Film Maker

Stan Brakhage

 Even just after watching a few minutes of “DOG STAR MAN” a film by Stan Brakhage I feel that the montage  of flickering imagery reminds me of going to techno clubs with ambient rooms in the 1990’s. There would be projected images of fractals and imagery. These images seemed to suit what people were taking Ecstasy, marijuana, acid or variants of such drugs.

Yesterday I though there was no way I would be making a montage film after watching some of Dog Star Man.

Artist Research

A few weeks ago I had the idea of making a film a bout a woman living in a bed sit. A really sloppy, messy, dirty looking environment. A sloth.

She’s in bed looking a mess. She gets up late afternoon? Then showers and applies make up, hair styled and clothes to perfection. She leaves the bedsit looking completely different to the person we first see in bed. It ends here or she goes “somewhere” ? This could cover the Metamorphosis element or the secrets and lies.

Her transformation the metamorphosis. Also her appearance gives an illusion that her life style is very different from how she lives.

—————————————————-

A number of ideas have come to mind

• Someone who lives in  a car to further the theme above

• I could film myself walking up to people having conversations and telling lies or secrets?

• A theme around Chinese whispers.

• People who lie on Facebook and pretend to be people they are not. Themes

  around deception.

• Or the kodak moments that most people present of them selves on the internet. It was hilarious watching people taking selfies. Pretending to chill out in a tree for about 2 seconds because actually it was really uncomfortable. But promoting an idea of them selves.

  —————————————————————–

This morning after many “head” ideas. I was driving to college. Tynemouth beach was stunning as the daylight was just coming up. The simplicity so beautiful. I started to think about the simplicity of life. How life just unfolds daily. Days happens, night happens everyday.

The other side of life being the illusion. Where society is driven by materialism of sorts. Even the path of spirituality seem like a very similar goal to the materialist. Something to be achieved. The goal of being successful, saintly or an impossible task to find yourself.

Our modern Gods are perfection, looking right, having things, being successful. All reinforcements of the self (ego)

Myself I also went down these paths of materialism, the self-improvement route and the spiritual path. It seems now I don’t hold much meaning in any of them. It all seems illusionary to me even ideas of God.

Though it seems that living in this illusion is part of the human experience.

Now that I don’t have as much investment in the illusion that creates a ME.

I seem to enjoy more the simplicity of this life that just happens. A world that wakes up and goes to sleep on what we call a Day.

After thinking through many story lines. I would like to do a montage type film. Possibly filming very simple things, making tea, dropping my daughter off at school, driving to college, sunrise.

I imagine the music to be melancholic. There may be a story line that comes from the various shots taken.

10th January 2010

Playing with the camera looking at images of beauty. Rain . How scenes change when looking through glass.

11th January 2017

Filming and talking ideas.

Many ideas flooded in this morning. Using symbolic items to represent the mental. I found some props in charity shops and a fancy dress place..Handcuffs (feelings of being trapped), police hats ( the inner policeman). Clown noses( humour) etc

(Had a long chat with the owner , he turned out to be a creative writer. he did creative writing with Alzheimer patients and some to his astonishment snapped back during his courses.)

I initially filmed the beach road journey and some beach shots this morning.Just the simplicity of light. Also feeling influenced by the experimental films of the early 1900’s. A slight slap stick feel, comedy. I’d like to do some of the film in black and white.

I’m also feeling that I don’t want the film to make sense in a way to throw the watcher.

I have some strong scene images that I want to include, But don’t feel a story line yet , but one may emerge.

Filming. in the house my first scene set in bed with cuddly toys all around me, Resembling a soft cuddly cosy sleep. Dreamy in dreamland.

Waking from slumber. Those few moments of pure peace as one awakes.

I go to itch my nose and it is revealed that I am in handcuffs.

Next scene my handcuffed hand reveals a dice.

I start to shake the dice. the dice repeatedly comes up as two.

Two representing Dualism. Dualistic thoughts are how thoughts split up everything seen and experienced. The brain labels and describes separating life into separate components despite everything being completely  interdependent. It is impossible to see where one thing starts and one thing ends without words (description)

15th January 2017

———————————————————————-

Adding more ideas. Changing the narrative.

With some car scenes filmed in the dark and scenes filmed in bed there is a great contrast between the dark and brightness.

I have decided that the dark car scene will be a dream or nightmare . Trapped in the dream then waking ..But surprise I am still trapped but in a day dream.

———————————————————————-

——————————————————————–

 Ordered the tubing  for unsuccessful suicide scene. It fills me with great sadness just thinking about people doing this. So so sad.

The piping arrived and it was 6mm not 6cm!!!

But then the scene came to me. I would film myself taking the tubing from  hoover. The hoover would be switched on. I really like the harsh sound of the hoover.

Then cut to a scene where I am looking for tape. Tape to fasten the tubing to the car exhaust.

I filmed these scenes above but am yet to film the exhaust being taped.

I also want to film the tubing going into the car window and final for this segment the smoke rising in the car. Carbon monoxide poising.

I already have clips where I am now handcuffed to the steering wheel to indicate that I can not escape.

This segment is dark . Its filmed in the dark. The sounds are natural. White noise such as hoover and a car engine running. I have also added a cal, heart beat.

I wanted there to be a calm calculated feeling to this segment. Despite it being quite sad. It is not know that this part is a dream yet.