Reading Response #3 Scott MacDonald article

In Scott MacDonald’s article, he speaks about avant-garde films. He reflects on the lost of such a fine form of cinema and the creation of commercial film that has over shadowed one of the beginning forms of cinema. Most people don’t get to experience avant-garde films in there originality and don’t get to see this until their late teens or some may never experience it.

When I look at film I see more then just actors, direction, props and lighting. I’m looking at the art of the film. The way the film maker structured the film from their mind. How they see and view the world they live in. As a young film maker I see it fit to go back and look at those before you and learn from the ones that crafted the thing you love and hop to create of your own.

A group of filmmakers in the article questioned commercial cinemas failure to connect to people spiritually like music and maybe in a way a painting may do. I think that commercial film has the same effect of connecting to people the way any form of media art does. It’s depends on the individual that is taking in the art. I have watched commercial film and felt a connection with the film. Cinema has undoubtedly this day and age, became very formulaic and predictive. Maybe that is because in the 1920’s cinema was just really starting. Narratives and new ideas were developing. Now we fast forward a few years ahead and some film makers are recycling the same old stuff.

Since being in college I have learned to appreciate all forms of film, no matter what shape or form it is in. Avant-garde cinema will never diminish or fade away as long as there are people willing to pick it up and learn from it. I don’t believe any form of cinema is a failure because it eventually evolves into something more.

Video Hardware/ Software Response

1. How was your experience with the Olympus digital camera? How did it compare with other still or video cameras you have previously used? Were you able to successfully implement your Image Capturing Strategies using the features of this camera? In an ideal world, how would your still/video camera of choice function?

- My experience with the Olympus digital camera was ok. I think I had a faulty one, because it would kill the batteries fast and it was difficult to turn it on. All and all, the camera’s functions of taking still images and video worked well. The cameras photos I think was still a little bit higher resolution then I wanted, but I can manipulate that through editing. I didn’t want crisp pictures and video with my project. Compared to other cameras I have used I would rate this 6 out of 10. The lower the number, the more effort you have o put into making it a 10. That was the fun part of the project was making it what you want. I was able to capture my light strategy pretty well with this camera. In an ideal world I wouldn’t know what my camera would function be, because it would be an ideal world, I like this world now.

2. Discuss your choice of video-editing software and describe your history with this software. If you used this software for the first time, explain why you chose this particular application and how you think it helped you to accomplish your creative goals (or proved detrimental). Will you use this software again for future projects?

- For the beginning of the drift 2 blog. I was using Avid as editing software on my windows vistas. I had difficulty with it last year when I first took the class, but I learned how to use it once I worked out the kinks in it. Then Avid started to go bad again and I have to use different editing software on a Mac. I chose Avid because it was already on my computer and I had worked wit it before, but I guess it was a bad choice. On the Mac I’m going to use Final Cut or Movie Maker to finish my final film. I know that those programs will help me get to my creative goals. I wont ever be using Avid again because of the difficulty of the software and its unreliable.