The Work of Director Chris Cunningham
Portishead video – Only You
Bjork – All is full of love
Questions:
1. How did Bjork and Chris collaborate on the All is full of love video? They had mutual friends and knew of each other’s work, and people in their circle of friends had seen a video of the Aphex twins by Cunningham and suggested that the two should would together.
2. What techniques were used on the Portishead video to create the unusual slow motion effects? The video was filmed partially underwater to create the distorted look in the people's faces and then was edited to put the video in a realistic urban scene.
3. What other music video directors have gone on to direct feature films? Name two and the feature films they have made.
-Richard Ayoade has directed music videos for bands such as Artic monkeys, Vampire Weekend and The Last Shadow Puppets he then has gone onto directing the hit cult comedy film Submarine.
-Marc Webb directed music videos for bands such as Yellowcard, Incubus and Good Charlotte and now has directed the indie romance film "500 days of summer"
4. Which famous sci - fi film did Chris Cunningham’s work on before he became a director? Chris Cunningham worked on two Sci-Fi films; A.I and Alien as a member of the special effects team and character designer.
5. What makes his work different or original compared to other similar directors? He is very different to directors by the way he visualises his work and the process he takes towards producing his work, it has a dark, ghostly and surreal feel to it. Working in the film industry behind the scenes has also worked to his favour as he has the experience and the skills that some directors may not.
Saturday 24 March 2012
Friday 23 March 2012
Moving Image 2: CINEMATOGRAPHY
CINEMATOGRAPHY
1 What is the role of the cinematographer in film making?
They are responsible for the artistic direction of photography in the shots being filmed; they oversee the lighting and camera crews.
2 Why did director Roman Polanski insist on using hand held camera in the film Chinatown?
He was able to get a very intimate and spontaneous feel to the scene as he able to get up in close to the actors.
3 Name two films which use colour in a very symbolic way, and describe what they suggest.
Wizard of Oz: When Dorothy is at home in "boring" Kansas the film is shot in sepia tone reflecting on the dark feeling of the Tornado coming and how she feels at the time in the film. When she then is transported to Oz, the use of bright and garish colours fit with the atmosphere of Oz and reflects her feelings of her meeting her new friends and how happy people are in Oz as she has killed the wicked witch.
Suckerpunch: This film uses very dark, earthy/neutral and muted colours to fit with the comic book influence and dark themes of the film. This symbolises what the girls are going through and again the influence of the comic book style of direction.
4 In the film Raging Bull why was the fight scene filmed at different speeds? It was filmed at different speeds for two reasons, the first is that the current audience were used to seeing fights photographed in very big set ups, with bright lighting a flash so they would expect a big show from a fight. The second is to show the fight in real time and also in how the boxers are feeling and their reactions.
5 Who is the cinematographer for the film Apocalypse Now, and what is his philosophy?
Vittorio Storaro, his philosophy is that film is another art form just like a photograph or a painting.
1 What is the role of the cinematographer in film making?
They are responsible for the artistic direction of photography in the shots being filmed; they oversee the lighting and camera crews.
2 Why did director Roman Polanski insist on using hand held camera in the film Chinatown?
He was able to get a very intimate and spontaneous feel to the scene as he able to get up in close to the actors.
3 Name two films which use colour in a very symbolic way, and describe what they suggest.
Wizard of Oz: When Dorothy is at home in "boring" Kansas the film is shot in sepia tone reflecting on the dark feeling of the Tornado coming and how she feels at the time in the film. When she then is transported to Oz, the use of bright and garish colours fit with the atmosphere of Oz and reflects her feelings of her meeting her new friends and how happy people are in Oz as she has killed the wicked witch.
Suckerpunch: This film uses very dark, earthy/neutral and muted colours to fit with the comic book influence and dark themes of the film. This symbolises what the girls are going through and again the influence of the comic book style of direction.
4 In the film Raging Bull why was the fight scene filmed at different speeds? It was filmed at different speeds for two reasons, the first is that the current audience were used to seeing fights photographed in very big set ups, with bright lighting a flash so they would expect a big show from a fight. The second is to show the fight in real time and also in how the boxers are feeling and their reactions.
5 Who is the cinematographer for the film Apocalypse Now, and what is his philosophy?
Vittorio Storaro, his philosophy is that film is another art form just like a photograph or a painting.
Wednesday 21 March 2012
Moving Image 1 : Sam Taylor Wood
List two specific key relationships between Sam Taylor Wood's photography and film work?
Her work is very personal, emotional and quite shocking in the way it is produced in such a raw way.
How does the use of multi-screen installation in her work reflect narrative?
