
film viewing notes "Paris is Burning"
Here are some of the ideas I came up with while watching "Paris is Burning." These are my musings on how to relate the things I watch to how I choose to construct Travel Queeries. I have also written notes on perspectives and shots I liked.
-Having the characters explain what the film is about
-Showing people b-roll then introducing themselves
-Explaining what queer is, many different perspectives, similar to explaining what "the ball is."
-The various aspects of queer identity broken up into categories like sex, political, theory, combine this with animation sequences to tie it all together.
-Break dancing derives from Egyptian hieroglyphics and gymnastics
-Really intense intersection of oppression, homophobia, sexism and racism. Speech about trying to be white and rich, this being in the ultimate goal. Seduced by power.
-The domination of capitalism in the 80's, how the balls went from "what you can create to what you can acquire,"designers verses fashion
-"Everything is drag, all outfits, all roles, all identities"
-Having the characters explain what the film is about
-Showing people b-roll then introducing themselves
-Explaining what queer is, many different perspectives, similar to explaining what "the ball is."
-The various aspects of queer identity broken up into categories like sex, political, theory, combine this with animation sequences to tie it all together.
-Break dancing derives from Egyptian hieroglyphics and gymnastics
-Really intense intersection of oppression, homophobia, sexism and racism. Speech about trying to be white and rich, this being in the ultimate goal. Seduced by power.
-The domination of capitalism in the 80's, how the balls went from "what you can create to what you can acquire,"designers verses fashion
-"Everything is drag, all outfits, all roles, all identities"
Friday, October 12, 2007
Treatment for TQ work in progress extended trailer
Themes:
Identity
gender, sexuality, race
International
community, queer scene, specific politics, firsts
Events
Queeruption, Mitmoch show, ladyfest Berlin, London pride, Trangenial Berlin, Bar wotever
Hard
Challenges they face
Great
Good experiences they have had and what they like best about being queer
Opening
Title
mouths
Queer clips, what is this word? sally, Mimi
Intros
Debra Kate, Jean Genet,Maija
Identities
Scratch, talking about race and trans issues
Jeni, talking about being a different kind of women
Debra Kate, never feeling like a girl, finding drag
Pia, being a bio drag queen
Music and performance break
International
Sally, no boarders politics
Maija, making a new Eastern European definition of queer
the first Queer theory class at Belgrade University
Luca, transnational queer
Lotta, people from all over Europe living together
Positive
Jean Genet talking about their band and being connected to an amazing community
Music and credits
Identity
gender, sexuality, race
International
community, queer scene, specific politics, firsts
Events
Queeruption, Mitmoch show, ladyfest Berlin, London pride, Trangenial Berlin, Bar wotever
Hard
Challenges they face
Great
Good experiences they have had and what they like best about being queer
Opening
Title
mouths
Queer clips, what is this word? sally, Mimi
Intros
Debra Kate, Jean Genet,Maija
Identities
Scratch, talking about race and trans issues
Jeni, talking about being a different kind of women
Debra Kate, never feeling like a girl, finding drag
Pia, being a bio drag queen
Music and performance break
International
Sally, no boarders politics
Maija, making a new Eastern European definition of queer
the first Queer theory class at Belgrade University
Luca, transnational queer
Lotta, people from all over Europe living together
Positive
Jean Genet talking about their band and being connected to an amazing community
Music and credits
Notes1 on "Between the Sheets, and In the Streets, Queer, Lesbian and Gay Documentary"
“Our project, once again, is one of suggestion, provocation, and encouragement, meant to remind ourselves and our readers how important it is to acknowledge and value the shifting layering of identity and community, even as we work toward what we feel is the crucial task of coalition building.” This phrase in the introduction to “between the sheets” drew me in immediately. I felt as I read this book that I was talking to friends about their experiences in making queer film. I could draw correlations between the filmmakers movies and my own.
In Chris Cagle’s essay “Imaging the Queer South” he states that, “Though it is posed as a national movement, “queer” frequently means specifically Northern and/or metropolitan, while Southern queers living in the South are viewed as an amorphous group of “Others.” I could easily see this happen between Eastern and Western European queers. As we filmed in the East we could see how the Western Europeans viewed the queer Eastern situation as tragic and went there to help as much as they could. While the Eastern European queers could see the Westerners as helpful but felt okay with the situation they had and wanted to do more organizing in the regions they lived in amongst themselves without using methods and ideas imported from the West.
Cagle uses the term “Gay and Lesbian affirmational documentary” to mean a “retroactive narrative of coming out and personal journeys as political testimony.” While editing Travel Queeries I am getting ideas for what language I want to use in discussing the film and the kind of documentary it is becoming. I see Travel Queeries as a combination of participatory and performative documentary. I appreciate reading descriptions about the choices filmmakers use to express the feelings they are trying to encourage their audiences to have. In “Greetings from Out Here” Ellen Spiro talks from an insider’s perspective on being queer in the south, Spiro lets herself become a part of the documentary by reconciling her past as a Southerner living in the North while at the same time documenting modern Southern queer culture. I look forward to more insider information and a larger perspective on what my documentary could represent as I continue to read these essays.
In Chris Cagle’s essay “Imaging the Queer South” he states that, “Though it is posed as a national movement, “queer” frequently means specifically Northern and/or metropolitan, while Southern queers living in the South are viewed as an amorphous group of “Others.” I could easily see this happen between Eastern and Western European queers. As we filmed in the East we could see how the Western Europeans viewed the queer Eastern situation as tragic and went there to help as much as they could. While the Eastern European queers could see the Westerners as helpful but felt okay with the situation they had and wanted to do more organizing in the regions they lived in amongst themselves without using methods and ideas imported from the West.
Cagle uses the term “Gay and Lesbian affirmational documentary” to mean a “retroactive narrative of coming out and personal journeys as political testimony.” While editing Travel Queeries I am getting ideas for what language I want to use in discussing the film and the kind of documentary it is becoming. I see Travel Queeries as a combination of participatory and performative documentary. I appreciate reading descriptions about the choices filmmakers use to express the feelings they are trying to encourage their audiences to have. In “Greetings from Out Here” Ellen Spiro talks from an insider’s perspective on being queer in the south, Spiro lets herself become a part of the documentary by reconciling her past as a Southerner living in the North while at the same time documenting modern Southern queer culture. I look forward to more insider information and a larger perspective on what my documentary could represent as I continue to read these essays.
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