McDonald's Introduction to Avant-Garde Film

McDonald seems to have little faith in audiences and traditional cinema around the world. The general statement that a "traditional" theatre audience would watch an avant-garde film and only state, "That was too long," is very presumptuous on McDonalds part.

Not to mention, the poor Lumieres, who were merely trying to show audiences new exciting things, and also advertising their new technology at the same time. I'm almost positive they weren't thinking how their single continuous shot format created, "a sustained examination and appreciation of subjects for their wholeness". Rather, the Lumieres probably didn't have the technology to create anything other than one continuous shot.

McDonald's introduction to avant-garde was verging on over-analyzation of history and a complete disregard for any merits conventional cinema had to offer.

Richter and Truffaut- BFFLs

After the second page of Richter's article I could not stop thinking about Francois Truffaut's article A Certain Tendency In French Cinema. I don't know why I drew this comparison, because Truffaut mainly deals with the idea of auteur theory. There were similarities though, mainly with the idea of film as its own unique medium. Richter and Truffaut both found fault with the idea of transferring novels and plays, or other entertainment, to film. Maybe it's not so curious that I made a connection seeing as Truffaut's article was published in 1954 and Richter's was published in 1955, at the dawn of traditional film rejection.

I liked Richters concept that experimental film was "a new fulfillment on a new level" for modern art. The brief history given where experimental films came from is helpful, especially for future viewings.

M's Manifesto

Happiness is what I seek from life. Films make me happy and that is why I want to be a filmmaker. I can't necessarily pin-point one genre that I like more than others. I tend to seek out animated films because anything is acceptable, there are no limits. This is what I think draws me to experimental films as well.

Other things that make me happy:

1) Pesto

2) Music

3) Photography

4) Traveling

5) A freshly made bed

6) Listening to books on tape

What do I want? I want to make music videos and I want to be an animator. I want to eat lots of Edy's loaded mint-chocolate-chip-brownie ice cream.

Being a senior is a scary thing. I don't want to leave school and be a "real" person. I have no idea what practical purpose my film degree will serve me after I graduate in May. I want to make other people happy with my films. This is my long term goal, even if I only touch one person with my art, I will have succeeded. Film to me, is my means to create that moment of understanding and connection with another human being. The brief moments before the credits roll, in a dark theatre, after viewing a film that I just got are mind blowing. That is a very special thing. That's what I want to create for another person. To achieve that will be my greatest accomplishment.