It shows the different layers to the narrative and reflects the feelings (perhaps confusion) of the people in the story. Using the multi-screen may also give the audience a chance to make their own story instead of being fed a story through one screen.
What other photographers use film as an integral part of their work. List two with examples?
Larry Clarke - Kids and music photographer Roger Sarget who recently released a documentary following the band The Libertines.
Research three other Video artists and explain their working philosophy?
Shane Medows- Known for making very gritty and at times slightly uncomfortable to watch films, about British life. He likes to show Britain completely stripped back and focusing on current issues such as racism such as his This is England series which was became into a TV series on Channel 4.
Nick Knight- A very original and cutting edge fashion photographer directed music videos for the music artists Bjork and Lady GaGa, putting his own style in both music videos. His work tends to be quite controversial and is reflected in the two artists he choose to work with, his work is very eye catching and dramatic, the work wants to grab the attention of the audiences.
Tim Burton- An American Film director, writer and producer is known for making very dark, quirky and fantasy like films, he likes to keep his audience guessing and not to expect "the norm", it has been said the Tim Burton also has an "imaginary friend" that helps him out with is bizarre ideas. I feel that he wants his audience to forget about any worries they have in reality and he wants them to be absorbed by his magical and dream like creations.
Show an example of a specific gallery space or a site specific location where a video artist or film maker has created work specifically for that space and been influenced by it.
Baz Lurhmann was so inspired by the history and style of the Moulin Rouge in Paris that he decided to make a film based around the glamorous illusion, mixing sex and glamour to make this film very aesthetically captivating.
Her work is very personal, emotional and quite shocking in the way it is produced in such a raw way.
How does the use of multi-screen installation in her work reflect narrative?
It shows the different layers to the narrative and reflects the feelings (perhaps confusion) of the people in the story. Using the multi-screen may also give the audience a chance to make their own story instead of being fed a story through one screen.
What other photographers use film as an integral part of their work. List two with examples?
Larry Clarke - Kids and music photographer Roger Sarget who recently released a documentary following the band The Libertines.
Research three other Video artists and explain their working philosophy?
Shane Medows- Known for making very gritty and at times slightly uncomfortable to watch films, about British life. He likes to show Britain completely stripped back and focusing on current issues such as racism such as his This is England series which was became into a TV series on Channel 4.
Nick Knight- A very original and cutting edge fashion photographer directed music videos for the music artists Bjork and Lady GaGa, putting his own style in both music videos. His work tends to be quite controversial and is reflected in the two artists he choose to work with, his work is very eye catching and dramatic, the work wants to grab the attention of the audiences.
Tim Burton- An American Film director, writer and producer is known for making very dark, quirky and fantasy like films, he likes to keep his audience guessing and not to expect "the norm", it has been said the Tim Burton also has an "imaginary friend" that helps him out with is bizarre ideas. I feel that he wants his audience to forget about any worries they have in reality and he wants them to be absorbed by his magical and dream like creations.
Show an example of a specific gallery space or a site specific location where a video artist or film maker has created work specifically for that space and been influenced by it.
Baz Lurhmann was so inspired by the history and style of the Moulin Rouge in Paris that he decided to make a film based around the glamorous illusion, mixing sex and glamour to make this film very aesthetically captivating.
Sunday 18 March 2012
Genius 6
1. How many photographs are taken in a year? 80 billion photographs were expected to be taken in the year the documentary was filmed.
2. What is Gregory Crewdsons modus operandi? He sets up his photographs by using a big production team almost as if he is on a film set.
3. Which prints command the highest price & what are they called? Prints made by the photographer themselves & nearest to the time the image was taken.
4. What is a Fake photograph? Give an example and explain how & why it is fake.
A Fake photograph is when a negative has been printed and copied over and over again, or could be an image that claims to be an original but has in fact been printed by someone else such as assistant.
5. Who is Li Zhensheng and what is he famous for? He is a Chinese photojournalist who took some of the most well-known photographs of the Chinese culture revolution.
6. What is the photographers “holy of holies”? Magnum
7. How does Ben Lewis see Jeff Walls photography? He took photography back to another art form of painting, and documenting modern life in such a way that depicts current issues such as race, stereotype and gender.
8. Which famous photograph was taken by “Frank Mustard”? The river scene, France supposedly created by Camille Silvy but was in fact taken by Frank Mustard.
2. What is Gregory Crewdsons modus operandi? He sets up his photographs by using a big production team almost as if he is on a film set.
3. Which prints command the highest price & what are they called? Prints made by the photographer themselves & nearest to the time the image was taken.
4. What is a Fake photograph? Give an example and explain how & why it is fake.
A Fake photograph is when a negative has been printed and copied over and over again, or could be an image that claims to be an original but has in fact been printed by someone else such as assistant.
5. Who is Li Zhensheng and what is he famous for? He is a Chinese photojournalist who took some of the most well-known photographs of the Chinese culture revolution.
6. What is the photographers “holy of holies”? Magnum
7. How does Ben Lewis see Jeff Walls photography? He took photography back to another art form of painting, and documenting modern life in such a way that depicts current issues such as race, stereotype and gender.
8. Which famous photograph was taken by “Frank Mustard”? The river scene, France supposedly created by Camille Silvy but was in fact taken by Frank Mustard.
Saturday 17 March 2012
Genius 5
Genius 5 – Questions
1.Who said “ The camera gave me the license to strip away what you want people to know about you, to reveal what you can’t help people knowing about you”, and when was it said?
This quotation was said by Diane Arbus whilst in New York in the 1960's
2. Do photographers tend to prey on vulnerable people?
3. Who is Colin Wood?
He is the child in the famous Diane Abrus image "Child with Toy Hand Grenade" he was just simply playing in central park, New York one afternoon in 1962 and caught the attention of Arbus who took many photographs but decided to use this one.
4. Why do you think Diane Arbus committed suicide?
Arbus had lived a very different life to the "norm" and was perhaps not used to being out of this almost fantasy world were people were different and everything was extreme, so when she finally did step out of this world, it became too much for her and she was not used to it.
5. Why and how did Larry Clark shoot “Tulsa”?
He took the photographs for the book as if he was in the book himself he lived the same lives as his subjects, he took drugs with them and also slept with them as if he were part of this extreme and dangerous collection of people making his work greatly realistic.
6. Try to explain the concept of “confessional photography”, and what is the “impolite genre”?
Confessional photography: A link could be made here between this genre and religion as the photographs taken in this way show the truth within a photograph. Often the photos are quite intimate and bare all to the audience.
Impolite Genre: This is photographs that are taken with a quite a brutal subject matter and quite often be disturbing, making them hard for the viewer to look at.
7. What will Araki not photograph, and why?
He documents his life constantly but will choose what he wants to photograph and will only photograph things he would like to remember.
8. What is the premise of Postmodernism?
We are now living in a society where we are so easily influenced by the media that we no longer have much control over our actions and choices, we are fed other people's narratives and ideas.
1.Who said “ The camera gave me the license to strip away what you want people to know about you, to reveal what you can’t help people knowing about you”, and when was it said?
This quotation was said by Diane Arbus whilst in New York in the 1960's
2. Do photographers tend to prey on vulnerable people?
3. Who is Colin Wood?
He is the child in the famous Diane Abrus image "Child with Toy Hand Grenade" he was just simply playing in central park, New York one afternoon in 1962 and caught the attention of Arbus who took many photographs but decided to use this one.
4. Why do you think Diane Arbus committed suicide?
Arbus had lived a very different life to the "norm" and was perhaps not used to being out of this almost fantasy world were people were different and everything was extreme, so when she finally did step out of this world, it became too much for her and she was not used to it.
5. Why and how did Larry Clark shoot “Tulsa”?
He took the photographs for the book as if he was in the book himself he lived the same lives as his subjects, he took drugs with them and also slept with them as if he were part of this extreme and dangerous collection of people making his work greatly realistic.
6. Try to explain the concept of “confessional photography”, and what is the “impolite genre”?
Confessional photography: A link could be made here between this genre and religion as the photographs taken in this way show the truth within a photograph. Often the photos are quite intimate and bare all to the audience.
Impolite Genre: This is photographs that are taken with a quite a brutal subject matter and quite often be disturbing, making them hard for the viewer to look at.
7. What will Araki not photograph, and why?
He documents his life constantly but will choose what he wants to photograph and will only photograph things he would like to remember.
8. What is the premise of Postmodernism?
We are now living in a society where we are so easily influenced by the media that we no longer have much control over our actions and choices, we are fed other people's narratives and ideas.
Friday 16 March 2012
Genius 4
1. Why did Garry Winogrand take photographs?
He wanted to see what the world looked like photographed instead of through his own eyes, taking another perceptive.
2. Why did “citizens evolve from blurs to solid flesh”?
This quote tells about how technology and photography has advanced, the blur is referring to the longer exposure times we were used to due to the lack of technology. The solid flesh is when cameras started to become more advanced would be able to capture a moving object in a completely still frame.
3. What was/is the “much misunderstood theory”? This is the decisive moment of when the photographer needs to take that shot and what makes him want to do it, the theory was created by Henry-Carter Bresson.
4. Who was the godfather of street photography in the USA? Gary Winogrand.
5. Who was Paul Martin and what did he do?
He was a British photographer who captured a British seaside with a camera hidden in a bag, as people didn't know their photograph was being taken it allowed him to capture these people in a natural documentary style way.
6. Who said “When I was growing up photographers were either nerds or pornographers?
The artist Edward Ruscha
7. Why does William Eggleston photograph in colour?
He photographs in colour because it pulls the photograph together and allows the audience to see the picture as a whole instead of black & white, which is essentially just two colours and brings it to life.
8. What is William Eggleston about?
Eggleston's photographs are about photographing life as it is in colour, which shows the truths and vibrancy of life.
He wanted to see what the world looked like photographed instead of through his own eyes, taking another perceptive.
2. Why did “citizens evolve from blurs to solid flesh”?
This quote tells about how technology and photography has advanced, the blur is referring to the longer exposure times we were used to due to the lack of technology. The solid flesh is when cameras started to become more advanced would be able to capture a moving object in a completely still frame.
3. What was/is the “much misunderstood theory”? This is the decisive moment of when the photographer needs to take that shot and what makes him want to do it, the theory was created by Henry-Carter Bresson.
4. Who was the godfather of street photography in the USA? Gary Winogrand.
5. Who was Paul Martin and what did he do?
He was a British photographer who captured a British seaside with a camera hidden in a bag, as people didn't know their photograph was being taken it allowed him to capture these people in a natural documentary style way.
6. Who said “When I was growing up photographers were either nerds or pornographers?
The artist Edward Ruscha
7. Why does William Eggleston photograph in colour?
He photographs in colour because it pulls the photograph together and allows the audience to see the picture as a whole instead of black & white, which is essentially just two colours and brings it to life.
8. What is William Eggleston about?
Eggleston's photographs are about photographing life as it is in colour, which shows the truths and vibrancy of life.
Thursday 15 March 2012
Genius 3
1. What is described as “One of the most familiar concepts in photography”?
The decisive moment, an example of this is Henri-Carter Bresson's image Behind Saint-Lazare station.
2. Should you trust a photograph?
We shouldn't trust a photograph as they can be so easily manipulated in the darkroom and the photo itself could have been set up too, as we were not there to see what could have really happened.
3. What was revolutionary about the Leica in 1925?
It was a smaller, compact and portable camera that made it easier to take images quicker without much fuss.
4. What did George Bernard Shaw say about all the paintings of Christ? He said that he would swap every single paintings of Christ just for one snapshot.
5. Why were Tony Vaccaros’ negatives destroyed by the army censors? They were destroyed as they were images of the army's GI's and the army censors thought that the world was not ready to see these images yet.
6. Who was Henryk Ross and what was his job? Ross worked for the Propaganda as a photographer for the Nazi’s and also worked in the "ghetto" as a photographer to document the life of the polish Jews.
7. Which show was a “sticking plaster for the wounds of the war”, how many people saw it and what “cliché” did it end on?
The family of man and was seen by 9 million people, the show ends on a clichéd image of two children walking into bright light.
8. Why did Joel Meyerowitz photograph ground zero in colour? He decided to photograph it in colour as keeping it in black and white would still keep it as a tragedy.
The decisive moment, an example of this is Henri-Carter Bresson's image Behind Saint-Lazare station.
2. Should you trust a photograph?
We shouldn't trust a photograph as they can be so easily manipulated in the darkroom and the photo itself could have been set up too, as we were not there to see what could have really happened.
3. What was revolutionary about the Leica in 1925?
It was a smaller, compact and portable camera that made it easier to take images quicker without much fuss.
4. What did George Bernard Shaw say about all the paintings of Christ? He said that he would swap every single paintings of Christ just for one snapshot.
5. Why were Tony Vaccaros’ negatives destroyed by the army censors? They were destroyed as they were images of the army's GI's and the army censors thought that the world was not ready to see these images yet.
6. Who was Henryk Ross and what was his job? Ross worked for the Propaganda as a photographer for the Nazi’s and also worked in the "ghetto" as a photographer to document the life of the polish Jews.
7. Which show was a “sticking plaster for the wounds of the war”, how many people saw it and what “cliché” did it end on?
The family of man and was seen by 9 million people, the show ends on a clichéd image of two children walking into bright light.
8. Why did Joel Meyerowitz photograph ground zero in colour? He decided to photograph it in colour as keeping it in black and white would still keep it as a tragedy.
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